Hiscox vs The Hartford: Business Owner’s Policy

Hiscox lets eligible buyers quote and buy its BOP online but is unavailable in seven states including Florida and Ohio; The Hartford reports its customers paid an average of $1,687 a year for a BOP and lets you add workers' comp or commercial auto.

Montgomery Risk Partners prepared this library from Spot.Insure comparison research and underlying public records.Research updated 2026-09-25

The Hartford's BOP includes business income cover and comes with a published $1,687 average annual cost. Hiscox's online BOP lets you add cyber, hired auto and crime, but you can't buy it in seven states, including Florida and Washington.

Sources and records

  1. 01
    About Hiscox US Insurance

    Hiscox · Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Business Owner's Policy Insurance (BOP) Coverage

    Hiscox · BOP as combined general liability and commercial property; optional packages including cyber, non-owned commercial auto, commercial crime and professional liability; illustrative California IT/technology consultant pricing table; worldwide-coverage qualifications · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    Commercial crime insurance for small businesses

    Hiscox · Commercial crime as a BOP upgrade not sold separately; not available in all states · accessed 2026-09-16

  4. 04
    Hiscox US Agent Appetite Guide

    Hiscox · Hiscox NOW admitted GL, PL, cyber and BOP underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.; state exceptions including BOP unavailable in Alaska, Florida, Kansas, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington and West Virginia · accessed 2026-09-16

  5. 05
    Non-Owned Car Liability Insurance

    Hiscox · Hired/non-owned auto described as an upgrade to a business owner's policy and part of that policy's occurrence limit, not coverage for vehicles owned or regularly operated by the business · accessed 2026-09-16

  6. 06
    Business Interruption and Business Owner Policy

    National Association of Insurance Commissioners · Background; General liability, Commercial property and Business interruption bullets · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Small Business

    National Association of Insurance Commissioners · FAQ: What’s a business owners policy?; What’s general liability insurance · accessed 2026-09-16

  8. 08
    Business Owner's Policy (BOP) Insurance

    The Hartford · What Is Business Owner's Policy Insurance?; What Is Included in a Business Owner's Policy?; Additional Coverages You Can Add; Who Needs a Business Owner's Policy?; How Much Does a BOP Cost?; BOP vs. General Liability comparison · accessed 2026-09-23

  9. 09
    Legal Notice

    The Hartford · P&C writing-company table; statement that coverages may be offered by one or more subsidiaries of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. · accessed 2026-09-23

What Are the Key Differences Between Hiscox and The Hartford Business Owner’s Policy?

Where You Can Buy and What's Built In

Hiscox's BOP isn't available in Alaska, Florida, Kansas, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington or West Virginia; businesses there can rule it out now. The Hartford builds business income into the base policy, so a covered shutdown replaces lost revenue without an add-on. Both write their own BOPs and let you quote online. Choose The Hartford if you're in one of Hiscox's excluded states or want workers' compensation, commercial auto and professional liability from the same insurer; choose Hiscox if you want cyber, hired auto or crime folded into the BOP itself. [4] [8] [2]

Add-Ons

The Hartford lets you add workers' compensation, professional liability, commercial auto, data breach and off-premises utility business-income cover. Hiscox's upgrades are cyber, hired and non-owned auto and commercial crime, tied to the BOP occurrence limit. If a utility outage down the street could close you, only The Hartford names cover for that. [8] [2]

Price Signals

The Hartford says customers paid an average of $1,687 a year, which gives you a budget benchmark. Hiscox shows only an illustrative table for a California IT consultant, labeled as not a quote, and neither publishes standard limits. The Hartford also lists a phone number if you'd rather not quote online. [8] [2]

What Should You Confirm in Hiscox and The Hartford Business Owner’s Policy Quotes?

  • Check your state against Hiscox's exclusion list. [4]
  • Ask which Hartford subsidiary issues your policy; it varies by product and state. [9]
  • Check whether Hiscox's quote includes business income, since The Hartford's does by default. [8] [2]
  • Treat The Hartford's $1,687 figure as an average, not your premium. [8]

Provider coverage details

Hiscox

  • role: Hiscox Inc. sells a business owner's policy directly online to small businesses, combining general liability and commercial property into one package as part of its Hiscox NOW admitted catalogue. Company-stated online small-business channel.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: Hiscox's appetite guide and About Hiscox US page name Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. (NAIC 10200) as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW business owner's policies. Admitted small-business BOP coverage as described in company materials; the exact contracting entity for a particular state or channel should be confirmed on the quote.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: Hiscox's 2026 appetite guide says its business owner's policy is unavailable in Alaska, Florida, Kansas, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington and West Virginia, a narrower footprint than the 49-state-plus-D.C. availability Hiscox states for its overall online small-business catalogue. State-exception list as of the 2026 agent appetite guide; does not by itself establish eligibility for a specific class or business.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Hiscox describes optional add-ons to its business owner's policy including cyber coverage, hired/non-owned commercial auto, and commercial crime; hired/non-owned auto and commercial crime are described as upgrades tied to the BOP's own occurrence limit and are not sold as standalone Hiscox policies. Product-page and upgrade-page descriptions; commercial crime is also stated as not available in all states.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗Source ↗
  • limits: The BOP page does not publish standard coverage limits; the illustrative California IT/technology consultant pricing table on the page is explicitly labeled illustrative rather than a quote. Public product page as previously reviewed.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • application: Hiscox says eligible buyers can quote and buy a business owner's policy online, and can select add-on coverages such as cyber or commercial crime during that process where available. Company-described online application; eligibility and binding conditions require confirmation on the actual application.company-reportedSource ↗

The Hartford

  • role: The Hartford's BOP bundles commercial property insurance, general liability insurance and business income (interruption) coverage into one policy, rather than requiring three separate policies. BOP product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The Hartford says a BOP does not itself include workers' compensation, professional liability, commercial auto or data breach coverage, but these can be added on top of the base policy, along with off-premises utility business-income coverage. BOP product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: The Hartford says a BOP fits a business that has a physical location, faces a possibility of being sued, or has assets that could be stolen or damaged, and can be customized for specific industries. BOP product page as read 2026-09-23.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The Hartford reports its customers paid an average of $1,687 a year (about $141 a month) for a BOP; the page does not publish standard coverage limits or deductibles, since actual limits are set at quote or issue. Company-reported average as of 2026-09-23; described on the page as an estimate, not a quote for any specific business.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: The Hartford offers an online quote flow for a BOP, described as customizable by adding coverages; buyers can also call a listed phone number to start a quote. BOP product page as read 2026-09-23. Quote availability observed without completing a purchase.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: The BOP page does not name which Hartford property-and-casualty subsidiary would issue a given buyer's policy; the Legal Notice says coverages may be offered by one or more of several listed subsidiaries depending on product and jurisdiction. BOP page and Legal Notice as read 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗

Use this comparison as a starting point for a discussion about your business and its insurance needs.

Contact Montgomery Risk Partners