Allstate vs. Safe Auto: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Allstate offers less expensive rates than Safe Auto
• Allstate may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Safe Auto
• Allstate offers more affordable average prices for policyholders who drive a short distance to work everyday

Allstate or Safe Auto: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering large savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Allstate or Safe Auto as potential options, but between the two, which one will offer you cheaper premiums?

Looking at nationwide averages, Allstate is around $24 a month less expensive than Safe Auto.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Allstate will be the more affordable option for every single driver. After all, insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like where you call home, your age, your credit score, or even your driving record (among other things). So, at the end of the day, rates from each company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Allstate and Safe Auto by a range of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Allstate vs. Safe Auto: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Allstate and Safe Auto compete against each other in 11 states, with Safe Auto offering cheaper premiums to the average driver in all but four of them. If you live in Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, or South Carolina, Allstate is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at the overall average rates, but Safe Auto is the cheaper option in most of the others.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance cost than just where you live. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers usually pay a lot more for car insurance than any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's typically because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use Safe Auto save 1% per month compared to those who use Allstate.

Even so, both carriers will lower premiums by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average rates for Allstate policyholders decrease almost 65% and Safe Auto's prices reduce over 50% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age generally enjoy some of the most affordable auto insurance premiums you'll ever find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which normally reduces their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise rates.

When looking at Allstate and Safe Auto specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? Allstate gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older more than 15% more affordable than the national average for Safe Auto.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance rates than married policyholders. That's because policies for married couples generally cover multiple vehicles, which several companies will give you a discount for.

For single policyholders, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with Allstate prices coming in at about 10% less than Safe Auto's. For married drivers, the advantage is clear again - Allstate has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Allstate or Safe Auto: Average Rates by Gender

Men tend to pay more for insurance than women. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to cause a collision and get into accidents, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher premiums.

Men usually pay around 4% more a month than women with Allstate, and about 7% with Safe Auto.

Looking at overall affordability, Allstate comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average prices $28 less for men and $20 cheaper for women.

Allstate vs. Safe Auto: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

For most people, car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different terms and coverages that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Allstate has the edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $108. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Allstate again has the edge, with policies averaging around $289 per month to Safe Auto's $320.

Is Allstate or Safe Auto Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

Speeding tickets and accidents will most likely raise your rates, but is Allstate or Safe Auto cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Allstate for their car insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up about 15% after getting a speeding ticket. Safe Auto policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 18%.

That being said, Allstate has less expensive prices for drivers in both categories, offering premiums that are 13% and 17% cheaper, respectively, compared to Safe Auto.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will increase rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Allstate climbing by about 32%. Safe Auto has a less extreme raise, but you can still expect to pay more than 25% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, Allstate offers the cheapest premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average rates coming in at $229 compared to Safe Auto's $246.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single accident or ticket when it comes to your auto insurance bill. For example, Allstate increases average prices by more than $70 a month -- that's over a 30% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable premiums, Allstate tends to be more affordable for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $227 to Safe Auto's $245.

How does Credit Score Impact Allstate and Safe Auto Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly insurance rates. This isn't true for everyone (for example, California and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for many drivers.

Auto insurance carriers argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time every month, which decreases the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

So, which carrier offers the best prices for policyholders with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, Allstate will typically reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Allstate comes in more than 22.46 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores normally save about 23% with Allstate compared to average premiums from Safe Auto.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have bad credit, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best prices. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 12% less with Allstate than Safe Auto, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving about 8% per month with Safe Auto.

Is Allstate or Safe Auto Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

The amount of time you spend behind the wheel of your car plays a big role in how much car insurance companies will charge for coverage. Usually, the more milage you put on your car each year, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Safe Auto charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Allstate, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $3 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Allstate is the cheaper company.

Allstate or Safe Auto: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your vehicle can play a substantial role in how much you pay for insurance. Generally, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for auto insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

Allstate boasts the lowest average rates for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay about $174 monthly with Allstate compared to Safe Auto's $197. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay around $199 with Allstate compared to Safe Auto's $200 a month. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Allstate's average prices are about $222 a month compared to Safe Auto's $271.

Allstate vs. Safe Auto Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new car insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can. That's where auto insurance discounts comes into play.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be challenging to find all the ones you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Allstate and Safe Auto so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Allstate knocks Safe Auto out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 26 more discounts than Safe Auto.

Both carriers offer several of the same discounts -- like agency transfer discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a homeowner, and passive restraint discounts -- but Allstate also offers discounts for ABS, advance quote, alert driving, and more.

On the other hand, Safe Auto has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like claim free discounts, military discounts, non-owner discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Allstate or Safe Auto Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the variables car insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which insurance carrier is the best carrier for you and your specific profile and needs?

Allstate might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the insurance policy.
• You're looking for discounts -- Allstate has the most.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower rates.

Safe Auto might be best for you if...

• You want to save money while purchasing auto insurance for a teenager.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Allstate and Safe Auto and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Allstate and Safe Auto. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Allstate vs. Safe Auto FAQs

Is Allstate or Safe Auto cheaper?

Allstate is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $199 per month with Allstate and $223 for Safe Auto. Even so, that doesn't mean Allstate will be the cheapest company for every policyholder, since there are lots of different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Allstate or Safe Auto?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No single carrier is "better" for each policyholder -- it all depends on what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, Safe Auto is less expensive for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores, while Allstate offers more affordable premiums for policyholders with an at-fault collision on their record.

Why do Allstate and Safe Auto offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use quite a few different variables when determining the rates they charge. Things like gender, age, where your home is, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Allstate and Safe Auto calculate prices using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different carriers.

How do I know if Allstate or Safe Auto is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Allstate or Safe Auto at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.