11 Best Roadside Assistance Plans (2023)

Oct 23, 2023

You don't want to struggle to change a flat tire on your car when it's raining at 11:00 at night. With a roadside assistance plan, all you need to do is make a call and a technician will come take care of it for you.

There are many roadside assistance plans available from different types of companies, so where do you start your search for coverage? We at the MarketWatch Guides Team have compared the best options and will walk you through the costs and services of our top picks here.

Key Takeaways:

The MarketWatch Guides Team is committed to providing reliable information to help you make the best decision possible about insuring your vehicle. Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car insurance companies. We collected data on dozens of auto insurance providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. After 800 hours of research, the end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the insurers that scored the most points topping the list.

Learn more about our methodology.

You can compare our recommendations for the best roadside assistance options based on plan type, number of plans offered and cost below. We rank each company using data points in the following rating categories: industry standing, availability, coverage, cost and customer experience.

How much roadside assistance costs largely depends on where you purchase a plan. We’re focusing on roadside assistance companies and car insurance companies on this list, though you can also get coverage from extended warranties, credit cards, phone providers and more.

Provider

Overall Rating

Plan Types

Number of Plans

Cost Range

Better World Club

9.6

Stand-alone

2

$61.95 to $99.95 per year

Good Sam

9.5

Stand-alone

3

$99.95 to $179.95 per year(first year discounted)

Allstate

9.4

Stand-alone,add-on and pay-per-use

4

$25+ per policy period for add on,$89 to $164 for first year of stand-alone coverage,or pay-per-use

Travelers

9.3

Add-on

2

Varies

AARP

9.2

Stand-alone

2

$66 to $131 per year

Geico

9.1

Add-on

1

$14+ per year

Liberty Mutual

9.0

Add-on

1

$12 to $20 per year

AAA

9.0

Stand-alone

3

$64 to $124 per year

Nationwide

9.0

Add-on

2

$23 to $42 per year

Progressive

9.0

Add-on

1

$30 to $60 per year

State Farm

8.8

Add-on

1

$30+ per year

Next, let's look at the best roadside assistance plans in detail. All of these plans offer standard roadside assistance coverage: towing, jump-starts, lockout assistance, spare tire installation and fuel delivery. We’ll highlight what makes each plan stand out in terms of coverage and perks.

Better World Club is our top pick for roadside assistance coverage. It offers two plans with affordable prices and some helpful perks. The Basic and Premium plans are comparable to AAA's Basic and Plus plans. Basic roadside assistance covers towing up to five miles and Premium covers towing up to 100 miles.

The most significant quality that makes Better World Club unique is that it is a carbon-neutral roadside assistance provider. That means the company purchases carbon offsets to negate the amount of carbon it produces, including emissions through its fleet of roadside service providers.

Better World Club has two plans: Basic and Premium. Basic costs $61.95 per year while Premium costs $99.95 per year. Both have a $15 sign-up fee unless you switch from AAA.

Good Sam is a membership club that offers roadside assistance, auto and RV insurance, RV extended warranties, travel discounts and more. It offers three auto roadside assistance plans and three RV roadside assistance plans. The three auto plans are Platinum, Platinum+ and Platinum Complete. All plans cover towing to the nearest in-network facility.

One standout feature of Good Sam roadside assistance is that all plans cover spouses and children under 25 automatically. AAA and Better World Club both require fees to add family members.

Good Sam memberships range from $99.95 to $179.95 per year, which is more expensive than AAA. However, the company offers deals for first-time members. At the time of publication, you can save 50% by signing up as a new member.

Allstate offers the most comprehensive roadside program for an insurance company and ranks third on our list of best roadside assistance plans. There are actually four ways you can get roadside assistance from Allstate:

Here are a few unique things about Allstate's plans:

Allstate's pay-per-use plan is unique. You don't have to pay a membership fee — you just pay for services when you need them. Towing starts at $154 per tow for this plan.

The Advantage plan starts at $89 for the first year and costs $105 per year after that. Pricing for the Elite plan is $164 for the first year and $179 annually thereafter. You can pay for membership annually or monthly.

If you’re already an Allstate customer, you can get an add-on plan for as low as $25 per auto insurance policy term.

Travelers is another auto insurance company with comprehensive roadside plans. The company offers two roadside plans for auto insurance customers: standard roadside assistance and Premier Roadside Assistance®. The standard plan covers towing up to 15 miles while the Premier plan covers up to 100 miles.

The Premier plan comes with trip interruption and personal property coverage.

Travelers doesn't advertise pricing for its roadside add-ons. You’ll have to get a quote or call an agent to see what it will cost you.

AARP members can get discounts on Allstate roadside assistance plans. The two available options designed specifically for AARP members are Assist and Elite. Assist covers 10 miles of towing and Elite covers up to 100 miles. Both have options for single drivers, couples and families with different numbers of rescues per year:

The AARP versions of Allstate's plans have fewer benefits than the standard versions. Neither plan covers trip interruption, and only the Elite plan covers tire repair/replacement (up to $250 twice per year).

The AARP Roadside Assist plan costs $66 for the first year and $83 per year upon renewal. The Elite plan costs $131 for the first year and $143 per year upon renewal. You can pay yearly or monthly for the plan. If you’re an AARP member, these lower rates may make Allstate one of the best roadside assistance plans for you.

Geico is one of the most affordable options for add-on roadside coverage. Its program doesn't have many additional bells and whistles, but it's a reliable option for people who have Geico car insurance policies. Geico covers towing to the nearest repair facility — you’ll pay for additional miles.

Geico roadside assistance covers all the standard services, plus winching. The Geico app can help roadside assistance services locate you. The plan covers lockout assistance up to $100. Beyond that, you won't find extras like trip interruption bundled with roadside assistance.

Geico roadside assistance starts as low as $14 per year per car. That's a great price if you want basic coverage to help you out after getting stuck on the side of the road.

Liberty Mutual is another affordable option if you already have car insurance with the company (or want to make a switch). You can add the coverage online if you’re already a customer. Like Geico, Liberty Mutual covers towing to the nearest repair facility.

Liberty Mutual's roadside assistance plan covers the basics: towing, dead battery jump-starts, emergency fuel delivery, flat tire assistance and lockout service. Beyond that, roadside assistance doesn't offer any perks. You can get rental car coverage separately from Liberty Mutual.

According to our research, roadside assistance from Liberty Mutual costs about $12 to $20 per year, which makes it an inexpensive option for basic coverage.

AAA is the largest roadside assistance provider in the country. It's made up of 32 motor clubs that have slightly different service offerings and prices, but you’ll see the same Basic, Plus and Premier plans wherever you shop.

Looking at towing, Basic covers towing back to the responding truck's station, to a AAA Car Care facility within 10 miles or to another repair shop within three miles. Plus covers towing up to 100 miles and Premier covers one 200-mile tow per year.

AAA membership offers a wide range of plan options and perks:

See our AAA roadside assistance review for details on coverage and benefit limits for each plan. You can also get auto insurance from AAA plus other financial services.

AAA's basic plan costs $64 per year, the Plus plan is $94 per year and the Premier plan is $124 per year. Additional members cost $35/$40/$50 depending on the plan. Pricing can vary slightly depending on the AAA club in your area.

Nationwide offers two roadside assistance plans through Agero. Basic covers towing up to 15 miles, while Plus covers towing up to 100 miles and adds trip interruption coverage. Nationwide roadside assistance is available to auto insurance customers only.

There are a couple of things to point out about Nationwide's roadside assistance.

Nationwide offers rates on par with other add-on plans. Our research shows plans cost between $23 and $42 per year.

Progressive offers add-on roadside assistance through Agero, like Nationwide. What's different is that Progressive only offers one plan. It covers towing to any shop within 15 miles but will tow your car further if no shop is within that radius.

While Progressive and Nationwide use Agero's network of service providers, Progressive has a few differences:

Our data shows Progressive roadside assistance costs about $30 to $60 per year depending on your vehicle. This is on the high end for add-on plans and comparable to basic auto club plans.

State Farm rounds out our list of the best roadside assistance plans. State Farm offers one add-on plan only for auto insurance customers. The plan covers towing services to the nearest repair facility plus other basic services.

State Farm's roadside assistance plan doesn't offer extras like trip interruption or rental car coverage, but you can get coverage options like those separately on your auto insurance policy. The plan does cover one hour of mechanical labor for transmission issues, battery replacement, fluid leaks and other issues.

We found State Farm roadside assistance costs about $30 per year. It's basic but can get the job done if you’re already a State Farm customer.

Cost isn't everything. A $20 add-on may cover much less than a stand-alone plan that costs $150 per year. As you shop around, there are a few things you should know about roadside assistance to accurately compare plans between providers.

There are five roadside services that are common among virtually all companies.

Generally speaking, roadside assistance companies cover you or your car. If the company covers your car, you can only get service when you’re driving your vehicle. But if the plan covers you, you can get service whether you’re driving your car, driving a rental or riding in a friend's car. Some companies like Good Sam even cover your family members as drivers or passengers for free.

Roadside plans may or may not cover motorcycles and RVs automatically. You might need to pay a surcharge to get coverage for one of these vehicles.

Below are a few more roadside services that are less common and can set the best roadside assistance plans apart.

A tow truck with a winch can extract your car from mud or snow if you get stuck in a ditch on the side of the road. Some roadside assistance plans cover this service.

Lockout assistance includes unlocking your vehicle. If you lost your keys entirely, you’ll need rekeying services, which only some roadside assistance plans cover.

Many roadside membership plans include trip interruption. This benefit reimburses you for food and lodging up to a limit if your car is disabled far from home.

If a jump-start doesn't work, you’ll need a new battery. Some roadside providers can send a new battery to your location. You’ll pay for the cost of the battery but the plan typically covers installation.

This perk reimburses you for tire replacement if a tire is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard.

Many roadside membership programs offer discounts on travel services, entertainment, dining and shopping.

All roadside assistance plans come with limits. These usually include limits on towing distance and service calls per year.

Many insurance add-ons and basic auto club plans cover towing to the nearest repair facility and no farther. Higher membership club plans can cover towing for 100 or even 200 miles in some cases.

Most plans cover a limited number of service calls per year. For example, AAA and Better World Club cover up to four service calls per year. After that, you’ll pay additional costs out of pocket.

You’ll need comprehensive and collision coverage in most cases if you want to get roadside assistance from an auto insurance company. If you have minimum coverage, adding full coverage to get roadside assistance will increase your total premium.

Beyond roadside assistance membership clubs and car insurance companies, there are a few more ways you can get roadside assistance. Depending on the company, you may find a full or pay-per-use plan.

Our top picks for the best roadside assistance plans include Better World Club, Good Sam and Allstate. However, many basic plans from insurance companies provide standard services for an affordable cost. You can compare car insurance rates to find a cheap provider that offers roadside coverage.

Below are a few frequently asked questions about roadside assistance.

If you’re looking for roadside assistance from a membership club, we rank Better World Club and Good Sam above AAA. Both options offer multiple roadside plans with different perks included in your membership.

Considering out-of-pocket costs for towing and mechanical assistance, the cost of roadside protection is worth it if you use the plan at least once a year. You may also feel the cost is worth it for peace of mind while you drive even if you don't end up using the plan.

You can reach AAA by calling 1-800-222-4357 (1-800-AAA-HELP) to get service anytime in the U.S. or Canada. Have your member number ready for faster service.

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best roadside assistance providers. We collected data on several companies to grade them on five key ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.

Here are the factors our ratings take into account: