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

Q: Is The Hanover or Progressive cheaper?

On average, Progressive. Our benchmark profile pays $2,062/yr with Progressive versus $4,038/yr with The Hanover — roughly $1976 a year. But that is one profile: a 35-year-old with a clean record and good credit. Change the driver and the order can flip, which is why the only rate that matters is the one you are quoted.

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

Neither has a clear edge. The Hanover scores Not rated and Progressive 673/1,000 on the claims measure we use — close enough that the individual adjuster you draw matters more than the company average.

Q: Is The Hanover better than Progressive overall?

Progressive scores higher overall in our review — 4.1 against 2.8 out of 5. "Better" still depends on you, though: The Hanover may quote you less, and our score weights six factors that we chose, not the ones you might weight most.

Q: Can I switch from The Hanover to Progressive 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.

The Hanover

Progressive

Across our six scoring categories, The Hanover comes out ahead in 0, Progressive in 3, with 3 too close to call. Progressive edges the weighted overall score by 1.3 of a point, on the strength of price, discounts, digital experience. That is not a reason to skip The Hanover: it scores higher on none of our categories, though it may still quote you less, and a quote that comes in lower beats a review that scores higher. Progressive is the safer default; The Hanover is worth a quote if you are among drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason.

The Hanover vs Progressive, side by side

Category

The HanoverRead the full review

ProgressiveRead the full review

Overall scoreWeighted across the six categories below

Better

PriceAverage annual full-coverage premium · 25% of score

1.5$4,038/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

4.0$2,062/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

Better

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

2.5673/1,000

J.D. Power 2025 claims study, segment average 700

Complaint recordComplaints relative to company size · 15% of score

4.5Fewer than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

4.5Fewer than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Financial strengthAM Best Financial Strength Rating · 10% of score

Not published

No AM Best rating we could verify — see the review

4.5A+

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

DiscountsBreadth of published discounts · 15% of score

4.012 published

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

5.016 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · Telematics: Snapshot

Better

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

2.01.99 iOS / 3.0 Android

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

5.04.83 iOS / 4.6 Android

App Store (806K ratings) and Google Play (260K ratings), August 2026

Better

Availability

19 states, through independent agents only

All 50 states and D.C., direct and through independent agents

Best suited to

drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason

price shoppers willing to trade some claims experience for a lower premium

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.

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

The HanoverProgressive

Category by category

Price

Progressive ahead

Progressive averages $2,062/yr for full coverage against The Hanover's $4,038/yr — about $1976 a year, or 164.7 dollars a month, in Progressive's favor for this profile.

The Hanover

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

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

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: The Hanover posts Not rated and Progressive 673/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.

The Hanover

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

Progressive

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 call

Neither pulls ahead on complaint record: The Hanover posts Fewer than expected and Progressive Fewer than expected, a difference too small to choose on.

The Hanover

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

Progressive

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 call

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

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.

Progressive

AM Best A+ (Superior). No concerns about its ability to pay.

Discounts

Progressive ahead

Progressive takes discounts on 16 published against The Hanover's 12 published.

The Hanover

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

Progressive

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 ahead

Progressive takes digital experience on 4.83 iOS / 4.6 Android against The Hanover's 1.99 iOS / 3.0 Android.

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.

Progressive

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 The Hanover if…

You are among drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason.
Availability fits: 19 states, through independent agents only.

Read the full The Hanover review →

Pick Progressive if…

You are among price shoppers willing to trade some claims experience for a lower premium.
Price is your first filter — Progressive averages $2,062/yr for full coverage on our benchmark profile.
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.

Read the full Progressive review →

The Hanover vs Progressive, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is The Hanover or Progressive cheaper?

Which handles claims better, The Hanover or Progressive?

Is The Hanover better than Progressive overall?

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

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