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

Quick Facts

• In general, Safe Auto offers significantly cheaper premiums than Esurance
• Esurance may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Safe Auto
• Safe Auto tends to be a much more affordable option for drivers who have a speeding ticket on their driving record

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

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

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Esurance or Safe Auto as potential options, but between the two, which carrier has less expensive prices for insurance?

As you can see, Safe Auto has average rates that are around 25% a month more affordable than those from Esurance when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

However, that doesn't mean Safe Auto will necessarily be cheaper than Esurance for every driver. Auto insurance carriers use a ton of complex algorithms to determine premiums, so depending on how old you are or how good your credit score is (among a variety of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

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

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

Esurance and Safe Auto compete against each other in four states, with Safe Auto offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Missouri or Texas, Esurance is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at the overall average premiums. Safe Auto is the more affordable option in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

But there's more to calculating insurance prices than just where you call home. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers usually pay a lot more for auto insurance than any group out there on the road. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

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 Safe Auto for their car insurance pay over 40% less than those who use Esurance.

Even so, with both carriers, you'll see your prices reduce significantly once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Esurance policyholders decrease more than 65% and Safe Auto's rates drop over 50% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age normally enjoy some of the cheapest insurance premiums you can find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which generally decreases their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise prices.

When looking at Esurance and Safe Auto specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Safe Auto gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at about $179 per month compared to Esurance's $232.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married drivers tend to get slightly less expensive car insurance prices than single drivers. This usually boils down to married policyholders having multiple vehicles on their policy -- something several auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with Safe Auto premiums coming in at a quarter less than Esurance's. The advantage is also clear for married couples - Safe Auto offers the lowest average prices.

Esurance or Safe Auto: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into a collision. That means when it comes to insurance men will typically end up paying a little more.

Men normally pay around 7% more per month than women with Esurance, but with Safe Auto, the difference is closer to 7% a month.

When it comes to the most affordable rates for each gender, Safe Auto offers the lowest average premiums for both men and women. On average, women save about $74 per month and men save about $78 with Safe Auto compared to the average Esurance policyholder.

Esurance 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 can be pretty complicated. There are several different coverages that account for multiple 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.

That being said, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Safe Auto has the significant edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $126. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Safe Auto again has the edge, with policies averaging around $320 a month to Esurance's $396.

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

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from insurance companies offering great prices for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

It's no secret secret that at-fault accidents and speeding tickets lead to higher rates, but which company -- Esurance or Safe Auto -- has the cheapest premiums for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Esurance for their auto insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 16% after getting a speeding ticket. Safe Auto policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 18%.

But Safe Auto is usually the cheaper option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket, offering prices that are $62 and $67 less expensive, respectively, compared to Esurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Esurance drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their rates increase by over $100, while those who have insurance through Safe Auto will see about a $65 increase.

At the end of the day, the more affordable prices come from Safe Auto, with average premiums coming in at $246 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 -- generally a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. Safe Auto drivers usually see a 27% increase in their auto insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Esurance will normally climb prices by around 20%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable premiums, Safe Auto tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $245 to Esurance's $301.

How does Credit Score Impact Esurance and Safe Auto Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining rates? Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as a car insurance factor, but it does affect lots of policyholders out there.

The reasoning auto insurance carriers use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so typically, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with more affordable premiums.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, Safe Auto will usually reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Safe Auto comes in nearly 12.62 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save around 17% with Safe Auto compared to average rates from Esurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Safe Auto typically offers lower premiums than Esurance when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 25% per month less with Safe Auto compared to Esurance, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of around 41% monthly.

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

How much you drive can have a substantial impact on how much insurance companies will charge for coverage. Typically, the more milage you drive, the more you can expect to pay for car insurance.

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 prices for Esurance, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle every year paying about $1 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Safe Auto is the more affordable company.

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

Where you live can have a sizable impact on your monthly auto insurance bill. Usually, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas due to the small number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Safe Auto generally comes out as the lowest option for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Safe Auto's average rates are around 32% less than Esurance. People who live in suburban areas pay about 31% less with Safe Auto compared to Esurance. Those in rural areas can expect to save around 7% with Safe Auto compared to Esurance.

Esurance vs. Safe Auto Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new 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 so many discounts out there, it may seem hard to find all the of the ones you're eligible for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Esurance and Safe Auto so that you can find the company that has the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Esurance knocks Safe Auto out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 10 more discounts than Safe Auto.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Esurance also offers discounts for ABS, advance quote, DRL, and more.

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

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

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables auto insurance carriers look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, is Esurance or Safe Auto the best fit for you?

Safe Auto might be best for you if....

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You're looking for the best rates on liability only coverage.
• You want to save money while purchasing car insurance for a teenager.

Esurance might be best for you if...

• You want to save extra money with discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Esurance and Safe Auto. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just Esurance 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 carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Esurance vs. Safe Auto FAQs

Is Esurance or Safe Auto cheaper?

Safe Auto is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $223 a month with Safe Auto and $299 for Esurance. However, that doesn't mean Safe Auto will be the most affordable carrier for everyone, since there are a variety of different factors (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Esurance or Safe Auto?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither company is necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do Esurance and Safe Auto offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use many different variables when calculating the prices they charge. Things such as your driving record, gender, where you park your vehicle, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Esurance and Safe Auto calculate rates differently, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different companies.

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

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers 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 information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Esurance 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.