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

Q: Is The Hanover or The Hartford cheaper?

On average, The Hartford. Our benchmark profile pays $2,277/yr with The Hartford versus $4,038/yr with The Hanover — roughly $1761 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 The Hartford?

Neither has a clear edge. The Hanover scores Not rated and The Hartford 716/1,000 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 The Hartford overall?

The Hartford scores higher overall in our review — 3.7 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 The Hartford 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

The Hartford

Across our six scoring categories, The Hanover comes out ahead in 1, The Hartford in 2, with 3 too close to call. The Hartford edges the weighted overall score by 0.9 of a point, on the strength of price, digital experience. That is not a reason to skip The Hanover: it scores higher on complaint record, and a quote that comes in lower beats a review that scores higher. The Hartford 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 The Hartford, side by side

Category

The HanoverRead the full review

The HartfordRead 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

3.5$2,277/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

4.0716/1,000

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

Better

1.5Far more 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

4.010 published

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

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

5.04.80 iOS / 4.6 Android

App Store (12.1K ratings) and Google Play (2.2K ratings), August 2026

Better

Availability

19 states, through independent agents only

47 states and D.C. through the AARP program — membership required in most states, and no new business in California or Florida

Best suited to

drivers whose independent agent recommends it for a specific reason

AARP members over 50 who value the program's specific features

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

The HanoverThe Hartford

Category by category

Price

The Hartford ahead

The Hartford averages $2,277/yr for full coverage against The Hanover's $4,038/yr — about $1761 a year, or 146.8 dollars a month, in The Hartford'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.

The Hartford

$2,277 a year for full coverage, 3% below the national average. Its $748 minimum-coverage average is higher than most.

Claims satisfaction

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: The Hanover posts Not rated and The Hartford 716/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.

The Hanover

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

The Hartford

716 out of 1,000, sixteen points above the segment average and level with State Farm.

Complaint record

The Hanover ahead

The Hanover takes complaint record on Fewer than expected against The Hartford's Far more than expected.

The Hanover

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

The Hartford

Far more complaints than expected for its size — the worst complaint record in this review, and the figure that most undercuts an otherwise good showing.

Financial strength

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on financial strength: The Hanover posts Not published and The Hartford 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.

The Hartford

AM Best A+ (Superior).

Discounts

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on discounts: The Hanover posts 12 published and The Hartford 10 published, a difference too small to choose on.

The Hanover

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

The Hartford

Ten published discounts, several tied to AARP membership, plus TrueLane at up to 15% for participating and up to 40% at renewal.

Digital experience

The Hartford ahead

The Hartford takes digital experience on 4.80 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.

The Hartford

4.8 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play — strong on both platforms, across a modest rating base.

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.

Read the full The Hanover review →

Pick The Hartford if…

You are among aarp members over 50 who value the program's specific features.
Price is your first filter — The Hartford averages $2,277/yr for full coverage on our benchmark profile.
You would rather handle everything in an app than on a phone call.
Availability fits: 47 states and D.C. through the AARP program — membership required in most states, and no new business in California or Florida.

Read the full The Hartford review →

The Hanover vs The Hartford, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is The Hanover or The Hartford cheaper?

Which handles claims better, The Hanover or The Hartford?

Is The Hanover better than The Hartford overall?

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

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