Esurance Vs. Progressive: Which Is Better In 2021?

Esurance is known for its online experience that allows drivers to purchase car insurance quickly and easily, but industry leader Progressive has competitive online tools, too. In this review of Esurance vs. Progressive, we’ll take a look at technology as well as coverage, discount opportunities, and the claims process for each provider.

We’ve reviewed the best car insurance companies in the country and found Esurance and Progressive to both be good choices for vehicle protection. When it comes down to it though, you only need one auto insurance policy.

To go ahead and start comparing free, nonbinding auto insurance quotes, enter your zip code into the tool above.

In this article:

Esurance And Progressive Highlights

Esurance is a small, tech-focused company owned by Allstate. It has good discounts for seniors and decent ratings from industry experts. When you compare Esurance vs. Progressive, you will find that Progressive has stronger availability and industry ratings. It’s one of the most well-known car insurance companies in the nation and is a smart choice for high-risk drivers in particular. But which provider is best for you will depend on what exactly you’re looking for.

Keep reading for more side-by-side comparisons of Esurance and Progressive. To learn more about the providers individually, check out our complete Esurance insurance review and Progressive insurance review.

Esurance Vs. Progressive: Coverage

When you’re shopping for car insurance, it’s important to make sure each provider you’re considering has the coverage you need for your peace of mind. Both Esurance and Progressive offer the standard types of auto insurance, as well as a few extras.

Standout Coverage From Esurance

• Roadside assistance: This add-on option will pay $75 per incident toward towing and labor, flat tire changes, fuel delivery, lockout services, and jump-starts. The interesting part about this type of insurance is that if you don’t add it to your plan and you have an Esurance policy, you can still use the service and pay per incident.
• Loan/lease GAP coverage: This feature is beneficial for loaned and leased vehicles. In the event of a total loss, Esurance will pay up to 25 percent over the cash value of your car to help you pay off the loan.

Standout Coverage From Progressive

• Accident forgiveness: Progressive has an accident forgiveness program that covers small and large accidents. Small accident forgiveness kicks in as soon as you purchase a policy with Progressive, and it covers claims less than $500. Large accident forgiveness is available after several years of accident-free driving. These features are one reason why we named Progressive the Best for High-Risk Drivers.
• Custom parts and equipment value: This coverage will pay to repair or replace any damaged aftermarket installation parts like stereo systems or paint jobs.
• Deductible savings bank: For every six-month period that customers go without a claim, you get $50 toward your next deductible.

Esurance Vs. Progressive: Cost And Discounts

Our research found that Esurance and Progressive have similar rates that are competitive in the industry. The cost of your own car insurance will depend on many factors, like your age, driving record, and vehicle make and model. Before you start gathering car insurance quotes though, you can see if you would qualify for any discounts to help you understand each provider’s affordability.

Esurance DriveSense^® Vs. Progressive Snapshot^® Program

Both Esurance and Progressive have usage-based insurance programs that help customers save money on car insurance by monitoring safe driving habits through mobile apps. We put Esurance’s DriveSense up against Progressive’s Snapshot program to see which provider has a better usage-based monitoring system. Here’s what we found:

Standout Discounts From Esurance

• Fast 5^® discount: Get up to 5 percent off your first-term premium if you get a quote online.
• Online Shopper^® discount: If you start your auto quote online on the Esurance website, you could qualify for this discount (varies by state).
• Senior driver discount: Customers older than 50 who successfully complete a driving course could get lower car insurance rates.

Standout Discounts And Tools From Progressive

• Name Your Price^® tool: Although not technically a discount, this tool will still help you save money on your car insurance rates from Progressive. You input the price you want to pay for car insurance to be matched with policies that fit within your budget.
• Student away at school discount: If an insured driver on your policy is a full-time student who goes to school more than 100 miles away from home and doesn’t bring the insured vehicle, you could save money on your auto insurance.

Not only does Progressive have more discounts, which means more ways for customers to save, but Progressive also gives drivers access to unique tools like the Name Your Price tool, which is the only one of its kind in the industry. If you’re looking for savings, you might find better coverage with Progressive.

When you’re ready to start comparing free, personalized quotes, and see which discounts you qualify for, enter your zip code in the quote box below.

Esurance Vs. Progressive: Ratings And Reviews

Esurance and Progressive have similar ratings from industry experts like the BBB, which measures business practices, and AM Best, which measures an insurance company’s ability to pay out customer claims. In terms of ratings, Progressive pulls slightly ahead.

Esurance Customer Reviews

Positive customer reviews about Esurance tend to focus on the easy sign-up process, informative customer service representatives, and quick service. Negative reviews highlight slow claims processing, high premiums, and increased rates for vague reasons.

“Signing up and paying is such an easy process. They make it painless, and that’s awesome.” 

- Jennifer G. via BBB

“The customer service is horrible, their attitude and attention to details are even worse. Once my two teenage kids are off of my insurance, the first thing I will do is drop this company. In this case, you really get what you pay for... It’s the same issue claim after claim even though they’re not the liable insurers. If you can afford it, go somewhere else.” 

- John M. via BBB

Progressive Customer Reviews

We found that positive Progressive customer reviews mention helpful staff, fair rates, and an easy payment process. Negative reviews, on the other hand, touch on rude customer service, increased rates for unknown reasons, and unresponsive claims servicing.

“Progressive has been an excellent company to work with for auto insurance. I highly recommend them for their professional, helpful staff and great rates. They work with me, too.” 

- A.K. via BBB

“I have had several insurance companies in the past, Progressive is by far the worst company. I have an open claim with them, their claims rep and the manager are extremely rude and unresponsive to email/phone calls. No update in the last [four] weeks, although I have reached out to them several times.” 

- Reina S. via BBB

Quotes And Claims

To compare the quotes processes from Esurance and Progressive, we look to the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study^SM, which measures shopping experiences from customers who recently got quotes. Here’s how the study found Esurance vs. Progressive:

• Esurance: 867 out of 1,000 points
• Progressive: 838 out of 1,000 points

These numbers tell us that more customers have been pleased with the policy offerings, prices, and interactions provided by the Esurance shopping experience compared to that of Progressive.

It’s important to make sure that whichever provider you choose to underwrite your policy has a good claims process, too. In the event of an accident, the last thing you’ll want to worry about is dealing with your insurance company. To examine the claims process of each provider, we looked at a different J.D. Power study: the 2020 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study^SM.

• Esurance: 871 out of 1,000 points
• Progressive: 856 out of 1,000 points

These numbers tell us that Progressive has higher customer satisfaction ratings when it comes to submitting and tracking claims. Given the findings of both J.D. Power studies, we think Esurance and Progressive are on fairly even footing when it comes to quotes and claims.

Our Take On Esurance Vs. Progressive

Esurance and Progressive are both strong choices for auto insurance for their competitive rates and positive ratings from experts. However, after comparing Esurance vs. Progressive, Progressive comes out ahead with more comprehensive coverage, more discounts, and better customer satisfaction.

That being said, drivers looking for a good senior discount may find better rates with Esurance. When you’re ready to start comparing free quotes from major providers for yourself, you can follow the link below.

Top Recommendations For Car Insurance

In addition to Esurance and Progressive, we recommend looking into other top insurers like USAA and Geico. USAA was the only provider to earn 5.0 out of 5.0 stars in our industry review, and we named Geico the Best Overall for its expansive coverage accessible to most drivers.

USAA: 5.0 Stars

Our research found that USAA car insurance is the best choice for active or retired military personnel and their immediate family members. USAA members can customize their car insurance policies to include options like:

• Roadside assistance
• Rental car reimbursement
• Accident forgiveness

Many other insurance products are available from USAA, including motorcycle, boat, and homeowners insurance. With USAA car insurance, there are many discount opportunities that could make car insurance more affordable. One in particular, the military installation discount, could get you up to 15 percent off for garaging your car on a military base.

Learn more about coverage in our complete USAA insurance review.

Geico: 4.5 Stars

The second-largest car insurance company in the United States, Geico is known for its low rates and exceptional service. If you don’t qualify for USAA insurance, Geico is a good bet.

Coverage includes standard options as well as roadside assistance, mechanical breakdown insurance, and rideshare insurance. There are a number of ways to save, like the affinity membership discounts that reward drivers who belong to different academic and professional organizations. Geico also has a great customer loyalty program to help long-term customers save money.

Read up on the provider in our full Geico review.

More On Insurance:

Esurance Auto Insurance: Reviews, Coverage, And Cost (2020)

Progressive Insurance: Reviews And Coverage In 2020

The 12 Best Car Insurance Companies Of 2020

Travelers Auto Insurance Review (2020)

What Is The Average Car Insurance Payment In 2020?

Best Alabama Auto Insurance (2020)

Best Auto Insurance: Arkansas (2020)

Best Car Insurance: Alaska (2020)

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