Stillwater vs openly home insurance is a comparison almost nobody can make on their own. Both companies sell exclusively through independent agents. Neither one will sell you a policy directly on its website. You have to go through a licensed local agency, and that agency has to be appointed with the carrier.
So the practical question is not “which brand is better.” It is whether either carrier is appointed in your area and willing to write your specific house. Stillwater is licensed in all 50 states. Openly writes in 24. That single gap decides the matchup for a large share of readers before coverage or price ever enters the conversation.
Stillwater Vs Openly Home Insurance: Quick Comparison
Here is how the two carriers line up on the numbers that matter most.
| Feature | Stillwater | Openly |
|---|---|---|
| Average Annual Rate ($300K dwelling) | $1,589 | $1,125 |
| AM Best Rating | B++ (Good) — downgraded from A- | A- (Excellent), stable outlook (Rock Ridge Insurance Company) |
| JD Power Score | Not ranked in the JD Power Home Insurance Study | Not ranked in the JD Power Home Insurance Study |
| NAIC Complaint Ratio | Elevated — roughly 2.8, well above the 1.00 baseline | Below expected for company size |
| States Available | All 50 states | 24 states |
| Bundling Discount | 2%–5%, most states at 4% | None — no auto product to bundle |
| Claims Satisfaction | Mixed; 24/7 claims line, A+ BBB rating | Strong; 4.7/5 on Trustpilot |
| Mobile App Rating | Policyholder app plus online portal | No consumer app; web portal and agent servicing |
| Distribution | Independent agents only | Independent agents only |
| Max Guaranteed Replacement Cost | Extended replacement cost endorsement | Up to $5 million dwelling |
The headline in any stillwater vs openly home insurance comparison is availability. Openly writes in Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Nevada is listed as coming soon. If your state is not on that list, this comparison is over. Stillwater is your only option of the two.
To be clear about ownership: these two do not share a parent company. Stillwater Insurance Group traces back to Fidelity National Property and Casualty, was bought out by CEO Mark Davey in 2012, and is now owned through Duval Holdings. Openly is a Boston-based managing general agent founded in 2017, with policies underwritten by Rock Ridge Insurance Company. Different capital, different appetite, different rating.
Coverage Options: Stillwater vs Openly
Openly built its product around one idea. It sells a single, near-fully-loaded policy instead of a base form with a long menu of endorsements. Guaranteed replacement cost on the dwelling is standard, up to $5 million. Personal liability runs up to $1 million. Water backup, equipment breakdown and buried service lines are available as endorsements. Openly also covers short-term rental activity, which many standard carriers exclude outright. For example, a homeowner who lists a guest suite on Airbnb often gets declined elsewhere.
Stillwater takes the opposite approach. It sells a conventional HO-3 with a wide add-on catalog, and it sells far more than homeowners. Condo, renters, landlord, umbrella, auto and small business policies all sit under the same roof. That breadth matters if you own a rental duplex and a primary home. However, Stillwater generally requires the insured dwelling to be owner-occupied and a primary residence on its homeowners form, and properties falling outside guidelines can be non-renewed.
Underwriting appetite is where stillwater vs openly home insurance genuinely diverges. Openly is most competitive on homes valued at roughly $400,000 and up. Its economics are tuned for newer, well-maintained, higher-value properties, and it partners with wholesalers like Orchid for high-net-worth placements. Stillwater, on the other hand, writes down-market comfortably. Older roofs, modest dwelling limits and lower-value homes are ordinary business there. In most cases, an agent quoting a $250,000 ranch will not even bother running Openly.
Rates and Discounts: Stillwater vs Openly
The published averages favor Openly, but they are misleading if read casually. Openly averages about $1,125 per year at $300,000 of dwelling coverage. Stillwater averages about $1,589 at the same limit. That looks like a 29% gap. However, Openly’s book skews toward better risks in fewer states, which flatters the average. Stillwater’s average includes catastrophe-exposed markets that Openly simply does not enter.
| Cost Factor | Stillwater | Openly |
|---|---|---|
| Avg. premium, $300K dwelling | $1,589/yr | $1,125/yr |
| Vs. national average (~$2,800) | About 18% below | About 50% below |
| Number of discounts | Roughly 15 | Very few |
| Multi-policy / bundling | 2%–5% (4% typical) | Not offered |
| Home security / protective device | Yes | Built into pricing |
| Claims-free credit | Yes | Reflected in underwriting |
| Sweet spot | Homes under $400K, multi-policy households | Homes $400K and above |
Discount philosophy splits sharply. Stillwater stacks about 15 discounts, including protective devices, claims-free history and safe driving. Its bundling credit runs 2% to 5%, with most states landing at 4%. Openly offers very few discounts by design. It prices the risk directly and skips the credit-stacking game. Openly also has no auto product, so there is nothing to bundle with. If you want home and auto under one carrier, that alone settles the stillwater vs openly home insurance question.
Bundling remains the single largest lever most homeowners have. Even a 4% home credit plus the matching auto credit adds up over a decade. It pays to compare auto insurance rates at Car Cover Guide before you commit to a home carrier, since the combined number is what you actually pay. Typically the cheapest home policy is not the cheapest household.
Claims Process and Customer Service
Openly has the cleaner complaint record. NAIC data shows Rock Ridge Insurance Company drawing fewer complaints than expected for its size, and Openly holds a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot. Claims are filed by phone, online or through your agent. Because Openly is agent-distributed, your agency handles a lot of the front-line servicing. For many buyers that is a feature, not a bug.
Stillwater’s record is more mixed. It carries an A+ BBB rating and runs a 24/7 claims line, and its service reputation among California agents is solid. However, its NAIC complaint index has run well above the 1.00 expected baseline, with one measure near 2.8. That means roughly triple the complaints you would expect for a company its size. Complaint indexes swing year to year, so treat any single figure as a signal rather than a verdict.
Neither carrier appears in the JD Power US Home Insurance Study. Both are too small in premium volume to hit the study’s ranking thresholds. So there is no head-to-head JD Power score to cite in a stillwater vs openly home insurance comparison, and anyone quoting one is guessing. On the technology side, Stillwater offers a policyholder app and portal. Openly leans on its web portal and its agent network instead of a consumer app.
Financial Strength and Stability
This is the most important paragraph in the article. In 2025, AM Best downgraded Stillwater Insurance Company’s financial strength rating to B++ (Good) from A- (Excellent). AM Best cited continued deterioration in net underwriting results, driven mostly by weather losses and, to a lesser degree, inflation. B++ is still a secure rating. However, it sits below the A- floor that many mortgage lenders require.
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That lender threshold is not theoretical. Plenty of servicers require an A- or better carrier and will force-place coverage otherwise. Before binding Stillwater, ask your agent to confirm your lender accepts a B++ carrier. Openly does not have this problem. Rock Ridge Insurance Company holds an A- (Excellent) rating from AM Best with a stable outlook, backed by large global reinsurance partners.
Size and structure differ too. Stillwater has been writing since 2000, is licensed nationwide and sells a full personal lines suite. Openly launched in 2017, raised $193 million to fund expansion, and operates as an MGA rather than a balance-sheet carrier under its own name. On the other hand, an MGA structure is not a weakness by itself. What matters is the rating of the paper behind it, and Openly’s paper currently rates a notch higher than Stillwater’s.
Which Home Insurer Should You Choose?
Choose Stillwater if: you live outside Openly’s 24-state footprint and need a carrier that writes anywhere; your home is valued under $400,000, where Openly is rarely competitive; you want home, auto, landlord and umbrella with one carrier and a 4% bundling credit; or you own non-owner-occupied rental property that Openly’s homeowners appetite will not touch.
Choose Openly if: your home is worth $400,000 or more and you want guaranteed replacement cost up to $5 million standard; your lender requires an A-rated carrier and B++ will not clear; you rent your home out short-term and keep getting declined; or you would rather have a clean complaint record and broad built-in coverage than a long list of small discounts.
Our verdict on stillwater vs openly home insurance: for eligible homes in eligible states, Openly is the stronger policy. Better AM Best rating, fewer complaints, richer standard coverage and a lower average premium is a hard combination to argue with. The catch is that “eligible” excludes most of the country and most modestly priced homes.
Stillwater earns its place through reach and flexibility, not through ratings. It is the pragmatic choice when Openly says no — and Openly says no often. Have your independent agent quote both, then quote two or three regional carriers alongside them. Whatever you save, put it to work; you can find bank sign-up bonuses at Bonus Bank Daily and park a lower premium into an account that pays you a few hundred dollars just to open it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy Stillwater or Openly home insurance directly online?
No. Both carriers distribute exclusively through independent agents, so there is no direct-to-consumer purchase path for either. Stillwater’s site can route you to an appointed agency, and Openly runs a find-an-agent tool. However, your agent must hold an appointment with that specific carrier to quote it.
Why was Stillwater downgraded by AM Best, and should that worry me?
AM Best cut Stillwater’s financial strength rating to B++ from A- after several years of weak net underwriting results, mostly from weather losses. B++ is still classified as secure, so claims-paying ability is not in question. However, some mortgage lenders require A- or better, so confirm with your servicer before binding.
Is Openly available in my state, and what happens if it is not?
Openly currently writes in 24 states, including Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Ohio, with Nevada pending. If your state is not on that list, Stillwater wins by default in this matchup. In that case, ask your agent for regional carriers in your state rather than settling for a single quote.
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Official Sources & Resources
For verified information on home insurance ratings and regulations:
- AM Best (Financial Strength Ratings): ambest.com
- NAIC (Complaint Ratios): naic.org
- Insurance Information Institute: iii.org
- FEMA (Flood Insurance): fema.gov
- J.D. Power (Customer Satisfaction): jdpower.com
Content last reviewed August 2026. If you notice any outdated information, please contact us.