GEICO vs. Progressive: Which Auto Insurance is Better?

GEICO ranked as the cheapest widely available insurer on our list of the best car insurance companies of 2026. Its average full coverage premium is 9 percent cheaper than Progressive’s, while its minimum coverage premium is 22 percent cheaper. It also ranks higher in most customer service metrics, such as J.D. Power’s U.S. Auto Insurance Study.

However, Progressive stood out as the best provider for drivers with DUIs — its rates are 35 percent cheaper than GEICO’s for this category.

GEICO vs. Progressive: Pros and Cons of Each

GEICO Is Better For:

• Most drivers with clean records
• Military personnel and federal government workers (including retirees), thanks to specific discounts
• Drivers in Florida, New England, the Northwest, the Southeast, and Texas, where GEICO scores much higher for customer service

Progressive Is Better For:

• Drivers with a DUI on their record
• Those with a financed vehicle who need gap coverage
• Policyholders who like to purchase and manage their policy online and can take advantage of applicable discounts

>> Related Comparision: Progressive vs. Liberty Mutual

While cost isn’t the only factor you should consider when evaluating auto insurance options, it’s undeniably important. When it comes to cost, both companies offer lower-than-average rates for full coverage, but GEICO has consistently lower average premiums than Progressive across various driver categories. The only categories in which Progressive wins are senior drivers (by a hair) and drivers with DUIs.

Keep in mind that any rates mentioned are calculated from aggregated data and that your quoted rates may vary. However, these averages offer a helpful starting point as you consider which company may be more likely to offer you the best rates.

Both GEICO and Progressive have standard coverages available, including liability, comprehensive and collision, uninsured/underinsured motorist, medical payments, and personal injury protection.

They also offer optional add-on coverages that you can include on your policy if you choose to:

GEICO is one of the only major insurers that does not offer gap insurance, so if you finance your vehicle, this may be a dealbreaker, depending on your situation. Additionally, GEICO does not underwrite its own home insurance policies. Instead, it partners with affiliate companies to provide these policies. If you plan to bundle home and auto insurance through GEICO, your home insurance policy will be issued by one of these affiliates, not directly by GEICO.

Winner: Progressive; keep in mind that not all of these coverages are available in every state, so you should always check your quote and speak to an agent to confirm what’s available in your area.

GEICO and Progressive have several auto insurance discounts that policyholders can take advantage of. Some of these are more common discounts, such as multipolicy and multivehicles discounts. They also offer certain teen-specific discounts, including a good student discount.

There are also specific discounts that you’ll only be able to get with one company or the other, so pay special attention to those if you may be eligible for them. For example, GEICO offers special discounts for military members and federal government workers, so if you fall into either of those categories, you may save even more with GEICO over Progressive.

Below is a list of the main discounts offered by both companies. It’s important to note that discounts vary by state.

Winner: GEICO

GEICO vs. Progressive Telematics Programs

GEICO and Progressive offer telematics programs, also called usage-based insurance, that policyholders can enroll in for further savings. These programs track your driving behavior and provide a discount for safe driving. GEICO’s is DriveEasy, which utilizes the GEICO mobile app, while Progressive’s is Snapshot, which works with a plug-in device or the Progressive mobile app.

With DriveEasy, you can get up to 15 percent off your premium just for signing up, and additional savings if you drive safely. GEICO no longer advertises a maximum discount, but in the past, it has been 25 percent. The discount will also depend on your state. DriveEasy is currently only available in 46 states and Washington, D.C.

Progressive doesn’t advertise a percentage discount for Snapshot but, according to its website, safe drivers save an average of $169 at signup and an average of $322 at policy renewal. Snapshot is not available in California, and the sign-up discount is not available in Hawaii or New York.

J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study shows that GEICO’s telematics program has a higher overall customer satisfaction rating — it ranked fifth in the study with a score of 646, while Snapshot ranked seventh with a score of 628².

Based on several industry reports and studies, GEICO has a better overall customer service reputation than Progressive, but it depends on the region. Here’s how the companies compare in various customer experience areas:

Claims Satisfaction

Claims satisfaction refers to how well an insurance company meets its customers’ expectations when they need to file a claim, including factors like ease of filing, timeliness, fairness of settlements, and overall customer experience.

In the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, GEICO and Progressive both scored below average, but GEICO still came out ahead of Progressive in 16th place (Progressive ranked 18th).3

Meanwhile, the 2025 CRASH Network Report Card ranked Progressive slightly higher than GEICO. This indicates that auto repair shops have a slightly better experience managing claims with Progressive, which can translate to a better experience for policyholders. However, both companies, along with the other 10 major insurers, received relatively low grades.4

Winner: GEICO, although neither company scores particularly well in this category. GEICO received a score of C+ from shops in its direct repair program (DRP) in the CRASH Network’s survey, putting it ahead of Progressive if you go with a shop in its DRP.

Customer Service

GEICO ranked above average in eight out of 11 regions in J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study, while Progressive ranked below average in all but California. GEICO ranked higher than Progressive in every region.

Here is a breakdown of each company’s score (out of 1,000) by region:

According to the NAIC, which logs customer complaints against insurers, both companies receive more complaints than average. However, GEICO received fewer as of 2024, with a complaint index of 1.55⁵. Progressive’s complaint index was 2.79⁶. An index of 1 is considered the expected amount of complaints for a company in the market.

Winner: GEICO

Shopping

Customers tend to be more satisfied with GEICO’s quote and purchase process. Both companies offer several options to get a quote and purchase a policy depending on the customer’s preference, including online and on the phone with an agent.

Despite the ease of the process from both companies, GEICO ranked higher than Progressive in J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study — it ranked 12th, while Progressive ranked 14th⁷. Both companies ranked below average. The study ranks insurers based on factors like policy offerings, price, quote process, and distribution channel.

Winner: GEICO

GEICO and Progressive both have online platforms and mobile apps that policyholders can use to view their policy details, file claims, get roadside assistance, and more. As of this writing, the companies’ apps have the same rating on the App Store and a difference of 0.1 on the Google Play Store, indicating that customers are similarly satisfied with both. Here’s a breakdown of each app:

Progressive came out ahead of GEICO in the service category of J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study, where it ranked fifth. Meanwhile, GEICO is ranked 12th and below average. However, the companies were tied in the shopping category.⁸

Winner: Progressive

Choose GEICO if you: 

• Have a clean record, speeding ticket, or accident
• Are a young driver
• Are a member of the military or a federal employee
• Have poor credit

Choose Progressive if you: 

• Have a DUI on your record
• Are a senior driver
• Have a leased or financed vehicle
• Are a homeowner and are looking to bundle home and auto insurance

GEICO vs. Progressive Scorecard

If you’re considering GEICO and Progressive for your auto insurance coverage, you can’t go wrong in the sense that they’re both major, reputable insurers. They have lower-than-average rates for drivers with clean records, strong financial strength ratings, intuitive online tools, and flexible quote and purchase processes.

Our analysis shows that GEICO tends to have the cheapest rates for most drivers, particularly for teen drivers, who can save an average of $2,814 by choosing GEICO over Progressive. Drivers with speeding tickets or low credit can also save with GEICO. However, those with DUIs pay an average of $1,492 less per year with Progressive.

Both companies offer various discounts and telematics programs, although availability and eligibility vary based on state. In addition, GEICO ranks more highly in most customer service metrics.

One major coverage missing from GEICO’s offerings is gap insurance. It also does not underwrite its own homeowners policies, meaning you will work with an affiliate. So, if you have a financed vehicle and are looking for this coverage or you own your home and plan to bundle policies, you’re better off looking into Progressive as well as a few other competitors.

At AutoInsurance.com, we use four key factors to evaluate auto insurers:

• Price (40%): We analyze average premiums for both full and minimum coverage for a standard driving profile of a good driver with good credit. We also looked at rates 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: $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident
  • Comprehensive and collision: $500 deductible
• Claims handling (25%): An auto insurer’s claims handling process should be quick, transparent, and efficient, with clear communication, fair evaluation of damages, and timely payment or resolution. 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 review 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.