Allstate vs State Farm: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Allstate comes out ahead in 0, State Farm in 5, with 1 too close to call. State Farm edges the weighted overall score by 0.9 of a point, on the strength of price, claims satisfaction, financial strength, discounts, digital experience. That is not a reason to skip Allstate: it scores higher on none of our categories, though it may still quote you less, and a quote that comes in lower beats a review that scores higher. State Farm is the safer default; Allstate is worth a quote if you are among drivers who want an agent and will bundle enough to offset the premium.
The two largest agent-based insurers, competing for the same customer. Both sell through local agents, both are national, and both price above the direct writers. When drivers compare these two they are usually not shopping for the cheapest policy — they are choosing between two service relationships.
Allstate vs State Farm, side by side
Sources: average premiums from NerdWallet's August 2026 rate analysis (Quadrant Information Services), for a 35-year-old driver with a clean record and good credit in a 2023 Toyota Camry LE at 12,000 miles a year, 100/300/50 limits with $1,000 deductibles — national average $2,356. Claims satisfaction from the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study (segment average 700). Complaint record from NerdWallet's analysis of NAIC complaint data, 2022–2024. Financial strength from AM Best. Discounts and app data from each carrier's published pages and the Apple App Store / Google Play, retrieved August 2026. Updated August 2026.
Category by category
Price
State Farm aheadState Farm averages $2,065/yr for full coverage against Allstate's $3,176/yr — about $1111 a year, or 92.6 dollars a month, in State Farm's favor for this profile.
$3,176 a year for full coverage — 35% above the national average and the third most expensive carrier in this review. This is the number that defines Allstate.
At $2,065 a year for full coverage, State Farm sits about 12% under the national average — competitive, but not the cheapest of the national carriers.
Claims satisfaction
State Farm aheadState Farm takes claims satisfaction on 716/1,000 against Allstate's 693/1,000.
693 out of 1,000, seven points below the segment average. Middling, and not enough to justify the premium on its own.
716 out of 1,000 in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study puts State Farm comfortably above the 700-point segment average, and ahead of every other insurer in the top four by market share.
Complaint record
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on complaint record: Allstate posts About the expected number and State Farm About the expected number, a difference too small to choose on.
Close to the number of complaints expected for its size.
State Farm draws about the number of complaints its size predicts. For the largest personal auto insurer in the country, average is a more meaningful result than it sounds.
Financial strength
State Farm aheadState Farm takes financial strength on A++ against Allstate's A+.
AM Best A+ (Superior).
AM Best's top rating, A++. State Farm is a mutual company owned by its policyholders, with no shareholders to pay.
Discounts
State Farm aheadState Farm takes discounts on 11 published against Allstate's 5 published.
Allstate's current discounts page publishes only five named discounts, the thinnest list of any national carrier here — several features it was historically known for no longer appear on live pages.
Eleven published discounts, including a 25% good-student discount and up to 40% off medical coverage for passive restraints. Drive Safe & Save pairs the app with a mailed Bluetooth beacon.
Digital experience
State Farm aheadState Farm takes digital experience on 4.79 iOS / 4.6 Android against Allstate's 4.79 iOS / 4.1 Android.
4.79 on the App Store but only 4.1 on Google Play, the widest platform gap among the large insurers.
4.79 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play across 1.7 million combined ratings — consistently strong on both platforms, which is rarer than it should be.
So which one?
Pick Allstate if…
- You are among drivers who want an agent and will bundle enough to offset the premium.
- Availability fits: All 50 states and D.C., through local agents.
Pick State Farm if…
- You are among drivers who want a local agent rather than an app.
- Price is your first filter — State Farm averages $2,065/yr for full coverage on our benchmark profile.
- You care most about how a claim actually goes: State Farm scores 716/1,000.
- Financial strength is a priority; State Farm holds A++ from AM Best.
Allstate vs State Farm, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
Other comparisons
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