Deciding between Allstate and Liberty Mutual auto insurance is tricky because the two companies offer comparable full-coverage options and discounts. Neither comes out ahead of the other in customer service or claims satisfaction. That said, Allstate likely delivers more bang for your buck. Its basic coverage is less expensive and provides more protection than Liberty Mutual, so I can see it being a good fit for people with straightforward auto insurance needs (and those who drive less).
However, I think Liberty Mutual is better for special discounts for certain professions, more customizable policies, and specialty coverage options like Better Car Replacement. Check out this provider if you have a car that's particular about its parts, you want to build a policy, or you drive a lot.
How we evaluate products
FinanceBuzz researches a number of factors in each auto insurance provider to create our reviews. These factors include cost and discounts, complaints and customer satisfaction, coverage, and ease of use. We also gather information from sources such as Insurify, J.D. Power, AM Best, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), and the Better Business Bureau to ensure we provide the most useful information to our readers.
Allstate pros and cons
- Available nationwide
- Offers rideshare insurance
- Rates generally lower than national average
- Below average customer service ratings
- Some coverage options limited by state
Learn more in our Allstate review.
Liberty Mutual pros and cons
- Available nationwide
- High number of discounts compared to other insurers
- High claims satisfaction rates
- Low customer satisfaction
- Higher liability-only premiums than other providers
Learn more in our Liberty Mutual review.
Which company is better?
Allstate | Liberty Mutual | |
AM Best | A+ | A |
J.D. Power claims satisfaction | 691/1,000 | 717/1,000 |
BBB | A+ | A- |
NAIC complaints (private passenger) | 1.02 (Private Passenger) | 3.16 (Private Passenger) |
In most respects, Allstate comes out ahead of Liberty Mutual. It has an A+ from AM Best, indicating high financial strength. Liberty Mutual's A rating from AM Best is still a solid rating, though. It also has a higher rating from the Better Business Bureau, though Liberty Mutual's rating also indicates reliability.
Liberty Mutual comes out slightly ahead when it comes to claims satisfaction. Liberty Mutual has many more customer complaints than Allstate, however. Most of these complaints relate to claim handling delays and unsatisfactory settlements, so the information between J.D. Power and the NAIC conflicts.
Overall, I'd say Allstate has a slight edge over Liberty Mutual, so if I got a quote for similar rates from each company, I'd choose Allstate. That said, Liberty Mutual isn't dramatically behind, so if you get a cheaper quote from Liberty Mutual, that's definitely worth considering.
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Which company is cheaper?
When you look at the rates for each company, Allstate is significantly cheaper than Liberty Mutual in every category on average. This difference is especially noticeable for teen drivers, where the rates are already high.
Driver type | Allstate liability-only monthly premium | Allstate full coverage monthly premium |
Clean driving record | $59 | $128 |
Speeding ticket on driving record | $71 | $154 |
At-fault accident on driving record | $75 | $162 |
DUI on driving record | $96 | $207 |
Teen driver | $118 | $254 |
Senior driver (60s) | $46 | $99 |
Senior driver (70s) | $44 | $95 |
Data sourced from Insurify |
Driver type | Liberty Mutual liability-only monthly premium | Liberty Mutual full coverage monthly premium |
Clean driving record | $167 | $244 |
Speeding ticket on driving record | $229 | $335 |
At-fault accident on driving record | $237 | $346 |
DUI on driving record | $270 | $395 |
Teen driver | $288 | $421 |
Senior driver (60s) | $138 | $202 |
Senior driver (70s) | $132 | $193 |
Data sourced from Insurify |
Keep in mind that these rates are averages, and if you're looking at these two companies, I would still consider getting quotes for both. Insurance quotes are based on individual factors like where you live, what you drive, and your age and driving experience.
Clean driving record
Drivers with a clean driving record typically have the lowest rates. Allstate rates in this category are low in general, and especially compared to Liberty Mutual.
Average rate:
Speeding ticket on driving record
Allstate also has lower-than-average rates in this category, while Liberty Mutual's rates are significantly higher than average.
At-fault accident on driving record
At risk of being repetitive, Liberty Mutual's rates are significantly higher, at $346 per month for full coverage, on average, compared to Allstate's $162.
DUI on driving record
Rates in this category already tend to be high. Liberty Mutual's certainly are, at $395 per month for full coverage, on average. Allstate's rates are lower at $207.
Teen driver
Due to their lack of experience, teen drivers tend to have the highest rates. This is especially clear with Liberty Mutual at $421 per month for full coverage, on average. Allstate is lower at $254.
Senior driver
Allstate's rates for seniors are lower than average, at $99 per month, on average, for drivers in their 60s. Liberty Mutual's rates are higher at $202.
Discounts
Liberty Mutual offers military discounts to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are active, retired, or in the reserve.
It also provides savings for teachers, including:
- A $0 deductible if your car is vandalized on school property or during a school event
- A $0 deductible if your car is damaged in a collision while driving it for school business
- Personal property coverage if your teaching materials or school property are damaged or stolen from your car (up to $2,500 each time)
Working for the military or being a teacher are hard jobs that often don't come with great pay, so these discounts stand out to us.
Here's a closer look at how discounts stack up between the two companies.
Discount | Does Allstate have it? | Does Liberty Mutual have it? |
Loyalty | No | No |
Multi-policy/bundling | Yes | Yes |
Multiple vehicle | No | Yes |
Airbag | No | No |
Anti-lock brakes | Yes | No |
Anti-theft | Yes | No |
Safe driver | Yes | Yes |
Good student | Yes | Yes |
Away-from-home student | Yes | Yes |
New car | Yes | No |
Pay in full | Yes | Yes |
Automatic payments | Yes | Yes |
GAP insurance | No | No |
Senior | Yes | No |
Military | No | Yes |
Defensive driving course | Yes (select states) | Yes (select states) |
Mileage-based coverage
Allstate has a full range of coverage options, such as liability, collision, comprehensive, roadside assistance, and rental car reimbursement. The company also offers MileWise, a pay-per-mile insurance program, which can be a good choice if you don't drive very often.
Note about pay-per-mile insurance
Pay-per-mile insurance is a little more complex than it sounds. You'll have to pay a base rate and generally have a device installed to track your mileage.Let's look at an example to see what MileWise might cost you. Imagine Allstate charges you a base rate of $1.50 per day — that's a minimum of about $45 a month. If it charges a rate of $0.06 per mile (the average Allstate provides on its page) and you drive 100 miles in a month, you'd pay $6 in mileage charges. Your monthly total for auto insurance would be $51.
If you don't drive a lot, this could be a helpful tool for saving money. Just make sure you run the numbers on this type of coverage versus basic coverage without a per-mile rate.
Coverage
Both Allstate and Liberty Mutual are available in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. So everyone in the U.S. can theoretically get covered by either.
The two insurers also offer the same list of basic coverages, including:
- Liability
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Medical payments
- Personal injury protection (PIP)
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist
- Roadside assistance
- Accident forgiveness
- Rental car reimbursement
- New car replacement
- Mexico car coverage
But each has a few unique coverages as well. Here's how those differences shake out.
Allstate | Liberty Mutual |
Classic car insurance | Lifetime repair guarantee |
Ride-share insurance | Better car replacement |
Death indemnity | Gap coverage |
Personal umbrella policy | Original parts replacement |
Extended vehicle care | Teachers auto coverage |
FAQs
Is Liberty Mutual the same as Allstate?
No, Liberty Mutual isn't the same as Allstate. They are two separate car insurance companies. However, the two companies' offerings and customer satisfaction ratings are on par with each other.
Who is the #1 auto insurer in the United States?
State Farm is ranked as the #1 auto insurer in the U.S., according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Allstate is the 4th largest auto insurer, and Liberty Mutual is ranked 6th.
Is Liberty Mutual good at paying claims?
It depends. According to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Liberty Mutual falls below the industry average for claim satisfaction. NAIC data shows that Liberty Mutual also has more customer complaints than the industry average.
Bottom line
Allstate and Liberty Mutual auto insurance have a lot in common when it comes to available coverage, discounts offered, and customer satisfaction. Allstate appears to offer the best rate for more coverage than Liberty Mutual. However, depending on what you do for a living, the special discounts provided by Liberty Mutual may get you the more affordable auto insurance quote.
Average rate: