Business insurance · United Kingdom · Head-to-head
Direct Line for Business vs Simply Business UK
Two United Kingdom business insurance options, compared side by side for United Kingdom trades.
Which should you choose?
Direct Line for Business and Simply Business UK are both Tier A, which every business insurance entry without a reputation warning receives, so the tier does not separate them. Weigh the pros, cons, pricing and United Kingdom-specific notes below against your trade and region.
Direct Line for Business
Tier A · ListedAviva-owned direct insurer selling tradesperson cover online and by phone, with covers you choose
Direct Line for Business is the business insurance brand of Direct Line, whose group has been owned by Aviva since July 2025. It sells tradesperson insurance direct, online and by phone, and says it has over 500,000 business policies. You build a policy from public liability (£1 million to £10 million), employers' liability (up to £10 million as standard), tools, stock, plant and contract works, with add-ons such as overnight tools, personal accident, professional indemnity and legal expenses.
Pros
- + Employers' liability up to £10 million as standard, Direct Line says
- + Choose the covers you need, including tools, stock, plant and contract works
- + No admin fees for policy changes and 0% APR on monthly payments, Direct Line says
- + Offers to beat another insurer's quote on equivalent cover for new policies, with conditions
Cons
- − No published prices; premiums by quote
- − Tools cover has a £1,500 single-item limit and overnight tools cover costs extra
- − Direct Line is proposing to move insurance business from U K Insurance Limited to Aviva Insurance Limited
- − The price-beat offer needs proof of the other quote and excludes some policy types
United Kingdom note
Policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited of Leeds, authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA (registration 202810). Direct Line says it is proposing to transfer insurance business from U K Insurance Limited to Aviva Insurance Limited, which may affect its customers, so check which company is your insurer at renewal.
Simply Business UK
Tier A · ListedOnline insurance broker owned by Travelers: compare tradesman cover from several insurers in one form
Simply Business is an online business insurance broker founded in 2005 and owned by Travelers since 2017; its UK business is run by Xbridge Limited in London. You answer one set of questions and compare quotes from insurers such as Allianz, AIG, AXA, Churchill, Covea, Hiscox and Zurich. Simply Business says it covers 1,500 trades and more than 250,000 tradespeople, and has over one million small business customers.
Pros
- + Compare quotes from several named insurers in one online form
- + Tradesman cover from £5.40 a month, Simply Business says
- + Add-ons include tools, contract works, plant, stock and legal expenses
- + Owned by Travelers since 2017
Cons
- − Policy wording differs by insurer, so compare cover as well as price
- − Employers' liability is an add-on; include it if you employ anyone
- − The £5.40 starting price has no stated basis; your premium comes from a quote
United Kingdom note
UK tradesman cover includes public liability with limits from £1 million to £10 million, optional employers' liability (which Simply Business notes is usually required by law if you employ anyone), and tools, contract works, plant, stock, legal expenses and personal accident cover. The policy is issued by the insurer whose quote you choose.
More United Kingdom options
See all United Kingdom business insurance vendors and the rest of the United Kingdom directory.