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The Hartford vs Hiscox: Small Business Insurance Compared (2026)

Compare The Hartford vs Hiscox for small business insurance: scores, pricing, coverage, claims, AM Best ratings, and who each carrier is best for.

Updated

Head-to-head comparison

Comparing The Hartford (7.9/10) and Hiscox (7.0/10) for small business owners choosing between two of the carriers we review at BizInsuranceCompare.

Sub-threshold = fewer than 20 NAIC complaints in 3 years (data is too sparse to score reliably). N/A (broker) = not a carrier. See full methodology →

The Hartford vs Hiscox side-by-side
CarrierOur scorePositioningStarting priceCoverageClaimsAM BestNAIC indexStatesQuote channel
7.9Single-carrier program for SMBsGL $68/mo9.0/108.0/10A+ Sub-threshold 50 statesDirect online
7.0Professional services E&O focusGL $30/mo7.5/108.0/10A8.1550 statesDirect online

About complaint index data: Values are 3-year averages from NAIC Consumer Information Source for commercial liability. Carriers with fewer than 20 complaints in the 3-year window are labeled "sub-threshold". A reliability call about data volume, not a finding about the carrier. Brokers (Category D) are structurally N/A. See our complete methodology.

Quick verdict

The Hartford edges out Hiscox by 0.9 on our 10-point scale, scoring higher on complaint history while Hiscox pulls ahead on pricing. The Hartford is best for 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.; Hiscox fits 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..

Where The Hartford wins

  • Complaint history: The Hartford 7.0 vs Hiscox 3.5
  • Coverage: The Hartford 9.0 vs Hiscox 7.5
  • Coverage breadth: The Hartford 9.0 vs Hiscox 7.5

Where Hiscox wins

  • Pricing: Hiscox 7.5 vs The Hartford 6.5
  • Customer experience: Hiscox 8.0 vs The Hartford 7.5

Pricing comparison

Policy line The Hartford Hiscox
General liability$68/mo$30/mo
Business owners policy$141/mo$42/mo
Workers comp$86/mo—
Cyber—$30/mo

Starting prices reflect carrier-published "from" rates and don't include your business's actual underwriting. Quote both for a usable comparison.

Coverage comparison

The Hartford

  • ● bop
  • ● commercial auto
  • ● commercial property
  • ● cyber liability
  • ● d and o
  • ● epli
  • ● general liability
  • ● professional liability
  • ● umbrella
  • ● workers comp

Hiscox

  • ● bop
  • ○ commercial auto
  • ○ commercial property
  • ● cyber liability
  • ● d and o
  • ● epli
  • ● general liability
  • ● professional liability
  • ○ umbrella
  • ● workers comp

Claims experience

Note: Hiscox's NAIC complaint index is 8.15. Above industry baseline. Both carriers score evenly at 8.0/10 on claims. Read the full reviews for the qualitative findings. For NAIC-reported complaint volumes that fall below the threshold (typically <20 complaints in the reporting window), the index is suppressed by NAIC and shown as ", ". That's not the same as zero complaints.

Verdict. Which should you choose?

The Hartford fits if 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.. Hiscox fits if 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.. The fastest way to settle it: get bound quotes from both for the same coverage limits, then compare premium and the policy form, not the marketing.

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For deeper trust assessments: Is The Hartford worth it? · Is Hiscox worth it?

Frequently asked questions

Is The Hartford or Hiscox cheaper for small business insurance?
Hiscox starts lower at $30/mo vs $68/mo for The Hartford. But starting price isn't your final price. Get bound quotes for the same limits before deciding.
Which has better customer service, The Hartford or Hiscox?
Both carriers score evenly at 8.0/10 on claims. Read the full reviews for the qualitative findings.
Does The Hartford or Hiscox offer broader coverage?
The Hartford scores 9.0/10 on coverage breadth vs 7.5/10 for Hiscox. Coverage breadth captures policy types offered and the depth within each, weighted at 20% of our overall score.
Can I switch from The Hartford to Hiscox?
Yes. There's no carrier-side restriction on switching small business insurance. The right time is at renewal so you avoid mid-term cancellation fees, but a serious price or coverage gap can justify switching mid-term. Quote both before your renewal date and compare apples-to-apples on coverage limits, not just premium.
How we scored this

Last updated: 2026-04-29