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Elephant vs The Hanover: which is better for car insurance in 2026?

Q: Is Elephant or The Hanover cheaper?

We cannot answer that with published data. Elephant does not release public rate information, so no independent study — ours included — can put a national average next to The Hanover's $4,038/yr. The only way to know is to quote both.

Q: Which handles claims better, Elephant or The Hanover?

Neither has a clear edge. Elephant scores Not rated and The Hanover Not rated on the claims measure we use — close enough that the individual adjuster you draw matters more than the company average.

Q: Is Elephant better than The Hanover overall?

We can't put two scores side by side here. Elephant does not publish enough of the underlying data for us to give it an overall score — we would rather say so than compute one from the two or three figures that do exist. The Hanover scores 2.8 out of 5. Compare them on the individual categories above, and on the quotes you actually get.

Q: Can I switch from Elephant to The Hanover mid-policy?

Yes. Auto policies can be cancelled at any time, and most insurers refund the unused premium pro-rata — though some charge a short-rate cancellation fee, so check your policy before you cancel. The one rule worth following: get the new policy bound and in force before you cancel the old one. Even a single day uninsured can count as a coverage lapse, which raises your rate at the next renewal and, in some states, exposes you to a registration penalty.

ElephantNot scored

The Hanover

Across our six scoring categories, Elephant comes out ahead in 0, The Hanover in 1, with 5 too close to call. There is no overall score to compare, though: Elephant does not publish enough of the underlying data to earn one, and we would rather leave it blank than build a number out of the two or three figures that happen to exist. The Hanover is the better-documented of the two, which is not the same as being the better insurer for you. Judge these two on the categories where both have real figures — and on what they actually quote you.

Elephant vs The Hanover, side by side

Category

ElephantRead the full review

The HanoverRead the full review

Overall scoreWeighted across the six categories below

Not scored

PriceAverage annual full-coverage premium · 25% of score

Not published

This company does not release public rate data

1.5$4,038/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

Claims satisfactionJ.D. Power 2025 claims study, out of 1,000 · 20% of score

Not rated

Below the sampling frame of the J.D. Power claims study, which covers only the largest insurers

Not rated

Below the sampling frame of the J.D. Power claims study, which covers only the largest insurers

Complaint recordComplaints relative to company size · 15% of score

2.5More than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

4.5Fewer than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Better

Financial strengthAM Best Financial Strength Rating · 10% of score

Not published

No AM Best rating we could verify — see the review

Not published

No AM Best rating we could verify — see the review

DiscountsBreadth of published discounts · 15% of score

Not published

No discount list we could read on the carrier's own site

4.012 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · No branded telematics program found

Digital experienceApp ratings and self-service depth · 15% of score

Not published

No app-store presence we could verify

2.01.99 iOS / 3.0 Android

App Store (154 ratings) and Google Play (173 ratings), August 2026

Availability

8 states

19 states, through independent agents only

Best suited to

drivers in its eight states comparing it against other budget options

drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason

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.

Elephant vs The Hanover across all six categoriesScored 1–5. Longer is better in every category — the price bar already accounts for cheaper being better.

ElephantThe Hanover

Category by category

Price

Too close to call

Elephant does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against The Hanover's $4,038/yr. That is a real gap in the comparison, not a rounding error — treat Elephant's price as unknown until you have a quote in hand.

Elephant

Elephant is not included in the rate study behind every other premium in this review.

The Hanover

$4,038 a year for full coverage — 71% above the national average, and the highest figure of any carrier we review.

Claims satisfaction

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Elephant posts Not rated and The Hanover Not rated, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.

The Hanover

Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.

Complaint record

The Hanover ahead

The Hanover takes complaint record on Fewer than expected against Elephant's More than expected.

Elephant

More complaints than expected for its size — better than the other app-first insurers here, but still below par.

The Hanover

Fewer complaints than expected for its size, which is genuinely to its credit.

Financial strength

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on financial strength: Elephant posts Not published and The Hanover Not published, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

No AM Best rating we could verify, and no alternative rating found.

The Hanover

We could not verify an AM Best rating from any page we could read. AM Best blocks automated access and Hanover's rating is not published by the secondary sources we checked.

Discounts

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on discounts: Elephant posts Not published and The Hanover 12 published, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

No discount list we could read on Elephant's own site.

The Hanover

Twelve published discounts, several aimed specifically at households with teenage drivers — including one for keeping a teen off a particular vehicle.

Digital experience

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on digital experience: Elephant posts Not published and The Hanover 1.99 iOS / 3.0 Android, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

No app-store figures we could verify from a primary source.

The Hanover

1.99 on the App Store and 2.98 on Google Play. That iOS score is the lowest of any carrier in this review by a wide margin.

So which one?

Pick Elephant if…

You are among drivers in its eight states comparing it against other budget options.
Availability fits: 8 states.

Read the full Elephant review →

Pick The Hanover if…

You are among drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason.
You want the lower complaint record — The Hanover sits at Fewer than expected.
Availability fits: 19 states, through independent agents only.

Read the full The Hanover review →

Elephant vs The Hanover, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is Elephant or The Hanover cheaper?

Which handles claims better, Elephant or The Hanover?

Is Elephant better than The Hanover overall?

Can I switch from Elephant to The Hanover mid-policy?

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