AAA vs. Progressive Car Insurance

Progressive is one of our picks for the best overall car insurance companies, winning a specific callout for its rideshare coverage. It generally has affordable rates for most driver profiles, in particular drivers with DUIs. Meanwhile, AAA’s rates tend to be higher-than-average; customer service can depend on which regional affiliate is available in your area, but is generally good.

For those looking for robust and reliable roadside assistance, AAA is hard to beat.

AAA Is Better For:

• Customers who want to work with a local agent
• Drivers prioritizing customer service (in most regions)
• Existing AAA members

Progressive Is Better For:

• Drivers looking for cheaper rates
• Those who prefer to get a quote and purchase a policy online
• Drivers with DUIs

Progressive easily beats AAA on cost, with an average annual full coverage premium 13 percent below the national average. Meanwhile, AAA’s premiums tend to be higher than average and exceed Progressive’s by around $1,000 or more for most driver categories we evaluated.

The table below shows the cost comparison for various demographics. Note that AAA data for certain categories was not available, but based on its overall averages, its rates in these categories are likely to be higher than Progressive’s.

Winner: Progressive

AAA and Progressive both offer the basic auto insurance coverages you may need, including bodily injury and property damage liability, comprehensive, collision, medical payments, personal injury protection, and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

In most cases, you’ll need to be an AAA member to purchase AAA insurance. Membership includes access to one of AAA’s roadside assistance tiers, so you won’t need to add this as a separate coverage to your policy like you would with Progressive.

Here’s a breakdown of the main coverage options available from both companies:

Winner: Tie, with a slight edge to AAA for roadside assistance

All insurance companies offer auto insurance discounts, but the types of discounts and the amounts vary significantly between providers. Both AAA and Progressive have common discounts, such as bundling and multi-car discounts. AAA’s maximum savings are quite generous, but Progressive only advertises average savings, so it’s difficult to compare them.

In terms of discounts that are unique to either company, only Progressive offers homeowner, good driver, online quote, and distant student discounts. On the other hand, AAA doesn’t offer any discounts that are not available with Progressive.

Since AAA doesn’t operate as a single company, its affiliates are rated separately on various industry customer service studies. Generally speaking, AAA companies have a stronger customer service record than Progressive.

Claims Satisfaction

J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study rated all three major AAA affiliates higher than Progressive. AAA (Auto Club of Southern Calif.) and CSAA were the highest rated, ranked fifth and sixth, respectively. Auto Club Group ranked just below average, while Progressive trailed behind in third-to-last place.

Looking at the CRASH Network’s 2026 Report Card, which ranks insurers based on auto shops’ experience managing claims, AAA (Auto Club of Southern Calif.) and CSAA come out ahead of the others as well. Both companies earned B ratings and are included on the Honor Roll. Auto Club Group is once again below average with a C rating, but it still beat Progressive by seven spots.

Winner: AAA, specifically Auto Club of Southern Calif. and CSAA

Customer Service

Similar to the claims metrics, AAA (Auto Club of Southern Calif.) and CSAA outrank Auto Club Group and Progressive in J.D. Power’s 2026 U.S. Auto Insurance Study.³ AAA is rated in seven out of 11 regions in this study, so we can only compare it to Progressive in these seven.

AAA ranks higher than Progressive in six regions, and it beats Progressive by over 30 points in all of them (in California, Progressive beat CSAA by two points, but Auto Club of Southern California scores 32 points higher). Meanwhile, Progressive wins in only one region, outranking Auto Club of Southern California by six points in the North Central region — though both companies rank below average.

The following table shows an overview of each company’s score (out of 1,000) in the regions they were rated:

The NAIC Complaint Index indicates how many complaints a company receives relative to what is expected in the market, which is represented by a value of 1. As of this writing, Progressive has a Complaint Index of 2.65, which is slightly higher than Auto Club Group’s but lower than the other two AAA affiliates. However, all companies receive an above-average number of complaints.

Winner: AAA

Shopping

Progressive falls below AAA on J.D. Power’s U.S. Insurance Shopping Study, which provides ratings based on customers’ shopping experiences, including getting quotes and buying a policy. The three AAA companies’ ratings are a bit spread out, with Auto Club of Southern California ranking just above average, Auto Club Group ranking just below average, and CSAA ranking a bit lower still. Progressive scored the lowest of the four companies.

While you can start a quote online with both AAA and Progressive, in most cases, you’ll need to wait to hear from an agent to finalize your AAA quote. Progressive offers convenient online quotes and purchasing if you’d prefer not to go through an agent. However, its ratings indicate that customers overall prefer AAA’s shopping process.

Winner: AAA

AAA and Progressive offer online platforms through which policyholders can access their accounts to view policy documents, file claims, make payments, and more. They also have mobile apps on both Android and iOS with the same functionalities. Both apps are similarly rated, earning a slightly higher rating on iOS than Android.

When it comes to digital experience, Progressive has an edge over AAA in the service category of J.D. Power’s Digital Experience Study. This category rates current policyholders’ experience managing policies and completing other tasks online or on the app, and Progressive ranked just above average. Auto Club of Southern California, the only AAA company included in this category, was ranked in last place.

In the shopping category, which evaluates prospective customers’ experience interacting with an insurer’s digital tools, AAA scores better overall. Auto Club Group ranked second, with Automobile Club of Southern California following in seventh. Progressive ranked just above average, and CSAA was in the bottom five.

Winner: Progressive for service, AAA for shopping

GEICO vs. AAA Scorecard

If you’re in the market for car insurance, AAA and Progressive are quite different providers. AAA operates on a smaller scale and sells insurance through regional auto clubs rather than as a unified national company. AAA’s primary focus is its roadside assistance service, but for existing members, its auto insurance may be appealing to be able to manage everything in one place. For those not interested in an AAA membership, Progressive is the better choice.

Cost is another major differentiating factor between the two companies, with Progressive’s average annual full coverage premium coming in almost $1,000 below AAA’s. The difference is smaller for minimum coverage (around $400), but Progressive’s rate is still cheaper. It’s still worth getting a quote from both if you’re interested in them, but you should expect to pay more with AAA.

AAA sells policies through local agents, which makes it a strong choice for drivers who value personalized support. Progressive does work with a network of independent agents around the country, but it primarily sells insurance through its direct-to-consumer online model. It also has higher digital experience ratings than AAA in the service category, which makes it appealing to those who prefer to manage their policies online.

Finally, AAA beats Progressive on most customer satisfaction metrics, so while it costs more on average, it may be worth it to drivers who are looking for a better customer service experience. The exceptions are the Central and North Central regions, where Progressive ranks higher than AAA.

At AutoInsurance.com, we evaluate auto insurers in four key areas:

• Price (40%): We assess average annual premiums for full and minimum coverage for good drivers with good credit, as well as for other driver profiles, including those with violations or low credit. We also consider available discounts. Full coverage averages use the following limits:
  • Bodily injury liability: $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
  • Property damage liability: $50,000 per accident
  • Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury: $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
  • Comprehensive and collision: $500 deductible
• Claims handling (25%): Policyholders expect an auto insurer’s claims handling process to be efficient and transparent. We assess claims practices using sources like the CRASH Network Insurer Report Card and J.D. Power’s claims satisfaction report, and financial strength from sources like AM Best and S&P Ratings. We also include real-life customer experiences when possible.
• Customer experience (25%): We evaluate the ease of the customer journey, from getting a quote and purchasing a policy to making changes or accessing documents. We consider the availability and quality of both online and agent interactions, as well as the functionality of the company’s website and mobile app. Our sources include J.D. Power studies, the NAIC complaint index, BBB ratings, and app store reviews.
• Coverage options (10%): We consider each company’s coverage offerings and prioritize providers with options beyond the state-required minimums, such as accident forgiveness, gap coverage, rideshare coverage, and more.

Read more about our ratings and methodology.