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

Quick Facts

• In general, Esurance offers slightly cheaper premiums than Pure
• Esurance has more affordable prices for policyholders who have a short commute
• Pure offers less expensive average premiums for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision

Esurance or Pure: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Esurance or Pure as your top options, but which company will offer you cheaper rates?

Looking at nationwide averages, Pure is around $32 more a month than Esurance.

That being said, Esurance may not be the most affordable or best option for every driver out there. Insurance carriers vary their prices depending on things like where you live, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, how old you are, and a ton of other factors, so rates will vary quite a bit from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both Esurance and Pure by several different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Esurance vs. Pure: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Esurance and Pure only compete against each other in California, where Esurance offers the cheaper average prices. Esurance drivers tend to pay about $183 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Pure for their car insurance.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance rates than just the state you live in. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance premiums of any other group of drivers. It's typically because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high prices, 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 car insurance pay over 2% less than those who use Pure. It's worth noting that Esurance offers auto insurance in 11 different states compared to Pure's one, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, both companies will offer you dramatically lower prices once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Esurance policyholders reduce about $500 and Pure's rates lower around $400 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 lowest premiums you'll ever see.

So, which company offers the best prices to retired drivers? In this case, Esurance has the slight edge, with rates about $2 a month less than Pure. However, the difference is only around 5%, so other variables (like where you live or your driving record) will likely come into play when determining which carrier has the cheapest premiums for you.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single drivers tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance prices than married couples. This usually boils down to married drivers having more than one vehicle on their policy -- something lots of insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two companies is not very significant, with Esurance premiums coming in at about 10% less than Pure's. The advantage for married policyholders is more obvious, where drivers who use Esurance save more than $35 per month.

Esurance or Pure: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into a collision or get pulled over for speeding, which means they'll usually end up paying more for auto insurance than women.

On average, women see prices around 7% a month less with Esurance; and with Pure, both genders end up paying the same monthly rate.

When it comes to the lowest rates for each gender, Esurance comes out on top for both men and women. On average, women save about $43 per month and men save about $22 with Esurance compared to the average Pure policyholder.

Esurance vs. Pure: 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 many different coverages that account for lots of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, alongside what you get with a liability policy).

When it comes to state minimum liability limits, Pure has the edge, while Esurance offers the most affordable average prices for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $65 with PURE Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be around $150 less expensive with Esurance.

Is Esurance or Pure 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.

It's no secret secret that at-fault collisions and speeding tickets lead to higher premiums, but which company -- Esurance or Pure -- has the lowest rates for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use Esurance for their auto insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up about 16% after getting a speeding ticket. Pure policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 28%.

But Pure is generally the more affordable option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket -- their rates are around 17% cheaper for drivers with clean records and 2% less expensive for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Esurance policyholders who get in an accident can expect to see their prices increase by just under 35%, while those who have insurance through Pure will see about a 45% increase.

At the end of the day, the more affordable premiums come from Pure, with average rates coming in at $352 compared to Esurance's $364.

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 car insurance bill -- normally a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. Pure drivers usually see a 59% increase in their insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Esurance will usually climb premiums by around 20%.

Esurance has the overall cheapest 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 Pure, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Esurance and Pure Rates?

Did you know many auto insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining premiums? Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as a car insurance factor, but it might come into play for a lot of drivers.

The reasoning car insurance carriers use is that policyholders with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so generally, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with cheaper prices.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

You'll often be rewarded if you have stellar credit. Improving your "good" credit score to an "excellent" one will typically save Esurance customers about $50. On the other hand, Pure doesn't have data available for credit scores, which means they most likely don't use credit to calculate your rates.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Having bad credit can cost you with Esurance. If your credit score is in the "poor" range, at Esurance, you may pay around $100 more a month compared to those with "fair" scores (and even more compared to drivers with good or excellent scores). On the other hand, because Pure doesn't have data available for credit scores, they may have better prices for drivers with bad credit over Esurance.

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

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on your monthly auto insurance bill. That's because the fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

Looking specifically at Pure and Esurance, Esurance is the less expensive option for people with short commutes, while Esurance has better rates for those who work from home. Esurance's average premiums for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in about 8% more expensive than Pure. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay around 23% more with Pure over Esurance.

Esurance or Pure: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can have a big impact on your monthly insurance payment. Usually, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers since there are a lot more vehicles on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, Esurance normally comes out as the more affordable option for drivers in rural and suburban areas, while Pure wins in urban areas.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, PURE Insurance's average rates are about $25 less than Esurance. People who live in suburban areas pay around $25 less with Esurance compared to Pure. Those in rural areas can expect to save about $97 with Esurance compared to Pure.

Esurance vs. Pure Discounts

No matter 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 you can, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many car insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be hard to find all the ones you're eligible for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Esurance and Pure offer their customers so that you can see which one can save you the most money each month.

Esurance knocks Pure out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 14 more discounts than Pure.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Esurance also offers discounts for advance quote, agency transfer, defensive driver, and more.

On the other hand, Pure has a few proprietary discounts of their own like distant student discounts and occasional operator discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Esurance or Pure Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which company is the right fit for you?

Esurance might be best for you if....

• You have less-than-stellar credit.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.
• You live in a rural area.

Pure might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the best rates in CA.
• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your prices climb.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Esurance and Pure. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best 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 auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from several carriers, not just Esurance and Pure. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Esurance vs. Pure FAQs

Is Esurance or Pure cheaper?

Esurance is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $299 per month with Esurance and $331 for Pure. That being said, that doesn't mean Esurance will be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are a range of different variables (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Esurance or Pure?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, Esurance is more affordable for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores, while Pure offers less expensive prices for drivers with an at-fault accident on their record.

Why do Esurance and Pure offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies use several different factors when calculating the premiums they charge. Things such as gender, your driving record, age, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Esurance and Pure use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different carriers.

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

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of 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 information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Esurance or Pure 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.