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

Q: Is Root or The Hartford 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 The Hartford's $2,277/yr. The only way to know is to quote both.

Q: Which handles claims better, Root or The Hartford?

Neither has a clear edge. Root 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 Root better than The Hartford 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. The Hartford scores 3.7 out of 5. Compare them on the individual categories above, and on the quotes you actually get.

Q: Can I switch from Root 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.

RootNot scored

The Hartford

Across our six scoring categories, Root comes out ahead in 0, The Hartford 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. The Hartford 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.

Root vs The Hartford, side by side

Category

RootRead the full review

The HartfordRead the full review

Overall scoreWeighted across the six categories below

Not scored

PriceAverage annual full-coverage premium · 25% of score

Not published

This company does not release public rate data

3.5$2,277/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

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

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

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

Not published

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

4.010 published

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

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

Not published

No app-store presence we could verify

5.04.80 iOS / 4.6 Android

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

Availability

37 states

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

confident drivers willing to be monitored before being quoted

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.

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

RootThe Hartford

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 The Hartford's $2,277/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.

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.

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: Root posts Not rated and The Hartford 716/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.

Root

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

Too close to call

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

Root

Far more complaints than expected for its size.

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: Root posts Not published and The Hartford A+, a difference too small to choose on.

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.

The Hartford

AM Best A+ (Superior).

Discounts

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on discounts: Root posts Not published and The Hartford 10 published, a difference too small to choose on.

Root

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

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

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on digital experience: Root posts Not published and The Hartford 4.80 iOS / 4.6 Android, a difference too small to choose on.

Root

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

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 Root if…

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

Read the full Root review →

Pick The Hartford if…

You are among aarp members over 50 who value the program's specific features.
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 →

Root vs The Hartford, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is Root or The Hartford cheaper?

Which handles claims better, Root or The Hartford?

Is Root better than The Hartford overall?

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

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