Nationwide vs. Esurance: Discounts, quotes, and comparison

Nationwide vs. Esurance

Trying to decide between Nationwide and Esurance? It’s time to compare them and pick the best one for you.

Founded in 1926, Nationwide has been around for almost a hundred years. Meanwhile, Esurance is a much younger player in the insurance market, founded in 1999. Though the latter company got in the game fairly recently, it’s gained a lot of traction since its inception. Today, it’s owned by Allstate.

Nationwide and Esurance are mostly neck-and-neck for coverage availability and customer satisfaction. Consider getting quotes from both companies and seeing which discounts you can scoop up.

	Nationwide	Esurance
About the provider	Nationwide is not just an auto insurance company, it is also one of the largest financial services companies in America. Its flexible options and member resources are among a few of the reasons people have chosen Nationwide since 1926.	Esurance, the online insurance company, is making its name known in the car insurance world, offering affordable coverage for just about any of your vehicles. It takes pride in a hassle-free experience, and customers respect its low rates and excellent customer service.
Price	Policy costs depend your personal situation. Visit Nationwide for a quote based on your specific needs.	Policy costs depend your personal situation. Visit Esurance for a quote based on your specific needs.
States served	46	43 states
User satisfaction*	A	A+
J.D. Power ratings**	3/5 on overall claims satisfaction	3/5 on overall claims satisfaction
Driver discounts	View driver discounts	View driver discounts
Vehicle discounts	View vehicle discounts	View vehicle discounts
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* Based on Better Business Bureau’s company rating
** Based on the 2016 U.S Auto Claims Satisfaction Study

Driver discounts

	Nationwide	Esurance
Good student	Varies (full-time student, B average or higher, 16 to 24)	Up to 10% (full time student, under the age of 25 and a 3.0 GPA)
Defensive driver		Up to 10% (minimum age 50, 55 or 60, depending on state residence and completed a defensive driving course)
Good driver	Up to 10% (no at-fault accidents and free of major violations for at least 5 years)	30-40% (driving for 3 years with 0-1 points on your driving record)
Pay in full discount
Multicar
Military
Homeowner
Other discounts	Multi policy discount – Up to 20% SmartRide discount – 5-40% (usage based discount using plug-in device) USAA Family Plan – Up to 25% Easy-Pay sign-up discount Affinity car insurance discounts – For members of partner business or organization Paperless documents discount – Varies
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Vehicle discounts

	Nationwide	Esurance
Anti-theft device	Varies (factory-installed deterrents)	5-25%
Anti-lock brake		5%
Passive restraints	N/A	2-33%
Air bag
Other discounts		New vehicle discount
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Bottom line

Nationwide and Esurance cover most, but not all, US states. The former covers 46 states, while the latter covers 40 states. Both companies earn high Better Business Bureau marks, but score middling grades in claims satisfaction.

You may find the biggest difference in discounts offered. Both insurers offer good-student, defensive-driver and good-driver discounts. However, Esurance offers a discount for paying in full; Nationwide doesn’t. Furthermore, Esurance offers vehicle discounts for anti-lock brakes and air bags, while Nationwide doesn’t.