Geico vs. USAA Car Insurance: Which Is Better for You?

Bottom line: Geico and USAA both offer competitive rates and an array of discounts, but USAA membership is limited to military members, veterans, and their families.

Geico typically has lower rates for those with a clean driving record, but many drivers that insurers consider high-risk could save money through USAA. For example, USAA is among the cheapest car insurance companies for new drivers and drivers with a speeding ticket or DUI are lower than Geico's rates. Keep in mind that USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families, though.

Many factors affect your auto insurance rates, including your ZIP code, driving history, and credit reports. You may also qualify for lower rates if you bundle policies or agree to let your insurer track your driving by using a telematics device. Be sure to compare auto insurance quotes for Geico vs. USAA and other insurers to make sure you're getting the best rate.

Geico and USAA both offer the following six major types of coverage that are usually considered part of a standard auto insurance policy:

• Bodily injury liability
• Medical payments or personal injury protection (PIP)
• Property damage liability
• Comprehensive
• Collision
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

Both offer optional coverage for rental reimbursement and emergency roadside service, as well. Unlike USAA, Geico also offers mechanical breakdown insurance, which helps you pay for repairs your vehicle needs that aren't related to a collision or crash, though you'll need to buy it while your vehicle is less than 15 months old or has fewer than 15,000 miles. You can then renew it for up to seven years or 100,000 miles.

Geico also provides coverage for powersport vehicles like ATVs, boats, motorcycles, and motorhomes/RVs. Though USAA doesn't directly provide this type of coverage, it works with Progressive to offer these types of coverage at a 5% discount to members. Progressive, not USAA, is the insurer for these policies.

The best car insurance companies reward drivers with discounts for loyalty, safe driving behavior, and more. Geico and USAA are no different. Each insurer offers the standard discounts for bundling policies, completing a defensive driving course, and having a newer vehicle. However, not all discounts are available in every state.

Geico offers competitive discounts to people 50 and older through its PrimeTime contract. To qualify, you can't have any drivers younger than 25 on your policy, and you'll need to be accident- and moving violation-free for at least three years. Though USAA provides a number of ways to save on auto insurance, it doesn't offer age-based discounts.

USAA serves military members and their families, so naturally, some of the discounts that it offers are tailored for those who are serving. For instance, you can get discounts if you're storing your car while deployed (or for any other reason) or if the regular place you park your car overnight is on a military base. However, Geico also offers discounts for military members and veterans, as well as federal employees. There's also a military deployment discount of up to 25% to those who are part of an emergency deployment to an imminent danger zone.

Both companies offer forms of usage-based insurance to drivers who are willing to let a telematics device track their behaviors on the road. Geico's DriveEasy program captures driving-related behaviors using its mobile app for drivers who opt in. It then calculates a safe-driving score that could help you save money when you renew your policy. Depending on your state, though, your premiums could rise if the data collected reveals risky driving habits.

USAA's SafePilot also offers customized rates based on your driving habits, but it says it won't increase your rate based on the information gathered.

Geico and USAA both make it easy to initiate and track claims online or using their mobile apps. Each also maintains a network of pre-approved auto repair shops, though the law requires insurers to let you take your vehicle to the repair shop of your choosing.

With Geico's Auto Repair Xpress® program, you can find a repair facility near you after reporting a claim. Geico says it will usually arrange an appointment for you within 24 hours of submitting a claim if your vehicle is safe to drive. A shop representative then meets with you to review the damage and explain the claims process.

USAA will also manage the process if you take your vehicle to a shop in its Streamlined Appraisal Repair Service (STARS) network. You'll only need to pay your deductible to any shop within the STARS network, and USAA will handle the rest of the payment.

Geico and USAA each have highly rated mobile apps. Geico's app gets an average of 4.8 stars in the App Store and 4.6 stars in the Google Play store. Meanwhile, users give USAA's app an average of 4.8 stars in the App Store and 4.0 stars in the Google Play store.

Geico was the top-rated auto insurer among New England carriers, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. It also tied with Progressive and State Farm for top-rated usage-based insurance provider. Due to its limited membership, USAA isn't eligible to be included in the study.

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index, both Geico and USAA receive higher numbers of consumer complaints compared to similarly sized peers. Geico receives an A- rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), while USAA isn't rated by the BBB.

Geico and USAA are both solid auto insurance carriers that offer competitive rates. However, USAA is only available to military members, veterans, and their family members, so many customers will need to look elsewhere for coverage.

Even if you're eligible to join USAA, it's worth considering Geico and other insurers. Geico's rates are especially cheap for drivers with no recent moving violations or crashes. Meanwhile, USAA has better rates for newer drivers and those with speeding tickets, a DUI/DWI, or crash.

Both offer a number of discounts. Military members will find many of USAA's discounts appealing, particularly if they're deployed or living on base. Geico also offers military discounts, as well as discounts for people 50 and older and federal employees.