Nationwide vs Root: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Nationwide comes out ahead in 1, Root in 0, with 5 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. Nationwide 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.
Nationwide vs Root, 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 callRoot does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against Nationwide's $2,671/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.
$2,671 a year for full coverage, 13% above the national average. Nationwide is not a discount carrier.
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 callNeither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Nationwide posts 729/1,000 and Root Not rated, a difference too small to choose on.
729 out of 1,000, fourth in the J.D. Power 2025 study and 29 points above the segment average.
Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.
Complaint record
Nationwide aheadNationwide takes complaint record on Fewer than expected against Root's Far more than expected.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size.
Far more complaints than expected for its size.
Financial strength
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on financial strength: Nationwide posts A and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
AM Best A (Excellent).
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 callNeither pulls ahead on discounts: Nationwide posts 10 published and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
Ten published discounts, with bundling stated at an average of $1,032 saved on home and auto together.
No discount list we could read on Root's own site.
Digital experience
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on digital experience: Nationwide posts 4.69 iOS / 4.5 Android and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
4.69 on the App Store and 4.5 on Google Play. Nationwide also won J.D. Power's usage-based insurance segment for the third year running in 2026.
No app-store figures we could verify from a primary source.
So which one?
Pick Nationwide if…
- You are among drivers who want good claims handling without an agent-only model.
- You want the lower complaint record — Nationwide sits at Fewer than expected.
- Availability fits: 45 states and D.C. — not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana or Massachusetts.
Pick Root if…
- You are among confident drivers willing to be monitored before being quoted.
- Availability fits: 37 states.
Nationwide vs Root, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
Other comparisons
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Averages are a starting point. Your rate is the only number that decides it.