Elephant vs Root: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Elephant comes out ahead in 1, Root in 0, 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. Root 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 Root, 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 callElephant does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against Root's Not published. 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 is not included in the rate study behind every other premium in this review.
Root is excluded from the rate study we use for every other carrier, because its pricing model does not fit a standard benchmark — your quote depends on a driving test, not a profile.
Claims satisfaction
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Elephant posts Not rated and Root Not rated, a difference too small to choose on.
Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.
Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.
Complaint record
Elephant aheadElephant takes complaint record on More than expected against Root's Far more than expected.
More complaints than expected for its size — better than the other app-first insurers here, but still below par.
Far more complaints than expected for its size.
Financial strength
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on financial strength: Elephant posts Not published and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
No AM Best rating we could verify, and no alternative rating found.
No AM Best rating, and Demotech lists it as not rated. No independent assessment of its ability to pay claims is available — the single most important thing to know about Root.
Discounts
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on discounts: Elephant posts Not published and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
No discount list we could read on Elephant's own site.
No discount list we could read on Root's own site.
Digital experience
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on digital experience: Elephant posts Not published and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
No app-store figures we could verify from a primary source.
No app-store figures we could verify from a primary source.
So which one?
Pick Elephant if…
- You are among drivers in its eight states comparing it against other budget options.
- You want the lower complaint record — Elephant sits at More than expected.
- Availability fits: 8 states.
Pick Root if…
- You are among confident drivers willing to be monitored before being quoted.
- Availability fits: 37 states.
Elephant vs Root, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
Other comparisons
See all 359 head-to-head comparisons →Compare real quotes from both — and 50+ others.
Averages are a starting point. Your rate is the only number that decides it.