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

Quick Facts

• In general, Esurance offers slightly cheaper premiums than Personal Service
• Esurance offers more affordable prices for policyholders who have a clean record
• Personal Service offers more affordable premiums for residents in New Jersey

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

So, you're thinking about switching your auto insurance. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering large discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might be considering Esurance or Personal Service, but which company has less expensive rates for insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Esurance is about $26 per month more affordable than Personal Service.

However, that doesn't mean Esurance will necessarily be less expensive than Personal Service for each driver. Auto insurance carriers vary their prices depending on things like how old you are, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, where you live, and a ton of other factors, so premiums will vary quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Esurance or Personal Service is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Esurance or Personal Service: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Esurance and Personal Service only compete against each other in New Jersey, where Esurance offers the cheaper average rates. For New Jersey residents, Esurance offers insurance for $296 monthly on average. Personal Service's average prices come out to be more expensive, at $325 per month.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance payment than just where you call home. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

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

That being said, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance premiums. As you can see above, teens who use Personal Service save more than $85 a month compared to those who use Esurance. It's worth noting that Esurance offers insurance in 11 different states compared to Personal Service's one, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, both companies will reduce prices once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Esurance policyholders drop nearly $500 and Personal Service's premiums lower over $300 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age usually enjoy some of the most affordable car insurance rates you can find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which normally decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase prices.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Esurance and Personal Service? Personal Service gets the slight edge here, with average prices coming in at around $231 a month compared to Esurance's $232. But the difference is only about 5%, so other factors will likely come into play when determining which company has the lowest premiums for you.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance rates are generally cheaper for married drivers than they are for single drivers? That's because policies for married couples usually cover more than one car, which lots of carriers will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, the two companies are comparable for single policyholders, with premiums only differing around $9 per month, on average. The advantage for married policyholders is more obvious, where drivers who use Esurance save about $50 a month.

Esurance vs. Personal Service: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim. That means when it comes to car insurance men will typically end up paying a little more.

On average, women see prices around 7% per month less with Esurance, and almost 15% less with Personal Service when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Esurance comes out on top for both men and women, with average rates $39 less for men and $14 cheaper for women.

Esurance or Personal Service: 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.

Auto insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different coverages and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy.

However, most policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- alongside what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum limits for liability insurance, Esurance normally offers less expensive prices of $201 compared to Personal Service's $228. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Esurance again has the edge, with policies about $25 a month more affordable than Personal Service, on average.

Is Esurance or Personal Service 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.

Tickets and at-fault accidents will most likely raise your rates, but is Esurance or Personal Service cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Esurance policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $45 per month if they get a ticket, while Personal Service generally raises rates around $35 a month, on average.

That being said, Esurance is typically the less expensive option for drivers both with clean records and with a speeding ticket, offering prices that are 6% and 2% cheaper, respectively, compared to Personal Service Insurance Company.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will raise premiums pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Esurance climbing by over $100. Personal Service has a less extreme increase, but you can still expect to pay $90 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, Personal Service offers the cheapest rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly premiums averaging $348 compared to Esurance's $364.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple ticket or even a collision. Personal Service drivers usually see a 36% raise in their auto insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Esurance will normally climb premiums by about 20%.

Esurance has the overall most affordable rates for drivers with a DUI on their records at $301 per month, but it's worth noting that Esurance's average rates come from 11 states compared to just one for Personal Service, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Esurance and Personal Service Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can be used as one of the variables to calculate your monthly car insurance prices. Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as a rating factor, but it will come into play for many drivers.

Auto insurance carriers argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, you'll usually find a better deal with Esurance. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save just under 20% compared to Personal Service, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $46 or 15% more affordable each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have a below average credit score, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best prices. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $40 less with Esurance than Personal Service, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving around $44 per month with Personal Service.

Is Esurance or Personal Service 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 your monthly rates. Usually, the more miles you put on your vehicle each year, the more you can expect to pay for insurance.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Personal Service charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Esurance, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles every year paying about $1 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, Esurance is the cheaper option for drivers in both categories.

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

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

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, Esurance generally comes out as the lowest option for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Esurance offers premiums around $396 monthly compared to Personal Service's $402. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay about $288 a month for Esurance and $355 for Personal Service. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the cheapest rates from both carriers, with average monthly prices coming in at $211 and $217 for Esurance and Personal Service respectively.

Esurance vs. Personal Service Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new 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 auto insurance discounts as you can.

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.

In the section below, we've compared all of the different discounts offered by Esurance and Personal Service so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Esurance knocks Personal Service out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 24 different discounts to Personal Service's 10.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a homeowner, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company. Esurance also offers ABS discounts, advance quote discounts, agency transfer discounts, and more that Personal Service does not.

On the flip side, Personal Service has a couple unique discounts of its own -- cellphone safety discounts, multi-car/single driver discounts, and prior insurance discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Esurance or Personal Service Best for You?

You've seen the role certain factors have on your insurance and the different discounts companies offer. But, when it comes down to it, is Esurance or Personal Service the right one for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Esurance might be best for you if....

• You're single and purchasing car insurance by yourself.
• You're looking for more protection with "full coverage" insurance.
• You live in a rural area.

Personal Service might be best for you if...

• You have an at-fault collision on your record.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your auto insurance.
• You're buying car insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Esurance and Personal Service. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on car insurance -- comparing quotes from several carriers, not just Esurance and Personal Service. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best auto insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Esurance vs. Personal Service FAQs

Is Esurance or Personal Service cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, Esurance is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $299 per month compared to $325 for Personal Service. Even so, Esurance won't necessarily be the most affordable carrier for every driver, since there are multiple different variables that come into play when it comes to your car insurance cost.

Who is better, Esurance or Personal Service?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No single company is "better" for each driver -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique insurance profile. For example, Esurance offers more affordable premiums for single policyholders, while Personal Service is less expensive for drivers who have already retired.

Why do Esurance and Personal Service offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at a lot of different factors when calculating the rates they charge drivers. Things like your driving record, gender, age, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Esurance and Personal Service calculate prices using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different carriers.

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

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers 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 Personal Service 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.