Hugo Insurance Review: Flexible Coverage at Your Fingertips

Hugo Insurance is a relative newcomer to the auto insurance industry, introducing its beta platform in 2020 and officially launching in January 2021. The company specializes in flexible, on-demand coverage, allowing you to start and stop coverage as needed, and with “micropayments,” you can pay for as few as three days at a time. Hugo also doesn’t charge up-front fees or down payments to new customers, either.

It takes only minutes to get coverage — as long as you live in one of the 13 states where Hugo is available. But the company is quickly expanding — policies are forthcoming in Kentucky and California. And on that note, Hugo’s limitations may not be ideal if you’re looking for detailed coverage (or even standard full-coverage options in certain states).

But how does Hugo Insurance work? How do its rates stack up to competitors? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about this next-generation insurer.

Is Hugo a Good Choice for Car Insurance?

Hugo is a great choice for some drivers. The company has a short but strong record of paying claims and has earned thousands of positive reviews from customers. But its small size, sparse coverage options, and limited coverage areas mean many drivers won’t be able to access policies through Hugo — at least not yet.

Where Hugo stands out

Hugo is the only auto insurer that offers true pay-as-you-go auto insurance policies, and its highly flexible payment options are best in class. Drivers who need to pay in smaller increments or who only drive a few days a week can find huge benefits with Hugo.

Where Hugo falls short

Currently, Hugo offers a very limited range of coverage options. The company operates in just 13 states (as of this writing) and offers full coverage in just two. High-risk drivers and people who need more specialized coverage options may want to look elsewhere.

How Hugo’s Short-Term Car Insurance Works

Hugo changed the insurance market when it started offering short-term car insurance policies with its Flex Plan. With this option, you can turn your insurance coverage on and off by sending a text or switching a toggle in Hugo’s mobile app (more on that later).

So, if you’re not driving one day, you can flip your coverage off and roll over that unused day for future use.

But, because your vehicle essentially goes uncovered with this option, Flex Plans are only offered for liability-only policies. You’ll need to purchase the Full Plan in order to comply with your lender if you drive a financed or leased vehicle.

Additionally, the Flex and Full Plans are only available in Illinois and California. In most states, drivers only have access to the Basic Plan. We’ll go over each plan in detail in the coverage section later.

Whatever plan you select, you can also choose how often you pay. You can “reload” your plan in increments of a few days, weeks, or months, depending on what works best for you. So whether you need short-term coverage or continuous protection, you’ll find payment options with Hugo that you can’t get anywhere else.’

What are the differences between Hugo’s car insurance plans?

As we touched on earlier, Hugo has three plan options to choose from when you enroll in a policy:

• Flex Plan: Allows you to turn coverage on and off and pay per day of coverage. But you can only buy liability coverage.
• Basic Plan: Allows you to pay in small increments but provides continuous coverage. This option only covers liability, medical, and accidental death.
• Full Plan: Also allows for flexible payments and continuous coverage. This option covers everything in the Basic Plan, plus comprehensive and collision coverage with same-day payouts for car insurance claims.

Every plan will meet state requirements and offer you cash rewards. Just remember that most drivers will only have access to the Basic Plan. Hugo plans to continue rolling out Flex and Full plans to other states soon.

Hugo Reviews: What Real Customers Have to Say

Overall, Hugo has fewer customer reviews than the average insurer. It’s a newer company and sells far fewer policies than big-name insurers like GEICO and Progressive, so it’s no surprise Hugo doesn’t have a Better Business Bureau page or reviews on ConsumerAffairs. But many customers have left reviews on Trustpilot, where the company earns an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars.

An overwhelming number of customer reviews mention how easy, fast, and painless it was to get car insurance with Hugo and pay for their policy in flexible, self-designed increments.

Others — like the reviewer below — expressed appreciation for Hugo’s affordability.

But, as with any other insurer, there’s plenty of constructive feedback. Hugo’s recent negative reviews seem to be centered around the company’s lack of full-coverage policies in many states.

I also found several people who seemed to have misunderstood how Hugo’s policy flexibility works, which led to higher premiums.

Others expressed gratitude for the flexibility Hugo offers but weren’t as pleased with the rates they received.

How Much Is Hugo Auto Insurance?

Let’s take a look at the average monthly rates Hugo offers to drivers for liability and full-coverage policies.

Premiums at Hugo are generally higher for liability policies and lower for full coverage than the national averages ($129 per month for liability and $302 for full coverage). Of course, national averages aren’t a great way to understand how Hugo fits into the wider insurance market. After all, it only operates in 13 states (and only offers full coverage in two).

So let’s take a closer look at how Hugo’s costs compare to its closest competitors.

Hugo vs. Top Competitors

Hugo’s two closest competitors are Mile Auto and Metromile. But keep in mind that Hugo truly is a one-of-a-kind company, so there’s no direct comparison. We chose these companies because they both focus on forward-thinking technology and offer creative billing options.

The table below shows how Hugo’s rates stack up to these two pay-per-mile insurers.

At first glance, Hugo appears to have higher rates for both liability and full-coverage policies — but the rates for Mile Auto and Metromile don’t account for the per-mile fee tacked onto your premium at the end of the billing cycle. For that reason, their rates appear to be lower than Hugo’s.

So Hugo could still be your best bet for affordable coverage, depending on how much you drive.

Hugo Car Insurance Rates by State

Want to know how much Hugo charges for auto insurance in your state? The table below shows the company’s average liability rates in the states where it currently operates, according to Compare.com data.

Car insurance rates vary from state to state due to a combination of state regulations, traffic patterns, population densities, accidents, crime rates, and living costs. Insurers analyze these factors to determine the risk levels associated with insuring drivers in each state. Areas deemed higher risk will typically see higher average premiums.

As you can see above, Hugo offers its lowest rates to drivers in Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee.

Hugo Car Insurance Rates by Age

Your age has a big impact on your car insurance premiums, so here are average Hugo rates broken out into different age brackets.

When you’re young and first get your driver’s license, you’re obviously far less experienced on the road. That makes you more likely to cause a car accident. Young drivers pay higher rates than any other age group because of that increased risk.

Luckily, rates steadily decrease as you age (so long as you keep a clean record), leveling off in your 40s and 50s.

Rates sometimes start to go up again once you approach retirement age since older drivers have slower reaction times and become statistically more likely to cause a claim.

Teens and young drivers

Compared to the national average for 18-year-olds — $297 per month for liability and $676 for full coverage — Hugo makes the biggest difference for teen drivers who need full coverage. At $496 per month, full coverage from Hugo is significantly cheaper than average. But liability-only policies at Hugo cost slightly more than the national average rates.

Young drivers may still be able to save on liability coverage if they can sign up for the Flex Plan and drive five days a week or less.

Seniors and retirees

Rates for drivers older than 60 tell a similar story. Hugo’s liability-only rates are higher than average (the national average for 65-year-olds is $97 per month for liability coverage). But, like teens, seniors can save on full-coverage policies with Hugo.

Hugo could provide cheap liability coverage for seniors who don’t drive often — but you’ll have to get a quote and estimate your costs based on your quoted daily rate.

Hugo Car Insurance Rates by Driving Record

Your driving record affects your car insurance rate as much as, if not more than, your age. Here are the average rates from Hugo based on policyholders’ driving histories.

Tickets and car accidents can significantly increase your premiums, especially if you have more than one on your record.

Car insurance companies use a lookback period of three to five years in most states. That means you can see elevated rates for as many as five years after your most recent incident. So, maintaining a clean driving record is important for both your peace of mind and your financial well-being.

Good drivers

At $183 per month for liability and $234 for full coverage, Hugo’s average rates for good drivers (those who have no tickets, DUIs, or at-fault accidents on their records) are quite a bit higher than the national average. While Hugo doesn’t have a good driver discount, the company offers lower rates to drivers with clean records than to those with tickets or accidents.

Drivers with a recent ticket

Getting a ticket can cause car insurance rates to increase substantially, and the severity of the offense often influences the extent of the increase. Multiple violations can lead to even higher premiums.

You can raise your deductibles (if you have the Full Plan) if you need to save money after receiving a ticket or other moving violation. You can also drop down to the Flex Plan and arrange to use your car for fewer days each week.

Drivers with a recent accident

Hugo tends to charge more than the national average for car insurance after a car accident. That said, I found several customer reviews talking about finding their best rate with Hugo, even with an accident (or combination of incidents) on their driving records. And, with the Flex Plan, you may be able to limit your driving and pay a lot less.

Types of Coverage Hugo Offers

Hugo’s policy options may be a bit more limited than some of the household names in auto insurance, but it still provides many of the most common coverage types. The company currently offers the following coverages:

• Bodily injury liability: Covers injuries or death to other people in an accident where you’re at fault.
• Property damage liability: Covers damages to someone else’s property in an accident where you’re at fault.
• Collision: Covers damages to your vehicle that are caused by a collision with another vehicle or object.
• Comprehensive: Covers damages to your vehicle caused by events other than collisions, such as theft, vandalism, or natural disasters.
• Medical payments (MedPay): Covers medical expenses for your and your passenger’s injuries after an accident.
• Accidental death: Provides a lump sum payment if someone dies from an accident you cause.
• Rental reimbursement: Covers rental car costs while your own vehicle is being repaired due to a covered claim.

Hugo also plans to offer towing and roadside assistance coverage soon, but only to drivers with the Full Plan.

Does Hugo Offer Discounts?

Hugo doesn’t offer car insurance discounts in the traditional sense. Instead, the company focuses on providing low rates to all drivers alongside its flexible payment options. Plus, drivers who drive infrequently can use the Flex Plan to pay only for the days they use their car. This can add up to huge savings over time.

How to Sign Up for Hugo Car Insurance

Getting a car insurance quote from Hugo is quick and easy — so long as you have your driver’s license number and, ideally, your VIN readily available. Here’s how to sign up for one of Hugo’s flexible policies:

1. Visit Hugo’s website: Click “Get Started” to enter Hugo’s quote questionnaire.
2. Enter your personal information: This will help Hugo calculate your personalized quote. Be prepared to provide your ZIP code, address, full name, birth date, gender, marital status, driver’s license number, information about your driving record, and Social Security number.
3. Add a vehicle to your policy: Answer a few questions about the year, make, model, and trim of each vehicle you’d like to insure.
4. Choose how much flexibility you’d like: Answer a few questions about how often you drive, as well as how you’d like to pay — weekly, every two weeks, or monthly.
5. Receive your quote: Here, Hugo breaks down your policy in detail, including your estimated monthly and per-day rates. You’ll also be able to compare rates between the company’s Flex, Basic, and Full packages (as long as each is offered in your state).
6. Customize your policy: Take this opportunity to tailor your new policy to your unique needs, including policy limits, optional coverages, and deductibles (if applicable).
7. Verify personal information: Ensure the information shown is correct for each driver listed on the policy.
8. Enter your VINs: Provide the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for any vehicles listed on your policy.
9. Purchase your new policy: Enter your payment information to purchase your policy and activate your coverage.
10. Hit the road: Download policy documents, such as your proof of insurance, to ensure you’re ready to legally drive.

Managing Your Hugo Auto Insurance Policy

You can manage your Hugo policy through your online account on your computer or phone. Your home page will show you how much you have available in your account, and you’ll find a toggle to turn auto reload on and off.

If you scroll down, you’ll find an option to “Manage my Policy.” This will take you to a page where you can manage vehicles, drivers, coverage levels, and more.

You can also email customer support for additional assistance through Hugo’s online portal.

Using Hugo’s mobile app

Hugo doesn’t currently offer a mobile app. Instead, the company designed its website to be mobile-friendly. Most reviewers had no problem with this, but some pointed out that if you have spotty cell service, be sure to print your cards and keep physical copies in your car.

Pausing and resuming your Hugo policy

If you sign up for Hugo’s Flex Plan, you have the option to turn off your car insurance on the days you don’t need your car. To do so, log into your account and go to your home screen. There, you’ll see a toggle at the top of the screen letting you know whether your insurance is on or off. You can pause your policy by flipping the toggle to “OFF” — a pop-up will appear and ask you to confirm your decision.

With the Flex Plan, you always buy coverage in 24-hour increments. So when you toggle off, your insurance will stay in effect until it reaches the end of the 24-hour period. So if you turn insurance on at 6 a.m. and then turn it off at 7 p.m. that day, your coverage will remain in effect until 6 a.m. the following day (don’t worry; the pop-up asking you to confirm will also tell you the exact time and day your current coverage period ends).

Before turning your coverage back on, ensure you have enough money in your account for at least one day of coverage. You won’t be able to turn your insurance on until you have enough money in your account.

Next, just switch the toggle to “ON.” Again, a pop-up will appear to confirm your decision and let you know when your coverage starts.

Reviewing Hugo Customer Service

Hugo is so young that it’s relatively unrated by the traditional insurance market watchdogs, such as the Better Business Bureau and J.D. Power. That said, Hugo has a large number of customer reviews online, and many of them are positive. This is especially true when it comes to purchasing and self-managing policies.

Customers also clearly enjoy the flexible payment terms.

Several reviews talk about how easy it is to buy a policy without having to talk to anyone, as the review below expresses. They also talk about the lack of physical proof of insurance. (It’s worth noting that you can download and print your insurance cards, but that assumes you have easy access to a printer.)

But several users expressed issues with customer service availability. The company buries the customer service phone number deep in its website, instead pushing the customer support email as the first means of contact.

I had to go to the legal terms and conditions page to find the phone number — and when I called, I was unable to speak with an agent. The company is inexplicably “agent-free,” or so it says in its phone tree.

I’m certainly not the only one who dealt with this issue. I found several reviews from customers frustrated with their inability to contact a live person, including the reviews below.

The bottom line is that Hugo is a small insurer with a fairly revolutionary business model. On LinkedIn, the company self-identifies as having 2–10 employees. For comparison, Mile Auto claims 11–50, Metromile claims 201–500, and Lemonade claims 1,001–5,000 employees. There’s an obvious trade-off here.

What to Expect When Filing a Claim with Hugo

You can file a claim with Hugo by logging into your account on your phone or computer. There isn’t a separate claims phone number, but you can reach the claims department through the primary customer service number during normal business hours.

Hugo says it offers same-day claims for policyholders, but I couldn’t find any reviews talking about receiving an immediate payout.

But I found that a separate company handles policy claims, as contracted by Hugo (the information will be in your policy documents). Third parties aren’t always easy to deal with, so be sure you understand if there are any secondary underwriters on your policy — and be sure to read customer reviews on them if there are.

More About Hugo Insurance

Hugo Auto Insurance FAQs

Hugo is both a new and revolutionary insurer, so people have been asking lots of questions. For quick reference, we’ve included answers to the most commonly asked questions about Hugo car insurance below.

Is Hugo a real insurance company?

Yes, Hugo is a real (and legitimate) insurance company. Founded in 2016, Hugo provides pay-as-you-drive insurance and other unique policy perks. It’s received thousands of positive reviews from its customers.

Who owns Hugo Insurance?

Hugo is a venture-backed startup that was founded by David Bergendahl and Joel Solymosi in 2016. That means the company is privately owned between individuals and entities — mainly the VC firms backing the company, the founding members of the company, and (potentially) current employees.

How much is Hugo car insurance?

Hugo costs $188 per month on average, according to Compare.com data. That makes the company somewhat cheaper than average.

Does Hugo offer other types of insurance?

No, Hugo currently offers only auto insurance and only in select states. The company has been steadily expanding since its official launch in 2020, but it’s still quite a bit newer than other insurers.

The company doesn’t have any official plans to expand into other insurance products as of this writing.

Does Hugo have comprehensive coverage?

It depends on where you live. Hugo currently offers full-coverage policies (that include comprehensive insurance) in just two states — Illinois and California.

What’s the best way to contact Hugo customer service?

Currently, the only way to contact Hugo customer service is through its online chatbot. Log in to your online account and click “Help” or the “?” icon to find a list of commonly asked questions. If you don’t find your answer there, click “Still need help? Contact support” to submit a request with the company’s help desk.

Customer service availability is one of Hugo’s weak points, based on the general consensus of the company’s online reviews. Many users express frustration at how difficult it is to speak to a customer service representative.

Data Methodology:

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.

Rating Methodology:

Compare.com’s mission is to help our readers make more informed decisions about their personal finances. Our editorial staff has crafted a proprietary, objective rating formula — the Compare.com Rating — to make it easier for our readers to analyze and compare many of the industry’s most well-known insurers. The score you see referenced in this article is based on several factors, including:

• Cost: How the insurer’s average rates compare to its direct competitors and the industry as a whole. This includes available savings opportunities, such as discounts and other factors.
• Customer satisfaction: How satisfied existing customers are with the service they receive. This includes the insurer’s scores among various third-party studies, such as the J.D. Power U.S. Insurance Shopping and Claims Satisfaction studies, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index, among others.
• Ease of use: How easy it is for policyholders to utilize their policies. This includes mobile app availability, customer service availability, payment flexibility, and other related factors.
• Availability: The overall scope of the company’s insurance offerings. This includes available coverage types, national footprint, and other related factors.
• Industry reputation: A measure of the insurer’s overall standing within the industry. This includes its AM Best Financial Strength rating, BBB accreditation, and other related factors.

Sources

1. AAA Foundation, “Rates of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Injuries and Deaths in Relation to Driver Age, United States, 2014-2015,” accessed May 16, 2024.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Teen Driver and Passenger Safety,” accessed May 16, 2024.
3. NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis, “Traffic Safety Facts,” accessed May 16, 2024.