Progressive vs. State Farm car insurance

Price: which is cheaper?

Neither company publishes average premiums, and car insurance is priced driver by driver, so there is no single answer. Your age, ZIP code, car, credit-based insurance score (where states allow it) and driving record move the price far more than the brand name does. The only reliable test is to quote both with the same liability limits, deductibles and add-ons.

Both companies advertise what switchers save, and both numbers only count people who switched and saved. Progressive says new customers surveyed between June 2025 and May 2026 saved an average of $975 a year, and that drivers switching from State Farm saved $792 on average. State Farm says drivers who switch to State Farm save an average of $740.

On discounts, Progressive lists an average 12% for insuring more than one car, an average 7% for quoting online, an average 10% for signing documents online, and a good student discount that starts at 5%. Progressive also says customers carry an average of seven discounts. State Farm lists a good student discount of up to 25%, a good driver discount for new customers with three or more years free of moving violations and at-fault accidents, and up to 40% off medical-related coverage for cars with factory air bags.

State Farm reported in its 2025 annual report that it cut auto rates in more than 40 states and that State Farm Mutual determined to issue a $5 billion cash back dividend to policyholders, which can lower what existing customers pay.

Snapshot vs. Drive Safe & Save

Both companies will price your policy partly on how you drive, using your phone or a small device. Both can also raise your rate if the data shows risky driving, so treat these as optional programs for confident drivers.

• Progressive Snapshot works through the Progressive app or a plug-in device. Progressive says the average discount is $164 at sign-up and $328 for drivers who earn a discount at the end of the roughly six-month review. It also says about 2 out of 10 drivers get an increase. Snapshot is not available in California, and the sign-up discount is not offered in New York.
• State Farm Drive Safe & Save uses the State Farm app plus a Bluetooth beacon on the windshield. It gives a 10% discount for enrolling, and you could save up to 30% at renewal, with savings above 30% possible in some states (New York caps it at 30%). State Farm says the amount can increase or decrease at each renewal based on braking, acceleration, cornering, phone use, speeding and mileage. It is not offered in California, Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

For drivers under 25, State Farm also runs Steer Clear, which it says could save as much as 20% for completing the program.

Claims and customer satisfaction

J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, released in October 2025, surveyed 9,455 customers who had settled a claim. State Farm scored 716 on a 1,000-point scale, above the 700 study average and tied for eighth place. Progressive scored 673, 18th of 20 ranked brands. Erie Insurance ranked highest at 743.

J.D. Power’s broader 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study, which covers shopping, billing and service, ranks insurers by region. State Farm was the top-ranked insurer in the Northwest with a score of 648. Progressive did not rank highest in any region. J.D. Power released its 2026 auto insurance study in June 2026 with an unchanged industry average of 644, but we could not access the brand-level 2026 scores for either company, so the regional results above are from 2025.

For complaints, look up the exact company named on your quote in the NAIC Consumer Insurance Search. It shows each insurer’s complaint record against its size, by state. We could not retrieve current NAIC complaint index figures for this comparison.

Agent or online: how you buy and where they sell

The biggest practical difference is how each company sells. State Farm is an agent company. It says it has more than 19,000 auto insurance agents, and most customers work with one local office for quotes, changes and help after a claim. You can also get quotes and manage a policy online and in the app.

Progressive sells online, by phone and through independent agents. Independent agents can quote several insurers at once. Progressive’s own site also offers Name Your Price, which shows coverage options that fit a target budget, and AutoQuote Explorer, which shows rates from other companies alongside Progressive’s.

Availability matters too. State Farm does not actively sell new auto policies in Massachusetts or Rhode Island. It says it plans to offer products in Massachusetts in early 2027, and its affiliate HiRoad sells in Rhode Island. Existing customers who move to either state can get limited coverage on an accommodation basis. Progressive sells across the country, though some discounts and Snapshot are not available in every state.

Size and financial strength

These are the two largest private auto insurers in the U.S. and they are almost tied. NAIC premium data compiled by the Insurance Information Institute puts State Farm at 18.7% of 2025 private passenger auto premiums ($69.2 billion) and Progressive at 18.6% ($69.0 billion). Progressive calls itself the No. 1 auto insurer, citing S&P Global Market Intelligence written premium data for the first quarter of 2026.

AM Best rates both groups A+ (Superior), the second-highest grade. AM Best affirmed Progressive’s ratings in May 2026. In November 2025 it lowered State Farm Mutual and its main affiliates from A++ to A+, citing five straight years of underwriting losses driven by auto and home loss ratios, regulation and weather losses, and it moved the outlook to stable. State Farm’s 2025 annual report shows State Farm Mutual returned to an underwriting gain of $1.5 billion in 2025.

Both ratings mean AM Best considers each company very able to pay claims. For most drivers, claims handling, price and service will matter more than the one-notch difference that used to separate them.