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Erin Gobler is a personal finance writer and journalist who has been writing for Compare.com since 2023. With more than five years of experience personal finance experience, Erin has covered topics such as investing, credit cards, mortgages, insurance, and more.
Her work has been featured in major publications like Business Insider, Fox Business, and Time.
Erin received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2013, studying journalism and political science. She also received a certificate of financial planning from Boston University in 2022.
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Nick Versaw leads Compare.com's editorial department, where he and his team specialize in crafting helpful, easy-to-understand content about car insurance and other related topics. With nearly a decade of experience writing and editing insurance and personal finance articles, his work has helped readers discover substantial savings on necessary expenses, including insurance, transportation, health care, and more. As an award-winning writer, Nick has seen his work published in countless renowned publications, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report. He graduated with Latin honors from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Digital Journalism.
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At Compare.com, it ’s our mission to give you the tools to find the best (and most affordable) insurance for your unique needs and budget. We strive to provide information that’s helpful, clear, and unbiased, and we believe that comparing insurance companies should never put you at risk of spam. Our editorial team — which is made up of experienced writers, editors, insurance agents, and data analysts — has spent thousands of hours researching and creating the coverage overviews, side-by-side comparisons, and detailed reviews you see across our site.
While we make money through partnerships with some of the brands we discuss in our articles, our editorial team operates 100% independently, and these partners never influence or affect the topics, reviews, ratings, or recommendations we provide. We never guarantee favorable reviews or mentions in exchange for compensation from any brands or partners, and we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure our content is always independent, truthful, and unbiased.
Shopping for car insurance can be a tedious process when it requires getting quotes from multiple insurance company websites. But you can make the process easier by using an insurance comparison website.
These sites allow you to compare personalized car insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies so you can get the same amount of information in a fraction of the time. When you use one of these sites, you can enter just a few pieces of information about yourself and your driving history and get quotes from many of the industry’s top insurers. The quotes you’ll receive are personalized to your unique situation rather than just averages.
That said, not all insurance-comparison sites are created equally, and it’s important to choose those that offer legitimate quotes. We’ll cover which comparison sites are the best and what you should look for when comparing quotes in the sections below.
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Compare.com and Insurify top our list as the best and most trustworthy car insurance comparison sites.
Lead-generation sites don’t typically provide personalized quotes — they can also be spammy and may sell your data to third parties.
Maximize your comparison site experience and savings by entering accurate information, reading the fine print, and being open to buying a policy with a smaller insurance company.
The two key benefits of using a car insurance comparison site are that you’ll save time and save money.
First, these sites streamline the process of shopping for car insurance. Rather than having to visit multiple insurance company websites for quotes, you can get them all in one place quickly. Additionally, because you can see quotes from some of the top insurers all at once, you’re able to easily see which company is the most affordable.
While most comparison sites serve the same basic functions, they aren’t all created equally. Insurance comparison sites differ in several ways, including the number of insurers they work with and whether they show real quotes or just ads.
The best insurance comparison sites have direct partnerships with many insurance companies. These sites can show you real quotes based on the information you provide. After seeing your quotes, you can usually sign up for a policy directly from the comparison site, or you’ll be redirected to sign up on the insurer’s website.
Even among these sites, there is still some difference in quality. For example, one comparison site might show quotes from a dozen insurers, while another might show you quotes from just a few.
Finally, these sites will differ based on the number of ads they show you and whether completing the quote form results in you getting spam emails, phone calls, and texts later on.
There’s a whole different category of car insurance comparison sites that are actually lead-generation sites. These sites don’t show real-time quotes like the sites we discussed above. Instead, they show ads and often sell the data you provide during the quote process. As a result, you can end up getting spam emails, phone calls, and text messages. You might even have to enter your information multiple times just to eventually see a quote.
Yes, these sites will sometimes show prices. However, they aren’t personalized quotes and aren’t likely to be accurate for your unique situation. Some popular lead-gen sites include EverQuote, QuoteWizard, and Otto. Popular personal finance websites like NerdWallet and ValuePenguin also offer lead-generation tools for customers to get auto insurance quotes.
At this point, you’re probably wondering which comparison site is the best option for getting and comparing quotes.
The table below shows how the most well-known insurance-comparison sites match up in terms of online reviews and the number of real-time quotes they provide.
Comparison Site | Rank | Average Customer Rating* | Real-Time Quotes** | Spam Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compare.com | #1 | 4.23/5 | 5 | None |
| Insurify | #2 | 4.43/5 | 4 | None |
| Jerry | #3 | 2.90/5 | 3 | Low |
| The Zebra | #4 | 4.23/5 | 3 | None |
| Gabi | #5 | 1.00/5 | 1 | Low |
| QuoteWizard | #6 | 3.85/5 | 0 | High |
| EverQuote | #7 | 2.60/5 | 0 | High |
Compare.com is head and shoulders above the competition. With more real-time quotes than any other comparison site and extremely positive customer reviews across several well-known review platforms, it’s the best choice for easy, quick quote comparison.
Compare.com allows you to get real-time quotes from a variety of insurance companies by completing a short form. Here’s how to get started:
Enter your ZIP code.
Share information about your vehicle, where you live, your driving record, your past insurance, and more.
Opt in to receive emailed copies of your quotes, as well as occasional emails and text messages with updates (this step isn’t required).
Land on a result page that shows real-time, accurate quotes from top insurance companies.
Adjust the quotes you see by choosing from four coverage options: minimum coverage, basic coverage, plus coverage, or premium coverage.
Once you select a quote, you can purchase and manage the policy through the insurer’s website.
We completed the quote process on Compare.com using the sample profile of a 30-year-old single female driver. Overall, the process was quick and straightforward — answering all the preliminary questions took five minutes or less.
Once we got to the results page, our driver was presented with eight insurers on the results page, all of which showed a real quote showing the monthly premium and what you must pay if you buy the policy that day. You can click “View deal” to complete the purchase on the insurer’s website for any of the listed options.
At the top of the results page, Compare.com gives you coverage level options to choose from: minimum, basic, plus, and premium. If you click on each option, the quotes provided by each insurer change based on the level chosen.
Insurify is another solid choice if you’re looking to compare car insurance quotes, especially if you’re also interested in home insurance. It served up one fewer quote than Compare.com, but its multi-policy offerings and great customer reviews help close the gap.
Getting quotes from Insurify is easy. Here’s how it works:
Enter your ZIP code.
Answer questions about your vehicle, yourself, your current insurance policy, your driving history, and more.
See your real-time, accurate insurance quotes from a variety of top insurance companies.
Adjust the quotes you see by choosing between different levels of liability protection.
Once you select a quote, you may either be redirected to the insurer’s website or instructed to get on the phone with an agent to complete your policy.
Partners with many top insurers
Offers home insurance in addition to auto
Has an easy-to-use mobile app
Quotes not as accurate as Compare.com
Results include ads
Must provide an email address and phone number to see quotes
Jerry is a relative newcomer on the insurance comparison scene, but its slick interface and easy-to-answer questionnaire make it a solid contender. That said, you have to download a mobile app to view all of your quotes, so it may not be the best choice for everyone.
Insurance comparison
Auto refinancing
Repair estimates
Shop locator
Driving safety features
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurers to help you find the best car insurance rate. Like the previous two companies on this list, it also provides real-time quotes. The company has generated more than 175 million quotes and has helped more than 3 million people save $40 million, according to Jerry’s website.
Shopping for car insurance with Jerry requires just a few simple steps.
Provide your phone number.
Share information about your vehicle, yourself, your driving history, discounts that may apply to you, and more.
You’ll see your lowest quote but will be prompted to download the Jerry app to see the rest of your quotes.
Once you choose a policy, you’ll have to provide a bit more information to get your final quote, which can take up to 10 minutes.
Here’s where Jerry differs from other insurance comparison sites. It will automatically shop for quotes every six months. You can also set up alerts to be reminded to shop around when your credit score goes up, when Jerry offers a new insurance company, when your current insurer lowers its rates, and more.
Automatically shops for lower rates every six months
Offers other services to car owners, including refinancing and repair estimates
Ability to set up alerts to shop for new coverage
Must provide a phone number and get a verification code to see quotes
App required to see quotes
Requires additional information to get accurate quotes
The Zebra is perhaps the most well-known comparison site listed, but it serves far fewer quotes than the top three sites on this list. Still, its “no-spam” policy makes it a decent choice for drivers who take data privacy seriously.
Shopping for an insurance policy on The Zebra takes just a few minutes. Here’s how to get started:
Enter your ZIP code.
Answer questions about yourself, your vehicle, your driving history, your current insurance coverage, and more.
Select your coverage package between minimum, better, and best.
Within just a couple of minutes, you’ll see any quotes that are available.
More than 100 partner insurance companies
Quotes for a wide variety of insurance types
Ability to speak to a licensed agent on the phone
May only return a few (if any) quotes
Must go back through the application to change coverage limits
May need to complete the quote on the insurer’s website
Experian recently acquired Gabi for more than $200 million, and the Experian name carries a lot of weight in the personal finance industry. Still, Gabi provides fewer quotes than other true comparison sites, which means it slots in at No. 5 on our list.
Getting car insurance quotes with Gabi takes just a few minutes. Here’s how to get started:
Provide information about your vehicle, yourself, discounts you may qualify for, your driving history, your current insurance policy, and more.
Decide whether to see quotes for only auto insurance or auto bundled with home insurance.
Land on a page where Gabi shows you real-time quotes.
Once you’ve chosen a quote, you’ll provide a few additional pieces of information before getting your final quote.
If you’re okay with the quote, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up on the insurer’s website.
Get quotes for a variety of types of insurance
Uses your current policy to get a quote for the same coverage
Advertises average savings of $961 per year
Must provide an email address and phone number to get quotes
Only returns a few quotes
Quote price is often different from the final price
QuoteWizard may advertise itself as a comparison site, but it really functions as a lead-generation site. Unless you’re willing to sift through ads and deal with the possibility of spam, you should look elsewhere.
Like the other websites on our list, QuoteWizard has a relatively simple process for completing the online form to get your quotes:
Enter your ZIP code.
Provide information about your vehicle, your insurance history, yourself, your driving history, and more.
Provide your contact information.
You’ll see a page with all of your results. Unfortunately, none of the results will show real quotes — just ads for companies that have bid for your potential business.
If you choose to follow up on any of the offerings, you’ll be redirected to the insurer’s website. Sometimes, these results will include other comparison websites, which means you’ll likely need to enter your information all over again.
Offers one of the quickest online forms
Ability to get a quote over the phone
Shares reviews about top car insurance companies
Only shows ads
Email address and phone number required to get results
Likely to result in unsolicited communications from insurance companies
Like QuoteWizard, EverQuote is yet another lead-gen site masked as a place to compare insurance quotes. If you’re looking for real-time car insurance quotes, consider the companies mentioned above.
The process of getting quotes from EverQuote is similar to all the other sites we’ve discussed, but with some slight differences:
Enter your ZIP code.
Answer questions about your vehicle, your current insurance coverage, your driving habits, yourself, your driving history, and more.
Choose whether you want to receive quotes via email or from licensed agents (this is optional and in addition to your online quotes).
You’ll arrive at a page where you’ll see ads disguised as “quotes.” No prices will be shown.
If you opted to receive quotes via email or from agents, you may get more quotes at a later time.
Doesn’t require you to share contact information
Partners with more than 160 companies and 7,000 local agents
Offers multiple types of insurance
May not return any quotes
Advertised savings are lower than other companies
May be required to connect with an agent to get a quote or sign up for a policy
Insurance comparison sites can be an excellent way to save money on insurance if you use them correctly. Here are some additional tips to help you make the most of these sites.
The quotes you receive can only be as accurate as the information you provide. While it may be tempting to disregard past driving violations, your credit score, or other factors you think may raise your rates, doing so will only make your quotes less accurate. Insurance companies run your information through a universal insurance database before you purchase a policy, so they’ll find out about a previous claim or a bad credit score eventually.
Take your time when completing the online quote form. The more thoughtful you are and the more time you take to read each question carefully and answer completely, the more accurate your quotes will be.
It’s important to understand what you’re getting yourself into when you use an insurance comparison website. Read the fine print about the accuracy of the quotes, how the site makes money, whether your information will be sold to third parties, and more. That way, you’ll ensure you end up with accurate quotes and aren’t bombarded by phone calls, emails, and text messages from third parties.
If a comparison site provides quotes without you having to enter personal information, it’s likely not a reliable one. Insurance quotes are entirely based on your unique situation, so a quote that doesn’t take that information into account won’t be accurate.
You may feel inclined to sign up with a major insurance company simply because of the name recognition. However, you may find that a smaller or lesser-known insurer offers a better rate, better coverage options, or something else you need. And if you’re unsure about a company or haven’t heard of them before, don’t be afraid to read reviews.
Are you shopping for a new insurance policy? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about using insurance comparison websites.
Our research found that Compare.com, Insurify, and Jerry are the three best car insurance comparison sites in 2024. Compare.com tops our list because it leads all sites in the number of real-time quotes and also boasts great customer reviews.
Compare.com, Insurify, and The Zebra each advertise a no-spam policy. Jerry’s website states that customer data will remain secure and that it won’t sell your sensitive information to third parties.
Most of the companies we’ve discussed are websites rather than apps. However, both Insurify and Jerry have apps you can use to shop for insurance. Insurify’s app is an optional alternative to its website, while Jerry requires that you download the app as a part of the insurance shopping process.
You should get car insurance quotes from at least three insurance companies to get the best rate. Insurance companies look at different rating factors to determine rates, which means they can vary dramatically by insurer.
Sources:
Coverager, “Experian acquires Gabi for $320 million,” accessed May 16, 2024.
Insurance Business, “Insurify completes Compare.com acquisition,” accessed May 16, 2024.
Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.
All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.
Compare.com's #1 goal is to save you money. We publish resources that are based on hard-hitting data and years of industry experience to help you make more informed decisions with your wallet.
Learn more about us, our team, and what makes us tick.
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Erin Gobler is a personal finance writer and journalist who has been writing for Compare.com since 2023. With more than five years of experience personal finance experience, Erin has covered topics such as investing, credit cards, mortgages, insurance, and more.
Her work has been featured in major publications like Business Insider, Fox Business, and Time.
Erin received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2013, studying journalism and political science. She also received a certificate of financial planning from Boston University in 2022.
Nick Versaw leads Compare.com's editorial department, where he and his team specialize in crafting helpful, easy-to-understand content about car insurance and other related topics. With nearly a decade of experience writing and editing insurance and personal finance articles, his work has helped readers discover substantial savings on necessary expenses, including insurance, transportation, health care, and more. As an award-winning writer, Nick has seen his work published in countless renowned publications, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report. He graduated with Latin honors from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Digital Journalism.
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