Plymouth Rock vs Root: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Plymouth Rock 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. Plymouth Rock 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.
Plymouth Rock 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 Plymouth Rock's $2,156/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.
$2,156 a year for full coverage, 8% below the national average — mid-pack, and not the reason to pick it.
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: Plymouth Rock posts Not rated and Root Not rated, a difference too small to choose on.
Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which covers only the largest insurers.
Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.
Complaint record
Plymouth Rock aheadPlymouth Rock takes complaint record on Far fewer than expected against Root's Far more than expected.
Far fewer complaints than expected for its size — the strongest complaint band we assign, shared with only a handful of carriers here.
Far more complaints than expected for its size.
Financial strength
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on financial strength: Plymouth Rock posts A- and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
AM Best A- (Excellent), with the outlook revised to positive in March 2026 — the only carrier in this review currently trending upward.
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: Plymouth Rock posts 10 published and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
Around ten published discounts, plus two distinct programs: YUBI for telematics and a separate Road Rewards points scheme.
No discount list we could read on Root's own site.
Digital experience
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on digital experience: Plymouth Rock posts 4.86 iOS / 4.7 Android and Root Not published, a difference too small to choose on.
4.86 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play — the highest combined app ratings of any carrier in this review, by a clear margin.
No app-store figures we could verify from a primary source.
So which one?
Pick Plymouth Rock if…
- You are among northeast drivers who want a strong app and low complaint volume.
- You want the lower complaint record — Plymouth Rock sits at Far fewer than expected.
- Availability fits: 6 states in the Northeast.
Pick Root if…
- You are among confident drivers willing to be monitored before being quoted.
- Availability fits: 37 states.
Plymouth Rock 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.