+120 more)
Mandy Sleight has over 15 years of insurance knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, health, pet, supplemental benefits, and other insurance products. She’s a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications, and she's been writing for Compare.com since 2023.
Mandy uses her background and experience working for well-known insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging and easy-to-understand content that helps readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.
)
)
Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
Updated
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.
| User Reviews | 4.2 |
|---|---|
| Our Rating Compare.com's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The objective formula used in these reviews weighs several important factors to consider when choosing financial products and services, including customer satisfaction ratings, ease of use, and a number of other components. | 4.5 /5 |
| Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $55/mo |
| Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $115/mo |
Drivers appreciate the easy communication and good customer service, but many are unhappy with the regular and significant price increases.
Drivers appreciate the easy communication and good customer service, but many are unhappy with the regular and significant price increases.
Yamini
March 18, 2025
My insurance was separated from my partner's without my consent, creating issues
Alejandra
March 17, 2025
Not too bad
Arnold
March 5, 2025
Too expensive for me
GEICO is a great choice for drivers with good driving records who want to save money on their car insurance. It’s also suitable for high-risk drivers, but they should be prepared to pay higher rates because of previous infractions. That said, GEICO might not be for you if you prefer the personal feel of a local agent.
Wide variety of insurance products
Affordable rates for high-risk drivers
Highly-rated mobile app
Limited available discounts
Gap insurance not available
Few local agents
DriveEasy, GEICO’s telematics program, tracks your driving habits, phone usage, and location through the company’s mobile app and rewards you for earning a high driving score. But some users complain about the amount of data and battery the app uses since it runs constantly in the background.
DriveEasy offers an initial 10% discount, then up to 10% permanent savings when your policy renews. But risky behaviors can translate to higher premiums in some states.
Read our GEICO DriveEasy review to help you decide if this usage-based program is right for you.
GEICO DriveEasy is an optional telematics program the insurance company launched in 2019. Its smartphone app tracks your driving habits and rewards you for safe behaviors, like staying within the posted speed limit and not using your phone while driving.
GEICO isn’t the only car insurance company offering a telematics program. Some of the best auto insurers also offer their own telematics programs, including:
Allstate Drivewise
American Family KnowYourDrive
Progressive Snapshot
State Farm Drive Safe & Save
Travelers Intellidrive
Nationwide SmartRide
Liberty Mutual RightTrack
USAA SafePilot
Once you download and log into GEICO’s DriveEasy app, it runs continuously in the background, ready to log your trips anytime you drive. The mobile app uses your phone’s sensors to detect vehicle movement and automatically track your trip details.
You can see your driving score and recent trips and get tips to improve your score in the DriveEasy dashboard.
Let’s take a closer look at what DriveEasy tracks and how it knows who’s in the driver’s seat.
During each trip, the GEICO DriveEasy app tracks the following driving behaviors:
Cornering: How fast you go around corners
Distracted driving: Active phone use, like using your apps, making phone calls, or answering text messages
Accelerating and braking: How quickly you accelerate and brake while driving
Smooth driving: How long you travel and consistently stay at cruising speed
Other data points, such as the time of day you drive, route consistency, road and weather conditions, and the length and distance of each trip, also factor into your safe driving score.
It’s worth noting that GEICO doesn’t have full access to your phone and its data. The app can’t see your contacts or access your messages or calls. GEICO encrypts your data and restricts access — only a limited number of GEICO associates can access it. The company may also use your driving data during the claims process.
DriveEasy uses sensors in your phone to determine if you’re the driver or a passenger in a vehicle. If the mobile app detects you as the driver, it will track your trip to calculate your driver score. If you aren’t the driver or the passenger is using your phone while you’re driving, you can change your driving role from driver to passenger in the app’s Trips section.
Simple driving habits could lead to savings with GEICO DriveEasy. Unfortunately, the insurer doesn’t advertise its telematic sign-up or maximum participation discounts. Third-party reports suggest good drivers can save up to 10% on their car insurance premiums. You’ll get a 10% initial participation discount, and your long-term discount is based on how you drive after signing up.
Ultimately, where you live and your household driving habits will determine how much you save. Working on things you can control, like avoiding distractions, not using your phone, and not speeding, braking, or accelerating too fast, can help you get a higher score and lower your risk of getting into an accident.
Usage-based insurance like DriveEasy has become incredibly popular among car insurance companies. The table below highlights some of the most popular programs, including their initial discounts and the maximum savings you might earn from each if you participate.
Program | Initial Discount | Maximum Discount |
|---|---|---|
| GEICO DriveEasy | 10% | 10% |
| Allstate Drivewise | Varies by state | Varies by state |
| American Family KnowYourDrive | 10% | 20% |
| Chubb SafeLane | 10% | 20% |
| Direct Auto DynamicDrive | 10% | Not disclosed |
| Farmers Signal | 5% | 15% |
| Liberty Mutual RightTrack | 10% | 30% |
| Nationwide SmartRide | 10% | 40% |
| Progressive Snapshot | Varies by state; average discount of $94 | Varies by state; average discount of $231 |
| Safeco RightTrack | 10% | 30% |
| State Farm Drive Safe & Save | 5% | 30% (May exceed 30% in some states) |
| The Hartford TrueLane | 12% | 25% |
| Travelers IntelliDrive | 10% | 30% (Up to 40% in Nevada) |
| USAA SafePilot | 10% | 30% |
Although GEICO has a decent initial discount, its maximum discount is the lowest compared to other insurance companies. If you’re a typical driver looking for maximum savings, consider programs with higher maximum discounts, such as Nationwide, State Farm, Travelers, or Safeco.
If you’d like to maximize your DriveEasy discount, a few strategies could help. Follow these simple tips to get the most savings out of the program:
Maintain distance from the vehicle in front of you to avoid hard braking, and allow space to maintain your speed, which will help your smoothness score.
Try to avoid driving during peak times of heavy traffic or late at night.
Take corners carefully.
Ease onto the accelerator pedal instead of taking off quickly.
Avoid using phone apps while driving. Even listening to music or using them for navigation could cause DriveEasy to ding you for phone handling while the car is in motion.
Yes. While GEICO rewards safe driving habits, it may raise your insurance premiums for risky behaviors like hard braking, phone usage, and driving too fast. Late-night drivers and those who travel long distances may also see higher rates at their next renewal.
If you use public transportation or travel as a passenger frequently, you should check GEICO’s DriveEasy program dashboard often to ensure the trip data has you listed as a passenger, not the driver. Keeping the information up-to-date and correct could help your score.
GEICO DriveEasy may be worth it to a small group of people, like low-mileage drivers who typically don’t drive in heavy traffic and aren’t frequent passengers in other vehicles. Many complain that the app drains their battery quickly and uses a lot of their mobile phone data when it’s not connected to Wi-Fi, as shown in the screenshots below.
)
)
)
The below Reddit user found that learning how the app determines driving patterns like cornering helped them improve their cornering score.
)
Another Reddit user — featured in the screenshot below — feels that DriveEasy might be the best fit if you drive at night, stop frequently, or drive longer distances.
)
Yet another Redditor — and former GEICO employee — got married and combined insurance policies with her husband. They saw a significant drop in their insurance premiums because of DriveEasy.
)
Finally, the customers below said the app also seems to be highly sensitive to phone usage, even if you’re using an app hands-free, which can hurt your driving score.
)
)
Signing up for GEICO DriveEasy is simple and just takes a few steps.
New and current GEICO customers can participate in the DriveEasy program. You can ask to include the DriveEasy discount with your auto insurance quote if you’re a new customer. Existing GEICO policyholders can continue to the next step.
DriveEasy is part of the GEICO mobile app. New and existing GEICO policyholders can download the free GEICO mobile app from the App Store if you have an iPhone or the Google Play Store if you have an Android phone to sign up.
After downloading the mobile app, click the DriveEasy icon to start. Provide your mobile phone number, accept the terms and conditions, and enter the verification code from your text messages to get started. Enable permissions and invite other household drivers to complete the DriveEasy setup. All enrolled drivers on a policy need to participate.
Driving safely is the best way to get a higher score and discount. That means staying within the posted speed limit, avoiding hard braking and fast accelerations, and not using your phone while driving.
Check DriveEasy’s data regularly in the Trips section to ensure accuracy. This is where you can change your status from driver to passenger. You can also view details about your category scores for each trip.
GEICO calculates your driving score using the initial 45 days of DriveEasy’s data. It updates at each insurance policy renewal for as long as you use the app.
Here are the answers to common questions people ask about the GEICO DriveEasy program.
It depends. Safe drivers working from home or infrequently driving short distances may find GEICO DriveEasy worth it. But it may not be worth it if you’re a frequent passenger, drive late at night, make frequent stops, or drive long distances.
The GEICO mobile app collects driving-related data for the DriveEasy program using your phone’s sensors, Bluetooth, and GPS. It captures trip details, like when, where, and how long you’re driving, your location, and your habits while driving. GEICO may also use your driving data during the claims process.
It depends. GEICO DriveEasy is a performance-based telematics program that may help you get a lower rate. But keep in mind that your rates can go up for risky driving behaviors like speeding, cell phone use while driving, and hard braking. Your GEICO car insurance rate can change at each policy renewal.
Yes. The GEICO DriveEasy usage-based program tracks multiple factors, including speed. GEICO calls this category smoothness, which is how consistently you cruise at speed and for how long. It also monitors your performance, such as cornering, driving in traffic (hard braking and fast acceleration), and interacting with your phone while driving.
Sources:
App Store, “GEICO Mobile - Car Insurance Ratings and Reviews,” Accessed June 13, 2024.
Google Play Store, “GEICO Mobile - Car Insurance,” Accessed June 13, 2024.
Reddit, “Is DriveEasy worth it?,” Accessed June 13, 2024.
Reddit, “I have drive easy, i have no slip ups on any of my trips. My cornering "subpar". How is this possible?,” Accessed June 13, 2024.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Mandy Sleight has over 15 years of insurance knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, health, pet, supplemental benefits, and other insurance products. She’s a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications, and she's been writing for Compare.com since 2023.
Mandy uses her background and experience working for well-known insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging and easy-to-understand content that helps readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.
Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
)
USAA offers young drivers with good grades up to 10% in savings with its good student discount. Find out how it works and how to qualify.
)
Looking for cheap car insurance for seniors? Discover the best companies, discounts, and expert tips to lower your rates while keeping the coverage you need.
)
Jeep Grand Cherokee car insurance averages $141 per month. Check out where to get the cheapest rates and how different factors affect your premium.
)
High-risk drivers can have a hard time finding cheap car insurance, but comparing rates can help you save money.
)
Novo offers the cheapest average rates for a Nissan Rogue, at $51 per month. Compare costs, coverage, and insurers to get the best rate for your Rogue.
)
Auto insurance costs an average of $337 per month for young drivers. Discover the cheapest car insurance in Texas for young drivers.
)
