Small business insurance carriers
Independent, editorially reviewed carriers rated on pricing, coverage, claims, and financial strength.
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Travelers Small Business
Small businesses seeking the strongest combination of credit quality, coverage breadth, and at-market pricing on direct-bind paper — especially growing businesses that need D&O, EPLI, or commercial umbrella alongside primary liability; trades, contractors, and field-services businesses needing the full GL + WC + auto + umbrella package on A++ paper.
8.1/10 Good -
Simply Business
Small businesses whose profile could reasonably land on multiple panel carriers — especially buyers with mixed exposure (GL + PL + WC + cyber) where different panel carriers fit different lines — and who value broker-channel claims advocacy plus multi-carrier comparison pricing. Strong fit for micro-businesses in trades, services, professional services, and e-commerce outside Alaska and Hawaii.
8.1/10 Good -
The Hartford
Growing small businesses that need a single-carrier program across five or more commercial lines — especially those needing D&O, EPLI, commercial umbrella, native workers' comp, or commercial auto in the same placement; contractors, trades, and field-services businesses needing GL + WC + commercial auto + umbrella on one carrier; buyers who value 215-year claims-relationship depth over lowest premium.
7.9/10 Good -
NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT)
Micro-businesses and freelancers under ~$1M revenue in service classes (cleaning, landscaping, personal training, photography, light contracting, consulting, professional services) that want online quote-to-bind in minutes on admitted paper with strong credit behind it.
7.8/10 Good -
Coalition
Tech, SaaS, fintech, e-commerce, and regulated-data businesses where cyber is the primary insurance exposure — especially buyers who want active cyber risk monitoring and pre-negotiated incident response integrated with the policy rather than a generic cyber add-on to a primary liability carrier.
7.7/10 Good -
Pie Insurance
Small businesses whose primary insurance need is workers' compensation — restaurants, trades, light contracting, fitness studios, service businesses with hourly employees — especially those with variable headcount that benefits from pay-as-you-go payroll billing, and buyers who value instant AI-driven quote-to-bind over broker-channel WC placement.
7.6/10 Good -
Thimble
Gig workers, event-based micro-businesses (photographers, fitness instructors, weekend tradespeople, pop-up retailers), seasonal contractors, and early-stage side businesses whose actual liability exposure is intermittent rather than continuous — and whose state is not in the 14-state Thimble cyber unavailability list if cyber is a material need.
7.4/10 Good -
biBERK
Small businesses with contractual commercial umbrella requirements (biBerk is the only direct carrier in our coverage set writing umbrella); trade and service businesses (contractors, cleaners, landscapers, HVAC, electricians, plumbers) placing GL + BOP + WC + commercial auto under one A++ direct carrier, where the buyer has read the 3-year CIS pattern (13.25 weighted, 2024 spike to 28.00, 2025 at 11.58) and formed their own view of the trajectory.
7.2/10 Good -
Hiscox
Professional-services micro-businesses under ~10 employees — consultants, marketing agencies, accountants, IT consultants, photographers, SaaS firms, real estate agents — whose primary exposure is professional liability, cyber, D&O, or EPLI, with commercial liability carried as a secondary line alongside the primary coverage they are actually choosing Hiscox for.
7.0/10 Good -
Embroker
Venture-backed tech and SaaS companies, IT consulting firms, and professional-services firms in Embroker's named industry list that need D&O + EPLI + PL + cyber bundled with tech-specific underwriting depth — especially Series A to Series C startups scaling headcount and handling product-engineering liability, and accountants/lawyers/consultants placing PL on Everspan-backed programs added in October 2024.
7.0/10 Good
