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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Selective offers significantly more affordable rates than Esurance
• Esurance may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Selective Insurance
• Selective offers less expensive average prices for drivers with a DUI

Esurance or Selective: 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 hefty savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Esurance or Selective, but between the two, which one has cheaper premiums for insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Esurance is quite a bit more expensive than Selective, with rates averaging $299 a month compared to just $184 with Selective.

But that doesn't necessarily mean Selective will be the less expensive option for every single driver. Auto insurance companies vary their prices depending on things like how good your credit score is, how old you are, where you live, how clean your driving record is, and a ton of other factors, so rates could differ drastically from person to person.

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

Esurance vs. Selective: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Esurance and Selective only compete against each other in New Jersey, where Selective offers the cheaper average prices. Selective drivers tend to pay about $112 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Esurance for their car insurance.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance cost than just the state you live in. Read on to learn 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 out there on the road. Typically, that's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

Even so, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance premiums. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Selective for their insurance pay over 35% less than those who use Esurance. It's worth noting that Esurance offers auto insurance in 11 different states compared to Selective's one, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

However, both carriers will lower prices once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Esurance policyholders drop around $500 and Selective's rates decrease almost $300 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll usually enjoy the most affordable car insurance prices you can find. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly rates for insurance.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Esurance and Selective? Selective gets the edge here, with average prices coming in at about $120 monthly compared to Esurance's $232.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance rates tend to be more affordable for married policyholders than they are for single drivers. That's because policies for married drivers normally cover multiple vehicles, which quite a few companies will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with Selective rates coming in at a third less than Esurance's. For married couples, the advantage is clear again - Selective has the edge when it comes to average premiums.

Esurance or Selective: Average Rates by Gender

Did you know women usually pay less for car insurance than men? This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into a collision, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher prices.

On average, men see rates around $20 a month higher with Esurance, and about $10 more with Selective.

Looking at overall affordability, Selective offers the cheapest average premiums for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $120 per month and women save around $109 with Selective compared to the average Esurance policyholder.

Esurance vs. Selective: 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.

Insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are a range of different coverages that account for a bunch 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 that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- alongside liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Selective has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $127. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Selective again has the edge, with policies averaging about $241 a month to Esurance's $396.

Is Esurance or Selective Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their car 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 collisions will most likely raise your premiums, but is Esurance or Selective cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Esurance for their auto insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up around 16% after getting a speeding ticket. Selective policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 35%.

That being said, Selective has less expensive prices for drivers in both categories. With Selective Insurance, drivers with a clean record can save around $101 per month and drivers with a ticket can save about $70 a month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Esurance climbing by around 34%. Selective has a less extreme raise, but you can still expect to pay nearly 15% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, Selective offers the lowest prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average premiums coming in at $162 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 speeding ticket or even an accident. Selective drivers usually see a 35% climb in their insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Esurance will generally increase prices by about 20%.

Selective has the overall most affordable premiums for drivers with a DUI on their records at $217 per month, but it's worth noting that Esurance's average rates come from 11 states compared to just one for Selective, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Esurance and Selective Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can come into play when carriers determine your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (Hawaii, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an auto insurance factor) but it will come into play for lots of drivers.

The reasoning car insurance companies use is that policyholders 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 rates.

Looking at Esurance and Selective specifically, which carrier has the best prices for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, Selective will normally reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Selective comes in more than 16.36 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save around 32% with Selective compared to average rates from Esurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Selective typically offers lower premiums than Esurance when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 40% per month less with Selective compared to Esurance, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of around 54% a month.

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

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a considerable impact on how much auto insurance carriers will charge for coverage? That's because the more milage you put on your car each year, the more likely you are to be in a collision and file an insurance claim.

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

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

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for car insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a large impact as well. Typically, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for auto insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

Selective tends to offer the cheapest prices for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

In urban areas, Selective's average premiums are around $210 a month compared to Esurance's $396. People in suburban areas pay about $204 with Selective compared to Esurance's $288 monthly. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay around $139 a month with Selective compared to Esurance's $211.

Esurance vs. Selective 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 difficult to find all the of the ones you're eligible for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Esurance and Selective 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 Selective out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 11 more discounts than Selective.

Both companies offer a lot of the same discounts -- like advance quote discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good student, and multi-policy discounts -- but Esurance also offers discounts for ABS, agency transfer, DRL, and more.

On the other hand, Selective has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like distant student discounts, driver training discounts, occasional operator discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Esurance or Selective Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your auto insurance rates. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which company is the best fit for you?

Selective might be best for you if....

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• Your credit score is high.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower prices.

Esurance might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national insurance carrier.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Esurance and Selective and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your auto 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 insurance -- comparing quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Esurance and Selective. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Esurance vs. Selective FAQs

Is Esurance or Selective cheaper?

Selective is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $184 per month with Selective and $299 for Esurance. However, that doesn't mean Selective will be the most affordable carrier for each driver, since there are a variety of different factors that come into play when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, Esurance or Selective?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". One company is not necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do Esurance and Selective offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use many different variables when determining the premiums they charge. Factors like where you park your vehicle, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Esurance and Selective calculate prices using 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 Selective is right for me?

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