Progressive vs. Geico: Which is better? (2024)

Pros and cons: Progressive

✓ Better coverage options than GEICO

✓ Lots of discounts

✓ Available in all 50 states

✕ More expensive than average

Read our full Progressive insurance review

Pros and cons: GEICO

✓ Cheaper rates than Progressive

✓ Plenty of discounts

✓ Available in all 50 states

✕ Lower-rated digital tools than Progressive

Read our full GEICO insurance review

Progressive vs. GEICO: Which is better?

Progressive and GEICO are evenly matched and both make our list of the best insurance companies, so the better one for you depends on your budget and how much auto insurance coverage you want. 

We found that Progressive is better if you want to add coverage to a basic policy, but GEICO is better for cheap rates. That said, it’s still a good idea to make sure there’s not a better company for you out there by comparing quotes from Progressive, GEICO, and other top companies before you get insured.

Progressive vs. GEICO: at a glance

We scored these categories on a five-point scale.

Why you can trust our insurance company comparisons

We calculated our expert ratings by considering cost, availability, customer experience and satisfaction, and coverage options. Our own policycentral agents — who have years of experience working with real car insurance shoppers — also weighed in.

To come up with our company ratings, we accumulated company data for price, financial strength, customer experience, and coverage options. We assigned a weight to each category based on research and insight from our own licensed insurance editors and operations specialists. Here’s how our ratings categories break down:

• Price (35%): We gave each company a score based on its average rate and available discounts.

• Financial strength (25%): We gave point values based on each company’s A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating, S&P credit rating, and Moody’s credit rating.

• Customer experience (20%): We scored companies based on how they performed on the most recent J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction and Digital Experience surveys. This category also considers a company's complaint index, which is provided by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

• Coverage options (20%): We scored companies for the number of coverage types offered and the quality of these options. Less common endorsements earned higher scores compared to add-ons that most companies offer.

Next, we converted each company’s raw values to the same standardized “z-score” and “t-score.” Finally, using a weighted average formula, we combined each category rating and converted it to a 5-point scale to calculate each company's overall policycentral rating.

How we calculated coverage cost:

We determined the average costs for full-coverage car insurance from each company using rate data provided by Quadrant Information Services.

These rates were from every ZIP code across every state, along with the District of Columbia. Rates were for a 30-year-old male driver with a 2017 Toyota Camry. Our sample full-coverage policy included the following limits:

• Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident

• Property damage liability: $50,000 per accident

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident

• Comprehensive: $500 deductible

• Collision: $500 deductible

Some carriers may be represented by affiliates or subsidiaries. Rates provided are a sample of costs. Your actual quotes may differ.

Is Progressive or GEICO cheaper?

GEICO is cheaper than Progressive when it comes to car insurance. On average, the coverage from GEICO is $588 cheaper per year than Progressive for someone with a clean record. 

In fact, the cost of car insurance from Progressive is $142 more expensive than the national average. Progressive can get even more expensive after an accident or driving violation.

GEICO is cheaper for high-risk drivers

We found that GEICO has better rates for drivers who have been in an accident, have a recent violation, or have bad credit. On average, the cost of insurance for high-risk drivers is hundreds of dollars more expensive at Progressive.

GEICO is also cheaper than Progressive after a not-at-fault accident and for drivers with bad credit. We found that GEICO is $738 cheaper than Progressive after a no-fault accident, and $1,332 cheaper for people with bad credit.

GEICO is cheaper across multiple age groups

GEICO has lower rates for drivers across every age group we looked at, including new drivers. It costs $1,235 less per year to newly licensed driver to an existing policy with GEICO than Progressive.

Both Progressive and GEICO are good companies for seniors. Unlike with other companies, Progressive and GEICO’s rates don’t get higher right as you turn 65.

Does Progressive or GEICO have better discounts?

Progressive and GEICO both have similar car insurance discounts, but Progressive may have better discounts for you if you own a home, can afford to pay your annual premium all at once, or are comfortable with buying coverage and signing documents online.

GEICO has better affinity discounts through workplaces or other organizations. GEICO also offers a discount for federal employees and people in the military that Progressive doesn’t.

Discount	Progressive	GEICO
Affinity discount	No	Yes
Automatic payment discount	Yes	No
Bundling discount	Yes	Yes
Continuous coverage discount	Yes	No
Defensive driving class discount	No	Yes
Distant student discount	Yes	No
Emergency deployment discount	No	Yes
Federal employee discount	No	Yes
Good student discount	Yes	Yes
Homeowner discount	Yes	No
Military discount	No	Yes
Multi-car discount	Yes	Yes
New vehicle discount	No	Yes
Online quote discount	Yes	No
Paperless billing discount	Yes	No
Pay-in-full discount	Yes	No
Safe vehicle discount	No	Yes
Secure vehicle discount	No	Yes
Sign online discount	Yes	No

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Comparing usage-based insurance from Progressive and GEICO

Progressive and GEICO both offer a usage-based discount (which means your driving is tracked through a mobile app). 

Both Snapshot (Progressive) and DriveEasy (GEICO log how often you use your phone while driving, along with speeding, braking, and acceleration. But too many risky behaviors and you could see your rates go up with both companies.

Is Progressive or GEICO better for customer experience?

We rated the customer service experience at Progressive and GEICO the same. GEICO scored higher than Progressive on the 2022 J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction Study, but Progressive did much better on the 2022 Digital Experience Study, which measures how happy policyholders are with the entire claims process.

Progressive also receives fewer complaints than GEICO does. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Progressive has a complaint index of 0.65, which is better than the industry average.

GEICO has better financial strength than Progressive

GEICO has stronger financial strength than Progressive based on scores from third-party credit-rating agencies. But, as one of the largest insurance companies, Progressive’s financial strength is also very strong.

Is Progressive or GEICO better for complete coverage?

Progressive is the better company for drivers who want to be able to add endorsements to a basic insurance policy. Both Progressive and GEICO offer common add-ons, like roadside assistance and rental reimbursement, but Progressive offers gap insurance and custom parts coverage and GEICO doesn’t.

Gap insurance can be very important for drivers who lease their cars or financed them with a loan (and it may even be required). Gap insurance pays the difference between your car’s lease or loan and the amount you get from collision or comprehensive after it’s totaled. Without gap insurance, you’d have to pay for this amount yourself.

Coverage options	Progressive	GEICO
Custom parts and equipment	Yes	No
Decreasing deductible	Yes	No
Gap insurance	Yes	No
Mechanical breakdown	No	Yes
Rental car reimbursement	Yes	Yes
Rideshare coverage	Yes	No
Roadside assistance	Yes	Yes
policycentral coverage rating	3.6	2.8

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Are there better companies than Progressive and GEICO?

We gave Progressive and GEICO’ high scores, but it’s still possible that another car insurance company is even better for you.

Neither Progressive or GEICO have top-rated customer service. Progressive ranks below average for customer satisfaction, while GEICO ranks only one point higher than average. State Farm tends to rank much higher while remaining as cheap as (or even cheaper than) both companies.

And drivers looking for lots of car insurance coverage options may want to consider other companies. In the Northeast or the Midwest, Erie offers lots of endorsements that GEICO and Progressive don’t. Farmers is another alternative with a lot of coverage types, but it can be expensive.

Frequently asked questions

Is GEICO always cheaper than Progressive?

GEICO isn’t necessarily always cheaper than Progressive. While GEICO is cheaper than Progressive on average, there may be states, cities, or even ZIP codes where Progressive has lower rates. Rates also depend on the driver.

Which is more popular, GEICO or Progressive?

GEICO is larger than Progressive. Both companies are among the 10 largest car insurance providers in the country, but GEICO has the second-largest market share behind State Farm. Progressive has the third largest.

Are GEICO and Progressive hard to deal with?

GEICO and Progressive have mixed customer service reputations. GEICO has average claims satisfaction ratings, while Progressive’s is lower than average. At the same time, GEICO gets more complaints than average (and more than Progressive).