Kemper vs Root: which is better for car insurance in 2026?

Q: Is Kemper or Root cheaper?

We cannot answer that with published data. Root does not release public rate information, so no independent study — ours included — can put a national average next to Kemper's $2,422/yr. The only way to know is to quote both.

Q: Which handles claims better, Kemper or Root?

Neither has a clear edge. Kemper scores Not rated and Root Not rated on the claims measure we use — close enough that the individual adjuster you draw matters more than the company average.

Q: Is Kemper better than Root overall?

We can't put two scores side by side here. Root does not publish enough of the underlying data for us to give it an overall score — we would rather say so than compute one from the two or three figures that do exist. Kemper scores 2.8 out of 5. Compare them on the individual categories above, and on the quotes you actually get.

Q: Can I switch from Kemper to Root 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.

Kemper

RootNot scored

Across our six scoring categories, Kemper comes out ahead in 0, Root in 0, with 6 too close to call. There is no overall score to compare, though: Root 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. Kemper 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.

Kemper vs Root, side by side

Category

KemperRead the full review

RootRead the full review

Overall scoreWeighted across the six categories below

Not scored

PriceAverage annual full-coverage premium · 25% of score

3.0$2,422/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

Not published

This company does not release public rate data

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

Not rated

Below the sampling frame of the J.D. Power claims study, which covers only the largest insurers

Complaint recordComplaints relative to company size · 15% of score

1.5Far more than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

1.5Far more than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Financial strengthAM Best Financial Strength Rating · 10% of score

3.5A-

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

Not published

No AM Best rating we could verify — see the review

DiscountsBreadth of published discounts · 15% of score

3.56 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · Telematics: Kemper Co-Pilot

Not published

No discount list we could read on the carrier's own site

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

2.52.44 iOS / 3.6 Android

App Store (99 ratings) and Google Play (115 ratings), August 2026

Not published

No app-store presence we could verify

Availability

38 states, specialising in non-standard auto

37 states

Best suited to

drivers turned down elsewhere because of their record or credit

confident drivers willing to be monitored before being quoted

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.

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

KemperRoot

Category by category

Price

Too close to call

Root does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against Kemper's $2,422/yr. That is a real gap in the comparison, not a rounding error — treat Root's price as unknown until you have a quote in hand.

Kemper

$2,422 a year for full coverage on our standard benchmark, 3% above the national average — but Kemper's actual customers are drivers who would pay far more, or be refused outright, almost anywhere else.

Root

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 call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Kemper posts Not rated and Root Not rated, a difference too small to choose on.

Kemper

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

Root

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

Complaint record

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on complaint record: Kemper posts Far more than expected and Root Far more than expected, a difference too small to choose on.

Kemper

Far more complaints than expected for its size. Non-standard carriers tend to run high on this measure, which is context rather than an excuse.

Root

Far more complaints than expected for its size.

Financial strength

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on financial strength: Kemper posts A- and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.

Kemper

AM Best A- (Excellent). Parent Kemper Corporation is publicly traded.

Root

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 call

Neither pulls ahead on discounts: Kemper posts 6 published and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.

Kemper

A shorter list than standard-market carriers, plus Kemper Co-Pilot telematics with a 10% signup discount.

Root

No discount list we could read on Root's own site.

Digital experience

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on digital experience: Kemper posts 2.44 iOS / 3.6 Android and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.

Kemper

2.44 on the App Store and 3.6 on Google Play. The current app relaunched in mid-2026, so those scores reflect a new listing rather than a settled one.

Root

No app-store figures we could verify from a primary source.

So which one?

Pick Kemper if…

You are among drivers turned down elsewhere because of their record or credit.
Availability fits: 38 states, specialising in non-standard auto.

Read the full Kemper review →

Pick Root if…

You are among confident drivers willing to be monitored before being quoted.
Availability fits: 37 states.

Read the full Root review →

Kemper vs Root, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is Kemper or Root cheaper?

Which handles claims better, Kemper or Root?

Is Kemper better than Root overall?

Can I switch from Kemper to Root mid-policy?

Other comparisons

Allstate vs Kemper American Family vs Kemper Amica vs Kemper Auto-Owners vs Kemper Chubb vs Kemper Clearcover vs Kemper Allstate vs Root American Family vs Root

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.

Get my free quotes →