GEICO vs Root Insurance

Verdict

GEICO and Root both sell through apps, but they price risk differently. GEICO, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, is the third-largest U.S. auto insurer, with $42.91 billion of private passenger auto premium in 2025 (11.55%). It sells in all 50 states and D.C. and uses the usual rating factors, with an optional usage-based program, DriveEasy. Root, a publicly traded insurtech based in Columbus, Ohio, wrote $1.22 billion (0.33%). Its pitch is that your price should depend mainly on how you drive. Most new customers take a two-to-four-week "test drive" in the Root app before getting a final price.

GEICO has the longer and stronger record. AM Best affirmed its A++ (Superior) rating in April 2026. It was ranked in J.D. Power's studies, scoring 697 (tied 13th of 20) in the 2025 claims study and beating the regional average in seven of 11 regions in 2026. Root has a short, uneven history: years of large losses, then profitability since mid-2024. Some state regulators require it to hold extra capital, and J.D. Power hasn't ranked it. Root sells in 37 states, not including Massachusetts or New York. It doesn't use telematics in California or Maryland, and it doesn't sell homeowners insurance.

For a smooth, careful driver, Root's test drive can make a real difference; it says top scorers can cut up to 44% off its initial quote. For most other drivers the result is unpredictable, so get quotes from both.

Choose GEICO if

• You live in Massachusetts, New York or another state Root doesn't serve.
• You want to bundle auto with homeowners insurance.
• You want the top AM Best rating (A++) and a long track record.
• You need coverage immediately and don't want your price to hinge on a few weeks of monitored driving.
• You qualify for GEICO's military, federal employee or affinity discounts.

Choose Root if

• You're a consistently smooth driver (Root weights braking most heavily) and want that reflected in your price.
• You're comfortable letting an app monitor your driving for two to four weeks (see what driving apps collect and how insurers use it).
• You're buying a car on Carvana or another platform where Root is offered at checkout.
• You rent rather than own and can use Root's renters-and-auto bundle.
• You want to quote and file claims entirely in an app.

Key differences

Root may not offer the test drive on policies bought through an agent, so ask before you buy. Compare equal limits with the car insurance quote comparison worksheet, and read digital-first car insurers: how the insurtechs work for how app-based insurers differ from traditional carriers.