Compare Allstate vs. GEICO to Find Out Which Is Best for You

GEICO is cheaper for the average driver, as well as drivers with poor credit and those who have an accident or a ticket on their driving record. GEICO also has a higher J.D. Power score and is the cheaper option in 43 out of 50 states.

Allstate is cheaper for students and individuals with DUI charges. Allstate also has a better customer complaint ratio.

GEICO auto insurance is good for drivers who like to handle their policies themselves, as well as drivers with minor blemishes on their record.

Allstate auto insurance is good for drivers who like to have an agent as their personal contact point, as well as young drivers and drivers with DUIs on their record.

When it comes to affordability, GEICO is usually cheaper than Allstate. The average annual premium for GEICO is $1,047. This rate is $304 less than Allstate, whose annual premiums average at $1,351.

Keep in mind that your premiums with each company might be different. Rates vary based on your age, your location and your driving history. It’s important to compare car insurance quotes from both companies to get the most accurate rates and determine which one is the best auto insurance company for you.

The sample driver for the rates listed above is a 40-year-old man with no driving violations, 100/300/100 liability insurance and comprehensive and collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible.

GEICO is cheaper than Allstate in most states. However, keep in mind that individual states can have dramatically different rates than the average cost of auto insurance.

GEICO is more affordable than Allstate in 43 states, while Allstate is the cheaper option in seven states. Both companies offer insurance in all 50 states.

In the following table, the GEICO annual premium for Kansas reads "Not Available." Please note that this does not mean GEICO doesn't offer service in Kansas. Instead, it merely indicates that our study had no information for this state. If you'd like to see which company may offer you a lower quote instantly, use our car insurance cost calculator to get an anonymous quote.

Your age, driving record and credit score are just a few of the factors that can have a significant influence on your car insurance rates. Collectively, these factors make up your “driver profile,” or a collection of information auto insurance companies use to determine your rates. On average, insurance is more expensive for drivers with poor credit, young drivers and drivers with violations in their driving history.

Allstate is the most affordable choice for student drivers and drivers with a DUI, while GEICO is a cheaper option for drivers with a traffic ticket, at-fault accident or poor credit.

• Allstate is cheaper for an 18-year-old student driver than GEICO, costing $2,980 annually compared to $3,164.
• GEICO is cheaper for a driver with a ticket at $1,265 annually compared to $1,515 at Allstate.
• GEICO is cheaper for a driver with an at-fault accident, at $1,494 per year compared to $1,869 at Allstate.
• Allstate is cheaper for a driver with a DUI, at $2,669 annually compared to $2,680 with GEICO.
• GEICO is cheaper for a driver with poor credit at $1,676 annually, compared to $2,197 with Allstate.

Some insurance companies offer dozens of discounts, and others may offer only a few, but the number of discounts available to you is less important than your final quote.

The two most significant discounts available are the home and auto bundle — a discount for carrying both homeowners insurance and car insurance with the same company — and usage-based car insurance programs. Allstate offers a 17% discount for bundling your home and auto coverage. GEICO doesn’t specify how much of a discount it offers for bundling your policies, which means Allstate comes out the winner in this category. However, you’ll need to get a personal quote from GEICO to find out how its policy bundling discount compares. Learn more about how other companies stack up with home and auto bundling discounts.

Similarly, Allstate offers savings of up to 40% with their usage-based car insurance program, while GEICO doesn’t put an exact number on the savings you can expect from a usage-based program with their company. Allstate also offers separate behavior and usage policy options, allowing drivers who only want one or the other to choose the coverage that works best for them. GEICO has a combined behavior and usage policy for customers who are interested in this type of coverage.

The lack of specific numbers means that Allstate comes out ahead in this category as well. A quote from GEICO can give you more specific information on possible savings to help you decide which company offers the cheapest car insurance.

GEICO does offer dozens of unique discounts to their members. Both companies (along with almost every major insurer) provide a standard set of discounts for car safety features, a clean driving record and for paying your policy annually instead of monthly.

MoneyGeek measures customer service experience by reviewing customer rankings with J.D. Power and monitoring the number of complaints lodged with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

The auto insurance industry average in J.D. Power rankings is 835. Allstate has a customer satisfaction rating of 829 out of 1,000, slightly lower than the industry average. GEICO has a customer satisfaction score of 843 out of 1,000, which is slightly higher than the industry average, making GEICO the winner in this category.

The NAIC compliance report has a national median score of 1.00, which means that a company with a score lower than 1.00 would have fewer complaints than average. A company with a score higher than 1.00 would have more complaints than average. According to the NAIC, GEICO received a 2.04, which means they have more than double the average amount of complaints. Allstate scored 1.88, which is higher than average but still much lower than GEICO, making Allstate the winner in this category.

Because GEICO comes out ahead in the J.D. Power rankings and Allstate comes out ahead in the NAIC rankings, the companies are evenly split when it comes to who has the best customer service.

GEICO ranks higher on J.D. Power points for customer satisfaction, with 843 out of 1,000. GEICO does well in every J.D. Power category, but scored highest in their rental experience.

Allstate has a lower NAIC customer complaint ratio of 1.88, compared to a national median score of 1.00. This means that the company received more complaints than average, but still fewer complaints than GEICO.

There are some types of coverage standard in the auto insurance industry, such as:

• Liability insurance
• Comprehensive insurance
• Collision insurance
• Uninsured motorist insurance
• Personal injury protection

Beyond these standards, most insurance companies offer some types of coverage unique to that company and, often, designed to cater to their target market.

GEICO has four types of additional auto insurance coverage, including:

• Accident forgiveness
• Mechanical breakdown insurance
• Roadside assistance
• Rental reimbursement (due to a covered accident)

Allstate has nine types of additional auto insurance coverage, including:

• Roadside coverage
• New car replacement
• Sound system insurance
• Portable electronics/media coverage
• Custom equipment coverage
• Accident forgiveness
• Deductible rewards
• Ride for hire coverage
• GAP coverage

For both companies, these additional types of coverage are usually an additional cost or must be earned over time. Most of the additional coverage options are designed to be useful to every driver, but some of them (such as the sound system insurance and custom equipment coverage) are designed for drivers who are likely to invest extra money into their car.

When it comes to who offers the widest variety of coverage options, Allstate is the winner.

A company’s A.M. Best rating a company’s ability to pay future claims. An A.M. Best rating can run the gamut from A++ for highly secure companies to F for companies undergoing liquidation.

GEICO has an A++ financial rating, which is the highest available rating from A.M. Best. Allstate has an A+ rating, which is an excellent score, but still below GEICO. Most large insurance companies have a robust financial stability rating, so it isn’t surprising to see both GEICO and Allstate do so well in this category.

Both companies have excellent ratings but, when it comes to who has the higher financial stability rating, GEICO is the winner.

MoneyGeek chose GEICO as its winner for online tools, as almost all steps in the company's car insurance shopping process and experience can be completed online.

GEICO does all their business online, making it easy for customers to sign up, file claims and pay bills 24 hours a day. GEICO even allows you to use some of their functions, such as online premium payments, without requiring a login to simplify the process for their customers.

Allstate uses agents to provide service to their customers, which means there is a lot less online functionality than GEICO. They still offer customers the ability to access their policies and pay their bills online, but questions and claims should be directed to your agent. You can use their online tool to find an Allstate agent near you.

Data on car insurance rates comparing Allstate and GEICO are for a 40-year-old male with a full coverage car insurance policy, unless otherwise noted. The policy includes:

• $100,000 on bodily injury liability insurance per person
• $300,000 on bodily injury liability insurance per accident
• $100,000 on property damage liability insurance per person
• Comprehensive and collision insurance with a $1,000 deductible

To evaluate available coverages, discounts and online tools, MoneyGeek collected information from insurer websites and quote tools. To score insurance companies on customer satisfaction and customer complaints, MoneyGeek referenced publicly available data from J.D. Power and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Financial stability was measured using financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, a leading insurance credit rating agency.