The Hanover vs Liberty Mutual: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, The Hanover comes out ahead in 1, Liberty Mutual in 2, with 3 too close to call. There is no overall score to compare, though: Liberty Mutual 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.
The Hanover vs Liberty Mutual, 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 callLiberty Mutual 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 Liberty Mutual's price as unknown until you have a quote in hand.
$4,038 a year for full coverage — 71% above the national average, and the highest figure of any carrier we review.
Not published. Liberty Mutual releases no public rate data, so no independent study — including ours — can put a national average against it. Any figure you see quoted for Liberty Mutual is an estimate.
Claims satisfaction
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: The Hanover posts Not rated and Liberty Mutual 730/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.
Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.
730 out of 1,000, third-highest in the J.D. Power 2025 study and thirty points above the segment average.
Complaint record
The Hanover aheadThe Hanover takes complaint record on Fewer than expected against Liberty Mutual's More than expected.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size, which is genuinely to its credit.
More complaints than expected for its size, based on 2021–2023 data — a different window from most carriers here, so not perfectly comparable.
Financial strength
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on financial strength: The Hanover posts Not published and Liberty Mutual A, a difference too small to choose on.
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.
AM Best A (Excellent).
Discounts
Liberty Mutual aheadLiberty Mutual takes discounts on 12 published against The Hanover's 12 published.
Twelve published discounts, several aimed specifically at households with teenage drivers — including one for keeping a teen off a particular vehicle.
Twelve published discounts, plus a customization tool Liberty Mutual says saves 12% or more — though that is excluded in nine states.
Digital experience
Liberty Mutual aheadLiberty Mutual takes digital experience on 4.79 iOS / 4.6 Android against The Hanover's 1.99 iOS / 3.0 Android.
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.
4.79 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play across 669,000 combined ratings. Solid on both platforms.
So which one?
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.
Pick Liberty Mutual if…
- You are among drivers who value claims handling and will quote it directly.
- You expect to stack discounts — Liberty Mutual's lineup is the broader of the two.
- You would rather handle everything in an app than on a phone call.
- Availability fits: 45 states and D.C. — not available in Alaska, California, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wyoming.
The Hanover vs Liberty Mutual, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
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Averages are a starting point. Your rate is the only number that decides it.