AAA vs. Allstate | Bankrate

Choosing between AAA vs. Allstate for car insurance can be a challenge. Both carriers have long-standing reputations as top car insurance companies in the industry. Founded in 1902, AAA has multiple l regional club divisions across the country, which offer both home and auto insurance policies. Although membership to the Auto Club may be required before you can buy car insurance, membership could also provide other types of discounts.

Allstate was founded in 1931 in Northbrook, Illinois, by the chairman of Sears, Roebuck & Co. It is currently the second largest home insurer and third largest auto carrier by market share. Allstate offers a full suite of insurance products, which allows consumers to meet numerous insurance needs with just one company. Coverage is available to nearly everyone in the United States and Canada via over 12,200 dedicated local Allstate agencies and representatives.

AAA vs. Allstate: car insurance rates comparison

AAA’s average cost of car insurance is lower for minimum coverage than Allstate. For vehicle owners in search of full car insurance which includes liability, comprehensive coverage and collision insurance, Allstate is cheaper on average than AAA. Premium data used for these comparisons was provided by Quadrant Information Services.

Car insurance company
Bankrate Score
AM Best
J.D. Power
Average annual premium for minimum coverage
Average annual premium for full coverage

AAA
3.8
A
863/1,000
$602
$2,003

Allstate
3.6
A+
870/1,000
$697
$1,921

Rates by credit score

Your credit score can affect your auto insurance rates unless you are a resident in the state of Massachusetts, Michigan, California or Hawaii, where carriers are barred from setting car insurance premiums based on credit history. Washington state is also in the process of banning the use of credit scores to determine insurance premiums. AAA Insurance generally has the best average rates for vehicle owners with excellent credit scores. On the other hand, Allstate offers cheaper average rates for those with poor, average and good credit scores compared to AAA.

Car insurance company
Poor
Average
Good
Excellent

AAA
$3,706
$2,146
$2,003
$1,645

Allstate
$3,157
$2,312
$1,921
$1,989

Rates by age

Younger drivers tend to pay the highest car insurance premiums of all age ranges. Allstate’s average rates are lowest when parents add a young adult to their coverage. Otherwise, AAA’s average rates are cheaper for younger drivers. However, Allstate offers slightly lower average rates when compared with AAA for drivers aged 40.

*16 year old cost when added to parents’ policy, 18-year-old renter

Rates by driving record

Safe drivers often benefit from the cheapest car insurance rates regardless of the carrier. A single speeding ticket could raise your car insurance premiums as much as 40% on average. Although Allstate’s rates jump for someone with a DUI conviction, premiums could more than double if you are with AAA. However, exact rate increases will be different depending on the state as well as the provider.

Car insurance company
Clean driving record
Speeding ticket
Accident
DUI conviction

AAA
$2,003
$2,817
$2,819
$5,131

Allstate
$1,921
$2,519
$2,752
$3,763

AAA vs. Allstate: discounts

All carriers offer discounts to current and prospective customers. AAA and Allstate are no exception and each offer several unique ways to save.

AAA

  • teenSmart — Teen drivers have an opportunity to sign up for an online driver-training program that helps young drivers learn more about defensive driving, pass an online course and save on car insurance.
  • Good student — Students with a 3.0 GPA or higher could earn a discount.
  • Advanced shopping — Drivers who purchase an AAA at least seven days before the policy’s start date could earn a discount.

Allstate

  • Bundling — Buying home or renters insurance in addition to car coverage is a good way to get a discount for both.
  • EZ pay plan — Setting up your premiums to pay with an automatic withdrawal from your account ensures you will not forget to make your payment and could save you money on your premiums.
  • eSmart — When you opt for a full digital insurance experience with Allstate ePolicy, you could receive a discount for going paperless.

AAA vs. Allstate: online and mobile experience comparison

When comparing Allstate vs. AAA, Allstate has a stronger digital presence. AAA’s website is more limited and many of the menu options require a login to view. Allstate’s website may be easier to navigate for most users and provides plenty of helpful information about insurance and personal finance.

AAA

  • Apple Store (4.4) — Over 20,000 iOS users awarded AAA with a 4.4 out of 5.
  • Google Play (4.3) — The AAA app’s rating is a 4.3 out of 5 based on over 45,000 votes. As with the Apple version, the app does not provide as much functionality for insurance-based tasks.

Allstate

  • Apple Store (4.8) — With a score of 4.8 out of 5 from over 750,000 votes, the Allstate app is similar to a digital wallet for your car insurance. It holds your insurance ID cards and makes it easy to file a claim or order roadside assistance.
  • Google Play (3.7) — The Allstate app gets a score of 3.7 out of 5 for over 88,000 Google Play users. You can make payments through the app and use QuickFoto to snap pictures of damages related to a claim. However, many users complain about slow loading speeds, freezing and other common issues with the app.

Frequently asked questions

    • Whether AAA or Allstate is best for you depends on your unique needs and situation. Prior to making a decision, it can be helpful to compare AAA vs Allstate to see which company is best for you. It may help to determine what factors are most important to you, whether it’s coverage levels, discounts, financial strength of the company, product offerings or mobile and online features. Getting quotes from both carriers can also help you determine which company is best for you.

    • On average, AAA car insurance rates are lower than Allstate when it comes to minimum coverage, but Allstate fares better on its average full coverage rates when compared to AAA. If you have a clean driving record, or if you’ve been found at fault in an accident or were convicted of a speeding ticket, you may get better rates with Allstate vs AAA. Drivers with excellent credit typically get cheaper average rates with AAA over Allstate.

    • Both Allstate and AAA’s roadside assistance plans include benefits for towing services, lockout service, fuel delivery, tire change and jump starts; However, Allstate limits you to three claims per year. Allstate’s Roadside Advantage Plan comes with additional features, like trip interruption and road hazard benefits, but AAA offers winching, mobile battery service testing and minor auto repairs on-site. Allstate’s roadside assistance plan averages $79 for the first year and $99 at renewal, whereas AAA’s cost varies by membership level and state where you live.

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2021 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

  • $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
  • $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
  • $50,000 property damage liability per accident
  • $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
  • $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
  • $500 collision deductible
  • $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverages that meet each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2019 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Credit: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base), and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. The following states do not allow credit to be a factor in determining auto insurance rates: CA, HI, MI, & MA

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 18-60 (base: 40 years) applied. 16-year-old rates were factored as the added cost to their parents’ policy; 18-year-old rates were calculated as drivers who rent their primary residence. The following states do not allow age to be a factor in determining auto insurance rates: HI & MA

Incident: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), at-fault accident, single speeding ticket, single DUI conviction (BAC of >= .08) and lapse in coverage.

Bankrate Score

Bankrate Scores primarily reflect a weighted rank of industry-standard ratings for financial strength and customer experience in addition to analysis of quoted annual premiums from Quadrant Information Services, spanning all 50 states and Washington, D.C. We know it is important for drivers to be confident their financial protection covers the likeliest risks, is priced competitively and is provided by a financially-sound company with a history of positive customer support.

To determine how well the best car insurance companies satisfy these priorities, third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, S&P, NAIC, and Moody’s had the most impact on the companies’ Bankrate Scores. As price is a common consideration for drivers, we analyzed quoted premiums based on 40-year-old male and female drivers with a 2019 Toyota Camry. This profile, assessed across more than 35,000 ZIP codes in the U.S., provided a basis on which drivers may compare each provider.

While coverage options, insurer availability, affordability and customer experience are often the top priorities, Bankrate also analyzed each insurer’s online and mobile resources for policy management and claims handling. Insurance is rapidly evolving to keep pace with our digital world, so these aspects also carried weight in determining Bankrate Scores.