BizInsuranceCompare

Hiscox vs NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT): Small Business Insurance Compared (2026)

Compare Hiscox vs NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) for small business insurance: scores, pricing, coverage, claims, AM Best ratings, and who each carrier is best for.

Updated

Head-to-head comparison

Comparing Hiscox (7.0/10) and NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) (7.8/10) 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 →

Hiscox vs NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) side-by-side
CarrierOur scorePositioningStarting priceCoverageClaimsAM BestNAIC indexStatesQuote channel
7.0Professional services E&O focusGL $30/mo7.5/108.0/10A8.1550 statesDirect online
7.8Digital-native micro-businessCyber $4/mo7.0/107.5/10A+ Sub-threshold 50 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

NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) edges out Hiscox by 0.8 on our 10-point scale, scoring higher on complaint history while Hiscox holds ground on coverage. NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) is best for 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.; 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 Hiscox wins

  • Coverage: Hiscox 7.5 vs NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) 7.0
  • Claims: Hiscox 8.0 vs NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) 7.5
  • Coverage breadth: Hiscox 7.5 vs NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) 7.0

Where NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) wins

  • Complaint history: NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) 6.5 vs Hiscox 3.5
  • Pricing: NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) 8.5 vs Hiscox 7.5
  • Financial strength: NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) 9.0 vs Hiscox 8.0

Pricing comparison

Policy line Hiscox NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT)
General liability$30/mo$19/mo
Business owners policy$42/mo$25/mo
Workers comp$14/mo
Cyber$30/mo$4/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

Hiscox

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

NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT)

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

Claims experience

Note: Hiscox's NAIC complaint index is 8.15. Above industry baseline. Hiscox scores 8.0/10 on claims vs 7.5/10 for NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT). The gap is small enough that an individual carrier's claims experience can swing your judgment. 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?

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.. NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) fits if 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.. 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.

Compare Hiscox, NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT), and 8 other carriers in 2 minutes.

Find your coverage →

For deeper trust assessments: Is Hiscox worth it? · Is NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) worth it?

Frequently asked questions

Is Hiscox or NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) cheaper for small business insurance?
NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) starts lower at $4/mo vs $30/mo for Hiscox. But starting price isn't your final price. Get bound quotes for the same limits before deciding.
Which has better customer service, Hiscox or NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT)?
Hiscox scores 8.0/10 on claims vs 7.5/10 for NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT). The gap is small enough that an individual carrier's claims experience can swing your judgment.
Does Hiscox or NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT) offer broader coverage?
Hiscox scores 7.5/10 on coverage breadth vs 7.0/10 for NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT). Coverage breadth captures policy types offered and the depth within each, weighted at 20% of our overall score.
Can I switch from Hiscox to NEXT Insurance (ERGO NEXT)?
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.

Last updated: 2026-04-29