Auto-Owners vs Progressive: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Auto-Owners comes out ahead in 1, Progressive in 2, with 3 too close to call. On our weighted overall score the two finish within 0.0 of a point — a genuine draw. The right answer here depends less on which company is "better" and more on which one prices your specific profile lower, and that is not knowable without running both quotes. Auto-Owners is the stronger pick for drivers in its 26 states who prefer an independent agent; Progressive for price shoppers willing to trade some claims experience for a lower premium.
Auto-Owners vs Progressive, 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
Too close to callAuto-Owners and Progressive land within $32 a year of each other ($2,094/yr versus $2,062/yr) — close enough that your own driving record and ZIP code will decide which is cheaper for you.
$2,094 a year for full coverage, 11% below the national average — mid-pack, and close to State Farm and Progressive.
$2,062 a year for full coverage, about 13% under the national average and effectively tied with State Farm. Progressive's real pricing story is the discount stack rather than the base rate.
Claims satisfaction
Auto-Owners aheadAuto-Owners takes claims satisfaction on 711/1,000 against Progressive's 673/1,000.
711 out of 1,000, eleven points above the segment average and better than every carrier in the top four by market share except State Farm.
673 out of 1,000 is the weakest claims score in this review — 27 points below the segment average and 70 behind Erie. This is Progressive's clearest weakness.
Complaint record
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on complaint record: Auto-Owners posts Fewer than expected and Progressive Fewer than expected, a difference too small to choose on.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size, which sits oddly alongside the claims score and suggests the friction shows up in satisfaction rather than in formal complaints.
Financial strength
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on financial strength: Auto-Owners posts A+ and Progressive A+, a difference too small to choose on.
AM Best A+ (Superior).
AM Best A+ (Superior). No concerns about its ability to pay.
Discounts
Progressive aheadProgressive takes discounts on 16 published against Auto-Owners's 10 published*.
Around ten published discounts including a 20% good-student discount and a 36-month on-time payment discount — though Auto-Owners blocks automated access to its own discounts page, so this count comes from secondary sources.
Sixteen published discounts, more than almost anyone — and unusually, Progressive publishes the average value of most of them rather than hiding behind 'varies'.
Digital experience
Progressive aheadProgressive takes digital experience on 4.83 iOS / 4.6 Android against Auto-Owners's 4.72 iOS / 4.8 Android.
4.72 on the App Store and 4.8 on Google Play — the only carrier here rated higher on Android than iOS, and the best Play Store score in the review.
4.83 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play. Progressive was built direct-to-consumer and the digital experience shows it.
So which one?
Pick Auto-Owners if…
- You are among drivers in its 26 states who prefer an independent agent.
- You care most about how a claim actually goes: Auto-Owners scores 711/1,000.
- Availability fits: 26 states, through independent agents — no California, New York or Texas.
Pick Progressive if…
- You are among price shoppers willing to trade some claims experience for a lower premium.
- You expect to stack discounts — Progressive's lineup is the broader of the two.
- You would rather handle everything in an app than on a phone call.
- Availability fits: All 50 states and D.C., direct and through independent agents.
Auto-Owners vs Progressive, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
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