GEICO vs. Nationwide: Which is Best for You?

GEICO offers lower rates on average than Nationwide. GEICO also has higher customer satisfaction scores, but Nationwide receives fewer customer complaints. Nationwide also has more unique coverages than GEICO.

GEICO is less expensive than Nationwide in most states. With coverage in all 50 states and Washington D.C., to Nationwide’s 47 states, GEICO is also available in more geographic areas.

GEICO is cheaper for young drivers and drivers with tickets, accidents or poor credit. Nationwide is more affordable for drivers who have a DUI on their driving record.

GEICO is good for drivers looking for the lowest rates and high customer satisfaction. Nationwide is good for drivers with a DUI on their records looking for a provider who receives few customer complaints and offers more custom coverage options.

GEICO offers [cheaper car insurance]https://www.moneygeek.com/insurance/auto/cheapest-car-insurance-quotes-companies/) overall, with an average annual cost of $1,047. Coverage from Nationwide costs an average of $1,341 per year.

These quotes are based on a sample driver with a safe driving record, a full coverage policy and 100/300/100 liability limits. Keep in mind that your driving profile and location can significantly affect your car insurance rates, so even though GEICO is cheaper overall, it may not be the cheapest insurer for you. If you'd like to get a free quote estimate, use our auto insurance calculator to see which insurance company may offer you the better rates.

GEICO is cheaper than Nationwide in most states. The average cost of car insurance in individual states can be very different than at a national level, so it’s always a good idea to compare personalized quotes that take your location into account.

Of the 28 states MoneyGeek has sample rates for both companies, GEICO is cheaper than Nationwide in 24, while Nationwide is cheaper in four. GEICO is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., while Nationwide is available in 47 states.

Nationwide does not write policies in:

• Massachusetts
• Louisiana
• Alaska
• Hawaii

Location isn’t the only individual factor that can affect your car insurance rates. Factors like your age, driving history, and even your credit score can also affect how much you pay. GEICO tends to be cheaper than Nationwide for most drivers, while Nationwide is cheaper than GEICO for drivers with a DUI.

• GEICO is cheaper for an 18-year-old student driver.
• GEICO is cheaper for a driver with a ticket.
• GEICO is cheaper for a driver with an at-fault accident.
• Nationwide is cheaper for a driver with a DUI.
• GEICO is cheaper for a driver with poor credit.

Because car insurance rates depend on so many individual factors, the best way to accurately compare two different car insurance rates is to obtain personalized quotes.

Most insurers offer similar discounts, so it’s a good idea to focus less on the number of discounts and more on the total amount of money you’ll pay after a discount is applied to your premium. Behavior and usage-based discounts and home and auto bundle discounts are two of the most common (and lucrative) savings opportunities that most drivers are eligible for.

GEICO doesn’t list potential savings available for bundling home and auto policies, making Nationwide the defacto winner for this discount. Nationwide customers save an average of 10%, lower than the average home and auto bundle discount of 17%. See how much you can save with other companies in our analysis of the cheapest home and auto insurance bundles.

Nationwide also wins out for usage and behavior-based discounts. They offer two separate programs to help drivers save money: their SmartRide program, which measures miles driven, hard braking and acceleration, idle time and nighttime driving, and their SmartMiles program, which charges a variable rate depending on how many miles you drive. GEICO also has a behavior-based discount program called DriveEasy, where drivers are penalized for distracted driving, hard braking and cornering, and rewarded for smoothness of driving and driving on easy roads.

MoneyGeek measures customer experience based on how satisfied customers are, according to J.D. Power, and how often they lodge complaints tracked by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The best car insurance companies have high customer satisfaction ratings and receive few complaints.

Nationwide has better scores for customer complaints, while GEICO has better scores for customer satisfaction. Overall, GEICO and Nationwide are tied in terms of customer service.

With a score of 843 out of 1,000, J.D. Power awards GEICO more points for customer satisfaction than Nationwide (822). GEICO received high marks across the board, but customers especially appreciate the smooth rental car experience.

The NAIC measures the number of customer complaints each insurance provider receives using a ratio. The average ratio across the insurance industry is 1, so any company that receives a score higher than 1 gets more complaints than average.

At 0.53, Nationwide’s complaint ratio is significantly lower than GEICO’s score of 2.04. These numbers mean that Nationwide receives almost half the number of complaints of the average insurance company, while GEICO receives over double.

All car insurance policies come with standard coverages, including liability insurance, comprehensive and collision insurance, uninsured motorist insurance and personal injury protection. However, many policies also come with additional coverages.

Overall, Nationwide provides more coverage options than GEICO, like deductible modification, identity theft coverage, and total loss deductible waiver. On the other hand, GEICO offers mechanical breakdown insurance, which can help drivers cover unexpected repairs.

According to AM Best, GEICO (A++) has a slightly higher financial stability score than Nationwide (A+), making it the winner in this category. However, like most established national insurance companies, both insurers are very financially stable, meaning they both should be able to reimburse you if you file a legitimate claim.

Both insurers offer a variety of online tools to help users manage their accounts. GEICO has a simple, sophisticated mobile app that helps customers review coverage, file claims and display digital insurance cards. Nationwide allows customers to pay bills, manage plans and file claims online or in their mobile app.

Data on car insurance rates comparing GEICO and Nationwide 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.