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The tagline “You’re in good hands with Allstate” has been part of the company’s DNA for over 70 years — but will you actually be “in good hands” if you purchase a policy?
Allstate is a popular insurer — the fourth largest in the U.S. As one of the largest insurers in the U.S., Allstate offers a variety of car insurance coverages and discounts that are best suited for individuals with a clean driving record and good credit. Our research shows that Allstate’s rates are some of the most expensive among other insurance companies, especially for insuring teen drivers, senior drivers, and drivers with bad credit or a bad driving record.
I’m a senior editor and analyst at AutoInsurance.com, and based on our team’s industry research and my own experience as a prospective customer, I’ll walk you through whether Allstate is a good option for you.
At a Glance: Allstate’s Pros and Cons
Pros
Lots of coverage options and discounts
Easy to get a quote online
Good bundling discount, with an average savings of 15%
Offers pay-per-mile insurance
Cons
Higher-than-average rates, especially for drivers with an at-fault accident or DUI
Earned only a D+ from CRASH Network, which reflects poorly on its collision claims and repair process1
Who Is Allstate Auto Insurance Best For?
Overall, Allstate is best for drivers with a clean record who will take advantage of its extensive coverage options.
Allstate Is Best for Those Who:
- Prefer to do your shopping online
- Own your home and will benefit from Allstate’s bundling discount
- Need or want extra coverage options, like rideshare coverage, sound system protection, or immediate accident forgiveness
- Don’t drive much and are considering pay-per-mile insurance
Allstate Is Not Best for Those Who:
- Are looking for the absolute cheapest auto insurance rates
- Have a DUI, as Allstate may cancel your coverage after a DUI conviction
- Individuals with a speeding ticket on their record
Personally, I am shopping with Allstate because I am driving less since moving back to a major city. Right now, I have a traditional unlimited-mileage policy with State Farm, but since I average only 500 miles per month, I’m hoping to save money with a pay-per-mile policy. Allstate is one of only two major insurers — along with Nationwide — that offers pay-per-mile insurance.
Below, check out Allstate’s average prices by driver profile. As you can see, the company’s prices tend to be above average, even for drivers with a good driving history and credit score.
| Driver profile | Allstate average annual rate for full coverage | National average annual rate for full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Good driver with good credit | $2,639 | $1,924 |
| Driver with a DUI | $4,020 | $3,328 |
| Driver with an at-fault accident | $3,703 | $2,809 |
| Driver with bad credit | $3,878 | $3,315 |
How Much Does Allstate Car Insurance Cost?
Allstate’s full coverage auto insurance premiums are higher than the national average by about 37 percent, or $715 annually. Its rates for minimum coverage are 9 percent above the national average, or $50 more annually.
Reflecting this trend, my quote from Allstate (for a traditional unlimited-mileage policy) came in around 15 percent higher than my State Farm renewal. However, if I pay for the Allstate policy in full, the discount brings it closer to State Farm’s price.
Below, you can see how Allstate compares to the other insurers for both full and minimum coverage.
TIP:
Our analysis includes major insurers available nationally, but you may be able to find even lower rates with smaller, regional insurers. For example, when I lived in North Carolina, I had a policy with Erie that cost half as much as an identical State Farm policy.
| Company | Average annual premium for full coverage | Average annual premium for minimum coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $2,639 | $597 |
| American Family | $1,785 | $713 |
| Farmers | $2,320 | $634 |
| GEICO | $1,572 | $413 |
| Nationwide | $1,805 | $613 |
| Progressive | $1,891 | $481 |
| State Farm | $1,697 | $482 |
| Travelers | $1,630 | $530 |
| USAA | $1,322 | $356 |
How to Save on Your Allstate Policy With Discounts
Allstate has a big list of discounts, and the only way to keep your premium reasonable is to take advantage of as many of them as possible. For example, paying in full for the policy would save me 10 percent.
You’ll save on auto insurance with Allstate for the following:
- Being a safe driver
- Being a student driver
- Buying another policy with Allstate, like home or life insurance
- Buying your policy at least seven days before it becomes effective
- Going paperless
- Paying your policy in full upfront
- Setting up an automatic withdrawal to pay your premiums
- Tracking your driving habits with Drivewise
- Having a car that is the current model year or one year older (and you’re the first owner)
- Not receiving a cancellation notice for nonpayment in the past year
- Having a car with anti-lock brakes
- Having a car with an anti-theft device
Highlighted Discount: Smart Student Discount
While I personally don’t qualify for this discount, I want to highlight it because insurance for young drivers is expensive, and I know families with teens are always on the lookout for young driver discounts.
You earn Allstate’s student discount if you’re under age 25, unmarried and fulfill just one of the following requirements:
- Full-time student with a 2.7 GPA or higher
- Complete the teenSMART driving program
- Attend school at least 100 miles away from where the car is kept
From what I see, this discount stands out for a couple reasons. It has a lower grade threshold than most other insurers, which require a 3.0 GPA. It also doesn’t require you to be a full-time student, since you can earn the discount for completing the teenSMART driving program.
Highlighted Discount: DriveWise
Like most major insurers, Allstate has a discount for tracking your driving habits. You save 10 percent for signing up and up to 40 percent at your next renewal depending on your driving. When I spoke to an Allstate agent, he explained that Drivewise measures two factors:
- Speeding over 80 mph
- Hard braking
As long as you’re consistently not doing either of those two things, you should see a discount. Keep in mind, if you are speeding or braking hard, Drivewise can increase your premium (unlike State Farm, which promises that its discount Drive Safe & Save will only ever reduce your premium, not increase it).
My Experience Getting an Auto Insurance Quote From Allstate
TIP:
To find the best deal, compare quotes from at least three providers before purchasing a policy.
Recently, I got a car insurance quote from Allstate. My State Farm premium rose, and since I’m driving less, I wanted to learn more about Allstate’s pay-per-mile option, Milewise.
I started my quote online. After entering personal information and other details, like vehicle info, accident history, household drivers, and yearly mileage, I received an initial quote.
Allstate offers three tiers of preselected coverage, which it markets as Basic, Standard, and Enhanced. I was also able to customize individual coverages and limits and see how each adjustment changed my premium. I opted to set my own coverages to match my current policy with State Farm.
Allstate also showed me discounts applied and potential savings. The quote did not automatically apply the Drivewise discount, though it was easy to add myself. At the end of the quote, Allstate offered me add-ons like Accident Forgiveness, Deductible Rewards, and a Safe Driving Bonus for additional cost.
I’ve gotten several quotes from different providers, and Allstate’s online quote process impressed me with its transparency and customizability in pricing and coverage. I’ve included screenshots to give you a sense of the interface. Below, I’ll dive into my experience after starting the online quote.
Soon after starting the online quote, I received a follow-up call from an agent. A traditional unlimited-mileage policy with Allstate cost more than my State Farm renewal by about 15 percent, so I knew I wasn’t going that route. The Allstate agent explained that Allstate does quotes for its pay-per-mile insurance, Milewise, by phone only. Allstate advertises that with Milewise, you pay a daily rate plus a variable per-mile rate for every mile you drive. The agent gave me additional details about how Milewise works:
- You make an initial payment, determined by factors like your location and driving history. For me, this initial payment would be $463.
- Every day, Allstate deducts your daily rate, plus a per-mile rate depending on how much you drive. For me, the daily rate was quoted at $6.73 and the per-mile rate at 33 cents per mile.
- When your balance hits a predetermined threshold, it replenishes a set amount, which is also determined by Allstate. For example, when my balance hits $74, Allstate will automatically draw $389 from my credit card to replenish my balance.
| Milewise | Amount |
|---|---|
| Initial payment | $463 |
| Replenishment threshold | $74 |
| Automatic replenishment amount | $389 |
| Daily rate | $6.73 |
| Per mile rate | $0.33 |
| Estimated monthly rate ($6.73 x 30 days) | $202 |
| My estimated monthly mileage | 500 miles x $0.33 per mile = $165 |
| My estimated monthly insurance bill | $367 ($202 base rate + $165 mileage) |
| Monthly rate for a traditional unlimited mileage policy with Allstate | $356 (or $1,931 total / $322 per month if I paid in full) |
| Monthly rate for a traditional unlimited mileage policy with State Farm | $310 |
Ultimately, I decided that neither Allstate’s traditional policy nor its pay-per-mile plan made sense for me. In order to save money compared to a traditional unlimited mileage plan with Allstate, I would have to drive fewer than 410 miles per month (about 5,000 miles per year). And to save money compared to my traditional unlimited plan with State Farm, I would have to drive fewer than 325 miles per month (3,900 miles per year). I consider myself an infrequent driver, but that’s too low even for me.
NOTE:
Milewise is available in 17 states: Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
Finally, keep in mind that your rates with State Farm, Allstate, or any other insurer will likely look different from mine. Premiums depend on a number of factors, including vehicle, driving history, and location. Because I live in a major city, I pay more than average for auto insurance.
What Types of Auto Insurance Coverage Does Allstate Offer?
Allstate offers all the standard car insurance coverages — like liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist, collision, comprehensive, personal injury protection, and medical payments — as well as a few extras.
Below is a breakdown of how much each coverage added to my quote. Next, I’ll walk through the quote and where you might be able to save on your own policy.
| Coverage | What it pays for | How much is added to my quote |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | Medical bills and damages the other party sustains | $27 per month for $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident limits |
| Property damage liability | Damage you cause to another person’s vehicle or property | $12 per month for $100,000 per accident limit |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist | Medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering if you’re in an accident with a driver at fault doesn’t have insurance or not enough insurance | $63 per month for $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident limits |
| Collision and comprehensive | Damage to your car as a result of an accident (collision) or incident like theft, broken window, storm, or hitting an animal (comprehensive) | $194 per month for collision and $30 per month for comprehensive, each with a $1,000 deductible |
| Medical payments | Injuries to you or your passenger in an accident | $50 per month for $5,000 per person/per accident |
| Accident forgiveness | Allstate won’t raise my rates if I cause an accident — one accident waived every three years. | $5 per month |
| Towing and labor | Assistance for breakdowns caused by dead batteries or flat tires | $1.67 per month for $100 of coverage per incident |
| Rental reimbursem*nt | A rental while your car is in the shop after an incident covered by collision or comprehensive | $3.83 per month for a $30 daily rental reimbursem*nt |
| Ride for hire | Protection when you’re driving for a service like Lyft or Uber | $5 per month (left this off the final quote) |
| Sound system | Damage to a sound system permanently installed in your vehicle | $11 per month for $1,000 of coverage (left this off the final quote) |
* Sample quote for a 30-year-old driver (me) in Pennsylvania, where liability minimum limits are $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident for bodily injury, $5,000 per accident for property damage, and $5,000 minimum in medical payments is required.
If you’re looking to save on your policy, there are a few coverages you could drop or lower compared to what I have.
While I always recommend raising your liability limits above the state-required minimum (increasing your limits will protect your assets if you get into a serious accident), you could probably drop your uninsured/underinsured motorist limits to $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident. I like to keep them high because they also protect you as a pedestrian or cyclist, and my city unfortunately sees a lot of hit-and-runs.
Another big expense is collision coverage — the most expensive coverage on my quote. Part of the reason for the expense is that I drive a hybrid vehicle, and hybrids tend to cost more to repair than gas-powered cars. If collision coverage is hiking up your bill, you can raise your deductible — the amount you pay toward repairs before your insurance kicks in. I did this myself — raising my deductible from $500 to $1,000 — and saved about $20 monthly.
You can also save by dropping extras like rental reimbursem*nt, towing, and accident forgiveness, but given they add only a few dollars each to your monthly premium and can save you money in the event of an accident, I think it makes more sense to keep them.
Additional Coverages
Allstate also sells classic car insurance if you own an antique or classic car, as well as Mexico car insurance if you take a trip to Mexico.
You can also buy a personal umbrella policy (PUP), which provides liability coverage above standard auto insurance. Allstate’s optional PUPs give you an extra layer of protection anywhere in the world for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage.
Highlighted Coverage: Windshield and Glass Express
Allstate policies come with Auto Glass Claim Express, which covers windshield repairs and replacements. Glass replacements come with a lifetime guarantee. There is no deductible for glass repairs, and depending on your state, there may also be no deductible for replacements.
What to Expect When Filing a Claim With Allstate
You can file a claim on Allstate’s website or mobile app. Here’s how:
- Log in to your MyClaim account.
- Fill out the requested information and add photos of the accident.
- Allstate will provide a damage assessment and a repair estimate.
- When Allstate approves the claim, it will pay the repair shop. You will be responsible for paying your deductible. Alternatively, you have the option for the company to reimburse you.
Because I don’t have Allstate insurance, I can’t speak to the claims process. However, some customers report that Allstate makes it difficult to file a claim by phone. You may need to start the claim online, which won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. If you have questions or need help with an existing claim, you can call 1-800-255-7828 to speak with an agent.
Here’s the other thing that gave me pause: CRASH Network, an independently published newsletter that reports on collision repair and auto insurance, gave Allstate an unfavorable rating in its most recent report. Companies with higher grades don’t pressure shops to cut corners, install lower-quality parts, or add red tape that slows the process. Allstate received a B- score from its in-network repair shops, a D from out-of-network shops, and an overall D+ rating. Only 5 percent of surveyed shops said that Allstate was likely to pay for quality parts. To me, that does not bode well for Allstate’s claims process.
What Others Are Saying: Allstate Customer Satisfaction Ratings
Because a review would be incomplete without third-party data, I have pulled together independent assessments about Allstate’s service.
Allstate scores well in terms of financial strength, meaning you can count on its ability to pay for a claim.
The company’s claims satisfaction scores were mixed. J.D. Power ranked Allstate just above average, with a score of 882 compared to the 878 average. However, Allstate received subpar grades from CRASH Network, meaning some collision repair shops find the company difficult to work with and it may pressure shops to use cheaper parts.
Allstate scored slightly below average on J.D. Power’s insurance shopping study, likely due to its higher-than-average premiums.
| Source | Allstate score |
|---|---|
| J.D. Power 2023 Claims Satisfaction Study2 | 882 out of 1,000 — Above average |
| CRASH Network 2023 Insurer Report Card | D+ — No. 83 out of 87 |
| AM Best Financial Strength Rating3 | A+ — Stable |
| J.D. Power 2023 Insurance Shopping Study4 | 853 out of 1,000 — Below average |
Real-Life Customer Experience
Given Allstate’s mixed to negative claims reviews, I wanted to speak to someone about their personal experience with the company. Here’s what a friend of mine had to say. Our conversation gave me a little more confidence in Allstate.
Customer Profile
- Allstate customer for 13 years
- Filed an auto claim this year
How would you describe the experience of filing a claim? Are you satisfied with how Allstate handled the claim?
They make it very easy. The app guides you on how to take photos and how to angle them. After I filed the claim, Allstate got back to me fairly quickly — between 24 to 48 hours — and my car went into the shop about a month later. The shop asked for the claim to be readjusted, which took about a week, and that was the only frustration I encountered. But eventually, it was updated and the work was finished.
Would you recommend Allstate to a friend?
Absolutely. They have worked with my family for so long and have always answered any questions we’ve ever had.
Digital Tools
Allstate’s website and mobile app allow you to pay your bill, view your ID cards, file a claim, and get roadside assistance. If you sign up for Drivewise to track your driving habits and earn a discount, you will also manage that through the app.
You might have a better experience on an iPhone rather than an Android phone. Allstate’s app holds higher ratings for iOS than Android, and some Android users report issues with the Drivewise functionality in the app.
| App version | Rating (out of 5 stars) |
|---|---|
| iPhone (App Store) | 4.8 stars |
| Android (Google Play) | 3.8 stars |
Methodology: How We Review Insurance Companies
Our comprehensive review of auto insurance companies is based on an evaluation process designed to provide consumers with accurate and unbiased insights. We use the following methodology to assess companies:
- Cost and coverage: We evaluate competitive pricing, discounts, and affordability relative to the coverage provided.
- Claims process: Fulfilling claims is the core offering of an insurance company. We assess claims processes through third-party data and customer feedback.
- Shopping experience: We personally obtain a quote, offering a look into the process and how easy it is to shop with a provider.
- Industry ratings and reviews: We gather data from independent agencies to assess factors like financial strength, complaints, and customer satisfaction.
- Online tools and technology: We assess the user-friendliness of websites, mobile apps, and online account management features.
Allstate: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Allstate or GEICO more expensive?
In general, Allstate is more expensive than GEICO. On average Allstate charges $2,639 annually ($220 monthly) for full coverage, whereas GEICO charges $1,572 annually ($131 monthly).
How many days can you be late with Allstate insurance payments?
Allstate has a 30-day late-payment grace period. If you don’t pay within 30 days of the due date, Allstate will cancel your policy.
Is there a cancellation fee for Allstate insurance?
Allstate does not charge a fee for canceling your policy. In general, you can avoid cancellation fees by switching your insurance at renewal rather than mid-policy. Make sure you have another policy before you cancel to avoid a lapse in coverage.
Does Allstate offer gap insurance?
Allstate offers gap insurance, but you must add it to your financing agreement at the time of vehicle purchase. Allstate does not allow you to add gap coverage to a vehicle you already own.
