The Zebra Car Insurance Review: What You Need to Know

Today, it’s easier than ever to purchase a car insurance policy online. You don’t need to pick up the phone or walk into a local insurance agency. If you search online for car insurance, you’ll probably come across a couple of quote-comparison platforms where you can see rates from many different insurers in just a few minutes.

However, not all quote-comparison platforms are reliable. Some websites actually collect your information and sell it to insurance companies rather than giving you real quotes.

We reviewed The Zebra, one of the biggest quote-comparison websites, to figure out whether it’s a good tool for you to compare car insurance rates. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from our Zebra review:

• The Zebra makes it easy to compare quotes for many different insurance products.

• The Zebra can provide personalized quotes from more than 100 insurance companies.

• The Zebra reviews are mostly positive, but some shoppers complained about receiving few quotes.

What is The Zebra?

The Zebra is an insurance quote-comparison platform that works with more than 100 insurance companies. You can compare quotes for lots of different insurance products on The Zebra, including car insurance, homeowners insurance, renters insurance, and pet insurance.

The company was founded in 2012 as a way to simplify the experience of shopping for insurance. Since then, The Zebra has produced more than 18 million insurance quotes.

Read More: The 10 Best and Worst Car Insurance Comparison Sites for 2022

How does The Zebra work?

The Zebra streamlines the process of comparing insurance quotes. After filling out the online application, you get matched with a list of insurance companies that provide coverage in your area, with quotes based on the type and amount of coverage you want.

The Zebra is completely free to use, and unlike some other comparison sites, it’s not a lead-generation engine. The company makes money by earning a commission every time a customer purchases a policy through the site or one of The Zebra’s licensed insurance agents.

Read More: How Much Car Insurance Do I Need?

How to get a car insurance quote from The Zebra

Getting auto insurance quotes from The Zebra is pretty easy, and it takes just a few minutes.

Navigate to the homepage of the website and choose the car insurance option. Complete the application with information like your ZIP code, estimated credit score, date of birth, and vehicle make and model. Then you can choose your coverage level (The Zebra uses three tiers — minimum, better, and best).

Once the application is complete, you’ll see your personalized car insurance quotes from The Zebra’s partner companies. After evaluating your matches, you can purchase a policy online or call a licensed insurance agent from The Zebra to complete the process.

Ratings and customer reviews for The Zebra

Overall, The Zebra’s reviews are good. Many people mention the company’s quick and easy online application, friendly customer service representatives, and steep savings. But it has some negative reviews, too. Some customers said they were only matched with a few insurance companies, and others said that their quotes weren’t accurate.

Ratings

• Shopper Approved: 4.8 out of 5 stars

• Better Business Bureau: 4.37 out of 5 stars

• Trustpilot: 4.1 out of 5 stars

• WalletHub: 4.1 out of 5 stars

• Clearsurance: 3.86 out of 5 stars

• Sitejabber: 3.4 out of 5 stars

Reviews

The Zebra vs. Insurify

Like The Zebra, Insurify is a real-time quote-comparison tool that makes it easy to compare rates for many types of insurance. Insurify is a licensed insurance broker in all 50 states.

While Insurify’s model is similar to The Zebra’s, there are a few differences. Insurify has a network of more than 300 national and regional insurance companies, whereas The Zebra’s network only has about 100 companies.

In addition, Insurify allows you to adjust your coverage levels on a sidebar when comparing quotes so you can easily see how different policy limits will affect your rate. With The Zebra, you have to go back through the application to choose a different level of coverage, so it’s not as seamless.

Read More: How Long Does It Take to Get Car Insurance? A Consumer Guide

The Zebra vs. Gabi

Gabi is a newer online quote-comparison platform, owned by credit bureau Experian. Unlike The Zebra, Gabi’s focus is on helping users save money by switching insurance companies.

After you sign up, Gabi uses the account credentials for your current insurance policy to find your coverage types and policy limits. Then, it provides quotes for the same coverage you have from different insurance providers, with potentially lower rates.

All of this sounds great; however, there are only about 40 insurers in Gabi’s network. The Zebra works with more than 100 companies, so you might find fewer matches if you use Gabi.

The Zebra vs. Compare.com

Compare.com makes it easy to compare insurance quotes online without calling an agent. The company claims it has more than 7 million customers, which is a good sign that Compare.com is a reliable way to find affordable insurance.

Through Compare.com, you can get quotes for many different types of insurance, including car, home, motorcycle, renters, life, and health insurance. The company has more than 75 insurance providers in its network, but The Zebra still has more affiliate companies.

One of the best features of Compare.com is that you can compare costs for things other than insurance, which The Zebra doesn’t offer. For example, you can compare mobile phone plans, medical procedures, electric vehicles, and more.

Car insurance coverages available on The Zebra

The Zebra offers many types of car insurance, including required and optional policies. Here are some of the available policies:

• Liability insurance: Personal liability insurance is legally required in most states. If you cause an accident, this policy compensates the other driver for their medical expenses and vehicle damages. It also covers your legal fees if you get sued after the crash.

• Collision insurance: Collision insurance pays for your vehicle’s repairs when you cause an accident. It’s usually purchased with comprehensive insurance as part of a full-coverage car insurance policy.

• Comprehensive insurance: Comprehensive insurance is often called “other-than-collision” coverage. It covers things like theft, vandalism, and damage caused by a natural disaster, like an earthquake or flood.

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance: This policy provides additional coverage if you get into an accident and the other driver is uninsured or doesn’t have enough coverage to pay for your losses in full.

• Personal injury protection: Personal injury protection (PIP) is legally required in most no-fault states, and it can be purchased as an add-on in some at-fault states. If you get into an accident, this policy pays for you and your passenger’s medical bills, no matter who was responsible for the collision.

• Gap insurance: Gap insurance is designed to cover vehicles that are leased or financed. If you total the vehicle, gap insurance covers the difference between your car’s value and what you still owe.

In addition to auto insurance, you can also get quotes for home insurance, pet insurance, and life insurance through The Zebra.

The Zebra car insurance rates

Car insurance rates are personalized based on a variety of factors, like your location, age, credit score, and driving record. We went through The Zebra’s online quote process to better understand the rates from its partner companies. Below, you can see our sample monthly quotes for a 35-year-old male driver who is married, has a clean driving record, and lives in Houston, Texas.

The Zebra auto insurance discounts

Most car insurance companies offer discounts, which can lower your premium. Because The Zebra works with more than 100 insurance providers, the discounts you can take advantage of will depend on the insurers you get matched with.

Here are some common car insurance discounts you might be able to find:

• Policy bundling discount: If you purchase home and auto insurance from the same insurance company, you can usually qualify for a lower premium.

• Payment discounts: Insurers might offer discounts for paying your premium in full, enrolling in autopay, or signing up for paperless policy statements.

• Good driver discount: If you have a clean driving record with no recent accidents or tickets, many insurance providers will give you a discount.

• Military or veteran discount: Active-duty and retired military personnel can often save money on their car insurance.

• Defensive driver discount: Some insurers will lower your premium if you complete an approved defensive driving course.

Pros and cons of The Zebra

Using The Zebra can be a great way to compare auto insurance quotes with little effort. But the platform has some downsides that are important to consider. Here are several pros and cons of The Zebra:

How to maximize savings

Using a quote-comparison platform is a great way to potentially find more affordable car insurance, but there are other ways to save money on your policy, too. Here are five ways to reduce your car insurance premium:

1. Improve your credit score. In many states, insurers are allowed to check your credit when you apply for car insurance. Drivers with excellent credit pay the lowest rates, so improving your score can help you save money.

2. Bundle your policies. Most insurance companies give you an automatic discount if you purchase two or more insurance policies, like car insurance and home insurance, or car insurance and renters insurance.

3. Raise your deductible. Some insurance policies, like collision and comprehensive coverage, have a deductible. If you choose a higher deductible, it will reduce your monthly premium.

4. Look for discounts. When shopping for auto insurance, pay attention to the discounts that each provider offers. You can often find savings for safe drivers, good students, taking a defensive driving course, paying your premium in full, and many others.

5. Compare quotes. Get personalized quotes from a few different insurers to make sure you’re getting the best rate for your unique needs. A quote-comparison platform is the easiest way to find and compare rates from major insurance companies.

The Zebra FAQs

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about The Zebra.