Erie vs Plymouth Rock: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Erie comes out ahead in 3, Plymouth Rock in 2, with 1 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. Erie is the stronger pick for drivers in its twelve states who want the best claims experience available; Plymouth Rock for northeast drivers who want a strong app and low complaint volume.
Erie vs Plymouth Rock, 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
Erie aheadErie averages $1,842/yr for full coverage against Plymouth Rock's $2,156/yr — about $314 a year, or 26.2 dollars a month, in Erie's favor for this profile.
$1,842 a year for full coverage, 22% below the national average — third-cheapest here and the cheapest available without a military or membership restriction beyond geography.
$2,156 a year for full coverage, 8% below the national average — mid-pack, and not the reason to pick it.
Claims satisfaction
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Erie posts 743/1,000 and Plymouth Rock Not rated, a difference too small to choose on.
743 out of 1,000, the highest score of any ranked insurer in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study and 43 points above the segment average.
Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which covers only the largest insurers.
Complaint record
Plymouth Rock aheadPlymouth Rock takes complaint record on Far fewer than expected against Erie's About the expected number.
Close to the number of complaints expected for its size.
Far fewer complaints than expected for its size — the strongest complaint band we assign, shared with only a handful of carriers here.
Financial strength
Erie aheadErie takes financial strength on A against Plymouth Rock's A-.
AM Best A (Excellent) — downgraded from A+ in September 2025 after multi-year surplus declines driven by weather losses.
AM Best A- (Excellent), with the outlook revised to positive in March 2026 — the only carrier in this review currently trending upward.
Discounts
Erie aheadErie takes discounts on 11 published against Plymouth Rock's 10 published.
Eleven published discounts, plus Rate Lock, which freezes your premium year to year even after a claim — a feature essentially nobody else offers.
Around ten published discounts, plus two distinct programs: YUBI for telematics and a separate Road Rewards points scheme.
Digital experience
Plymouth Rock aheadPlymouth Rock takes digital experience on 4.86 iOS / 4.7 Android against Erie's 4.38 iOS / 2.9 Android.
4.38 on the App Store and just 2.9 on Google Play. Erie's app is the weakest in this review and the gap between platforms is severe.
4.86 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play — the highest combined app ratings of any carrier in this review, by a clear margin.
So which one?
Pick Erie if…
- You are among drivers in its twelve states who want the best claims experience available.
- Price is your first filter — Erie averages $1,842/yr for full coverage on our benchmark profile.
- Financial strength is a priority; Erie holds A from AM Best.
- You expect to stack discounts — Erie's lineup is the broader of the two.
Pick Plymouth Rock if…
- You are among northeast drivers who want a strong app and low complaint volume.
- You want the lower complaint record — Plymouth Rock sits at Far fewer than expected.
- You would rather handle everything in an app than on a phone call.
- Availability fits: 6 states in the Northeast.
Erie vs Plymouth Rock, 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.