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Simply Business Review
Online insurance marketplace owned by Travelers: one application, quotes from several carriers, buy online
Quick verdict
Simply Business is best for Small trade businesses that want to compare quotes from several carriers for general liability, BOP, workers' comp or professional liability in one online application. Quote speed: Online; Simply Business says you can compare quotes, buy and, for many policies, get a certificate of insurance within 10 minutes. Pricing: Quoted per business by each carrier on the panel. Quotes differ in coverage as well as price, commercial auto and tools coverage need checking separately, and claims are handled by whichever carrier issues the policy.
About Simply Business
Simply Business is an online insurance marketplace for small businesses, owned by Travelers since 2017. It started in the UK in 2005, and its offices include London and Northampton in the UK and Boston in the US; Simply Business, LLC, a Massachusetts company, is listed as a Travelers subsidiary in Travelers' 2025 annual report. Simply Business says it serves over one million active customers globally.
The model: you fill in one application, Simply Business matches your business with coverage from several carriers, and you compare the quotes, pick one and buy online. It says the US products include general liability, professional liability, business owner's policies (BOP), workers' compensation and cyber insurance. Travelers is on its carrier panel, and Simply Business has announced US partnerships with other carriers, including Employers for workers' comp (2024), Coterie for BOP (2024) and RLI for professional liability (2025).
Simply Business says that for many policies you can compare quotes, pay online and get your certificate of insurance within 10 minutes. In April 2026 it launched an app inside ChatGPT that gives a price estimate from three details (business type, estimated annual revenue and ZIP code) before you finish the quote on its website. It also works with independent agents: in December 2025 it announced a partnership with SIAA, an agency network, to give agents access to its products.
Because Simply Business is the agency, not the insurer, the carrier you pick issues the policy and pays claims. The Travelers ownership does not mean your policy is a Travelers policy; it depends on the quote you choose.
The trade-off: comparing several carriers in one place saves phone calls, but the quotes can differ in coverage as well as price, and the lines on offer center on liability, BOP, workers' comp and cyber. Check limits, exclusions and additional insured options on each quote, and confirm commercial auto or tools coverage separately if you need it.
How it works
Fill in one online application about your business, such as your trade, location and the coverage you want. Simply Business matches you with quotes from carriers on its panel; compare them, pick one, pay online, and for many policies download your certificate of insurance straight away. You can also start with its ChatGPT app, which gives a price estimate from your business type, estimated annual revenue and ZIP code, then finish on the Simply Business website. The carrier you choose issues the policy and pays claims.
Pros & cons
What works
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One application, several carriers
Simply Business matches your business with quotes from multiple carriers, so you can compare prices and coverage without calling several agents.
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Fast online purchase and certificates
Simply Business says that for many policies you can compare, buy and get a certificate of insurance within 10 minutes.
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Owned by Travelers
Travelers bought Simply Business in 2017, and Simply Business, LLC is listed as a Travelers subsidiary in Travelers' 2025 annual report.
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Named carrier partners
Travelers is on the panel, and Simply Business has announced partnerships with Employers for workers' comp, Coterie for BOP and RLI for professional liability.
What doesn't
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Quotes differ in coverage, not just price
Each quote comes from a different carrier with its own policy wording. Compare limits, exclusions and additional insured options, not only the premium.
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Limited line-up for vehicle-heavy trades
The lines Simply Business names are general liability, professional liability, BOP, workers' comp and cyber. Shops that need commercial auto or tools coverage should confirm it during the quote or buy it elsewhere.
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Claims go to the carrier
Simply Business is the agency; the carrier that issues your policy handles and pays claims, so the claims experience depends on which quote you pick.
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Availability varies by trade and state
Which carriers and coverages you see depends on your business and location. Confirm the options for your trade in your state before relying on the comparison.
Coverage
- Insurance lines
- general liabilityprofessional liabilitybopworkers compcyber
- Geographic coverage
- Sold online across the US; confirm during the quote which carriers and coverages are offered for your trade in your state
- Premiums
- Quoted per business by each carrier on the panel
- Quote speed
- Online; Simply Business says you can compare quotes, buy and, for many policies, get a certificate of insurance within 10 minutes
- Trade coverage
- HVACPlumbingElectricalRoofingGeneral ContractorsLandscaping & Lawn CareCleaning ServicesPest ControlHandyman Services
- Affiliate program
- direct. Direct publisher affiliate program with documented per-quote payouts (~$25-$40 range).
Reviews and complaints at the source
We do not copy third-party review scores onto this page: they change often and we could not verify them. Read Simply Business's current reviews at the source.
Frequently asked
Is Simply Business a carrier or a broker?
It is an agency, not an insurer. Simply Business matches your business with quotes from multiple carriers; the carrier you choose issues the policy and pays claims.
Who owns Simply Business?
Travelers, which bought it in 2017. Simply Business started in the UK in 2005 and has a US office in Boston.
Which carriers does Simply Business work with?
Travelers is on its carrier panel, and Simply Business has announced US partnerships with Employers (workers' comp), Coterie (BOP) and RLI (professional liability), among others. The carriers you see depend on your trade and state.
How is Simply Business different from ERGO NEXT?
ERGO NEXT is an insurer that sells its own policies. Simply Business is an agency that shows quotes from several carriers in one place. If you want to compare carriers, Simply Business does that for you; if you want one insurer, you can go direct.
What coverage can I buy?
Simply Business lists general liability, professional liability, business owner's policies, workers' compensation and cyber insurance for US small businesses. Confirm commercial auto or tools coverage during the quote if you need it.
Other insurance providers
ERGO NEXT (formerly NEXT Insurance)
Tier ADigital small-business insurer, renamed ERGO NEXT in 2026 and owned by Munich Re's ERGO, selling general liability, BOP, workers' comp and professional liability online and through agents
Hiscox
Tier ASpecialty insurer with Lloyd's roots going back to 1901, selling general liability, professional liability (E&O), BOP and cyber to US small businesses online and through brokers
Insureon
Tier AOnline insurance agency owned by Hub International since 2022: one application, quotes from several carriers, licensed agents on call
Thimble
Tier ADigital MGA owned by Arch Insurance since 2023: liability coverage by the job, month or year, bought online, in its app or by phone
The Hartford
Tier AHartford, Connecticut insurer dating to 1810 that sells small business policies online, by phone and through independent agents
Travelers
Tier APublicly traded property and casualty insurer (NYSE: TRV) that sells business insurance through independent agents and brokers, and owns the online broker Simply Business