Geico vs. State Farm Car Insurance: Which Is Better For You?

Bottom line: Geico has cheaper premiums overall, while State Farm offers usage-based insurance in more states.

Geico is significantly cheaper than State Farm for a variety of driver personas. As shown in the table below, Geico generally offers lower prices for teen drivers, as well as for drivers who have speeding tickets or poor credit. That said, State Farm on average offers cheaper car insurance for those who have DUIs.

State Farm and Geico offer insurance for a variety of vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, ATVs, RVs, and boats. Both companies also offer the same basic coverage, such as:

• Liability
• Comprehensive
• Collision
• Uninsured motorist coverage
• Rental car reimbursement
• Ridesharing insurance
• Roadside assistance
• Car rental reimbursement

Although most drivers can get the basic coverage they need from both companies, State Farm does have a slight leg-up in the availability of its usage-based insurance. State Farm's coverage is available in all states except for three (California, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island), while Geico sells usage-based insurance in 38 states.

State Farm and Geico both offer a hefty selection of discounts. While some of these car insurance discounts overlap, Geico generally offers more discounts for driver affiliations, like military and federal employees, as well as for certain safety features, like daytime running lights. State Farm has fewer discounts than Geico, but interestingly, neither offers discounts for some of the non-driving related line items, like paperless billing and online quote and sign-up.

Geico and State Farm make filing claims fast and easy. Both companies let drivers report claims through their mobile apps, websites, or by calling their claims centers. Drivers can also upload photos of their accidents through their apps, as well as report information about their cases and track claims.

Both companies also give drivers certain benefits for using a body shop within their networks. For example, Geico's Auto Repair Xpress® program gives drivers a one-stop shop where they can get estimates, repairs, and a rental car, all in one location. Better yet, the body shop will also guarantee that the repairs are to a driver's satisfaction for as long as they own the vehicle.

State Farm's program (Select Service®) is similar, except drivers won't get a rental car when they drop off vehicles. They will, however, get a guaranteed completion date and a limited lifetime warranty from the shop.

State Farm and Geico will offer most drivers a positive customer experience. In fact, both companies frequently had high rankings for different regions in J.D. Power's 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. In Florida and the Southwest, State Farm ranked first among numerous companies, while Geico ranked first in New England. Both insurers were also tied for first (along with Progressive) for best usage-based insurance.

That said, Geico has a better score in the National Complaint Index Report (NCIR), which rates insurance companies by their complaint volume. Geico's complaint index score was 0.99 in 2023, which means it received slightly fewer complaints than the average (the baseline is 1.00). State Farm's score was 2.72 in 2023, meaning it had more than twice the complaint volume than the market average.

Geico and State Farm are both great car insurance companies with low premiums and highly valued customer service. Geico generally has lower prices for a variety of drivers, including those with poor credit and speeding tickets, while State Farm may be cheaper for those with DUIs. After comparing both companies, it might also be wise to compare them with other highly rated car insurance companies, as premiums can vary from driver to driver.