Licensed Realtor with 10+ years in personal finance content
Contributor to Nasdaq and USA Today
Daria is a licensed Realtor and resort property manager specializing in personal finance, real estate, and insurance topics. In her spare time, she practices photography.
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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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Liberty Mutual and Nationwide are two of the largest U.S. auto insurance companies by market share, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).[1] Liberty Mutual offers an impressive list of optional car insurance coverages and discounts, but Nationwide has slightly cheaper average rates and a pay-as-you-drive insurance option that can save you money.
Before you decide which company is the best choice, you should check customer reviews and compare quotes, coverages, discounts, and customer satisfaction ratings.
Here’s what you need to know about coverage offerings from Liberty Mutual and Nationwide to find the cheapest car insurance for you.
Quick Facts
The average cost of liability insurance is $162 per month from Liberty Mutual and $84 from Nationwide.
You can save up to 30% on coverage from Liberty Mutual and up to 40% from Nationwide through the companies’ respective telematics programs.
Nationwide has an AM Best financial strength rating of A+ (Superior), and Liberty Mutual has a rating of A (Excellent).
Liberty Mutual vs. Nationwide: The verdict
Though both companies have great coverage options, Nationwide offers slightly cheaper average auto insurance rates and higher customer satisfaction than Liberty Mutual.
Nationwide has a below-average number of customer complaints filed with the NAIC, while Liberty Mutual has an above-average number of complaints for a company of its size.
The two car insurance companies have similar coverage offerings, but Liberty Mutual has a couple of add-ons Nationwide doesn’t, including better car replacement and teachers’ auto insurance. Nationwide has cheaper rates on average, but Liberty Mutual has a few extra discounts you can benefit from.
The best company for you will depend on your driver profile and coverage needs. See how Liberty Mutual and Nationwide compare below.
Factor
▲▼
Liberty Mutual
▲▼
Nationwide
▲▼
Insurify Quality (IQ) Score
7.7
8.7
J.D. Power customer satisfaction score
799 out of 1,000
806 out of 1,000
Average quote: liability only
$162
$84
Number of available discounts
13
11
Number of states where it operates
50
48
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 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.
Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual is the nation’s third-largest insurance company selling personal auto insurance, with a 4.95% share of the market. The company ranked 20th in overall customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, receiving a below-average rating.[2]
User Reviews
3.6
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.
$162/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.
$257/mo
3.6
A solid optionBased on 2,714 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 (1,585)
Searle
December 19, 2024
Verified Review
Fair
They don't give you any discounts.
Kenneth
December 19, 2024
Verified Review
Steer Clear of This Greedy Insurer
Steer clear of this company. They continue to raise rates regardless of how safe a driver you are.
Jerry
December 18, 2024
Verified Review
Good but Costly
Be prepared for your policy payments to jump to almost a car payment!
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
Liberty Mutual offers auto, homeowners, condo, renters, flood, life, and other insurance products. Auto policyholders can save with 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 and credit from AM Best. The company often scores low for customer satisfaction and has more than three times the expected number of complaints from private auto policyholders, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Consumer Complaint Index.
Pros
Wide range of available discounts
Accident forgiveness available
Available in all 50 states and D.C.
Cons
Many negative reviews and customer complaints
Premiums are relatively high compared to industry average
Low customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power
Nationwide
With 1.99% of the personal auto insurance market share, Nationwide is the 10th-largest U.S. car insurance company. With a ranking slightly below the study average, Nationwide ranked 15th in overall customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.
User Reviews
4.4
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.
8.7 /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.
$84/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.
$181/mo
4.4
Best choiceBased on 793 verified guest reviews and ratings
How drivers feel about Nationwide
Drivers appreciate the excellent coverage, reliable claims process, and good initial rates but dislike the frequent price increases.
AI-generated from the text of verified reviews collected by Insurify
Best For
Usage-based savings
Accident forgiveness
Recreational vehicle coverage
How drivers feel about Nationwide
Drivers appreciate the excellent coverage, reliable claims process, and good initial rates but dislike the frequent price increases.
AI-generated from the text of verified reviews collected by Insurify
Best For
Usage-based savings
Accident forgiveness
Recreational vehicle coverage
Reviews (446)
Mark
December 14, 2024
Verified Review
Average
The price kept rising too high with every renewal.
Cheryl
December 9, 2024
Verified Review
Communication was minimal. The owner could not answer my questions and told me to wait until the secretary returned.
Communication was minimal. The owner could not answer my questions and told me to wait until the secretary returned.
J.D. Power data measures overall customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction based on a 1,000-point scale.
815
NAIC Index
Average amount of customer complaints relative to competitors on a 0-5 scale. A lower score represents fewer complaints.
0.64
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
Nationwide operates in 46 states and Washington, D.C., selling car, homeowners, life, umbrella, and more types of insurance coverage. In addition to liability, collision, and comprehensive, Nationwide provides optional coverages such as towing and labor, rental car, and gap insurance. The company also offers a vanishing deductible that lowers your deductible for each year you drive safely. Nationwide has an A rating from AM Best for financial stability and fewer-than-expected customer complaints in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Consumer Complaint Index.
Pros
Offers 24/7 roadside assistance coverage add-on
SmartRide (for safe drivers) and SmartMiles (for low-mileage drivers)
Accident forgiveness available
Cons
Below-average customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power
Some discounts and programs not available in all states
Not available in every state
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4.8/5
Liberty Mutual RightTrack vs. Nationwide SmartRide
Participating in the Liberty Mutual RightTrack program can earn you a 30% discount. You’ll earn a 10% discount when you enroll and can qualify for up to 20% more after you download the app on your phone and let it monitor your driving for 90 days. It’s an easy way to save money, but you might have to wait until your policy renews to benefit from the discount.
Nationwide’s SmartRide telematics program offers a discount of up to 40%. You get 10% off for enrolling and up to 30% more for downloading and activating the app. The potential discount is larger for SmartRide than RightTrack, but you’ll have to let the app monitor your driving for as long as six months.
Liberty Mutual vs. Nationwide: Which is the cheapest?
Nationwide has slightly lower average car insurance rates for both a liability-only and full-coverage policy.
On average, drivers pay $84 per month for liability insurance and $181 for full-coverage insurance from Nationwide. Liberty Mutual policyholders pay an average of $162 per month for liability insurance and $257 for full-coverage insurance.
Keep in Mind
Your own rate will depend on many different factors, including your driving record, gender, marital status, ZIP code, credit score, the type of car you drive, and whether the car has advanced safety features.[3]
Nationwide: Cheapest for drivers with a clean driving record
People with a clean driving record earn the cheapest average rates because insurers view them as low-risk drivers. Nationwide is the cheaper option for liability insurance than Liberty Mutual, though the difference is marginal.
Nationwide: Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket
If you have a speeding ticket or other violations on your record, you’ll pay more for coverage than someone with a clean record. Drivers with a past speeding ticket pay less for liability coverage on average with Nationwide.
Teen drivers pay the highest rates of any age group due to a lack of driving experience and higher rates of accidents. Nationwide has cheaper liability insurance rates for teen drivers than Liberty Mutual, on average.
If you have poor credit, you’ll pay more for coverage than drivers with good credit because studies have shown a link between poor credit and filing insurance claims. Nationwide auto insurance rates for a full-coverage policy for drivers with bad credit are cheaper on average than Liberty Mutual.
Liberty Mutual and Nationwide both offer similar standard insurance products. You can find bodily injury and property damage liability insurance, personal injury protection, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and medical payments coverage, as well as the collision and comprehensive insurance that make up a full-coverage policy.
Both companies also offer similar insurance add-ons, like accident forgiveness, gap insurance, and roadside assistance coverage. The companies have some unique offerings as well. For example, Nationwide has a total loss deductible waiver, and Liberty Mutual offers Mexico car insurance.
Optional coverages help you customize your insurance policy according to your own needs and preferences. Here’s how Liberty Mutual and Nationwide auto insurance add-on offerings compare.
Liberty Mutual has higher rates than Nationwide for most categories of drivers, but it has a larger selection of discounts that can reduce your premiums.
Liberty Mutual offers discounts for students away at school, homeowners, new-car owners, and military members that Nationwide doesn’t. But Nationwide has savings opportunities for low mileage drivers that Liberty Mutual doesn’t.
Take a closer look at the discounts you might qualify for with each insurer.
Discount
▲▼
Liberty Mutual
▲▼
Nationwide
▲▼
Clean driving record
Yes
Yes
Defensive driving course
Yes
Yes
Multi-policy
Yes
Yes
Multi-car
Yes
Yes
Low mileage
No
Yes
Telematics (safe driving mobile apps)
Yes
Yes
Anti-theft device
No
Yes
New car
No
No
Military/affiliation
Yes
No
Good student
Yes
Yes
Loyalty
No
No
Auto pay
Yes
Yes
Student away at school
Yes
No
Homeowner
Yes
No
Alternative fuel
No
No
Liberty Mutual vs. Nationwide FAQs
Comparing quotes from multiple auto insurance companies is the best way to find the right insurance policy at the lowest price. The following information should answer your remaining questions about Liberty Mutual and Nationwide car insurance.
Which company is Liberty Mutual’s biggest competitor?
State Farm is the largest competitor in the U.S. personal auto insurance industry, with 16.84% of the market share compared to Liberty Mutual’s 4.95%. USAA and Farmers, which have 5.92% and 4.55% of the market share, respectively, are Liberty Mutual’s closest competitors.
All these companies are top national insurers with quality coverage offerings.
Is Nationwide a good insurance company?
Yes. Nationwide has an AM Best financial strength rating of A+ (Superior) and receives high ratings in J.D. Power customer satisfaction surveys. The company also received a below-average number of customer complaints filed with the NAIC for a company of its size.
Is Liberty Mutual good at paying claims?
Yes. Liberty Mutual has an AM Best financial strength rating of A (Excellent), which indicates an ability to pay out claims. But Liberty Mutual ranked 20th in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, indicating customers surveyed had some issues with the company’s claims handling.
What are the major differences between Liberty Mutual and Nationwide Insurance?
Nationwide has lower average rates and higher customer satisfaction ratings, while Liberty Mutual offers better discounts. Both companies have high Insurify Quality (IQ) Scores, but Nationwide earns a 8.7 out of 5, and Liberty Mutual scores 7.7.
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.
Daria Uhlig is a freelance writer and editor with over a decade of experience creating personal finance content. Her work appears on USA Today, Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Fox Business, GOBankingRates and AOL. As a licensed Realtor and resort property manager, she specializes in real estate topics, including landlord, homeowners and renters insurance. In her spare time, Daria can be found photographing people and places on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Daria has been a contributor at Insurify since October 2022.
Edited byKatie PowersAuto and Life Insurance Editor
Katie PowersAuto and Life Insurance Editor
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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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