American Family vs. Mercury: Which Is the Best? (2025)
American Family’s low rates and additional add-ons earn it a higher IQ Score of 9.3.
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Written byAnna Baluch
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4+ years writing insurance and personal finance content
MBA from Roosevelt University
Anna leverages her personal finance and insurance knowledge to create educational content that helps people make smart financial decisions.
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Edited bySarah Archambault
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Experienced personal finance writer
Background working with banks and insurance companies
Sarah enjoys helping people find smarter ways to spend their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans.
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Data reviewed byKonstantin Halachev
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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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Table of contents
American Family and Mercury are two midsize insurance companies to consider when shopping for car insurance. Both insurers hold a longstanding history in the insurance industry and offer a variety of insurance services. But American Family offers more discounts and a wider selection of add-ons.
Learn more about how American Family and Mercury compare in terms of rates, customer service, discounts, and coverage levels to make an informed decision for your unique situation.
Quick Facts
Mercury’s MercuryGO is a usage-based insurance app that offers better savings opportunities than American Family’s MilesMyWay program for low-mileage drivers.
American Family offers accident forgiveness as well as accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
American Family is available in 19 U.S. states, while Mercury operates in only 11 states.
American Family vs. Mercury: The verdict
American Family and Mercury are both reputable car insurance companies. If you’re looking for lower rates and more discount opportunities, American Family is likely the way to go — especially if you live in one of the 19 states it serves.
While Mercury offers higher premiums for most drivers, it may still be a good choice if you can land an affordable price through MercuryGo, the company’s usage-based insurance app. Its coverage might also be worth exploring if you’re a driver in one of the 11 states Mercury operates in and want to work with local Mercury insurance agents.
Here’s a look at how the two car insurers stack up against each other.
Factor  | American Family | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| IQ Score | 9.3 | 7.5 |
| Customer satisfaction score | 3.5 | 3.4 |
| Average quote: liability only | $79 | $95 |
| Number of discounts | 18 | 8 |
| Number of states where it operates | 19 | 11 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers. 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 55,000 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.
American Family
Founded in 1927 and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, American Family is the eighth-largest private passenger auto insurer and offers more than a dozen insurance products in 19 states.[1]
| User Reviews | 4.5 |
|---|---|
| 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. | 9.3 /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. | $79/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. | $148/mo |
4.5
Best choiceBased on 518 verified guest reviews and ratings
How drivers feel about American Family
Drivers appreciate the fast claims processing and good initial rates but dislike the consistent rate increases and poor communication from agents.
AI-generated from the text of verified reviews collected by Insurify
Best For
Outstanding customer service
Flexible coverage options
Families with young drivers
How drivers feel about American Family
Drivers appreciate the fast claims processing and good initial rates but dislike the consistent rate increases and poor communication from agents.
AI-generated from the text of verified reviews collected by Insurify
Best For
Outstanding customer service
Flexible coverage options
Families with young drivers
Reviews (248)
Holly
Verified Review
Our Family
Reviewed in Ohio on October 2025
Wonderful and easy-to-use claims.
Janice
Verified Review
Excellent
Reviewed in Georgia on October 2025
So far, so good. I've never had to file a claim.
Charles Gary
Verified Review
Good service
Reviewed in Georgia on October 2025
Good, but rates are starting to skyrocket!
JD Power
J.D. Power data measures overall customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction based on a 1,000-point scale.
657NAIC Index
Average amount of customer complaints relative to competitors on a 0-5 scale. A lower score represents fewer complaints.
0.47A.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).
AWhy we picked this company
In business for more than 90 years, American Family sells car insurance in 19 states. Drivers who bundle their American Family car insurance policies with its homeowners insurance can save up to 23%. Safe drivers can benefit from American Family’s usage-based program, which gives an automatic 10% discount, while those who drive less than 7,500 miles per year may save with its low-mileage discount. American Family ranks second for customer satisfaction in the Central region, according to J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Auto Insurance Study.
Pros
High rates of customer satisfaction
Save by bundling auto with home, renters, or motorcycle coverage
Much lower-than-average number of consumer complaints with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
Cons
Only available in 19 states
Rates are merely moderate compared to other insurers
No rideshare insurance coverage
Mercury
Mercury made its debut in 1961 and serves drivers in 11 states with home insurance, renters insurance, business insurance, and car insurance through an agent network. Mercury is the 16th-largest private passenger auto insurer.
| User Reviews | 4.0 |
|---|---|
| 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. | 7.5 /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. | $95/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. | $163/mo |
4.0
Best choiceBased on 584 verified guest reviews and ratings
How drivers feel about Mercury
Drivers appreciate the attentive customer service and claim handling but dislike the consistent rate increases and lack of transparency in pricing. Some also found the company to be lacking in empathy and flexibility.
AI-generated from the text of verified reviews collected by Insurify
Best For
Competitive rates
Rideshare drivers
Numerous discounts
How drivers feel about Mercury
Drivers appreciate the attentive customer service and claim handling but dislike the consistent rate increases and lack of transparency in pricing. Some also found the company to be lacking in empathy and flexibility.
AI-generated from the text of verified reviews collected by Insurify
Best For
Competitive rates
Rideshare drivers
Numerous discounts
Reviews (307)
Ingrid
Verified Review
Frustrated
Reviewed in California on November 2025
I was looking for new quotes and found the insurance rate is the best available in my area. However, I found your ads untrue. I did have to provide my age, sex, and phone number to get a quote.
Gregory
Verified Purchase
Saving Money
Reviewed in California on November 2025
In the first month, I saved money!
Dolores
Verified Review
It's an okay insurance. They explained my liability very thoroughly. The only thing I didn't like was the location of their office. Parking is awful and there are too many stairs to tackle to their office.
Reviewed in California on November 2025
It's an okay insurance. They explained my liability very thoroughly. The only thing I didn't like was the location of their office. Parking is awful and there are too many stairs to tackle to their office.
JD Power
J.D. Power data measures overall customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction based on a 1,000-point scale.
596NAIC Index
Average amount of customer complaints relative to competitors on a 0-5 scale. A lower score represents fewer complaints.
0.95A.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).
AWhy we picked this company
Mercury sells auto, home, condo, renters, and business insurance. In addition to standard car insurance coverages, Mercury also offers rental car reimbursement, roadside assistance, rideshare insurance, and more. Mercury customers can save with multiple discounts, including bundling auto with home or renters coverage. The company has an A rating from AM Best for financial stability. Mercury has nearly twice as many complaints as expected in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Complaint Index.
Pros
Numerous coverage options, discounts, and bundling opportunities
Competitive auto insurance rates
Offers gap, custom equipment, and rideshare coverage add-ons
Cons
Only available in 11 states (including California)
Low claims satisfaction score from J.D. Power
Bad 1.6/5 Trustpilot score
Find Affordable Car Insurance
Liability rates start as low as $40 per month
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Based on 7,669+ reviews
4.8/5
American Family MilesMyWay vs. MercuryGO
American Family MilesMyWay was designed for drivers who travel less than 8,000 miles each year. Once you install the mobile app and place the sensor in your car, it detects when you’re driving. The insurer calculates your savings each month based on the miles you drive, and you can earn up to 25% off.
If you go on a road trip and drive more than usual, your premium will stay the same. On the flip side, you can lock in a lower rate for driving less than normal.
Mercury’s MercuryGO is a virtual driving coach and usage-based telematics program that monitors your driving habits, scores you based on your safety, and gives you a discount based on your score. To participate, download the app and score 5% off (or up to 10% off if you’re a teen driver) just for signing up.
If you prove you’re a safe driver, you may also enjoy up to 40% off when you renew your auto insurance policy. Fortunately, your premium won’t increase if you earn a low score.
American Family vs. Mercury: Which is the cheapest?
American Family Insurance offers cheaper premiums than Mercury on average for different coverage options. But your car insurance rates will ultimately depend on important factors like your ZIP code, location, age and gender, driving history, vehicle type, credit history, and qualifying discounts.[2]
American Family: Cheapest for drivers with a clean driving record
Good drivers usually pay the lowest rates since they’re less likely to file a claim. American Family has lower rates, on average, for drivers with a clean record.
Driver Type | American Family | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record | $79 | $95 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
American Family: Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket
Insurance costs more for drivers with a moving violation due to an increased risk of an accident from reckless driving behavior. Drivers with a speeding ticket will likely land the cheapest car insurance rates with American Family.
Driver Type | American Family | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers with a speeding ticket | $103 | $146 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
American Family: Cheapest for teen drivers
Young drivers pay some of the highest rates for auto insurance due to their lack of experience and increased accident risk.[3] American Family offers lower rates for teen drivers with limited experience on the road.
Driver Type | American Family | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| 18-year-old | $154 | $181 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
American Family: Cheapest for senior drivers
Drivers age 70 and older typically pay higher insurance premiums since age-related conditions can increase the likelihood of an accident.[4] Senior drivers may find slightly cheaper car insurance rates with American Family, though Mercury also has competitive rates.
Driver Type | American Family | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Senior drivers | $59 | $72 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
American Family: Cheapest for drivers with bad credit
Your credit can affect what you pay for insurance — especially if you have bad credit. American Family offers cheaper premiums for drivers with poor credit.
Driver Type | American Family | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers with bad credit | $90 | $119 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Compare coverages: American Family vs. Mercury
American Family and Mercury both offer standard auto coverages to protect you after a car accident. These include bodily injury liability, property damage liability, medical payments, personal injury protection, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, and full-coverage insurance.
Note that every state except New Hampshire requires drivers to have a minimum amount of liability insurance.
The two insurers also allow drivers to choose from a list of add-ons and endorsements for more protection. But American Family offers more options, including accidental death and dismemberment and accident forgiveness coverage. Compare the coverage options of American Family and Mercury in the table below.
Coverage | American Family | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Roadside assistance | Yes | Yes |
| Accidental death and dismemberment | Yes | No |
| Accident forgiveness | Yes | No |
| Rental car reimbursement | Yes | Yes |
| Ride-hailing | Yes | Yes |
| Gap insurance | Yes | Yes |
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Compare discounts: American Family vs. Mercury
American Family and Mercury both advertise a variety of discounts to help you lock in a good deal based on your driving history and coverage needs. American Family offers more discount opportunities than Mercury, but it’s a good idea to reach out to both auto insurers to find out which discounts might apply to you.
Discount | American Family | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record | Yes | Yes |
| Defensive driving course | Yes (in some states) | No |
| Multi-policy | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-car | Yes | Yes |
| Low mileage | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics (safe driving app) | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-theft device | No | Yes |
| New car | No | No |
| Military/affiliation | No | No |
| Good student | Yes | Yes |
| Loyalty | Yes | No |
| Auto-pay | Yes | Yes |
| Student away at school | Yes | No |
| Homeowner | Yes | Yes |
| Alternative fuel | No | No |
American Family vs. Mercury FAQs
Consider this additional information to learn more about American Family and Mercury car insurance.
Why is Mercury insurance so cheap?
Mercury’s discount opportunities and MercuryGO, the usage-based telematics program, provide affordable premiums for drivers. Your location, age, ZIP code, and driving history will determine your specific rates.
Is Mercury reputable?
Yes. Mercury is a reputable car insurance company with insurance experts that’s been in business since 1971. It earned an A (Excellent) financial strength rating from AM Best.
Is American Family good at paying claims?
Yes. Since American Family holds an AM Best financial strength rating of A (Excellent), it’s good at paying claims. This can be very reassuring if you decide to go with American Family for your car insurance coverage and need to file an insurance claim.
What are the main differences between American Family and Mercury Insurance?
American Family offers lower average rates and more add-ons than Mercury. It’s also available in 19 states. But Mercury, which is only available in 11 states, has a unique usage-based telematics program that gives auto owners a chance to save up to 40% on premiums.
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Sources
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners. "2023 Top 25 Groups and Companies by Countrywide Premium."
- Insurance Information Institute. "What determines the price of an auto insurance policy?."
- Insurance Information Institute. "Auto insurance for teen drivers."
- Insurance Information Institute. "Senior driving safety and insurance tips."
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Anna BaluchInsurance Writer
Anna Baluch is a Cleveland-based personal finance and insurance expert. With an MBA from Roosevelt University, she enjoys writing educational content that helps people make smart financial decisions. Her work can be seen across the internet on many publications, including Freedom Debt Relief, Credit Karma, RateGenius, and the Balance. Connect with Anna on LinkedIn.
Anna has been a contributor at Insurify since December 2022.
Edited bySarah Archambault
Experienced personal finance writer
Background working with banks and insurance companies
Sarah enjoys helping people find smarter ways to spend their money. She covers auto financing, banking, credit cards, credit health, insurance, and personal loans.
Featured in
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.