NEXT vs Thimble for small business insurance

How each one works

NEXT started in 2016 as a digital-first business insurer. ERGO, the primary insurance group of Munich Re, announced on July 1, 2025 that it had completed its full acquisition of NEXT, and the company now trades as ERGO NEXT Insurance. ERGO describes NEXT as a digital insurer, and NEXT says it serves more than 1,300 professions online.

Thimble is not an insurance company. Its own site says “Thimble Insurance Services” is the trade name of Verifly Insurance Services, LLC, a licensed insurance producer organized in New York and a wholly owned subsidiary of Arch Insurance Group Inc. Arch announced the acquisition in April 2023. Thimble’s founders started the business in 2016, originally under the Verifly name.

In practice, NEXT presents itself as the insurer behind its products, while Thimble arranges policies from other insurers. Thimble says its policies are underwritten by Markel Insurance Company and National Specialty Insurance Company, a subsidiary of State National, with further products through partners such as Employers Insurance Group and Coterie Insurance Agency.

NEXT and Thimble side by side

The table summarizes each company’s own descriptions. Products and availability change, so confirm what is offered for your state and trade when you get a quote.

Coverage differences

NEXT sells a wider set of ongoing lines. When it added auto service businesses, NEXT listed general liability, workers’ compensation, commercial auto and commercial property among its digital lines. In its 2026 announcement of an A+ rating from AM Best, NEXT said that over the past year it had expanded its business owner’s policy to 41 states, including New York and Texas, launched multi-location workers’ comp and introduced standalone professional liability for consultants.

Thimble’s help center lists commercial general liability, professional liability, business equipment coverage and customer property coverage as the small business policies it sells, with business owner’s policies and workers’ comp available through its carrier partners Coterie and Cerity/Employers. Its cyber page says cyber coverage is offered in select states and starts at $100. The same help center does not list commercial auto among the policies Thimble arranges, so if you drive for work, confirm auto coverage before you rely on it.

Limits matter for contracts. As of July 2026, Thimble offers general liability limits of $1 million per occurrence with $1 million or $2 million aggregate, and $2 million per occurrence with $2 million or $4 million aggregate. The $2 million/$4 million option is not available anywhere in California or in listed counties such as Cook County, Illinois and Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Who each tends to fit

Neither option suits every business. The fit depends mostly on how often you work, whether you have employees or vehicles and how many lines you want in one place.

• Thimble may fit a photographer, DJ, caterer or vendor who needs a certificate of insurance for a single job or event, since its On Demand policies run from 1 hour to 30 days.
• Thimble may also fit seasonal or part-time work: Thimble Monthly runs like a subscription you can cancel at any time.
• Thimble says 75% of its customers are first-time business insurance buyers, and it covers more than 1,000 activities.
• NEXT may fit a business with employees that wants workers’ comp and general liability from the same insurer.
• NEXT may fit a business that uses its own vehicles for work, because commercial auto is one of its listed lines.
• NEXT may fit an owner who wants a business owner’s policy bundling liability and property, in a state where NEXT offers it.

Buying, cancellation and claims

Thimble offers three ways to buy. On Demand policies cover a time frame you choose, from 1 hour up to 30 days, and you pay the full premium upfront. Thimble Monthly is ongoing coverage billed monthly, and annual policies run a full year with annual or monthly payment. Thimble says policies can be canceled at any time but are subject to a short rate, meaning the refund keeps back part of the unused premium. It also notes that rules vary by state.

Thimble’s general liability page says policies it arranges start at $17 a month and average $42, with deductibles from $0 to $1,000. Those are Thimble’s own figures, not a quote; your price depends on your trade, location, team size and how long you need cover.

Claims under Thimble policies are handled by the insurer or administrator tied to your policy number. Thimble’s help center says policies beginning with VFMK are handled by Markel, IBL policies by Sedgwick (or Tokio Marine HCC for cyber losses) and HBL policies by American Claims Management. Its business owner’s policy page sends general liability and property claims under that product to Coterie’s claims team.

NEXT sells its policies online and says you can get covered in about 10 minutes. Its policy documents name the issuing insurer and the claims contact, so keep them where you can find them after a loss.

Why comparing several quotes matters

NEXT and Thimble price risk differently, and neither will be the lowest-cost option for every trade, state or claims history. A one-day event policy, a monthly plan and an annual package are not like-for-like, so compare the same limits, deductibles and term length before you decide.

Check any contract or certificate requirement first. A client may ask for a $2 million aggregate, an additional insured endorsement or workers’ comp, and not every option is available in every state or county. A broker such as Florin can compare quotes from several insurers against those requirements.