Liberty Mutual vs. The Hartford: Which Is the Best? (2024)

Liberty Mutual wins out against The Hartford because it’s available to drivers regardless of AARP membership, despite the two companies having similar average rates.

Melanie Lockert
Written byMelanie Lockert
Melanie Lockert
Melanie Lockert
  • 10+ years writing on personal finance topics

  • Host of the Mental Health and Wealth podcast

Melanie is a blogger, author, and speaker specializing in personal finance and debt management. She’s also the author of the blog and book “Dear Debt.”

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Courtney Mikulski
Courtney MikulskiSenior Editor, Auto
  • 3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content

  • Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score

Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.

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Konstantin Halachev
Data reviewed byKonstantin Halachev
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Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
  • 7+ years experience in data analysis

  • Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

Updated October 29, 2024

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Liberty Mutual and The Hartford are top auto insurance companies that offer cheap car insurance rates, but which company is better depends on your driver profile and coverage needs. Liberty Mutual is the sixth-largest company by market share. The Hartford is smaller by comparison, offers low rates, and comes with high levels of customer satisfaction.[1]

Before deciding which company to get your policy from, compare their discounts and car insurance quotes, and look at customer service reviews and complaints. Here’s what you need to know about Liberty Mutual versus The Hartford to help you choose the better auto insurer for your needs.

Quick Facts
  • The average cost of liability coverage is $138 per month through Liberty Mutual and $98 per month through The Hartford.

  • Liberty Mutual has cheaper average liability coverage rates, while The Hartford has cheaper average full-coverage rates.

  • The Hartford is available only to AARP members, restricting drivers’ eligibility.

Liberty Mutual vs. The Hartford: The verdict

Liberty Mutual is better than The Hartford for basic liability coverage, discounts, and unique coverage types and is also a larger insurance company, taking up more market share in the car insurance industry.

The Hartford offers more competitive rates for full-coverage car insurance and may have lower rates based on certain factors. For example, The Hartford has cheaper car insurance for senior drivers, according to Insurify data.

But the main drawback is eligibility, as The Hartford is available only for AARP members 50 and older. That excludes a significant number of drivers, so Liberty Mutual may be the best option to look into.

Factor
Liberty Mutual
The Hartford
IQ Score7.78.4
Customer satisfaction score33.5
Average quote: liability only$138$98
Number of discounts138
Number of states where it operates5050
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
  • Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.

    We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.

    • Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
    • Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 28,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
    • Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
    • Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
    • Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.

Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual is a large insurance company with a financial strength rating of A (Excellent) from AM Best. The company has a long history of offering a diverse array of coverage types, including unique insurance coverages for teachers.

Liberty Mutual logo
User Reviews
3.7
IQ Score
The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores.
7.7 /10
Liability Only
Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages.
$138/mo
Full Coverage
Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible.
$254/mo
3.7
A solid optionBased on 2641 verified guest reviews and ratings
How drivers feel about Liberty Mutual

Drivers appreciate the initial low prices, quick claims handling, and easy account access but dislike the significant price increases over time.

AI-generated from the text of verified reviews collected by Insurify
Best For
Numerous discounts
New and financed vehicles
Accident forgiveness
How drivers feel about Liberty Mutual

Drivers appreciate the initial low prices, quick claims handling, and easy account access but dislike the significant price increases over time.

AI-generated from the text of verified reviews collected by Insurify
Best For
Numerous discounts
New and financed vehicles
Accident forgiveness
Reviews (1,541)

Frank

October 29, 2024

Verified Review

Been with them for 27 years, but I'm unsure

They are expensive. We are low mileage drivers with three cars, and only my wife and I are driving.

Gary

October 29, 2024

Verified Review

Price Gouging!

They recently increased my premium from $182 to $231 per month for no apparent reason, other than a general raise for everyone.

Donald

October 29, 2024

Verified Review

Don't use them, they will increase your rate within the six-month period of your term! And that's with no claims!

Don't use them, they will increase your rate within the six-month period of your term! And that's with no claims!
See all Liberty Mutual reviews
JD Power
J.D. Power data measures overall customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction based on a 1,000-point scale.
819
NAIC Index
Average amount of customer complaints relative to competitors on a 0-5 scale. A lower score represents fewer complaints.
3.95
A.M. Best
A.M. Best analyzes an insurer’s financials, operating performance, business profile, and other factors to generate an opinion-based rating of a company’s financial and credit strength. Ratings range from A++ (exceptional) to D (poor).
A
Why we picked this company

In business for more than 100 years, Liberty Mutual offers auto, homeowners, condo, renters, flood, life and other insurance products. Policyholders have access to numerous discounts, including bundling, good student, military, student-away-at-school, claims-free, violation-free, and multi-car discounts. Liberty Mutual has an A rating for financial strength from A.M. Best and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. However, the company has three times the expected rate of complaints in the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s Consumer Complaints Index, and low ratings on consumer review sites Trustpilot and Sitejabber.

Pros
  • Wide range of available discounts

  • Accident forgiveness available

Cons
  • Many negative reviews and customer complaints

  • Premiums are relatively high compared to industry average

The Hartford

The Hartford is another national car insurance company and has the highest customer satisfaction ranking in the Northwest region in J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. And it offers auto insurance policies exclusively to AARP members ages 50 and older.[2]

The Hartford logo
User Reviews
3.9
IQ Score
The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores.
8.4 /10
Liability Only
Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages.
$98/mo
Full Coverage
Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible.
$174/mo
3.9
A solid optionBased on 1277 verified guest reviews and ratings
How drivers feel about The Hartford

Drivers appreciate the excellent customer service, ease of use, and affordability, but some are concerned about unexpected price increases.

AI-generated from the text of verified reviews collected by Insurify
Best For
Senior drivers
Bundling discounts
Customer service
How drivers feel about The Hartford

Drivers appreciate the excellent customer service, ease of use, and affordability, but some are concerned about unexpected price increases.

AI-generated from the text of verified reviews collected by Insurify
Best For
Senior drivers
Bundling discounts
Customer service
Reviews (724)

Thomas

October 29, 2024

Verified Review

Good

The cost of my insurance is high, despite my record being free of tickets or accidents.

Patrick

October 28, 2024

Verified Review

Can't Afford Semi-Annual Payments Anymore

I used to pay every 6 months. Since I can no longer afford to make semi-annual payments, Hartford has substantially increased my rates.

Angelina

October 28, 2024

Verified Review

Excellent

This is a very fair company.
See all The Hartford reviews
JD Power
J.D. Power data measures overall customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction based on a 1,000-point scale.
837
NAIC Index
Average amount of customer complaints relative to competitors on a 0-5 scale. A lower score represents fewer complaints.
0.84
A.M. Best
A.M. Best analyzes an insurer’s financials, operating performance, business profile, and other factors to generate an opinion-based rating of a company’s financial and credit strength. Ratings range from A++ (exceptional) to D (poor).
NR
Why we picked this company

Founded in 1810, The Hartford is less known for its home and auto coverage than its other products, including worker’s compensation, professional liability, and other business insurance, and its employee benefits offerings. The company only sells auto insurance policies to AARP members, offering member incentives like a 10% discount on auto insurance. The Hartford offers several additional discounts for safe driving, certain vehicle safety features, and bundling auto with homeowners or another type of insurance.

Pros
  • Savings for AARP members

  • Above-average customer satisfaction

Cons
  • Only available for AARP members

  • No accident forgiveness coverage

Liberty Mutual RightTrack vs. The Hartford TrueLane

Liberty Mutual RightTrack and The Hartford TrueLane are telematics programs that can assess a driver’s behavior and safety on the road.

Through the Liberty Mutual RightTrack program, enrolled drivers can get an initial discount of 10%. After you download it, the mobile app tracks your driving behaviors for 90 days. So every day you drive can affect your rate.

Once that period is complete, Liberty Mutual applies a discount of up to 30% to your auto insurance policy.

The Hartford’s TrueLane is also a mobile app that can help you get lower premiums. The app tracks your driving habits and provides tips for you to improve your safe driving skills. In addition, customers get a 12% discount upon enrollment and, based on driving behaviors, can get a discount of up to 25% at policy renewal.

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Liberty Mutual vs. The Hartford: Which is the cheapest?

Which insurance company has the cheapest rates depends on the type of insurance policy you need. If you want to stick to the basics and get the state-required liability insurance, Liberty Mutual may have the cheaper rates. But if you want cheap full coverage and qualify for AARP membership, The Hartford may be the better option.

Rates can also vary between these two car insurance companies based on your personal factors like vehicle, location, credit history, and age. Here’s how Liberty Mutual’s and The Hartford’s average rates compare.

Liberty Mutual: Cheapest for drivers with a clean driving record

Drivers who don’t file claims or have moving violations on their records pay the lowest rates for car insurance. Between these two companies, Liberty Mutual wins out for the most affordable average rates for liability coverage.

Driver Type
Liberty Mutual
The Hartford
Clean driving record$138$98
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Liberty Mutual: Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket

A speeding ticket on your record increases your car insurance premiums because it signals a higher risk to car insurance companies.[3] Finding affordable coverage after a speeding ticket takes some work, but Liberty Mutual is cheaper than The Hartford for drivers with a speeding ticket.

Driver Type
Liberty Mutual
The Hartford
Drivers with a speeding ticket$193$142
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Liberty Mutual: Cheapest for teen drivers

Car insurance for teens and young drivers can be costly compared to other age groups because they have less experience behind the wheel. When comparing Liberty Mutual versus The Hartford, young drivers can find cheaper rates with Liberty Mutual.

Driver Type
Liberty Mutual
The Hartford
18-year-old$248$203
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

The Hartford: Cheapest for senior drivers

As drivers age, their car insurance rates decrease as long as they have a clean driving record. As a car insurance company that caters specifically to AARP members 50 years and older, The Hartford has cheaper rates for senior drivers than Liberty Mutual.

Driver Type
Liberty Mutual
The Hartford
Senior drivers$116$58
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Liberty Mutual: Cheapest for drivers with bad credit

Drivers with bad credit pay more for car insurance because insurance companies believe they’re at a higher risk of filing a claim. Some states prohibit companies from using credit-based insurance scores, but most don’t.[4] Liberty Mutual is cheaper than The Hartford for drivers with poor credit.

Driver Type
Liberty Mutual
The Hartford
Drivers with bad credit$166$119
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Compare coverages: Liberty Mutual vs. The Hartford

Liberty Mutual and The Hartford offer similar types of coverage. Both car insurance companies offer state-minimum coverages, including liability coverage, personal injury protection (PIP), and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Plus, you can add collision and comprehensive coverages to your policy.

The Hartford stands out because it offers full glass coverage as an option, while Liberty Mutual doesn’t. Instead, Liberty Mutual’s selling point is its original parts replacement coverage, which The Hartford doesn’t offer.

Below are optional car insurance coverage types that you can consider adding to your policy with Liberty Mutual and The Hartford.

Coverage
Liberty Mutual
The Hartford
Gap insuranceYesYes
Rental car reimbursementYesYes
Full glass coverageNoYes
Roadside assistanceYesYes
Accident forgivenessYesYes
Original parts replacementYesNo

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Compare discounts: Liberty Mutual vs. The Hartford

Liberty Mutual has an abundance of car insurance discounts available for drivers. With discounts for owning a home, being a good student, having a clean driving record, and setting up automatic payments, drivers can save in numerous ways every year.

So even if The Hartford has more competitive rates for full-coverage car insurance, you may qualify for additional savings with Liberty Mutual.

Here are the car insurance discounts Liberty Mutual and The Hartford offer for you to compare your potential savings options.

Discount
Liberty Mutual
The Hartford
Clean driving recordYesNo
Defensive driving courseNoYes
Multi-policyYesNo
Multi-carYesNo
Low mileageNoNo
Telematics (safe driving app)YesYes
Anti-theft deviceNoNo
New carNoNo
Military/affiliationYesNo
Good studentYesNo
LoyaltyNoNo
Auto payYesNo
Student away at schoolYesNo
HomeownerYesNo
Alternative fuelNoYes

Liberty Mutual vs. The Hartford FAQs

If you’re considering Liberty Mutual versus The Hartford, here’s some additional information to help you make a decision.

  • Is The Hartford insurance better than Liberty Mutual?

    It depends. The Hartford insurance can be a better option for senior drivers because you need to be an AARP member and 50 or older. But Liberty Mutual has more discounts and is available regardless of driver age or AARP membership status.

  • What company is Liberty Mutual’s biggest competitor?

    Many national car insurance companies compete with Liberty Mutual, including State Farm, GEICO, Travelers, and Farmers.

  • Is The Hartford a good insurance company?

    The Hartford has high customer service ratings and can be a good insurance company with competitive rates. But you must be an AARP member 50 or older to qualify for The Hartford’s car insurance.

  • What are the main differences between Liberty Mutual and The Hartford’s insurance coverages?

    Liberty Mutual and The Hartford both offer similar insurance coverages, like liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. But Liberty Mutual has some more coverage options, like original parts replacement, new-car replacement, and teachers’ auto insurance coverage.

Methodology

Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.

Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).

Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:

  • Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
  • Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
  • No additional coverage
Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to:
  • Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
  • Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible

Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.

Sources

  1. NAIC. "2023 Property and Casualty Market Share."
  2. J.D. Power. "2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study."
  3. III. "What determines the price of an auto insurance policy?."
  4. NAIC. "Credit-Based Insurance Scores Aren’t the Same as a Credit Score. Understand How Credit and Other Factors Determine Your Premiums."
Melanie Lockert
Melanie Lockert

Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, "Dear Debt." Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. Her work has appeared on Allure, Business Insider, Credit Karma, Fortune, and more. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat and host of the Mental Health and Wealth show podcast. She lives in Los Angeles and enjoys jazz music, traveling, coffee, and spending time with her two cats and partner.

Courtney Mikulski
Edited byCourtney MikulskiSenior Editor, Auto
Courtney Mikulski
Courtney MikulskiSenior Editor, Auto
  • 3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content

  • Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score

Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.

Featured in

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Konstantin Halachev
Data reviewed byKonstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
Headshot of Konstantin Halachev, VP of Engineering at Insurify
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
  • 7+ years experience in data analysis

  • Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

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