Simply Business vs Nationwide Business Insurance: Which Is Better?
A marketplace that shops 20-plus carriers for a cheap quote versus the U.S. News No. 1-ranked small-business insurer that still covers farms. Six rounds. Real numbers. One honest scorecard.
The verdict
Nationwide takes it, 5–1 on rounds.
The choice comes down to the size and complexity of your business — Simply Business for the smallest, budget-first operators, Nationwide once specialized risk and claims accountability really matter.
Choose Simply Business if…
- • You're a sole proprietor or micro-business watching your budget
- • You want to compare 20+ carriers fast for the lowest first-year price
Choose Nationwide if…
- • You have employees, premises, or specialized exposure like cyber or a farm
- • You want an A-rated carrier's own name and record behind the policy
Round by round
- Round 1Carrier Structure: Marketplace vs Single CarrierNationwide winsSimply Business7/10
20+
Carriers Simply Business shops in one application
- Real price competition in one application
- Underwriting carrier changes per quote
Source: Simply Business marketplace model
Nationwide8/101 accountable carrier
Underwrites in its own name; sells through tailoring agents
- One company owns the whole outcome
- Backed by its own A-rated balance sheet
Source: Nationwide market position
Round to Nationwide on structure. One owner beats twenty options.
- Round 2Coverage BreadthNationwide winsSimply Business5/10
400+ trades
Specializes in shopping standard liability for micro-businesses
- Covers 400+ niche trade types
- Menu is essentially liability-first
Source: Simply Business market position
Nationwide9/10No. 1
U.S. News rank among best small-business insurers, cited for breadth
- Cyber, EPLI, equipment breakdown, agribusiness all under one carrier
- U.S. News ranked No. 1 among small-business insurers
Source: U.S. News Best Small Business Insurance 2026
So this round goes to Nationwide for coverage breadth. It just covers more business risks.
- Round 3Specialized Risk (Cyber, Employee Lawsuits, Farms)Nationwide winsSimply Business4/10
Liability-focused
Marketplace built around standard liability, not specialty lines
- Weak fit for farm, cyber or EPLI risk
- Not tuned to place data-breach or employee-lawsuit risk
Source: Simply Business product lines
Nationwide9/101926 origins
Started as the Ohio Farm Bureau's auto insurer; still writes farm, cyber and EPLI
- One of few carriers still writing agribusiness
- Also writes cyber and employment-practices liability
Source: Nationwide notable facts
This round goes to Nationwide.
- Round 4Financial Strength & Claims AccountabilityNationwide winsSimply Business6/10
No own AM Best rating
Places with A-rated partners; backed by Travelers parent
- Partners with A-rated insurers, owned by Travelers
- Accountability shifts with each quote's carrier
Source: Simply Business notable facts
Nationwide9/10A-rated across 3 agencies
- Insures 500,000+ small businesses in its own name
- A-rated across AM Best, Moody's and S&P
This round goes to Nationwide, for the accountability.
- Round 5Renewal & Service ConsistencyNationwide winsSimply Business4/10
Recurring auto-renewal complaints
- Documented surprise renewal charges
- Renewal price can come in higher than the original quote
Nationwide6/10Slower but consistent, agent-run
- One consistent agent, predictable renewals
- Slower than instant online bind
This round goes to Nationwide.
- Round 6Price & All-In ValueSimply Business winsSimply Business8/10
~$97/mo
MoneyGeek 2026: among the most affordable providers studied
- Lowest first-year price for a micro-business
- MoneyGeek rates it among the most affordable providers studied
Source: MoneyGeek 2026
Nationwide6/10~$81-146/mo
Workers' comp from ~$81/mo; BOP near $146/mo, agent-quoted
- Buys comprehensive, A-rated coverage
- Not the cheapest sticker available
Source: MoneyGeek / review data
So this round goes to Simply Business for pure affordability and a clear value edge.
Which one is for you?
Sole proprietor or freelancer wanting the cheapest liability policy
→ Simply Business · Shopping 20+ carriers lands a low first-year price fast
Owner of a niche trade carriers won't quote directly
→ Simply Business · 400+ business types placed across many partner carriers
Farm, agribusiness or cyber-exposed operator
→ Nationwide · Specialized lines a liability marketplace rarely writes
Contractor with employees needing comprehensive coverage
→ Nationwide · A-rated, tailored coverage a broker can't guarantee
NationwideSide by side
- One application compares many insurers' prices at once
- Partners with A-rated carriers like Travelers and CNA
- Cheap, easy initial purchase
- Multi-carrier shopping can surface a lower quote for niche risks
- Right fit for continuous, year-round operations
- Cyber, EPLI, equipment breakdown, agribusiness all under one carrier
- Ranked #1 by U.S. News for combining strength with breadth
- One of few carriers still writing agribusiness
- Final carrier and premium vary by which partner you're matched with
- Claims experience depends entirely on which partner you're matched with
- Recurring reports of auto-renewal at higher prices with little notice
- Final premium depends on which partner carrier is matched
- No hourly or daily option for a single job
- Slower than instant online bind
- Not the cheapest for the simplest risks
- Not the cheapest option for simple, low-complexity risks