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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Travelers offers significantly less expensive rates than Pure
• Travelers has cheaper premiums for policyholders who are looking to purchase insurance with a spouse
• Travelers tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who live in the suburbs

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

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering large savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Pure or Travelers as your top options, but which one will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Pure is quite a bit more expensive than Travelers, with prices averaging $331 a month compared to just $167 with Travelers.

However, that doesn't mean Travelers will necessarily be less expensive than Pure for each driver. After all, insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your driving record, where you call home, your age, or even your credit score (among other things), so rates could vary drastically from person to person.

Wanting to know if Pure or Travelers 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.

Pure vs. Travelers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Pure and Travelers only compete against each other in California, where Travelers offers the cheaper average prices. Travelers drivers tend to pay about $176 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Pure for their car insurance.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance payment than just the state you live in. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

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

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance premiums. As you can see above, teens who use Travelers save over 50% a month compared to those who use Pure.

Even so, with both companies, you'll see your rates decrease significantly by the time you turn 25. Travelers offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Pure's average premiums lower more than 55% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

So, which carrier offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Travelers gets the edge here, with average rates coming in at around $132 per month compared to Pure's $234.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance prices tend to be more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married policyholders. That's because policies for married drivers typically cover more than one vehicle, which a lot of carriers will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with Travelers prices coming in at about half of Pure's. The advantage for married couples with Travelers is also obvious, where drivers save around $100 per month.

Pure or Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim, which means they'll generally end up paying more for car insurance than women.

Men and women end up paying the same monthly premiums with Pure, and about $11 less with Travelers.

Looking at overall affordability, Travelers offers the lowest average rates for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $159 a month and women save around $170 with Travelers compared to the average Pure policyholder.

Pure vs. Travelers: 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. There are so many different limits and terms that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

That being said, most policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which typically refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Travelers has the edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $108. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Travelers again has the edge, with policies averaging about $225 per month to Pure's $528.

Is Pure or Travelers 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.

Accidents and speeding tickets will most likely raise your prices, but is Pure or Travelers more affordable for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Pure for their car insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up around 28% after getting a speeding ticket. Travelers policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 20%.

However, Travelers has cheaper premiums for drivers in both categories, offering prices that are $74 and $122 more affordable, respectively, compared to PURE Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Pure drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their rates climb by $150, while those who have insurance through Travelers will see around a $45 increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Travelers end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average prices coming in at $173 compared to PURE Insurance's $352.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or ticket when it comes to your auto insurance bill. For example, Pure increases average premiums by nearly $300 a month -- that's nearly a 60% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Pure and Travelers Rates?

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

The reasoning insurance carriers use is that drivers 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 less expensive premiums.

So, which company offers the cheapest prices for policyholders with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Normally, if you have excellent credit, you can expect to be rewarded. With Travelers, improving your score from "good" to "excellent" will usually save you about 15%. Because Pure, doesn't have data available for credit scores, they most likely don't use credit to calculate your rates.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Having bad credit normally means you'll also see higher prices with Travelers. If your credit score is in the "poor" range, at Travelers, you may pay around $60 more per month compared to those with "fair" scores (and even more compared to drivers with good or excellent scores). Because Pure doesn't have data available for credit scores, they might have better premiums for drivers with bad credit over Travelers.

Is Pure or Travelers 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 car insurance companies 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.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, Travelers offers cheaper rates than Pure. Travelers's average prices for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in more than 40% more affordable than Pure. Those who drive 12,000 miles each year can expect to pay over 55% less with Travelers over Pure.

Pure or Travelers: 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 insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a large impact as well. Typically, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders since there are a lot more vehicles on the road where they live, which increases the chances of an accident.

Travelers boasts the most affordable average prices for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 56% with Travelers compared to Pure. People who live in suburban areas pay around 49% less with Travelers compared to Pure. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Travelers's average rates are about 45% less than PURE Insurance.

Pure vs. Travelers 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. That's where car insurance discounts comes into play.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be difficult to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Pure and Travelers so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Travelers knocks Pure out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 15 more discounts than Pure.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Travelers also offers discounts for advance quote, alternative fuel, continuous insurance, and more.

On the other hand, Pure has a proprietary discount of their own -- a occasional operator discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Pure or Travelers Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the variables auto insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which insurance company is the right carrier for you and your specific driver profile?

Travelers might be best for you if....

• You have a speeding ticket on your driving record.
• Your credit score is high.
• You drive fewer than 6,000 miles yearly.

Pure might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Pure and Travelers. 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 auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Pure and Travelers. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Pure vs. Travelers FAQs

Is Pure or Travelers cheaper?

Travelers is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $167 a month with Travelers and $331 for Pure. But that doesn't mean Travelers will be the cheapest carrier for every policyholder, since there are several different factors that come into play when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, Pure or Travelers?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for each policyholder -- it all depends on what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do Pure and Travelers offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies use lots of different variables when calculating the premiums they charge. Factors like where you live, age, gender, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Pure and Travelers calculate rates using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. 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 Pure or Travelers is right for me?

The only way to find the car 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 make it easy for you to do just that. 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 price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Pure or Travelers 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.