Business insurance · United Kingdom · Head-to-head
Hiscox UK vs Simply Business UK
Two United Kingdom business insurance options, compared side by side for United Kingdom trades.
Which should you choose?
Hiscox UK 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.
Hiscox UK
Tier A · ListedUK specialist insurer selling public liability, professional indemnity, employers' liability and tools cover to tradespeople online and by phone
Hiscox sells business insurance direct to UK tradespeople online and by phone, and says it has over 100 years of industry experience. Its UK companies, Hiscox Underwriting Ltd and the insurer Hiscox Insurance Company Limited, are based at 22 Bishopsgate, London and authorised by the FCA, the insurer also by the PRA. For trades it offers public liability, professional indemnity, employers' liability and tool insurance, plus cyber, legal protection, property and equipment breakdown cover, though Hiscox says not every cover is available for every trade.
Pros
- + Public liability from £5.20 a month, by Hiscox's own figure
- + Professional indemnity available alongside public liability
- + Quote online or by phone, with proof of insurance in minutes, Hiscox says
- + UK insurer authorised by the FCA and PRA
Cons
- − Employers' liability is sold only with public liability
- − Builders are referred to a partner insurer
- − Not every cover is available for every trade
- − Only a 'from' price is published; your premium comes from a quote
United Kingdom note
Hiscox notes that employers' liability is required by law when you employ staff, and it sells employers' liability only together with public liability, not on its own. It does not insure builders directly; its tradesmen page refers builders to a builders' insurance partner.
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.