Compare Life
Insurance Providers

Our comparison table is ordered by review score. The review score is the average weighted score based on product quality and user reviews from the last 12 months. Find out more about how our review score is calculated here.

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When it comes to comparing life insurance providers, many people focus on the cheapest price, disregarding the quality of policies.

Top Rated Providers

1st

Review Score

9.5/10

Based on 4,205 reviews

Life Insurance Quote*

£7.96

per month

With Critical Illness Cover**

£26.06

per month

Maximum Cover Limit****

£750k

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2nd

Review Score

9.4/10

Based on 64,956 reviews

Life Insurance Quote*

£8.61

per month

With Critical Illness Cover**

£25.73

per month

Maximum Cover Limit****

£1.5m

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3rd

Review Score

9.0/10

Based on 46,762 reviews

Life Insurance Quote*

£8.48

per month

With Critical Illness Cover**

£25.47

per month

Maximum Cover Limit****

£5m

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4th

Review Score

9.0/10

Based on 13,067 reviews

Life Insurance Quote*

£10.70

per month

With Critical Illness Cover**

£35.56

per month

Maximum Cover Limit****

£750k

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5th

Review Score

8.4/10

Based on 29,410 reviews

Life Insurance Quote*

£8.19

per month

With Critical Illness Cover**

£19.81

per month

Maximum Cover Limit****

£7.2m

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6th

Review Score

7.8/10

Based on 13,742 reviews

Life Insurance Quote*

£9.32

per month

With Critical Illness Cover**

£25.21

per month

Maximum Cover Limit****

£9.9m

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7th

Review Score

7.8/10

Based on 12,131 reviews

Life Insurance Quote*

£6.67

per month

With Critical Illness Cover**

£16.51

per month

Maximum Cover Limit****

£9.9m

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8th

Review Score

7.1/10

Based on 8,929 reviews

Life Insurance Quote*

£8.44

per month

With Critical Illness Cover**

£21.02

per month

Maximum Cover Limit****

£500k

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9th

Review Score

6.8/10

Based on 1,957 reviews

Life Insurance Quote*

£7.20

per month

With Critical Illness Cover**

£16.05

per month

Maximum Cover Limit****

£40m

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10th

Review Score

6.4/10

Based on 11,908 reviews

Life Insurance Quote*

£8.61

per month

With Critical Illness Cover**

£26.57

per month

Maximum Cover Limit****

£9m

Get a Quote Read more

*This is a decreasing term cover quote for £150,000 over 30 years, based on a 35-year-old non-smoking female. **This quote also includes £37,500 critical illness cover. ****This is the maximum amount of life insurance cover you can get from this provider.

In this Guide

Compare life insurance providers
Benefits of life insurance
Do I need life insurance?
What does life insurance cover?
How much cover do I need?
How much does life insurance cost?
What types of policies can I get?
Things to consider

Compare Life Insurance

Whilst it can be distressing to think about life after death, it’s inevitable and you have to ask yourself "if I were to die is my family going to be protected financially?" The grievous reality is that one in 29 children lose a parent before they grow up. Along with the sorrow and misery of losing a parent, they also suffer from a loss of income. The best way to protect your family’s finances if the worst were to happen is to take out a life insurance policy. This article will make it easier for you to decide if you need life cover, how much cover you need, and how long you need insurance.

Compare life insurance providers

When it comes to comparing life insurance providers, many people focus on the cheapest price, disregarding the quality of policies. Compare by Review understand that a cheap life insurance policy isn’t necessarily the best life insurance policy and that’s why we’ve ranked providers exclusively on customer experience and product quality. We take into account life insurance reviews from genuine customers so you can confidently buy a policy from an insurer that will be there for you when you need them most.

We’re on a mission to change the insurance buying journey. Unlike traditional comparison sites that encourage you to buy the cheapest policy, we recommend that you read life insurance reviews before purchasing a policy so that you can get an idea of the quality of service that different insurers offer. Our life insurance comparison table highlights the best life insurance providers based on product quality and level of service.

Our expert says

“Whilst life insurance isn’t compulsory, it’s certainly worth considering in order to give your loved one’s peace of mind in the event of your death. When comparing life insurance providers, we recommend that you read plenty of reviews to get an idea of how providers handle claims and how good their services and benefits are. The last thing you want is your loved ones struggling to get the claim approved once you’re no longer with us.”

– Mark Gordon, CEO of Compare by Review

Benefits of life insurance

Your dependents won’t have to pay income tax on the proceeds of your life insurance policy
Gives you peace of mind that your family are financially secure when you pass away
Covers outstanding debts so your loved ones don’t have to worry
Plenty of policies to choose from

Do I need life insurance?

Life insurance isn’t a legal requirement but it does reduce the financial stress and worry that your loved ones face in the event of your death. It also gives you peace of mind knowing that when you’re gone, your family and dependants will have money set aside to cover your outstanding debts or bills. You should consider taking out a life insurance policy if:

You have a mortgage
You’re the main earner in your household
You have dependants that rely on your income, particularly young, school age children

If you have a partner or children who rely on you financially, life insurance is an essential purchase. It’s likely that your loved ones will struggle to pay the monthly bills, such as mortgage repayments or rent without your income. However, if you’re single or have a partner who earns a high income that your family can live off, you may not need a life insurance policy.

What does life insurance cover?

When comparing life insurance policies, you should check the policy details to find out exactly what you are and aren’t covered for. All life insurance policies have exclusions but some policies cover more than others so it’s worth getting the most comprehensive policy available to ensure that your loved ones are able to make a valid claim when they need to.

All life insurance policies cover death caused by:

Illness
Disease
Cancer
Heart attack
Accident

Some life insurance policies cover:

Terminal illness diagnosis
Suicide (often clauses)

Most normally exclude death caused by:

Drug or alcohol abuse
High-risk activities
Pre-aged conditions

How much life insurance cover do I need?

This depends entirely on your personal circumstances. Generally, the more money you’re insured for, the higher your premium will be. But, if you underestimate how much cover you need, your loved ones could be short of money when you’re gone. In order to determine how much life insurance cover you need, you should calculate how many debts you currently have that would need repaying such as a mortgage, credit cards or personal loans. You also need to consider how much money your partner and children would need in order to maintain the lifestyle they currently live without your income. Don’t forget you won’t be in the equation, so you may have to account for additional expenses. For example, if you work part-time, or don’t work at all and normally look after the children, you may have to factor in costs for childcare. Also, if your partner normally works full time, they may have to work fewer hours in the event of your death in order to be there more for your children.

How long do I need life insurance for?

The length of cover you have is dependant on the type of policy you take out. You can get life insurance policies that last for a fixed period or your whole life. For example, you can take out a decreasing term life insurance policy where the payout amount decreases as your loan amount decreases. This type of policy is taken out for a fixed number of years and you’ll no longer be covered when the term length ends. An alternative to decreasing term life insurance is level term life insurance. It works in the same way in that you pay a monthly premium for a fixed number of years, however, the payout amount remains the same throughout the policy. If you want to be covered for your entire life, you should consider a whole of life insurance policy. It’s typically the most expensive life insurance cover but your loved ones are guaranteed a payout in the event of your death.

If you have a mortgage and it has 20 years left on it, you might want to take out cover with a term length of 20 years so you can be certain that when you die, the mortgage is completely paid off. But if you want to leave a lump sum for your family, you’ll want to take out cover for longer.

Can I get life insurance with my partner?

Yes – you can take out a joint life insurance policy that covers both you and your partner. However, joint policies only payout on the first death. After the first death, the survivor will no longer be covered and the policy will come to an end.

How much does life insurance cost?

The cost of life insurance is dependant on a variety of things including your age, health, lifestyle, the length of term and the type of cover you take out. Decreasing term life insurance is typically the cheapest type of life insurance because the payout lessens over time. Whole of life insurance is normally the most expensive as there’s no term length attached to the policy. You need to consider more than just the price when taking out a life insurance policy. Cheap life insurance isn’t necessarily the best life insurance. When comparing life insurance policies, you need to consider what the right level of cover is for you and how long you want to be covered for.

When compiling our life insurance comparison table, our team got quotes from each provider. The average cost of life insurance based on these quotes is £18.40. However, Compare by Review was founded on the belief that insurance shouldn’t be bought on price alone, it’s more important to compare life insurance based on customers real experiences so you can purchase a life insurance policy from a provider that will be there for your loved ones when they need to make a claim.

*Our quotes are based on a 35 year old non-smoker for decreasing term life insurance worth £150,000 over 30 years.

Do you have to pay tax on life insurance payouts?

Your dependants won’t have to pay any income tax on a life insurance payout. However, the payout does count towards you estates value so they may have to pay inheritance tax. If you decide to get your policy written into a trust, the insurance pays out directly to your dependants so it won’t become part of your estate. Therefore, it avoids inheritance tax and speeds up the payout. You can write your policy into a trust at the point of taking it out, it’s simple to do and most policies include the option directly at no extra charge.

What types of policies can I get?

Level term life insurance – pays out a lump sum to your loved ones and the amount remains the same whether you’re near the start or end of your policy.
Decreasing term life insurance – the payout your loved ones receive decreases by an agreed amount each year.
Whole of life insurance – this policy lasts your entire life. There’s no fixed time frame and your family is guaranteed a payout.
Joint life insurance – insures two people. When one policyholder dies, the survivor will be paid a lump sum and the policy will end.
Over 50s life insurance – for people aged 50-85. You don’t have to submit any medical records or do any health checks to get a policy.
Family income benefit – also known as family life insurance, pays out a regular income rather than a lump sum to your family in the event of your death.
Critical illness cover – pays out a lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness or injury that’s listed on your policy.

You might have also heard of mortgage life insurance, also known as mortgage protection or mortgage assurance. As the name suggests, mortgage life insurance pays out if you pass away before you’ve finished paying off your mortgage, so that your spouse or children aren’t left to pick up the monthly repayments. You can take out mortgage protection as decreasing term life insurance or level term life insurance.

Things to consider:

Do you have any cover through work?

Many employees offer a ‘death-in-service’ benefit which pays out a lump sum if you die. Typically it’s worth four times the amount of your salary but this can vary. This may be enough cover if you don’t have many debts or have few dependants, but you may want to take out life insurance alongside it.

What is covered?

Do you want cover that just protects your bicycle, just protects yourself or both? You should check what is covered as standard and then you can tailor the policy to add on additional extras if necessary.

When and where is the cover valid?

Read the policy carefully to check when and where you’ll be covered. For example, is your bicycle covered from theft if you’ve stored it at a different address to your home address overnight? Also, if you’re into cycle touring, you’ll need to ensure that you’re covered in other countries. Most insurers will allow you to choose whether you want to be covered worldwide or just in Europe for up to either 30 days or 60 days.

How much is your bike covered for?

Check if there’s a limit on the amount the insurer will pay out for replacing your bike. You might need specialist cover if your bike is expensive.

Do you need to have specific locks?

Most insurers insist that your bike is locked with an approved lock in order to be covered. It’s likely that there will also be rules about how you secure your bike, for example, locking it to an immovable object.

How much is the excess?

You don’t want to be paying a fortune if you need to make a claim. Most insurers give you the option to choose your excess, often varying from as little as £50 up to £500 but it’s worth bearing in mind that the lower the excess, the higher your premium will be.

Consider getting the policy written into a trust

If your life insurance policy is written into a trust, the payout won’t become part of your estate so your dependants won’t have to pay any inheritance tax on it. Also, they won’t have to wait for your estate to be divided up to get the payout.

Be completely truthful when you apply

When applying for a life insurance policy, make sure you read the questions thoroughly and answer honestly. If you make a mistake or aren’t truthful with your answers, the insurer could claim ‘non-disclosure’ to avoid a payout.