fact checked icon

Updated: February 2, 2026

Advertising & Editorial Disclosure

Best General Liability Insurance Companies For Small Businesses

While there is no single best general liability insurance option for every small business, many companies can find strong coverage with the following companies:

  1. ERGO NEXT: Best Overall, Best For Hands-on and Complex Businesses
  2. The Hartford: Best Cheap General Liability Insurance
  3. biBERK: Best For Lower-risk Service Businesses
  4. Simply Business: Best For Coverage Selection
  5. Thimble: Best For Gig and Event-based Workers

These insurance providers offer a strong balance of affordability, customer experience, and coverage options, making them reliable choices for covering common small business risks. Below, we summarize why each insurer made our top five general liability insurers and where their strengths stand out.

ERGO NEXT

4.36

Best overall balance of affordability and online buying, with the strongest experience for hands-on and complex small businesses.

The Hartford

4.32

Strong long-term value with top-rated policy management and claims handling, especially for office-based and professional service businesses.

biBERK

4.20

Consistently affordable coverage with simple underwriting, making it a strong fit for lower-risk service businesses.

Simply Business

4.19

Best for comparing coverage across multiple insurers when provider choice matters more than a single-carrier relationship.

Thimble

3.98

Flexible, short-term general liability coverage designed for gig, event-based, and project-driven work.

For our overall best general liability insurance ratings, we analyzed pricing, coverage options, and customer experience across 408 industries and all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Our analysis focuses on 1-to-4-person businesses, which represent nearly half of U.S. small businesses, while weighting results to ensure broader industry and location representation.

To do this, we evaluated over one million business profiles, more than 100,000 customer experience data points and performed in-depth analysis of coverage contracts and endorsements to compare insurers consistently across industries and regions. We then rated each company across categories of affordability (50% of overall score), customer experience (30% of overall score) and coverage options and terms (20% of overall score) to form an overall rating.

For a detailed breakdown of the metrics, scoring methodology, and pricing analysis, see our full methodology.

95%
% of Small Businesses Covered
Over 1 million
Business Profiles Studied
Over 100,000
Customer Experiences Analyzed

Find The Best General Liability Insurance For Your Business

Select your industry and state to get a customized quote from your best general liability insurer match.

Industry
State
Company Image
Best Overall, Best For Hands-on and Complex Businesses

ERGO NEXT

ERGO NEXT stands out for delivering the strongest overall balance of affordability and buying experience for small businesses. Its fully online process, fast policy setup, and strong coverage fit make it especially effective for businesses with more hands-on work or operational complexity.

Where ERGO NEXT performs best:

  • Very small businesses (0–4 employees)
  • Hands-on industries like contracting, beauty, repair, and maintenance
  • Businesses that prioritize speed, coverage guidance, and ease of purchase

Where ERGO NEXT performs less competitively:

  • Highly technical industries such as finance and tech
  • Businesses needing advanced endorsements or high coverage limits

Learn More: NEXT Insurance Review

Company Image
Best Cheap General Liability Insurance

The Hartford

In our analysis, The Hartford stood out as our second overall pick for general liability insurance for delivering reliable, well-rounded performance across coverage options and post-purchase servicing. While it is not always the lowest-cost option, its strength in claims handling and policy administration makes it a dependable choice for businesses that value long-term stability.

Where The Hartford performs best:

  • Technically focused businesses such as those in tech, finance and medical industries
  • More established small businesses with 5 to 49+ employees
  • Businesses that prioritize coverage depth and reliability
  • Companies that value strong agent service and claims handling

Where The Hartford performs less competitively:

  • Highly price-sensitive businesses focused on the absolute lowest premiums
  • Buyers looking for the fastest, fully self-serve digital purchasing experience

Learn More: The Hartford Business Insurance Review

Company Image
Best For Lower-risk Service Businesses

biBerk

In our analysis, biBERK performed well on pricing while maintaining consistently solid results across customer experience and underwriting transparency, solidifying its spot as the third best general liability insurer. Its ability to deliver predictable, competitive value for common small business risks places it among the strongest options for cost-conscious businesses.

Where biBERK performs best:

  • Sole proprietor businesses without employees
  • Companies in the fitness, recreation, cleaning and real estate industries
  • Owners who want lower coverage than standard policies and easy selection

Where biBERK performs less competitively:

  • Businesses requiring highly customized or specialized coverage structures
  • Companies prioritizing premium digital tools or personalized service

Learn More: biBERK Review

Company Image
Best For Coverage Selection

Simply Business

In our analysis, Simply Business stood out for its ability to help businesses efficiently compare general liability insurance coverage across multiple carriers. Rather than excelling in a single insurer experience, its strength lies in enabling informed choice and flexibility at the point of purchase.

Where Simply Business performs best:

  • Companies that value choice and upfront comparison over a single-carrier relationship
  • Businesses in the retail and product rental industry
  • Coverage option expansiveness that individual insurers can't match

Where Simply Business performs less competitively:

  • Businesses seeking a direct, long-term relationship with one insurer
  • Companies wanting a personalized post-purchase service experience

Learn More: Simply Business Review

Company Image
Best For Gig and Event-based Workers

Thimble

In our analysis, Thimble stood out for its ability to provide quick, flexible general liability coverage without long-term commitments. Its strength lies in serving businesses whose insurance needs change frequently or are tied to specific jobs, events, or time periods.

Where Thimble performs best:

  • Businesses needing short-term or on-demand general liability coverage
  • Gig-based, freelance, or project-driven work industries
  • Owners who prioritize buying speed and policy flexibility over long-term coverage depth

Where Thimble performs less competitively:

  • Businesses seeking year-round, ongoing coverage
  • Companies requiring extensive customization or higher coverage limits

Learn More: Thimble Review

Explore The Best General Liability Insurance By Industry

If you want more a more personalized best general liability insurance provider recommendations, we've provided industry level resources below.

Explore The Best General Liability Insurance By State

So you can ensure that a provider is the best general liability insurer in your particular area, we've provided state level resources for you to learn more.

What Determines The Best General Liability Insurance For You

The best general liability insurance isn’t defined by a single factor like price or the right coverage limits. Instead, the strongest providers consistently balance affordability, customer experience, and coverage options in a way that works for most small businesses over time.

Insurers that perform well in only one area may be appealing in specific situations, but they often fall short when evaluated holistically. The providers that rank among the best tend to deliver reliable value across all three dimensions below.

    coins2 icon
    Affordability without pricing volatility

    The best general liability insurers offer competitive pricing that does not vary as much across industries, business sizes and states. While the lowest price can be attractive upfront if you're a smaller business you need to also evaluate their premium increase patterns over time to ensure they are an ideal choice. Insurers that consistently price policies lower regardless of your business's stage provide better long-term value and fewer surprises as a company grows or changes.

    talk icon
    A strong customer experience across a policy's lifecycle

    Customer experience matters well beyond the initial purchase. The best general liability insurers make it easy to buy coverage, manage policies, request certificates, and navigate claims when issues arise.

    Providers that perform well here tend to offer:

    • Clear communication and transparency
    • A fast, personalized and customizable buying experience
    • Straightforward policy management
    • Responsive claims handling and fair payouts
    • Helpful agents at all stages
    insurance2 icon
    Coverage options that fit common small business risks

    The best general liability insurance covers the most common risks businesses face without unnecessary complexity. While not every business needs highly customized endorsements, good providers offer enough flexibility to adapt as operations evolve.

    Insurers that rank highly in coverage options tend to balance these items well:

    • Breadth of coverage for common risks
    • Sensible limits and exclusions
    • Flexibility for growing businesses
    building icon
    Consistency across business profiles

    What ultimately separates the best insurers from the rest is consistency. Providers that perform well across all of the areas above and a wide range of industries, states, and business sizes are more likely to deliver dependable coverage regardless of where or how a business operates.

How to Choose The Best General Liability Insurance

Choosing the best general liability insurance comes down to confirming which factors matter most for your business and understanding how insurers differ across those areas. The step-by-step process below can help you narrow your options without starting the comparison process over.

  1. 1
    Optimize your payment and coverage structure

    Start by confirming what your general liability policy needs are and how flexible it needs to be.

    Ask yourself:

    • Do you interact with customers, clients, or the public in person?
    • Do you work on client property or at job sites?
    • Do contracts, landlords, or clients require specific limits or certificates?
    • What is the cost of a worst-case scenario that general liability insurance can cover?

    If your risks are straightforward and your requirements are minimal, a standard general liability policy ($1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate) may be sufficient. Working in a higher risk industry like construction may require larger amounts of coverage and more flexible coverage terms might be needed if your work job or event based.

  2. 2
    Choose your primary priority

    Once your coverage needs are clear, decide which factor will matter most over the next year:

    • Affordability if keeping costs predictable is your main concern
    • Customer experience if you expect to manage policies, request certificates, or file claims
    • Coverage options if your risks are more complex or likely to change

    This priority becomes your main tiebreaker when comparing otherwise strong providers.

  3. 3
    Shortlist two to three providers

    Research providers based on what is most important to you and narrow down who matches your general needs. This will serve as your best general liability basis point before deciding a final winner for your company

  4. 4
    Double check for dealbreakers before investing more time

    Before reading full reviews or requesting quotes, confirm that each provider can meet your non-negotiables, such as:

    • Required coverage limits
    • Certificate and additional insured needs
    • Preferred servicing model (direct insurer vs. marketplace vs. short-term coverage)
  5. 5
    Compare your finalists using the same three lenses

    For the providers that remain, compare them consistently across:

    • Affordability (price predictability, not just the lowest quote)
    • Customer experience (buying, servicing, and claims)
    • Coverage options (breadth for common risks and flexibility over time)

    Using the same lenses helps you avoid being swayed by one standout feature.

  6. 6
    Use quotes as the final confirmation step

    Once you’ve identified the best-fitting providers, request quotes to validate pricing and availability for your specific business details. Quotes work best when used to confirm a good general liability choice, not to decide between many unfamiliar options.

Expert Advice On Choosing The Best General Liability Insurance

Loading...

Best Small Business General Liability Insurance: Bottom Line

ERGO NEXT, The Hartford and biBERK lead our rankings for general liability insurance, but your ideal provider depends on your industry and location. You'll get the best deal by optimizing your payment structure, assessing your specific risks and comparing providers strategically instead of focusing only on price. This approach helps you find comprehensive protection that fits both your budget and business needs.

Best General Liability Insurance For Small Business Chart

Best General Liability Insurance For Small Business: Next Steps

If you’re choosing general liability insurance for a small business, the most effective next step is to shortlist one or two of the top providers above and confirm pricing and availability using the same coverage limits.

This approach helps you validate affordability for your specific business while avoiding misleading comparisons based on different policy assumptions.

If you want to confirm cost before deciding

If price is still a major factor, reviewing typical cost ranges can help set expectations before requesting quotes.

If you’re unsure how much coverage you need

If you’re not confident a standard policy is enough or worry about buying too much, clarifying coverage requirements can prevent gaps or unnecessary expense.

  • Learn how much general liability coverage your business may need
  • Review common contract, landlord, and client general liability insurance requirements

If you’re ready to check quotes now

Once you’ve identified a strong provider fit, checking quotes is the fastest way to confirm eligibility and pricing for your exact business details.

  • Compare general liability insurance quotes using the same limits
  • Validate coverage terms before making a final decision

Find The Best General Liability Insurer For Your Business

Select your industry and state to get a customized quote from your top general liability insurance match.

Industry
State

How We Chose the Best General Liability Insurance Companies

To identify the best general liability insurance companies for small businesses, we evaluated insurers across pricing, customer experience, and coverage options using a standardized, data-driven approach. Our goal was not to identify the cheapest option in every scenario, but to determine which providers deliver the most consistent overall value across common small business profiles.

Our best recommendations reflect insurers that perform well across multiple dimensions and remain competitive across industries, states, and business sizes.

Data and Analysis Scope

Our analysis is based on standardized estimates designed to represent the majority of U.S. small businesses:

  • Providers analyzed: 10 major insurers
  • Industries covered: 408 industries
  • Geography: All U.S. states (including Washington, D.C.)
  • Employee counts: 0–49 employees (representing ~95% of small businesses)
  • Policy baseline: $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate general liability policy
  • Pricing modeled: Just over 1 million standardized estimates

Modeled average revenues and payrolls were incorporated to improve pricing accuracy.

Our Scoring Model

Each insurer received a composite score based on the weighted categories below.

  • Affordability (50% of overall score): Affordability reflects how competitively and consistently an insurer prices general liability coverage across all business profiles studied.
  • Customer experience (30% of overall score): Customer experience measures how well insurers support businesses throughout the policy lifecycle from purchase to claims. We also studied at each level of buying, policy management and claims sub-parts of the process that make it easier and more reliable within each as well for accuracy and comprehensive understanding.
  • Coverage options (20%): Coverage options reflect how well insurers support common small business risks and allow for flexibility as businesses grow or change.

About Angelique Palenzuela-Cruz

Angelique Palenzuela-Cruz headshot

Angelique Palenzuela-Cruz is a Content Writer at MoneyGeek specializing in business insurance. She focuses on general liability, workers' compensation and professional liability coverage, helping small business owners cut through policy jargon and understand what they're actually buying.

Angelique has spent over five years reporting on personal finance, with deep experience in both insurance and lending markets. Her psychology background also gives her a unique understanding of how people actually process difficult financial decisions, allowing her to meet readers where they are, simplify complex concepts and build decision making frameworks that give them confidence. Whether you're learning about policies, comparing providers or trying to figure out requirements, Angelique does the legwork, digging into regulations, analyzing policy language and testing her explanations against agent-level standards so you get straight answers without fluff.

Read Full Bio »

MoneyGeek Address:1325 Howard Ave, Suite 338
Burlingame, CA 94010

MoneyGeek Phone:904-878-4335

About MoneyGeekPressPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSitemap
Copyright © 2026 MoneyGeek.com. All Rights Reserved