Liberty Mutual vs. Progressive: Cost & Coverage (2024) (2024)

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When compared to Progressive, Liberty Mutual scored higher in two of our review categories. This led to Liberty Mutual earning a higher overall score. We found that the insurer was often a cheaper option compared to Progressive, scoring 0.5 points higher on a 10.0-point scale in our cost category. While Progressive scored lower overall, the company performed better than Liberty Mutual in customer service.

Is Liberty Mutual Better Than Progressive?

Here’s a snapshot of our scores for Liberty Mutual vs. Progressive based on the methodology and categories we use to rate car insurance companies.

Liberty Mutual is a well-regarded and financially capable company with strong ratings from both AM Best and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).We’ve recognized Liberty Mutual for having some of the most affordable rates available for young drivers because of its coverage options and discounts.

Progressive has a high financial strength rating from AM Best, which shows its ability to pay out claims. However, the company has a low rating from the BBB. The provider scored higher than Liberty Mutual in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study℠. We’ve recognized Progressive as having low rates for high-risk drivers, which includes elderly drivers, teen drivers and motorists with DUIs in the last three years.

Compare Progressive and Liberty Mutual

This table shows a comparison between the history and ratings of Progressive and Liberty Mutual.

Liberty Mutual: Quick Highlights

Here are some highlights of Liberty Mutual:

• Numerous discounts, especially for young drivers
• Excellent AM Best and BBB ratings
• Nationwide availability

Read more about the company’s services in our Liberty Mutual insurance review.

Progressive: Quick Highlights

Here are some highlights of Progressive:

• Wide selection of coverage options
• Affordable for high-risk drivers
• Name Your Price Tool^® that helps find best coverage at your preferred price

Read more about Progressive’s services in our Progressive insurance review.

Progressive and Liberty Mutual each have a wide selection of coverage options for policyholders, and both companies offer ways to easily find the types of car insurance you need. Both companies offer the six standard car insurance types:

• Liability insurance: Liability insurance covers the costs of bodily injuries and property damage for other parties in an accident you’re at fault for. This is legally required in most states.
• Collision insurance: Collision coverage pays for repair costs if your vehicle flips or you get into an accident. Colliding with an animal isn’t covered.
• Comprehensive insurance: Comprehensive coverage pays for damages to your vehicle that aren’t related to car accidents, such as natural disasters or collisions with animals. It also covers theft and vandalism.
• Medical payments coverage (MedPay): This type of coverage pays medical expenses for you and your passengers after a crash.
• Personal injury protection (PIP insurance): This coverage pays for medical expenses for you and your passengers, as well as lost wages. In many no-fault states, this type of insurance is required.
• Underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage (UIM/UM): This coverage pays for your property damages and bodily injuries if you’re the victim of a hit-and-run or if you get into an accident with a driver who isn’t insured or doesn’t have enough insurance.

Our 2022 consumer survey found that about 23% of drivers carry minimum-coverage car insurance, while about 66% carry full coverage. Of those who have full-coverage insurance policies, 46% have high limits and 54% have low limits.

Additional Coverage Options

Liberty Mutual and Progressive both offer add-on coverage options that might fit your car insurance needs:

*Liberty Mutual’s rideshare insurance is only offered through Uber and Lyft and is only available in select states.

Progressive and Liberty Mutual Usage-Based Insurance Comparison

Progressive and Liberty Mutual both have usage-based telematics insurance programs that reward customers for safe driving. Progressive’s Snapshot^® program and Liberty Mutual’s RightTrack^® record similar driving habits, with some key differences.

For example, if you drive unsafely with Progressive’s Snapshot program, it can raise your insurance premium. Snapshot also only tracks your driving behaviors for 30 days, while RightTrack records over a 90-day period. The table below shows how Snapshot and RightTrack compare.

As far as costs go, Progressive and Liberty Mutual hover around the national average for full-coverage car insurance. Our team got a full-coverage estimate average cost for a 35-year-old driver with Progressive.

Progressive vs. Liberty Mutual: Cost

The table below compares an annual full-coverage estimate from Liberty Mutual and the average cost from Progressive for drivers of similar ages. Progressive’s annual full-coverage average puts it about 1% under the national average for 35-year-old drivers, which is $167 per month or $2,008 per year.

Your car insurance rates depend on many factors, including your:

• Age
• Gender on your license (in most states)
• Marital status
• Location
• Vehicle
• Driving history
• Credit score (in most states)

Liberty Mutual may be more expensive than Progressive on average, but that might not be the case depending on these factors and the types of discounts you qualify for.

Progressive vs. Liberty Mutual Discounts

Progressive has lower average rates than Liberty Mutual, but Liberty Mutual still outscores Progressive in our cost category 9.0 to 7.8. The two companies offer many of the same car insurance discounts, but each one helps drivers save on their policies with unique options.

Progressive vs. Liberty Mutual: Bundling Options

Besides their many discounts, Liberty Mutual and Progressive offer other ways to save, including bundling your different types of insurance products together.

When you bundle with Progressive, you can combine your car insurance with these coverages:

• Homeowners
• Renters
• Motorcycle
• RV
• Boat

Liberty Mutual offers a discount when you bundle your auto insurance with these types of insurance:

• Homeowners
• Renters
• Condo

Liberty Mutual outperforms Progressive in terms of customer service. The two companies have similar BBB customer review ratings, but Liberty Mutual has closed more than 2,300 complaints in the last three years compared to Progressive at more than 4,900.

One reason for the high number of BBB complaints in Progressive’s case is that it’s the third largest car insurance provider in the United States with Liberty Mutual being the sixth largest — according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Despite the number of BBB complaints Progressive and Liberty Mutual have received, Liberty Mutual scored above average in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study℠. Progressive scored right under the industry average of 861 out of 1,000 points for large insurers.

Liberty Mutual vs. Progressive: Customer Surveys

Our team surveyed nearly 7,000 customers to learn about their experiences with their auto insurance providers. The two companies’ scores on a scale of 5.0 were almost identical, with a slight edge for Liberty Mutual in the affordability category.

When it comes to Liberty Mutual vs. Progressive, our methodology favors Liberty Mutual for affordability and overall. But if you’re a high-risk driver — such as someone with a DUI on their driving record— Progressive may be a better choice for finding affordable coverage.

Liberty Mutual vs. Progressive: Top Picks

Aside from Liberty Mutual and Progressive, State Farm and USAA are two other great companies worth getting free quotes from when you’re searching for car insurance.

State Farm: Best Customer Experience

State Farm boasts a high financial strength rating from AM Best and a high rating from the BBB, making it one of the most reputable companies in the car insurance industry. State Farm also has a variety of coverage options at good prices for most types of drivers and is known for their excellent customer service.

Read more: State Farm insurance review

Compare providers: Progressive vs. State Farm, Liberty Mutual vs. State Farm

USAA: Best for Military Members

USAA received the highest customer satisfaction score in 10 out of 11 regions in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study℠, which showcases its commitment to stellar customer service. USAA is known for low car insurance rates, but its services are only available for military members, veterans and their families.

Read more: USAA insurance review

Compare providers: USAA vs. Geico, USAA vs. Progressive

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car insurance companies. We collected data on dozens of auto insurance providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the insurers that scored the most points topping the list.

Here are the factors our ratings take into account:

• Cost: Auto insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services and discount opportunities were both taken into consideration.
• Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for insurance coverage are more likely to meet consumer needs.
• Reputation and experience: Our research team considered market share, ratings from industry experts and years in business when giving this score.
• Availability: Auto insurance companies with greater state availability and few eligibility requirements scored highest in this category.
• Customer experience: This score is based on volume of complaints reported by the NAIC and customer satisfaction ratings reported by J.D. Power. We also considered the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each insurance company’s customer service team based on our own shopper analysis.

Our credentials:

• 800 hours researched
• 45 companies reviewed
• 8,500+ consumers surveyed

*Data accurate at time of publication.