Yes, Simply Business is legit. It is a licensed insurance broker owned outright by Travelers, the second largest commercial insurer in the United States, and it is BBB accredited with an A+ rating. Every carrier on its panel holds an AM Best rating in the Excellent category or above, including Travelers at A++, Hiscox, Markel and Liberty Mutual.
That said, “legit” and “right for you” are two different questions. The important thing to understand about Simply Business is that it is a broker rather than a carrier, so it does not insure you itself. Below is what that actually means for your policy and your claim, what it covers, and who should choose something else.
If you're a small business owner who wants to see more than one price, Simply Business shops your details across a panel of insurers including Travelers, Hiscox, Markel and Liberty Mutual in a few minutes. It's owned by Travelers and every carrier on the panel is rated A or better by AM Best. Once you're covered, you can download your certificate of insurance the same day and share it digitally with clients. Worth knowing it's a broker, so the carrier you're placed with is the one that pays your claim.
Is Simply Business a carrier or a broker?
This is the single most important thing to know, and most reviews skip it. Simply Business is a broker. It does not underwrite policies and it does not pay claims. It collects your details once, shops them across a panel of insurers, and places you with whichever one fits.
That is not a problem, but it changes who you are actually insured by. Your policy is issued by a carrier such as Travelers, Hiscox, Markel or Liberty Mutual, and that carrier handles your claim. Simply Business is the shopfront.
Because of that, asking whether Simply Business is AM Best rated is the wrong question. AM Best rates carriers, not brokers, because only carriers carry the obligation to pay. What matters is the panel, and the panel is strong: Travelers is rated A++ (Superior), and Hiscox, Markel, Liberty Mutual, Accredited America, Cerity and Clear Blue are all rated A or better.
Simply Business is also owned by Travelers, which acquired it in 2017. You can compare quotes across its panel here without affecting your credit or committing to anything.
What does Simply Business cover?
Simply Business places the core coverage types a small business needs:
- General liability covers third party bodily injury and property damage. This is the policy most clients and landlords ask you to carry.
- Professional liability (errors and omissions) covers claims arising from your work or advice.
- Workers' compensation covers employee injuries, and is required in most states once you hire.
- Business owner's policy bundles general liability with commercial property.
- Commercial property, tools and equipment cover the things you own and work with.
It works across a wide range of trades, and it is particularly common with contractors, cleaners, landscapers, personal trainers and consultants.
Why do quotes come back cheaper?
Simply Business is not cheaper because it cuts corners. It is cheaper for the same reason any comparison site is cheaper: you are seeing several carriers' prices for the same risk at the same time, and you pick the lowest.
Buying direct from one carrier means you get one price. If that carrier prices your trade conservatively, you never find out. A broker surfaces the spread, and on small commercial policies the spread between carriers on identical risk is often substantial.
The trade-off is customisation. Because it is quoting a panel on standardised inputs, you get less room to tailor a policy than you would working with an agent directly. For most straightforward small businesses that does not matter. For unusual or higher risk operations it can.
Does Simply Business pay claims?
No, and that is not a criticism. Your carrier pays your claim. If Travelers wrote your policy, you claim with Travelers. Simply Business can help you find the right contact, but it is not the party on the hook.
This is worth internalising before you buy, because it is the most common source of confusion in the reviews. People sometimes rate the broker for a carrier's claims handling. When you are assessing whether your coverage is sound, look at the AM Best rating of whichever carrier your quote comes back from, not at the broker.
Who should use Simply Business
It fits best if you are a sole trader, contractor or small operator who wants to see several prices without ringing round agents. If you need a certificate of insurance quickly to satisfy a client or a venue, and you do not have unusual risk, it is one of the fastest routes to a policy.
Who should choose something else
If you want a single company that both writes and services your policy, a direct carrier is a cleaner fit. If your business has unusual exposures, high revenue, or complex requirements, a broker quoting standardised inputs across a panel will struggle where a human agent would not.
Simply Business vs. the alternatives
For a wider comparison across the market, see our roundup of the best business insurance companies.
How to tell if any insurance company is legit
Worth knowing beyond just this one, because it is the question underneath the question:
- Check the AM Best rating. A, A+ or A++ means the company can pay claims. This matters more than star ratings. If you are quoted through a broker, check the rating of the carrier that actually writes your policy.
- Verify the state license. Every legitimate insurer and broker is licensed in the states where it sells. Your state's Department of Insurance has a free lookup tool.
- Confirm whether they are the carrier or a middleman. Both can be fine, but you should know which one you are dealing with before you claim.
- Read the complaint pattern, not the complaint count. Large insurers have many complaints. What matters is whether they cluster around systematic claim denial.
- Read the declarations page before you pay. Most “they denied my claim” stories trace back to coverage the policy never included.
Frequently asked questions
The verdict
Simply Business is legit, and the Travelers ownership plus an A rated or better panel puts the financial question to bed. The thing to hold onto is that it is a broker, so the company you are insured by is not the company whose name is on the quote form.
If you want several prices without ringing round agents, that structure is a feature. If you want one company to write your policy and handle your claim, a direct carrier is a cleaner fit.
Compare quotes across its panel, or see how it stacks up against ERGO NEXT and The Hartford.
