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.
1. Better World Club
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.
What Makes It Unique
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.
- Both plans cover winching service and the Premium plan includes two gallons of fuel for free
- Electric vehicle owners get discounts on roadside assistance plans
- Perks include trip interruption up to $1,500, discounts on hotels and free physical maps
- Better World Club waives the $15 sign-up fee if you switch from AAA
Cost
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.
2. Good Sam
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.
What Makes It Unique
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.
- Higher plans cover emergency medical referrals while traveling
- All plans cover pet transport assistance
- All plans offer AAMCO discounts, Platinum+ plan comes with hotel discounts and rental car coverage
Cost
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.
3. Allstate
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:
- Roadside Advantage plan (towing up to 10 miles)
- Roadside Elite plan (towing up to 100 miles)
- Add-on plan (Allstate auto insurance customers only)
- Pay-per-use plan
What Makes It Unique
Here are a few unique things about Allstate’s plans:
- Advantage and Elite plans both cover trip interruption up to $1,500
- Advantage covers tire repair due to road hazards up to $100 twice a year and Elite covers tire repair up to $250 twice a year
- Advantage covers up to five service calls and Elite covers up to seven service calls per year
Cost
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.
4. Travelers
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.
What Makes It Unique
The Premier plan comes with trip interruption and personal property coverage.
- Trip interruption reimburses up to $200 per day ($600 total) for food, lodging and meals if you break down over 100 miles from home
- Personal property coverage reimburses up to $500 for stolen or damaged items as part of a comprehensive, collision or glass claim.
Cost
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.
5. AARP
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:
- Single: Two rescues on Assist or four rescues on Elite
- Couple: Three rescues on Assist or five rescues on Elite
- Family: Five rescues on Assist or seven rescues on Elite
What Makes It Unique
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).
Cost
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.
6. Geico
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.
What Makes It Unique
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.
Cost
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.
7. Liberty Mutual
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.
What Makes It Unique
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.
Cost
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.
8. AAA
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.
What Makes It Unique
AAA membership offers a wide range of plan options and perks:
- All plans cover winching, travel accident insurance, trip interruption, auto incident legal defense and auto theft reward (allowances vary by plan)
- The Premier plan comes with car rental reimbursement, travel concierge services and home lockout service
- Plus and Premier plans include free fuel to get you to the next service station if you run out of gas
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.
Cost
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.
9. Nationwide
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.
What Makes It Unique
There are a couple of things to point out about Nationwide’s roadside assistance.
- Nationwide offers $100 for locksmith services that can apply to key replacement or ignition repair (not just unlocking your car)
- The Plus plan includes trip interruption benefits up to $500 per incident ($100 per day) when you’re stranded at least 100 miles from home
Cost
Nationwide offers rates on par with other add-on plans. Our research shows plans cost between $23 and $42 per year.
10. Progressive
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.
What Makes It Unique
While Progressive and Nationwide use Agero’s network of service providers, Progressive has a few differences:
- Progressive will tow electric cars to the nearest charging station
- Coverage includes one hour of labor that can cover minor repairs like fixing leaks or electrical issues
- Progressive covers winching if your car is stuck within 100 feet of a roadway
- You can get roadside assistance for a motorcycle, boat, RV or heavy truck
Cost
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.
11. State Farm
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.
What Makes It Unique
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.
Cost
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.
