Cheapest General Liability Insurance Companies

We found these providers to have the cheapest general liability insurance (AKA public liability insurance) on average:

  1. The Hartford : The cheapest general liability insurer overall with average rates of $102/mo which saves small businesses 17% on average. The company is generally cheapest for most professional service and office-based businesses (finance, tech, marketing)
  2. ERGO NEXT: NEXT saves businesses 13% on general liability insurance overall with average rates of $107/mo or $1,286/yr. The business insurer is cheapest for hands-on, operational service businesses (Contractors, Food & Beverage, Transportation)
  3. biBERK: biBERK rounds out our top three cheap general liability insurers with average savings of 8%. They are often cheapest for sole proprietor service businesses (cleaning, fitness, recreation).

>>(Click Each Provider To Learn More)

Your most affordable commercial general liability insurance provider and monthly rate can vary widely based on your specific business details. So, use these companies as a starting point for possible general liability policy costs, not a final answer.

The Hartford$102$1,22717%
ERGO NEXT$107$1,28613%
biBERK$114$1,3638%
Thimble$115$1,3767%
Simply Business$119$1,4303%

How We Determined The Cheapest General Liability Insurance Providers

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CHEAPEST GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE DOESN'T MEAN BEST FIT

A provider can be the cheapest option for general liability insurance without being the best fit for your business or the cheapest small business insurer overall. When comparing policies, weigh coverage options, policy terms, and customer experiences, not just price. If you want to compare providers based on overall value, see our guide to the best general liability insurance companies.

The Hartford

The Hartford: Cheapest General Liability Insurance For Most Businesses

On The Hartford's site
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

The Hartford was the cheapest general liability insurance provider for the widest range of business profiles in our analysis, especially lower-risk professional and service businesses, and companies with more employees. The company on average has general liability insurance rates that are 17% below average at $102/mo, saving most around $21/mo. 

According to our dataset, the company offers especially attractive savings for those in the financial, medical and education sectors of over 20% compared to the average for their industry.

Most often cheapest for these business profiles:

  • General industries most often cheapest for: Tech/It, Marketing & Communications, (Arts, Media & Entertainment), Financial Services, Education, Retail & Product Rental, Healthcare & Medical
  • Employee counts most often cheapest for: 5 to 49+ employees
  • States/Regions most often cheapest in:
    • Northeast: CT, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
    • Midwest: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
    • South: MD, DC, VA

Not a Fit? Jump To: biBERK or ERGO NEXT

ERGO NEXT

ERGO NEXT: Cheapest General Liability Insurance for Hands-On Service Businesses

On ERGO NEXT's site
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

ERGO NEXT tended to be one of the lowest-cost general liability options, costing around $107/mo on average which saves small businesses around 13% compared to national benchmarks. Their lowest pricing favors hands-on service businesses, especially when employee count is small (1–4 employees). If your work happens on job sites. involves repair, or personalized service work, ERGO NEXT is frequently among the cheapest providers to compare.

Our analysis found if you are in hospitality, manufacturing, food or repair/maintenance fields general liability savings with the provider reached over 25% compared to the average within these business areas.

Most often cheapest for these business profiles

  • General industries most often cheapest for: Construction & Contracting, Consulting Services, (Beauty, Body & Wellness Services), Manufacturing, Repair & Maintenance, Pet Care Services, Misc Professional Services (Event Planners and Funeral Homes for example), (Hospitality, Travel & Tourism), Transportation & Logistics, Food & Beverage, Wholesale & Distribution, Childcare Services
  • Employee counts most often cheapest for: 1-4 employee businesses
  • States/Regions most often cheapest in:
    • West: AZ, AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY
    • South: AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
    • Midwest: IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI
    • Northeast: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT

Not a Fit? Jump To: biBERK or The Hartford

biBerk

biBERK: Cheapest General Liability Insurance For Fitness and Recreation Businesses

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

biBERK rounds out the third-place spot for cheap general liability insurance, winning for affordability in the general industries surrounding recreation, exercise, real estate/property services and cleaning. Its specialty is sole proprietor businesses (2nd in affordability), and its pricing is lowest for niche market states (2nd in affordability for Alaska and Hawaii). While it is not the cheapest on our list, you can save an average of 8% or $9/mo with biBERK.

Most often cheapest for these business profiles

  • General industries most often cheapest for: Real Estate & Property Services, Recreation and Sports, Cleaning Services and Fitness Services
  • Employee counts most often cheapest for: Sole Proprietors
  • States most often cheapest in: AK, HI

Not a Fit? Jump To: ERGO NEXT or The Hartford

Cheapest General Liability Insurance By Industry

At the general industry level, ERGO NEXT is proportionally the cheapest general liability insurance company, winning 12 out of 25 general industries with savings of up to 34% on average. The Hartford isn't far behind with 7 wins at second place for affordability, biBERK sits at 3rd with four wins and Nationwide 4th with 2 wins. Tech related organizations will be able to get the most affordable general liability policies on the market at $24/mo with marketing, arts and consulting businesses following all being $30/mo or under on average.

Data filtered by:
Select
Tech/ITThe Hartford$2414%
Marketing & CommunicationsThe Hartford$2620%
Arts, Media & EntertainmentThe Hartford$3020%
Consulting ServicesNEXT Insurance$323%
Beauty, Body & Wellness ServicesNEXT Insurance$3221%
Financial ServicesThe Hartford$3321%
EducationThe Hartford$3330%
Real Estate & Property ServicesbiBERK$3920%
ManufacturingNEXT Insurance$4830%
Nonprofit & AssociationsNationwide$4913%
Repair & MaintenanceNEXT Insurance$5429%
Pet Care ServicesNEXT Insurance$6317%
Other Professional ServicesNEXT Insurance$6318%
Hospitality, Travel & TourismNEXT Insurance$7034%
Transportation & LogisticsNEXT Insurance$7411%
Recreation and SportsbiBERK$7617%
Cleaning ServicesbiBERK$8119%
Fitness ServicesbiBERK$8221%
Agriculture & Natural ResourcesNationwide$8812%
Retail & Product RentalThe Hartford$8919%
Food & BeverageNEXT Insurance$9525%
Wholesale & DistributionNEXT Insurance$998%
Childcare ServicesNEXT Insurance$10815%
Healthcare & MedicalThe Hartford$14830%
Construction & ContractingNEXT Insurance$26222%

If you want to dig in deeper into the cheapest general liability insurance for your industry, we've left dedicated resources below.

Cheapest General Liability Insurance By State

ERGO NEXT's proportional lead is much larger at the location level for cheap general liability insurance, winning 38 out of 51 states and territories studied in terms of affordability. The Hartford primarily has dominance in the northeast and midwest winning the remaining states, sporting the highest average savings of 18% in Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island and Minnesota. West Virginia, Mississippi and South Dakota are the most general liability insurance cost friendly states and have the lowest prices available for the coverage type starting at $75/mo on average.

Data filtered by:
Select
West VirginiaNEXT Insurance$7513%
MississippiNEXT Insurance$7813%
South DakotaNEXT Insurance$8012%
MontanaNEXT Insurance$8115%
IowaNEXT Insurance$8312%
IdahoNEXT Insurance$8414%
South CarolinaNEXT Insurance$8412%
North DakotaNEXT Insurance$8512%
ArkansasNEXT Insurance$8613%
AlabamaNEXT Insurance$8812%
New MexicoNEXT Insurance$8814%
OklahomaNEXT Insurance$8812%
IndianaThe Hartford$8817%
KansasNEXT Insurance$8913%
KentuckyNEXT Insurance$8913%
NebraskaNEXT Insurance$9113%
WyomingNEXT Insurance$9213%
MissouriNEXT Insurance$9212%
OhioThe Hartford$9216%
IndianaNEXT Insurance$9313%
UtahNEXT Insurance$9414%
WisconsinNEXT Insurance$9413%
LouisianaNEXT Insurance$969%
MichiganThe Hartford$9617%
North CarolinaNEXT Insurance$9614%
TennesseeNEXT Insurance$9714%
MaineNEXT Insurance$9812%
VermontThe Hartford$10118%
ArizonaNEXT Insurance$10415%
GeorgiaNEXT Insurance$10513%
MinnesotaThe Hartford$10518%
TexasNEXT Insurance$10613%
Rhode IslandThe Hartford$10718%
PennsylvaniaThe Hartford$10816%
NevadaNEXT Insurance$11115%
DelawareNEXT Insurance$11412%
VirginiaNEXT Insurance$11615%
New HampshireNEXT Insurance$11713%
OregonNEXT Insurance$11715%
IllinoisThe Hartford$11816%
FloridaNEXT Insurance$12315%
ColoradoNEXT Insurance$12415%
WashingtonNEXT Insurance$12916%
MarylandThe Hartford$12917%
ConnecticutThe Hartford$13018%
New JerseyThe Hartford$13217%
AlaskaNEXT Insurance$13511%
MarylandNEXT Insurance$13513%
MassachusettsThe Hartford$13917%
HawaiiNEXT Insurance$14112%
New YorkThe Hartford$14917%
District of ColumbiaNEXT Insurance$15913%
CaliforniaNEXT Insurance$16116%

You can dig in deeper into your state specific cheapest general liability insurance with the resources below.

Is The Cheapest General Liability Insurance Right For Your Business?

The cheapest general liability insurance policy can be a smart choice as long as it still protects your business properly. The lowest-cost option is safest when the following criteria are met:

  • Coverage limits match your actual risk exposure (and any contract requirements)
  • Deductibles are affordable, so you can pay them if you ever file a claim
  • Coverage add-ons and endorsements (if needed) are available at a reasonable cost
  • The provider has a strong customer experience reputation, including the buying process, policy management, and claims handling

Ultimately, the goal isn’t to choose the cheapest policy at all costs, it’s to choose the most affordable option that still meets your coverage needs. However, if your budget only allows for the lowest-cost policy, you may need to accept tradeoffs (like lower limits or fewer add-ons) and plan to upgrade coverage as your business grows.

Is The Cheapest Right For Your Business?:

How To Get Cheaper General Liability Insurance Without Sacrificing Protection

Position your business for the lowest possible general liability rates without compromising protection with the following methods:

    bag icon
    Compare general liability quotes using the same limits (apples-to-apples)

    To confirm who’s actually cheapest for your business, compare quotes using the same limits and coverage terms. Our rankings are based on standardized estimates, so quoting directly is the best way to verify your lowest-cost provider.

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    Ensure your business classification (class code) is correct

    The most common reason businesses overpay for general liability and other business insurance types is due to class code misclassification. If your business is misclassified on your policy, it can increase your premium significantly, sometimes by 20%+ depending on the class code.

    insurance2 icon
    Only pay for general liability coverage limits you actually need

    Identifying not only the coverage you are required to get, but the actual general liability limits that will protect your business from the most likely risks will stop you from overpaying. For example, if you have a low risk business, a $500,000 per occurence and $1 million aggregate policy can save you around 13% compared to a standard $1 million per occurence and $2 million aggregate policy. Just make sure that if you're choosing lower coverage limits that you're still meeting any requirements you may have (check any client, landlord, or vendor requirements).

    money2 icon
    Use general liability deductibles and payments strategically

    Raising your general liability insurance deductible (when you can afford it) can reduce your premium by up to 21% compared to choosing the lowest deductible. Paying in full can also save you up to 8% depending on provider.

    coins2 icon
    Bundle general liability insurance when it lowers your total cost

    Generally speaking you can save between 10% to 15% when bundling general liability insurance with other policies, especially when it is a Business Owners Policy (BOP). However, you should ensure that the total cost with discounts is actually the lowest cost value for the coverage you need and with a provider you can trust.

    falling icon
    Reduce general liability claim risk in ways insurers actually price

    Not every method of communicating general liability claim risk reduction changes your premium, but these actions commonly do:

    • strong safety procedures (especially for jobsite work)
    • keeping certificates of insurance (COIs) on file for subcontractors
    • avoiding small claims when possible (frequent claims history raises rates)
    • using written agreements (especially with subcontractors and customers)

Affordable General Liability Insurance: Bottom Line

There’s no single cheapest general liability insurance company for every business. The cheapest option depends on your industry, state and business size and the lowest-priced policy only works if it still meets your contract requirements and protects you from real risk exposure. Use our recommendations to narrow your options, compare quotes apples-to-apples to confirm who’s truly cheapest for your business and ensure you’re choosing the lowest-cost option that still meets your coverage needs.

If you're ready to get quotes: Get matched

Want To Confirm Your Cheapest Option? Get Matched To Your Cheapest Provider

Cheap General Liability Insurance: Next Steps

If you want the most accurate cheapest general liability insurance answer for your business, compare quotes for your profile using the same limits (apples-to-apples). You can get a personalized match below based on your industry and state below to start your comparison journey.

If you're still unsure, we've also provided resources to ensure you're feeling confident in your purchasing decision and to learn more about other options.

How We Determined The Cheapest General Liability Insurance Providers

To identify the cheapest general liability insurers, we analyzed real pricing data from 10 major providers and modeled a large set of standardized pricing estimates across common U.S. small business profiles.

Dataset scope and assumptions

  • Providers analyzed: 10 major insurance providers
  • Industries covered: 408 industries
  • Geography: all U.S. states and territories (including Washington, D.C.)
  • Employee count bands: 0, 1–4, 5–9, 10–19 and 20–49 employees (95% of market)
  • Policy baseline: standard $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate general liability policy
  • Pricing estimates modeled: just over 1 million total estimates

We also incorporated modeled average revenues and payrolls across business profiles to improve pricing accuracy.

How we determined which provider was “cheapest”

We used this dataset to determine which insurers were most often the lowest-cost option across different business profiles. Our “cheapest” rankings include both:

  • General Recommendation: Provider rankings based on average estimated pricing for a standardized 1–4 employee business profile across all industries and states in our dataset.
  • Factor Combination Recommendations: Provider rankings based on which insurer was most often cheapest within specific business factor combinations. For example:
    • Industry × State pricing was compared using a standardized 1–4 employee profile
    • Employee count affordability was derived by comparing aggregated pricing trends across industries and states

Important note: These results represent standardized pricing estimates, not personalized quotes. Actual pricing can vary based on your business classification, revenue/payroll, claims history and the specific limits, deductibles and endorsements you choose. For the most accurate cheapest-provider answer, we recommend comparing quotes apples-to-apples using the same coverage limits.

About Connor Bolton


Connor Bolton headshot

Connor Bolton is Senior SEO and Content Manager at MoneyGeek, where he leads the business and pet insurance editorial teams. As editorial lead for both verticals, Connor sets the research framework, data standards, and content structure that his writers execute, directly authoring in-depth guides himself and reviewing all team content for accuracy and practical value before it goes live. With over four years evaluating insurance products across personal, commercial, and specialty lines, he brings cross-vertical knowledge to every guide the team produces.

Connor architected MoneyGeek's insurance research infrastructure across all major verticals including auto, home, renters, life, health, business, and pet, building systems for pricing analysis, provider-level research, customer experience evaluation, and coverage analysis with AI support. The infrastructure includes over 6 million data points for business insurance across 408 industry areas, all 50 states, and 16 vehicle types, and over 5 million pet insurance profiles across 18 major providers and hundreds of breed and age combinations. Connor's insurance cost research and his team's work has been cited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, CBS News, Forbes and LegalZoom.

Beyond the data, Connor stays connected to how the market actually operates, drawing on direct conversations with underwriters and carrier liaisons at Ethos, The Hartford, NEXT Insurance, Nationwide, and State Farm, and monitoring business and pet owner communities including Reddit, to inform how he interprets findings and frames guidance for real buyers.

He is the direct editorial contact for methodology questions at connor@moneygeek.com and can be found on LinkedIn.