Esurance vs. Metlife: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Esurance offers cheaper rates than Metlife
• Esurance offers more affordable premiums for people who are single and purchasing insurance by yourself
• Metlife tends to be a much less expensive option for residents of urban areas

Esurance vs. Metlife: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering huge discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might be considering Esurance or Metlife as your top options, but between the two, which company has more affordable rates for car insurance?

As you can see, Esurance has average rates that are about 12% per month cheaper than those from Metlife when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

Even so, that doesn't mean Esurance will necessarily be more affordable than Metlife for every driver. Car insurance companies vary their prices depending on things like where you live, how clean your driving record is, how good your credit score is, how old you are, and all sorts of other factors, so premiums will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Esurance or Metlife is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each company broken down by a bunch of different rate factors.

Esurance or Metlife: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Esurance and Metlife compete against each other in 10 states, with Esurance offering less expensive premiums to the average driver in all of them. If you live in, undefined is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at the overall average prices, but Metlife is the cheaper option in most of the others.

But there's more to insurance than just where you live. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance companies calculate your premiums. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- generally pay a lot for car insurance compared to older drivers. It's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Esurance for their auto insurance pay nearly $250 less than those who use Metlife.

But with both carriers, you'll see your prices decrease significantly once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Esurance policyholders drop almost $500 and Metlife's prices lower more than $500 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest premiums out there.

So, which carrier offers the best prices to retired drivers? Metlife gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older over 10% cheaper than the national average for Esurance.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance premiums tend to be less expensive for married drivers than they are for single drivers. This usually boils down to married policyholders having several cars on their policy -- something many car insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, Esurance is the clear winner for single policyholders, with rates around $73 a month cheaper than Metlife, on average. But for married couples, that advantage is much less clear - Esurance has the edge when it comes to average premiums , but the difference is less than $5.

Esurance vs. Metlife: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but insurance is usually cheaper for women than it is for men. 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 prices.

With Esurance, men normally pay about $20 per month more than women, and around $28 more with Metlife.

Looking at overall affordability, Esurance comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average rates $45 less for men and $38 cheaper for women.

Esurance or Metlife: 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.

Car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are a variety of different coverages that account for several different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

The two most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, in addition to liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, Esurance typically offers slightly less expensive prices of $201 compared to Metlife's $215. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Esurance again has the edge, with policies about $70 a month more affordable than Metlife, on average.

Is Esurance or Metlife Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

You'll probably end up paying more with accidents and tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the cheapest premiums to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Esurance policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $45 per month if they get a ticket, while Metlife usually raises premiums around $59 a month, on average.

However, Metlife has less expensive rates for drivers in both categories. Drivers with a clean record can save about $22 per month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save around $8 a month with MetLife.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Esurance drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their prices increase by over $100, while those who have insurance through Metlife will see about a $150 increase.

Overall, drivers who use Esurance end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly rates averaging $364 compared to MetLife's $368.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly auto insurance bill -- typically a lot more than a collision or ticket. Metlife drivers usually see a 55% climb in their insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Esurance will generally increase rates by around 20%.

How does Credit Score Impact Esurance and Metlife Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly car insurance prices. This isn't always the case (Michigan, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it will come into play for quite a few policyholders.

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

So, which company offers the best premiums for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Esurance or Metlife Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a large impact on your monthly rates. That's because the fewer miles you put on your car, the less likely you are to get into an accident and cause an insurance claim.

For both drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicles yearly, as well as those who average twice that figure, Esurance offers cheaper premiums than Metlife. Metlife's average prices for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in about 12% more expensive than Esurance. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay around 13% more with Metlife over Esurance.

Esurance vs. Metlife: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a big impact on your monthly car insurance bill. Normally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas because of the small number of vehicles that are on the roads in those areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Esurance tends to offer the lowest option for drivers in rural and suburban areas, while Metlife wins in urban areas.

In urban areas, Metlife's average premiums are about $389 while Esurance offers rates around $396. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay a monthly rate of about $288 with Esurance compared to $333 with Metlife. Those in rural areas can expect to pay around $211 per month with Esurance and $299 with Metlife.

Esurance vs. Metlife Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new auto insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many insurance discounts as you can.

The challenging part is finding all of the discounts you can take advantage of, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

In the section below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Esurance and Metlife so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Metlife blows Esurance away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 36 different discounts to Esurance's 24.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Metlife also offers AAA discounts, academic discounts, annual mileage discounts, and more that Esurance does not.

On the flip side, Esurance has a couple unique discounts of its own -- advance quote discounts, DRL discounts, education discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Esurance or Metlife Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables car insurance carriers look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, is Esurance or Metlife the right carrier for you and your specific needs?

Esurance might be best for you if....

• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• Your credit score is high.
• You're buying insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

Metlife might be best for you if...

• You have a clean record.
• You have received a ticket within the last few years.
• Your home is in a busy urban area.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Esurance and Metlife and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your auto 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 several companies, not just Esurance and Metlife. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Esurance vs. Metlife FAQs

Is Esurance or Metlife cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Esurance is the more affordable of the two companies, offering average rates of $299 per month compared to $340 for Metlife. That being said, Esurance won't necessarily be the most affordable carrier for every policyholder, since there are a range of different factors (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Esurance or Metlife?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for each driver -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile. For example, Esurance offers cheaper prices for single drivers, while Metlife is more affordable for drivers who have already retired.

Why do Esurance and Metlife offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers take a look at lots of different variables when calculating the premiums they charge policyholders. Things such as age, gender, your driving record, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Esurance and Metlife use different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different companies.

How do I know if Esurance or Metlife is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance companies in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Esurance or Metlife at all!

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.