Both Budget Direct and AAMI are relatively cheap car insurers though our research suggests Budget Direct is slightly cheaper on average. If you're looking for a little more on benefits such as a hire car after theft, AAMI may be more suited to your needs.
Budget Direct vs AAMI car insurance prices compared
As part of our 2024 Finder car insurance awards, we collected over 1,800 car insurance quotes from 30 car insurance providers, using a range of driver profiles across different states, ages and genders. Below is a breakdown of that research for Budget Direct and AAMI.
On average, Budget Direct typically offers cheaper car insurance than AAMI. However, it's important to keep in mind that price may not be the only factor in your search for the best car insurance.
Provider
NSW
QLD
SA
TAS
VIC
WA
Aus average
Budget Direct
$1,148
$941
$978
$829
$1,180
$880
$992
AAMI
$1,884
$1,106
$1,015
$985
$1,318
$1,002
$1,218
These quotes are based on a fictional driver profile and your own quote will differ based on your personal circumstances. This should be used as a guide only.
Both AAMI & Budget Direct were tied in the Finder customer satisfaction awards. Both scored 4.32/5. We asked over 5,700 Australians in total. AAMI car insurance has more negative reviews on popular review websites than Budget Direct.
Easy to use app, low premiums, easy to understand policies.
AAMI car insurance customer, WA
Good value for money and friendly, helpful customer service.
AAMI car insurance customer, SA
Quality product at a reasonable price with great claims process.
AAMI car insurance customer, QLD
Competitive premium and excellent claims process
Budget Direct car insurance customer, VIC
Easy to deal with and very competitively priced.
Budget Direct car insurance customer, NSW
Great insurance for families on a budget.
Budget Direct car insurance customer, QLD
AAMI and Budget Direct complaints information
Using data from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), we can see how many motor insurance complaints the underwriters from AAMI (AAI) and Budget Direct (Auto & General) have received and resolved. While AAI has received more complaints, it's important to note that it has a larger market share and seems to have resolved those complaints at a higher rate than Auto & General.
Underwriter
Complaints received
Complaints resolved at registration & referral
Referral resolution rate
AAI
2231
1370
61.43%
Auto & General
1431
723
50.56%
The claims process
You can claim online, over the phone or via chat with Budget Direct.
With AAMI, claims can be made via the AAMI My Account. Once you've filled out the form, an AAMI claims consultant should get in touch with you.
Both insurers offer agreed or market value options when you take out cover. Market value pays you the market value of your car at the time it's written off. Agreed value pays you the amount you agree with your insurer when you take out a policy.
Finder's verdict
Budget Direct is typically a little cheaper than AAMI and has more positive customer reviews online. They're pretty similar in terms of their level of cover, though AAMI gives you a little more for your money with some benefits such as a hire car after theft and a no fault accident. It's also a very popular insurer with a good network of repairers. In general though, both insurers offer very similar levels of cover.
Gary Ross Hunter is an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stands by our editorial principles
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. You can learn more about how we make money.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
