Leading Insurance Firms for Self-Employed Workers in 2025
Top-Notch Insurance for the Self-Employed in 2025
In the gig economy, it's crucial to have the right insurance coverage to protect your independence and ensure business success. This guide helps you find the perfect insurance fit for your freelance career. We researched 16 insurers, evaluating 31 data points including customer complaints, digital features, coverage limits, and financial strength.
Top-Tier Insurance for the Self-Employed in 2025
- Best Overall, Most Coverage Options: The Hartford
- Best Customer Service Record: Travelers
- Best for Temporary Coverage, Best Digital Experience: Thimble
- Best for Handy Workers: Huckleberry
- Also Great for Coverage Options: Nationwide
- Our Top Picks
- The Hartford
- Travelers
- Thimble
- Huckleberry
- Nationwide
- See More (2)
Why Trust Us
Investopedia, launched in 1999, has been committed to helping readers make informed decisions for their businesses since 2020. Our unbiased, comprehensive reviews focus on key features and top providers in the industry.
The Hartford: A Fortress of Protection
- Customer complaints: More than expected for company size
- General liability coverage limit: $4 million
The Hartford caters to the self-employed with a solid range of coverage options, including the highest liability limits in our review.
- Tied for most coverage types in our review
- Covers home-based businesses
- Highest general and professional liability limits
- More complaints than expected for liability coverage
- No live customer service chat
The Hartford provides various protections for the self-employed, including general and professional liability insurance, cyber liability insurance, and business interruption insurance. Its coverage for home-based businesses is attractive to freelancers with home offices.
You can secure up to $4 million in general liability coverage and $5 million in professional liability coverage, the highest limits found among the insurers we reviewed. High limits are advantageous as they provide strong financial protection against costly lawsuits resulting from work-related accidents or professional negligence claims.
Liability insurance defends against claims from injuries or property damage to others, paying for legal costs and settlements if you are lawfully responsible. The Hartford's general liability coverage offers additional protections, such as coverage for costs arising from accidental damage to others' property, lawsuits related to reputation harm (slander or libel), and malicious prosecution. It also shields against legal costs stemming from advertising injury, such as unintentional copyright infringement.
However, the Hartford has more customer complaints for its liability coverage than anticipated for a company its size. A high volume of complaints can signal challenges in claim processing or customer service. The company does not offer live customer service chat.
The Hartford dates back to 1810 and is based in Hartford, Connecticut.
Travelers: Excellent Customer Service and Financial Stability
- Customer complaints: Fewer than expected for company size
- General liability coverage limit: Not disclosed
Travelers impresses with a strong customer complaint record and financial stability. For the self-employed, this financial strength suggests Travelers will likely pay out claims, even substantial ones.
- Few customer complaints about liability coverage
- Financially strong
- Wide selection of coverage options
- No online quotes
Travelers stands out due to its low rate of customer complaints for its liability coverage and financial stability. This financial strength indicates that Travelers is likely to pay out even large claims.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) compiles a complaint index that allows you to compare the number of customer complaints received by insurance companies.
The self-employed can choose from a wide variety of coverage types through Travelers, such as general liability for client injuries, professional liability for service-related errors, and commercial auto insurance for business vehicles. Securing an online certificate of insurance is easy with Travelers, simplifying demonstrating proof of insurance to clients or landlords, often required for contracts.
However, Travelers does not offer online quotes. You must contact an agent to get pricing information.
Travelers was founded in 1864 and is based in Hartford, Connecticut.
Thimble: Flexible, Short-Term Coverage with a Fantastic Digital Experience
- Customer complaints: More than expected for company size
- General liability coverage limit: $1 million
Thimble is an excellent choice for the self-employed seeking flexible, short-term liability insurance online.
- Offers short-term coverage
- Online quotes, claims, and certificates of insurance, with coverage in minutes
- High complaint rate for liability coverage
- Lower coverage limits than competitors
Thimble allows for short-term liability insurance that appeals to freelancers with project-based work who need insurance only while actively working.
Thimble is one of only two companies in our review offering short-term coverage. It also simplifies the insurance process with fast online quotes, claims, and certificates of insurance.
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a document from an insurance company confirming your coverage. It summarizes your policy details, such as your name, the policy's dates, coverage types, and limits. Clients often require proof of insurance before hiring you.
Thimble's consultant and freelancer policy includes general and professional liability insurance, protecting against bodily injury, property damage, advertising injury, and associated legal and medical costs. Professional liability covers claims of errors, omissions, or inadequate services and the costs associated with them.
Thimble has received a higher-than-expected number of complaints about its liability coverage. Additionally, its coverage limits for independent contractors are lower than those of competitors like The Hartford.
Thimble serves as an insurance broker, meaning it doesn't underwrite policies or handle claims directly. Instead, Markel Insurance Company or National Specialty Insurance Company issues these liability policies. This may lead to differences in your experience when filing a claim compared to your initial purchase experience.
Also, Thimble doesn't offer employment practices liability insurance. Self-employed individuals who hire employees or subcontractors must look elsewhere for protection against claims related to discrimination, harassment, or wrongful termination.
Thimble was founded in 2018. Jersey City-based Arch Insurance acquired Thimble in 2023.
Huckleberry: Robust Coverage and Convenient Digital Tools for Tradesworkers
- Customer complaints: Fewer than expected for company size
- General liability coverage limit: $4 million
Huckleberry is a suitable choice for tradesworkers, including plumbers, electricians, and handymen, thanks to its low complaint rate, high liability limits, and user-friendly online tools.
- Few customer complaints for the liability business
- High coverage limits for general and professional liability insurance
- Convenient digital tools
- Few protections for transported property
- No surety bonds
- No online claims
Huckleberry is appealing to tradesworkers due to its low rate of customer complaints for its liability business, high coverage limits, and user-friendly online tools.
The company offers up to $4 million in general liability coverage and $2 million in professional liability coverage, among the highest limits found for tradesworkers in our review. High coverage limits are advantageous as they protect against expensive lawsuits arising from accidents causing bodily injury or property damage, or claims of professional negligence.
Huckleberry streamlines the insurance process for tradesworkers with easy online quotes and digital insurance certificates. These tools facilitate quick proof of coverage, often required for contracts. Customer support is accessible through a live online chat.
However, Huckleberry has some limitations. If you require surety bonds to obtain licenses or permits, you must find another provider, as Huckleberry doesn't offer them. Filing claims cannot be done online.
Clients in construction or contracting may demand surety bonds to guarantee project completion or payment to subcontractors.
Huckleberry is a broker that partners with insurance companies, including AmTrust, Markel, Employers Holdings, and Chubb, so your customer experience may vary depending on which insurer issues your policy.
Huckleberry is owned by Paychex, established in 1971 and based in Rochester, New York.
Nationwide: Comprehensive Coverage Options for Home-Based Businesses
- Customer complaints: More than expected for company size
- General liability coverage limit: $2 million
Nationwide has extensive coverage options suitable for home-based businesses, similar to The Hartford's range, attracting self-employed individuals operating from home.
- Tied for most coverage options
- Online claims and quotes
- High complaint rate for liability coverage
Nationwide is a strong choice for self-employed individuals operating a home-based business due to its wide selection of coverage types, allowing the self-employed to obtain all insurance from a single company.
A business owner's policy (BOP) from Nationwide can include cyber liability and employment practices liability coverage, up to $1 million, critical for the self-employed. Cyber liability is important for protecting against data breaches, as even solo self-employed individuals may deal with sensitive data.
Nationwide allows for online quotes and claims, but does not offer digital certificates of insurance.
Nationwide was founded in 1926 and is based in Columbus, Ohio.
- In the financial realm, The Hartford stands out as a Top-Tier Insurance Provider for Personal-Finance and Business due to its extensive coverage options, including general liability insurance, cyber liability insurance, and business interruption insurance, particularly beneficial for home-based businesses.
- On the other hand, Thimble offers Ico Solutions for Temporary Business Needs and Personal-Finance Protection with flexible, short-term liability insurance coverage tailored to project-based work, while also providing a superior digital experience.
