Best Workers' Comp Insurance Companies

ERGO NEXT offers the most affordable workers' comp rates across the widest range of business types, with average rates of $86 per employee monthly ($324 per employee annually), which saves businesses 24% compared to the national average. This provider ranks first in affordability for the following business profile areas:

• General industries most often cheapest for: Beauty, Body & Wellness Services, Marketing & Communications, Childcare Services, Food & Beverage, Retail & Product Rental, Pet Care Services, Education, Fitness Services, Repair & Maintenance, Arts, Media & Entertainment, Recreation & Sports, Cleaning Services, Manufacturing, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Wholesale & Distribution, Construction & Contracting, Transportation & Logistics
• Employee counts most often cheapest for: one to four employee businesses
• States/Regions most often cheapest in:
  • Southeast: AL, GA, NC, SC, TN
  • Midwest: KS, OK, WI
  • Mountain: CO, MT, UT
  • West: AK, AZ, OR
  • Northeast: CT, DE
  • South: KY, LA
  • Pacific: HI

ERGO NEXT leads in the buying process with top ratings across all areas. Our team got quotes in under 10 minutes with straightforward class code and payroll intake. The company also excels in policy management through its digital platform and mobile app. Customers praise instant certificate generation, payroll reporting tools and 24/7 document access.

Claims handling ranks third overall with mid-pack performance. Some customers report slower processing than expected, though the company assigns dedicated claims advocates. 

The table below shows how ERGO NEXT performed in our analysis of workers' comp customer experiences, online reviews and direct testing.

Policies include state-mandated workers' comp benefits plus employers' liability coverage with adjustable limits.

• Core limits: Employers' liability limits range from $100,000 to $1 million per accident, per employee and in aggregate. These limits protect you when employees sue for workplace injuries beyond standard workers' comp benefits.
• Endorsements: Business owner coverage adds protection for sole proprietors and partners who want coverage for their own work-related injuries. Blanket waiver of subrogation and custom certificate language are available when required by contracts.

The Hartford offers competitive workers' comp rates across professional service industries, with average rates of $93 per employee monthly ($1,116 per employee annually), which saves businesses 18% compared to the national average. This provider ranks first in affordability for the following business profile areas:

• General industries most often cheapest for: Financial Services, Consulting Services, Real Estate & Property Services, Other Professional Services, Tech/IT, Hospitality, Travel & Tourism, Healthcare & Medical, Nonprofit & Associations
• Employee counts most often cheapest for: Five to 19 employee businesses
• States/Regions most often cheapest in:
  • Northeast: CT, DE, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
  • Southeast: FL, VA, WV
  • Midwest: IA, IN, MI, MN, MO, NE, SD
  • South: AR, MS, TX
  • Mountain: ID, NM
  • West: CA, NV

The Hartford ranks seventh in the buying process with weaker performance across class code accuracy and quote speed. Our team found agent-assisted quoting with flexible payment options, though customer feedback reveals quote accuracy concerns.

Policy management ranks second with solid ratings. The Hartford's portal and mobile app provide certificate access, bill payment and audit submission, though customers report mixed experiences with premium audits and billing reconciliation.

Claims handling ranks second with strong ratings. The Hartford's medical network exceeds 1 million providers with nurse case managers coordinating care. Customer feedback is polarized, with some praising detailed communication while others report progress delays when adjusters rotate.

Below you can see how The Hartford performed in our comprehensive analysis:

The Hartford's workers' comp structure focuses on standard coverage with service support rather than customizable options. All policies include state-mandated benefits plus employers' liability coverage, with limits that vary by state and business profile. On the service side, nurse case managers coordinate care through a network of over 1 million providers, and pay-as-you-go payment options let you pay based on actual payroll rather than estimates.

If you're comparing workers' comp costs for service-based or fitness businesses, Coverdash offers the most affordable rates for specific business types, with average rates of $111 per employee monthly ($1,327 per employee annually), which saves businesses 2% compared to the national average. Coverdash ranks first in affordability for the following business profile areas:

• Subindustries most often cheapest for: Nanny Service, In-Home Daycare, Yoga Studio/Instructor, Zumba Class/Instructor, Pilates Class/Instructor

Coverdash's platform delivers fast quote generation from major carriers, with comparison tables appearing in under a minute. Customer feedback highlights same-day coverage and significant cost savings.

Our analysis shows that while the provider delivers consistent performance in the policy purchase process, class code accuracy, coverage clarity, and eligibility transparency remain middle-of-the-pack. This means you'll get quotes quickly, but may need to verify class codes and carefully review coverage details yourself rather than relying on platform guidance.

Since Coverdash operates as an aggregator, policy management and claims occur through the carrier you select, not Coverdash itself. This works well for straightforward coverage needs but may not suit businesses requiring ongoing broker support. We've detailed Coverdash's scores in our customer experience survey below:

Coverage structure varies by carrier since you're selecting from multiple insurers through the platform.

• Core limits: Employers' liability coverage varies by carrier, with limits for bodily injury per accident, by disease (policy limit), and by disease (per employee). For example, AmTrust offers $100,000 per accident, $500,000 policy limit, and $100,000 per employee for disease claims. Employers' liability protects you if an injured employee sues for negligence beyond standard workers' comp benefits.
• Endorsements: Optional owner/officer coverage lets you add yourself to the policy. Corporate officers are typically included automatically but can opt out. Partners and sole proprietors are usually excluded but can elect coverage if desired.

Nationwide offers the most affordable workers' comp rates across many business types, with average rates of $108 per employee monthly ($1,299 per employee annually), which saves businesses 4% compared to the national average. This provider ranks first in affordability for the following business profile areas:

• Subindustries most often cheapest for: Small Farm, Poultry Farm, Dairy Farm (Small), Greenhouse Operation, Screen Printing
• Employee counts most often cheapest for: 20–49 employee businesses

If you prioritize claim handling over application speed, Nationwide fits your preference. The provider ranks fourth in claims, with 24/7 nurse triage, dedicated adjusters maintaining regular contact and quality medical provider networks across most states. Return-to-work coordinators help transition injured workers to modified duty, though some employers report difficulty reversing claim decisions during appeals.

Policy management ranks third, with certificate generation through the Business Insurance Center portal and mobile app access. Premium audits offer mail, phone or online submission options, though documentation requirements confuse some industries.

Buying ranks eighth due to agent-dependent quoting, resulting in turnaround times between one to five days. Agents may also misclassify complex businesses, leading to premium adjustments at audit, so verify your class code matches your operations before binding. 

Below you can see our analysis of Nationwide's customer experience scores for workers' comp insurance policies:

If you're comparing coverage options to understand what protection levels Nationwide offers, the provider gives you flexibility in employers' liability limits and optional endorsements for specialized situations. Coverage structure varies by business profile and state requirements.

• Core limits: Employers' liability coverage offers three limit options: $100,000/$500,000/$100,000, $500,000/$500,000/$500,000, or $1,000,000/$1,000,000/$1,000,000 (per accident/policy limit/per employee). Higher limits provide stronger protection if injured employees sue for negligence beyond statutory benefits.
• Endorsements: Voluntary compensation extends coverage to independent contractors, sole proprietors, or corporate officers. Waiver of subrogation, alternative employer, United States Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (USL&H) for maritime workers, and foreign coverage endorsements are available based on your business needs and contract requirements.

Thimble ranks 4th overall for workers' comp insurance affordability and does not stand out for long term coverage for most businesses. Even so, with an average rate of $115/mo it is competitive with our 3rd place pick biBERK, making it an option to consider if you're looking for low-cost coverage. In our analysis, they are particularly affordable for those in contracting and construction with an average monthly savings of $66/mo, ranking them 2nd cheapest provider for this group.

Thimble has a top-heavy customer experience performance, having the 2nd best process for buying a workers' comp insurance policy and progressively gets worse as you move to policy management (4th) and claims (7th). This is primarily due to their lack of availability of on the phone agents and you can only connect with a service representative over email. 

So, if you're looking for personalized service and fast response times, Thimble will be a much weaker option due to this limitation. If you are considering buying a policy, we and many customers found the process simple and straightforward, that policy terms were very transparent (even into the fine print) and it offered the 2nd fastest quote times under 6 minutes on average.

Coverage options for workers' comp policies are much more limited with Thimble, offering only three core workers' comp insurance options for per occurrence only and lacking more minutia add-on customization (forces tiered coverage packages). While this is the case, it does specialize in offering temporary coverage that for as little as a per hour basis that can be beneficial for event-based and single job contract focused businesses.