Esurance Vs. Geico

Between Esurance vs. Geico, Geico offers better prices, stronger coverage options, and a more satisfying customer experience overall. That said, Esurance is also a great company with high ratings. In this article, we’ll compare Esurance vs. Geico head-to-head to help you decide which is best for you.

It’s a good idea to compare at least three of the best car insurance providers when you shop for car insurance since rates can change depending on your driving history, credit score, and more.

Esurance Vs. Geico Highlights

Esurance and Geico are both well-known providers with strong reputations in the car insurance industry.

Esurance Overview

Esurance was founded in 1999 and is one of the few companies that made it through the dot-com bubble. Highlights about Esurance include:

• One of the first providers to offer online car insurance
• Easy-to-use website
• Highly-rated mobile app

Geico Overview

Geico has been around since 1936 and has grown to become one of the top three largest car insurance companies in the country. Here are a few highlights about Geico:

• Wrote over $37.4 billion in premiums in 2021, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
• Easy quotes process
• Low rates with many discounts

Besides auto insurance, Esurance offers renters, homeowners, and motorcycle insurance. Geico offers dozens of insurance products including boat, condo, and home insurance. Policyholders can get discounts for bundling coverage options with either company.

Esurance Vs. Geico Coverage

Let’s look at Esurance vs. Geico in terms of coverage. Both companies provide the six standard types of auto insurance, which include:

• Bodily injury liability: This policy covers medical bills for other drivers and their passengers in accidents you cause. It is available in per-person and per-accident limits.
• Property damage liability: This policy covers repair costs for other vehicles in accidents you cause.
• Collision: This coverage pays for repairs to your car after an accident, regardless of fault.
• Comprehensive: This coverage pays to repair your car after damage from events like falling branches or floods.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist: This policy covers you and your car if someone without insurance or with too little insurance hits your car.
• Medical payments (MedPay)/personal injury protection (PIP): MedPay covers your medical bills after an accident, regardless of fault. PIP also covers your medical bills as well as lost wages and death benefits.

The providers differentiate themselves when it comes to additional coverage and add-ons. For example, Geico offers rideshare insurance across the country, but Esurance only offers it in California, Illinois, and New Jersey.

Also, both companies offer usage-based insurance for safe drivers to get discounts based on their driving habits. Geico’s program, DriveEasy, is available in 22 states while Esurance’s program, DriveSense®, is available in 35.

Below are a few more stand-out policy options from Esurance vs. Geico.

Esurance Coverage Options

Coverage add-on options from Esurance include:

• Emergency roadside assistance coverage: Covers up to $75 of the charges associated with any emergency mechanical breakdown, including towing
• Rental car coverage: Covers the cost of a rental car if your car is in an accident and is rendered unusable while it’s being repaired
• Guaranteed asset protection (GAP) coverage: Covers the difference when you still owe more than your car is worth on your loan and your car is totaled

Geico Coverage Options

In addition to the standard auto insurance policies mentioned above, Geico offers:

• Emergency roadside service: Covers towing, jumpstarts for dead car batteries, labor to change a flat tire, and lockout services (up to $100)
• Rental car coverage: Covers rental costs when your car is being repaired as the result of a covered claim
• Mechanical breakdown insurance: Covers repairs to mechanical parts of the car similar to an extended car warranty

Unlike Esurance, Geico doesn’t offer GAP insurance. But Geico mechanical breakdown insurance is where the provider stands out. This acts as an extended car warranty – after a covered breakdown, you pay a $250 deductible, and Geico covers the repair.

Esurance Vs. Geico Car Insurance Discounts

When comparing Esurance vs. Geico in terms of insurance rates, you will find that a lot of the same discounts apply.

Esurance Discounts

Esurance is reasonably priced and provides great value for the money. While it’s by no means the cheapest car insurance available, it does beat most of the competition when it comes to low prices.

Esurance offers a variety of discounts but does not have a specific list available on its website. The best way to find out which discounts you qualify for is by getting a quote.

Geico Discounts

Geico advertisements claim that “15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more.” We found that Geico did not have the lowest prices across the board, but its premiums are definitely cheaper than most of its competition. Plus, the company has great discounts.

Here are some examples of the discounts offered by Geico:

• Multi-policy
• Good student
• Good driver
• New vehicle
• Military
• Federal employee
• Seat belt use
• Daytime running lights
• Anti-theft device
• Anti-lock brakes

Be aware that Geico offers an accident forgiveness add-on, while Esurance does not.

Esurance Vs. Geico Customer Service

Both companies offer reliable customer service in most cases. They have similar BBB scores from customers, but Geico has a higher score of 1.5 out of 5.0 on Trustpilot, while Esurance has a score of 2.0 stars on the site. Below are a few example reviews for each provider.

Esurance Insurance Reviews

As far as customer complaints go, Esurance gets just about the median number for a company its size, according to the NAIC. When looking at Esurance vs. Geico, we found Esurance to be about average when it comes to how satisfied customers are with their experiences.

Esurance has a C rating with the Better Business Bureau and a 1.08 out of 5-star rating based on under 125 customer reviews. Keep in mind that online reviews tend to be biased toward the negative, especially when it comes to insurance companies. Here are two examples of what customers have to say about Esurance:

“Despite the bad reviews of this company, I had a very positive experience.”

– Liz via BBB

“This company is horrible. [I] thought I was making the right decision by getting them, but that was very wrong. These people will do and say anything not to perform [their] jobs and serve the people who are keeping them in business. Personally, the rates are great, but ultimately you get what you pay for.”

– Kris M. via BBB

Many other negative Esurance reviews are about rates going up over time and dissatisfaction with customer service.

Geico Insurance Reviews

Judging by how few complaints Geico gets relative to its size, the insurer appears to deliver a superb customer experience. But like all insurance companies, Geico gets its fair share of complaints. The company has an A+ rating with the BBB and a 1.14 out of 5-star customer rating based on just under 1,000 reviews.

Let’s take a closer look at some customer feedback:

“Geico has been more than fair to me. I’m 18 years old with a brand new Dodge Charger, and I’ve already got a few things on my driving record but Geico really offers me great rates that I can’t find anywhere else.”

– Ethan R. via BBB

“This insurance company is low-grade to the extent. I have encountered an accident one month ago and Geico insured holder was at fault … I have been trying to get in touch with their claims representative for quite some time. They know they are at fault 100 percent and [try] to bargain with you to lessen their pockets.”

– Stephanie via BBB

A majority of the negative Geico reviews on the BBB are regarding specific issues with the claims process.

Esurance Vs. Geico: Conclusion

While both Esurance and Geico provide high-quality insurance coverage, we found that Geico was a better choice overall as it provides better prices and coverage options. That said, Esurance is still a great option for auto insurance, especially if you can qualify for available discounts to make the cost cheaper.

Recommended Car Insurance Providers

If neither Esurance nor Geico floats your boat, you may be interested in USAA, State Farm, or Progressive. Along with Geico, these providers topped our list of the industry’s best car insurance companies.

We recommend comparing multiple quotes from different providers before you make your final decision.

USAA: Best For Military Members

Out of all the companies we reviewed, we ranked USAA car insurance as No. 1. The company has affordable car insurance rates (the lowest we found on average), lots of discount programs, and superb customer service.

Unfortunately, USAA is only available to active military, veterans, and their families, so the general public will not be able to purchase a policy from USAA.

State Farm: Best Overall Provider

State Farm car insurance follows closely behind USAA as far as rates are concerned, and customer satisfaction with this insurer is quite high. State Farm also offers a wide variety of discounts for students, good drivers, and more.

Progressive: Best For High-Risk Drivers

Progressive is another well-established insurance company with good customer satisfaction ratings and a solid variety of coverage options. We like Progressive for its online quote comparison tool, which allows you to compare rates for insurance companies side by side.

Geico Vs. Esurance: FAQs

How We Rate Insurers

Our review process aims to deliver consistent and unbiased assessments of car insurance providers. While there are multiple qualities that make a car insurance company successful, our review team focuses on those we believe are the most important for consumers:

• Cost: Cost can be difficult to compare between insurers because so many factors impact annual premiums. The cheapest insurer for one driver may not be the cheapest for another. To determine our cost score, we look at insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services, discount opportunities, and consumer reports.
• Coverage: To determine our coverage score, we look at the number of coverage options available as well as coverage limits and deductible options. Our ratings also take into account additional services and benefits like roadside assistance.
• Reliability: It’s important that an auto insurer is able to meet its claims obligations. Companies with a strong financial strength rating from AM Best score best in this category. Established insurers with a long history of reliable service also receive positive marks.
• Service: We comb through customer reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to learn about customer experiences. Insurers with a low volume of complaints score well in this area. We also consider the claims process, giving higher ratings to car insurance providers that offer easy-to-use claims apps.