Nationwide vs. Progressive

At a glance

Sources listed below, checked October 2026. Market share figures are from a secondary report of NAIC data and haven’t been checked against NAIC’s own report.

About Nationwide

Ownership. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio.

How it sells. Through independent agents (the switch from captive agents was completed July 1, 2020) and direct online and by phone.

Telematics. SmartRide (app or device, about four to six months); Nationwide describes it as a discount program, though the discount may decrease at renewal in Virginia and Washington.

Recent change. Bought Allstate’s group health business in 2025; no personal auto exits verified.

About Progressive

Progressive is The Progressive Corporation (NYSE: PGR), an Ohio company headquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio, that has been in business since 1937. Its 2025 Form 10-K reports about 70,000 employees and $83.2 billion in net premiums written in 2025, and its annual report counts 38.6 million policies in force at the end of 2025, including about 26.8 million personal auto policies.

Progressive writes personal auto insurance in every state. Besides car insurance, its website lists motorcycle, boat, RV, ATV, classic car, renters, homeowners, condo, umbrella, and commercial auto coverage; some of those products are placed with other insurers through Progressive’s own agency.

Progressive sells by phone, online, and through independent agents. Its 2025 10-K says it works with more than 40,000 independent insurance agencies, and that in 2025 about 43% of its personal vehicle premiums came through agents and 57% came direct. Prices can differ depending on how you buy, because insurers can file different rates for different channels.

An independent agency can quote Progressive alongside other insurers the agency represents. Blake Insurance Group is an independent agency; this page doesn’t say we are appointed with Progressive, and the insurers we can offer depend on our appointments and your state.

Telematics compared

Nationwide: SmartRide (app or device, about four to six months); Nationwide describes it as a discount program, though the discount may decrease at renewal in Virginia and Washington.

Progressive: Snapshot (app or plug-in); Progressive says rates can go up for riskier driving, depending on the state.

Snapshot is Progressive’s usage-based program. It measures driving such as hard braking, rapid acceleration, mileage, and time of day, and the app version also measures handheld phone use. You can use the mobile app or a plug-in device, depending on your state.

You get a participation discount for signing up, which lasts the first policy term. At renewal it’s replaced by a personalized rate, and Progressive says rates can go up for riskier driving, depending on your state. Snapshot isn’t available in every state, and the participation discount isn’t available in Hawaii or New York. Progressive’s 2025 annual report says Snapshot was offered in 43 states with more than 1.6 million personal auto customers enrolled.

Financial strength

Nationwide: A (Excellent), stable, affirmed November 2025.

Progressive: A+ (Superior), stable, affirmed May 2026.

A financial strength rating is an opinion about an insurer’s ability to pay claims, not a measure of price or service.

Market position

Progressive is one of the two largest U.S. car insurers. In 2025 NAIC data, as reported by Repairer Driven News, State Farm held 18.64% of the private passenger auto market and Progressive 18.60%, followed by GEICO’s parent, Berkshire Hathaway, at 11.56% and Allstate at 10.15%. S&P Global estimated that Progressive’s private auto premiums passed State Farm’s for the 12 months ending March 31, 2026. Size says nothing about whether a company is the right fit for you.

Progressive discounts

• Driving record. Three-year safe driving, five-year accident-free, and five-year claim-free discounts.
• Bundling. Multi-policy and multi-car discounts, plus a homeowner discount even if your home isn’t insured with Progressive.
• Buying and paying. Online quote, signing online, paperless, paying in full, and automatic payment (which can’t be combined with paying in full).
• Continuous insurance. Applied at your first renewal.
• Students and teens. Teen driver, good student (a “B” average), and distant student discounts.
• Snapshot. A participation discount, then a personalized rate at renewal.

Availability varies by state. Progressive also lists Loyalty Rewards and a Deductible Savings Bank option that reduces your deductible by $50 for each claim-free, violation-free period.

Claims at Progressive

Progressive says you can report a claim online, in the Progressive app, or by phone at 1-800-776-4737. You’ll be asked for the type of claim, the date and location, and the vehicles and people involved. After you report, you get a claim number, a secure link to upload photos and documents, and online tracking of your claim status, estimate, and payments.

Eligible customers can book repairs at a Progressive network shop where available. Repairs at network shops come with a Limited Lifetime Repair Guarantee for as long as you own or lease the vehicle; Progressive says the guarantee is voided if a non-network shop works on the repair. Some services, such as rental cars, depend on having comprehensive, collision, or rental reimbursement coverage.

Coverage to compare

• Liability. Pays for injuries and damage you cause to others, up to your limits. Every state on this site requires it except Florida, which requires property damage liability and PIP.
• Collision. Pays to repair your car after a crash, minus your deductible.
• Comprehensive. Pays for theft, fire, hail, flood, vandalism, and hitting an animal, minus your deductible.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist. Pays when the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little.
• Personal injury protection or medical payments. Pays medical bills for you and your passengers; PIP is required in no-fault states.
• Extras. Rental reimbursement, roadside assistance, and gap or loan/lease payoff coverage.

State minimums are the least you can legally carry, not a recommendation. A serious crash can cost far more than a $25,000 or $30,000 per-person limit, and you can be personally responsible for the rest. Many drivers choose higher liability limits and add uninsured motorist coverage, and lenders require comprehensive and collision on financed or leased cars.

What affects your price

Car insurance prices depend on your driving record, claims history, the car, where it’s garaged, how much you drive, the coverage and deductibles you choose, and, in most states, credit-based insurance scores. The NAIC reports the national average expenditure was $1,281 per insured vehicle in 2023, up 19.24% from 2019. Averages hide a wide range, so the only way to know your price is to compare quotes for the same coverage.

How to compare quotes

1. Pick your limits first. Decide on liability limits, deductibles, and extras before you compare.
2. Quote the same coverage. Make sure every quote uses the same limits, deductibles, drivers, and vehicles.
3. Check the insurer. Look up the issuing company with your state insurance department and its AM Best rating.
4. Ask about telematics. Find out whether a usage-based program can raise your rate, not just lower it.
5. Look at claims service. Ask how claims are reported and where repairs can be done.
6. Time the switch. Start the new policy before you cancel the old one.

Checking a plan and insurer

• Insurer license. Check the company with your state insurance department.
• Financial strength. Look up the issuing insurer on AM Best.
• Complaints. NAIC’s Consumer Insurance Search shows complaint data by company.
• Coverage match. Compare limits, deductibles, and extras line by line.
• Telematics terms. Ask whether driving data can raise your rate.

What an independent agency does

An independent insurance agency is licensed to sell policies from several insurance companies. Instead of quoting one company's products, an independent agent can compare options from the insurers the agency represents, explain the differences in coverage, and help you re-shop at renewal. The insurance company, not the agent, makes underwriting and claim decisions.

Blake Insurance Group is an independent agency. We work with clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed, and we will tell you which insurers we can quote for your situation.

How we work

Blake Insurance Group serves clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed. The insurers and plans we can offer depend on our appointments and your location; a company named on this page may not be available through us.

How to verify an insurer or agency

Before buying through any website or app, confirm who is selling you the policy and who will issue it:

1. Find the licensed agency or insurer named in the site's footer, terms, or license page.
2. Look up the agency or producer on your state insurance department's license search, or through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).
3. Look up the insurer on your state insurance department's company search to confirm it is authorized in your state.
4. Save the insurer's name and policy number once issued, since that is who handles claims.

A legitimate service will make this information easy to find. Be cautious if you cannot identify the licensed entity.

Sources

We checked the facts on this page against the sources below in October 2026. Plans, prices, and rules change, so confirm current terms before you buy.

• Nationwide: move to independent agency distribution
• Nationwide: SmartRide
• AM Best affirms Nationwide ratings (November 2025)
• Progressive 2025 Form 10-K (SEC)
• Progressive 2025 Annual Report
• Progressive: Snapshot FAQ
• AM Best affirms Progressive ratings (Business Wire, April 2025)
• AM Best affirms Progressive ratings, May 2026 (reprint)
• Repairer Driven News: 2025 NAIC auto market share
• Progressive: Home page and product list
• Progressive: How to report a claim
• Progressive: Car insurance discounts
• NAIC 2023 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement
• NAIC: 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report release
• AM Best: Ratings search
• NAIC: Consumer Insurance Search

What to have ready for a car insurance quote

These details help an agent quote accurately.

1. Driver details. Names, birth dates, and license numbers for everyone in the household who drives.
2. Vehicles. Year, make, model, and VIN for each car.
3. Current policy. Your declarations page, so quotes match your current limits.
4. Driving history. Tickets, accidents, and claims in the last five years.
5. Where the car is kept. Garaging address and how many miles you drive.

Nationwide vs. Progressive FAQs

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Your next step

Request a quote, and a licensed agent will compare car insurance options available to us.