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Business insurance policies for NerdWallet shoppers
Here are some recent business insurance policies secured by NerdWallet shoppers through our partner Coverdash
$20.83/mo
This Painting Contractor business in Ohio secured a General Liability policy from Chubb
$22.92/mo
This Travel Agency business in Florida secured a Professional Liability policy from The Hartford
$28.42/mo
This Event Planning Services business in Arkansas secured a Business Owner's Policy policy from The Hartford
$43.58/mo
This Graphic Design Services business in Delaware secured a Cyber policy from Coalition
$37.33/mo
This Massage Parlor business in Utah secured a Workers' Compensation policy from AmTrust
$23.14/mo
This Retail business in Oregon secured a General Liability policy from Chubb
$20.83/mo
This Painting Contractor business in Ohio secured a General Liability policy from Chubb
$22.92/mo
This Travel Agency business in Florida secured a Professional Liability policy from The Hartford
$28.42/mo
This Event Planning Services business in Arkansas secured a Business Owner's Policy policy from The Hartford
$43.58/mo
This Graphic Design Services business in Delaware secured a Cyber policy from Coalition
$37.33/mo
This Massage Parlor business in Utah secured a Workers' Compensation policy from AmTrust
$23.14/mo
This Retail business in Oregon secured a General Liability policy from Chubb
Jump to
How we choose the best freelancer insurance companies
What is freelancer insurance?
Do freelancers need insurance?
What kind of insurance do freelancers need?
Is your homeowners or renters insurance enough?
How much does freelancer insurance cost?
How to get insurance as a freelancer
Freelancer Business Insurance: What You Need, Best Companies
Updated May 27, 2026
Expert verified
+ 1 more
If you're a freelancer or contractor, you might think your business is too small to need insurance. The truth is you’re still running a business, and that comes with risks. Business insurance can protect you in case someone files a legal claim against you.
Read on for our top picks for freelancer insurance. We always recommend getting multiple quotes to find the best coverage at the best price.
The Hartford
Best for General liability insurance
Pros
- Fewer complaints than expected filed with state regulators about both liability and property insurance.
- You can add data breach, professional liability and business income for off-premises utility service coverage to The Hartford's business owner's policy.
- You can add an additional insured and request a certificate of insurance online.
Cons
- No coverage available in Alaska or Hawaii.
- Not all businesses can get a quote online.
The Hartford is a longstanding insurance company that earns high marks for its financial strength and relatively few customer complaints. The company sells general liability insurance, plus professional liability and property coverage for home-based businesses. Most businesses can get a quote online, and some can buy a policy without picking up the phone.
- Business owner's policies.
- General liability insurance.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Workers’ compensation insurance.
- Commercial property insurance.
- Business income insurance.
- Data breach insurance.
- Commercial umbrella insurance.
- Commercial auto insurance.
- Employment practices liability insurance.
- Liquor liability insurance.
The Hartford is a longstanding insurance company that earns high marks for its financial strength and relatively few customer complaints. The company sells general liability insurance, plus professional liability and property coverage for home-based businesses. Most businesses can get a quote online, and some can buy a policy without picking up the phone.
- Business owner's policies.
- General liability insurance.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Workers’ compensation insurance.
- Commercial property insurance.
- Business income insurance.
- Data breach insurance.
- Commercial umbrella insurance.
- Commercial auto insurance.
- Employment practices liability insurance.
- Liquor liability insurance.
The Hartford is a longstanding insurance company that earns high marks for its financial strength and relatively few customer complaints. The company sells general liability insurance, plus professional liability and property coverage for home-based businesses. Most businesses can get a quote online, and some can buy a policy without picking up the phone.
Ergo Next
Best for Getting coverage online
Ergo Next lets users get a quote and buy a policy online in just a few minutes, so you can get general and professional liability insurance fast. Ergo Next policyholders can also generate and share unlimited copies of their certificate of insurance online.
- General liability insurance.
- BOP.
- Commercial property insurance.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Commercial auto insurance.
- Tools and equipment insurance.
- Commercial property insurance.
- Umbrella insurance.
- Workers’ comp.
- Cyber insurance.
- Liquor liability insurance.
- Product liability insurance.
- Contractor license bonds.
Ergo Next lets users get a quote and buy a policy online in just a few minutes, so you can get general and professional liability insurance fast. Ergo Next policyholders can also generate and share unlimited copies of their certificate of insurance online.
- General liability insurance.
- BOP.
- Commercial property insurance.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Commercial auto insurance.
- Tools and equipment insurance.
- Commercial property insurance.
- Umbrella insurance.
- Workers’ comp.
- Cyber insurance.
- Liquor liability insurance.
- Product liability insurance.
- Contractor license bonds.
Ergo Next lets users get a quote and buy a policy online in just a few minutes, so you can get general and professional liability insurance fast. Ergo Next policyholders can also generate and share unlimited copies of their certificate of insurance online.
Hiscox
Best for Professional liability insurance
Pros
- Can get a quote and purchase some policies online.
- Discounts of up to 5% available when you buy two or more Hiscox products, plus a 14-day money-back refund policy.
- Professional liability policies cover work done anywhere in the world.
Cons
- Far more complaints than expected filed with state regulators about both liability and property coverage.
- No coverage available in Alaska; business owner's policies are unavailable in several states.
Professional liability insurance policies from Hiscox cover work done all over the world, as long as the claim is filed in the U.S. or Canada. Most businesses can get a quote or buy a policy from Hiscox online. The company sells general liability insurance too.
- General liability.
- Professional liability.
- Business owner's policy.
- Cyber insurance.
Professional liability insurance policies from Hiscox cover work done all over the world, as long as the claim is filed in the U.S. or Canada. Most businesses can get a quote or buy a policy from Hiscox online. The company sells general liability insurance too.
- General liability.
- Professional liability.
- Business owner's policy.
- Cyber insurance.
Professional liability insurance policies from Hiscox cover work done all over the world, as long as the claim is filed in the U.S. or Canada. Most businesses can get a quote or buy a policy from Hiscox online. The company sells general liability insurance too.
Thimble
Best for Short-term coverage
Pros
- Can get a quote and buy coverage online in minutes.
- Coverage available by the job or the month.
- Contractors and the people managing them can use the Certificate Manager to verify that insurance is contractually compliant, or to purchase coverage that is contractually compliant.
Cons
- Customer support is only available online.
- May charge extra fees when you buy coverage.
- Thimble does not sell commercial auto insurance.
Thimble is unique for its “event insurance,” which covers you for as little as a few hours at a time. This can come in handy if your business operates at craft fairs, weddings or other one-off occasions. Like Ergo Next, Thimble has built-in tools for managing and sharing your certificate of insurance.
Note that Thimble is an insurance broker, not an insurer itself. Since it doesn’t underwrite policies, we don’t give Thimble a star rating.
- Business owner’s policy.
- General liability insurance.
- Business property insurance.
- Workers’ compensation.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Inland marine insurance.
- Cyber insurance (not available in California, Florida or New York).
- Event insurance (not available in New York, North Carolina or Texas). This includes event liability or liquor liability coverage.
Thimble is unique for its “event insurance,” which covers you for as little as a few hours at a time. This can come in handy if your business operates at craft fairs, weddings or other one-off occasions. Like Ergo Next, Thimble has built-in tools for managing and sharing your certificate of insurance.
Note that Thimble is an insurance broker, not an insurer itself. Since it doesn’t underwrite policies, we don’t give Thimble a star rating.
- Business owner’s policy.
- General liability insurance.
- Business property insurance.
- Workers’ compensation.
- Professional liability insurance.
- Inland marine insurance.
- Cyber insurance (not available in California, Florida or New York).
- Event insurance (not available in New York, North Carolina or Texas). This includes event liability or liquor liability coverage.
Thimble is unique for its “event insurance,” which covers you for as little as a few hours at a time. This can come in handy if your business operates at craft fairs, weddings or other one-off occasions. Like Ergo Next, Thimble has built-in tools for managing and sharing your certificate of insurance.
Note that Thimble is an insurance broker, not an insurer itself. Since it doesn’t underwrite policies, we don’t give Thimble a star rating.
How we choose the best freelancer insurance companies
NerdWallet’s editorial team chooses the best business insurance companies based on many factors. For freelancers, we focused on insurers that:
- Receive relatively few general liability complaints and commercial property complaints to state insurance regulators based on their size.
- Are financially strong according to credit rating agencies, meaning they have the ability to pay claims.
- Make it easy to get a quote and buy a policy.
What is freelancer insurance?
Freelancer insurance protects you financially from common risks businesses face. It can cover costs related to:
- A customer says you broke a valuable object in their home.
- A rival says you copied their idea.
- You get into a car accident in the farmers’ market parking lot.
- A client says you did a bad job and now they want their money back.
Do freelancers need insurance?
All business owners should have some form of insurance. And as a freelancer, you run a business, whether or not you think of yourself as an entrepreneur.
Freelancers should consider getting:
- General liability insurance. This protects you if you’re sued by a third party (not one of your customers) for something like causing an injury, stealing a trademark or slandering them.
- Professional liability insurance. We recommend this if you provide advice for a fee, like a consultant, architect or financial advisor. It protects you if a client sues you for doing a bad job.
Without insurance, you’ll have to pay for damages related to your work. Those costs can easily outpace premiums (more on those below) and potentially drain your personal savings.
🙋 What about health insurance for freelancers?
Most Americans get health insurance through their employer. But about one in eight buy it on their own. If you don’t have employer-sponsored health insurance, you’ll probably have to do the same.
Here’s NerdWallet’s guide to using the federal health insurance marketplace and our picks for the top health insurance companies.
If your work could cause an injury, consider getting workers’ comp for yourself too. Personal health insurance generally doesn’t cover work-related injuries.
What kind of insurance do freelancers need?
We recommend that all businesses have general liability insurance as a baseline level of protection against lawsuits.
Beyond that, you may need professional liability insurance if you give advice to customers for a fee. Use this quiz to find out if you need any other common types of coverage:
General liability insurance for freelancers
General liability insurance protects you if a third party files a legal claim against your business. Specifically, it can cover you against claims of:
- Bodily injury, like a slip-and-fall lawsuit.
- Damage to property that belongs to someone else. Say you’re in a client’s home and accidentally knock over an antique vase. General liability insurance could pay to settle the owner’s claim.
- Slander, libel or trademark infringement. If a former employer accuses you of stealing their product names, for instance, general liability insurance could pay for your legal defense.
It might seem unlikely that these things will happen to you, especially if your business is remote and pretty low risk. But a lawsuit can devastate your business even if you aren’t found liable. And if you’re a sole proprietor, that could impact your personal finances too.
Professional liability insurance for freelancers
General liability insurance doesn’t protect you against claims filed by clients who say you gave bad advice or made a mistake. You’ll need professional liability insurance for that. This coverage is also called errors and omissions insurance.
Anyone who gives advice to clients for a fee should carry professional liability insurance. That includes consultants, insurance and real estate agents, accountants and financial advisors. We also recommend it for wedding service providers.
Hired and non-owned auto insurance
This is a type of commercial auto insurance that covers you when you drive your personal vehicle for business purposes. For example, say you use your own car to deliver your commissioned paintings to clients’ homes. Since you were driving for business purposes, it’s possible your personal auto insurance policy could deny the claim.
Hired and non-owned auto insurance is a good idea if you drive frequently to client appointments. If you only do so occasionally, you may be OK without it.
Is your homeowners or renters insurance enough?
Unfortunately, no. Your renters or homeowners policy won’t protect you if someone sues you based on your business activity. You still need general liability insurance and possibly professional liability insurance, depending on what you do.
Homeowners or renters insurance might cover your business equipment, though. Say you do some tailoring work out of your home. If your sewing machine gets stolen or zapped by a power surge, your homeowners or renters policy might provide up to $2,500. That’s probably enough to replace a sewing machine.
Check your homeowners or renters policy to see what it includes. If you need more coverage, talk to your insurance company about adding a home-based business endorsement. This can provide a higher limit for your business equipment — usually up to $5,000 or $10,000.
If your business equipment is worth more than that, it’s time to consider a business owner’s policy. This package includes business property insurance along with general liability insurance. Buying a BOP instead of a standalone general liability policy will likely be cheaper.
How much does freelancer insurance cost?
One-employee businesses pay a median premium of $333 per year for general liability insurance, according to data from online business insurance company Coverdash shared with NerdWallet in 2026. We don’t have enough data to estimate the cost of professional liability insurance.
That said, the cost of business insurance is different for everyone. It depends on:
- What kind of work you do. Giving health advice is riskier than giving marketing or business management advice.
- Business location. Some states are more litigious than others, which can drive insurance premiums up.
- Policy limits. The lower your limits, the less your insurance will cover, but the lower your premiums will typically be.
- Previous claims. If you’ve filed a claim before, you may have to pay more for insurance in the future
Every insurance company evaluates risk a little differently, and each will charge you a slightly different amount based on their calculations. Some online insurance companies also charge fees. We always recommend getting quotes from a few different providers to find the best price for you.
How to get insurance as a freelancer
Follow these steps to get the coverage you need.
- Figure out what coverage you need. We recommend general liability insurance for all businesses. But think about the freelance services you offer and how much you drive to decide whether you need professional liability insurance or hired and non-owned auto insurance too.
- Get quotes. Compare quotes from at least two different insurers. This helps make sure you’re getting a competitive price. You can also look at policy limits and deductibles and make adjustments to potentially save some money. You can use an online insurance agency like Simply Business to see multiple quotes at once, or go directly to insurance company websites. (If you want to work with an agent, that’s an option too. But freelancers with simple insurance needs can most likely get the coverage they need online.)
- Buy insurance. Choose an insurance company and make your first premium payment. You can usually choose to pay your entire premium upfront or make installment payments. If you choose installments, set up automatic payments if you can to avoid any lapses in coverage.
- Save your certificate of insurance. Your certificate of insurance proves that you have coverage. A client or vendor might ask to see a copy. Once you buy insurance, you can download this form and keep it on file to share whenever you need to.
Methodology
Business insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet rewards business insurance companies for reliability and good service. We calculate star ratings based on scores in about a dozen categories. These include:
- Each company's financial strength.
- How many complaints customers made relative to its market share.
- How easy it is to get coverage.
- How accessible customer service is.
Learn more about how we rate small-business insurance companies.
Our editorial team routinely fact-checks and updates these data points. We also adjust our scoring on an ongoing basis. This helps our star ratings reflect changing industry norms. For instance, in 2026, we began evaluating how easy insurers make it to add an additional insured.
Our ratings are a guide. But insurance policy details and prices can vary widely. We encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes.NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Insurer complaints methodology
One key factor in our star ratings is how many complaints insurance companies get. Here's how we arrive at that score.
Disappointed customers can file a complaint with their state's insurance department. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) collects, analyzes and groups complaints by business line and insurance company every year. A business line is a specific type of coverage, like workers’ comp.
Then, the NAIC calculates a complaint ratio for each company. It divides the company's share of complaints by its share of total premiums for each line of business. It then adds these ratio values to their official complaint index.
- A complaint ratio of 1 means a company received about the expected number of complaints relative to its size.
- A ratio of 2 means it received twice as many complaints as expected.
- A ratio of 0 means it received half as many complaints as expected.
NerdWallet obtains the raw NAIC data every year. We aggregate results at the company level and fact-check these results. Then we calculate a three-year average of each insurer's complaint ratio and convert it to a score for our star ratings.
Business insurance star ratings consider complaints about two lines of business: commercial liability and commercial property. We analyze complaint data on commercial auto and workers' comp policies too. But we don't currently incorporate these into our ratings since they're less universal.