Aon vs The Hartford: How Do They Compare for General Liability Insurance?

Aon’s construction practice serves project participants including contractors, owners, engineers, and developers, while The Hartford says its GL can be bought alone or in a Business Owner’s Policy and names professions such as architects, photographers, technology companies, and landscapers. 3,7

What Is Aon?

Aon’s U.S. Commercial Risk terms describe brokerage for certain insurance programs, while its Middle Market page describes a dedicated practice for mid-sized organizations across North America. The public materials reviewed do not identify the licensed producer or insurer for a particular placement. Ask which entity will produce each line and which insurer will issue the policy; request jurisdiction details for the proposed placement and ask how compensation and claim notice work for your account. 1,2

Read the Aon profile

Read the Aon General Liability Insurance page

What Is The Hartford?

The Hartford suits SaaS and software small businesses seeking a BOP and an online quote; buyers needing commercial auto through self-service or built-in California EPL coverage should use another route. Eligible small-business quotes can start online in minutes. 4,5,6

Read the The Hartford profile

Read the The Hartford General Liability Insurance page

What Is General Liability Insurance?

General liability can protect your business when a customer or visitor claims you caused injury or damaged their property. It suits businesses serving customers or working on their premises; your own building, tools and stock need property coverage. 9,10,11

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in General Liability Insurance

Construction practice reach and Hartford’s small-business GL offer

Aon’s construction practice serves project participants including contractors, owners, engineers, and developers. The Hartford says its GL can be bought alone or in a Business Owner’s Policy and names professions such as architects, photographers, technology companies, and landscapers. A construction buyer should verify its class and project scope with Hartford; Aon’s practice is explicitly geared to construction placement. 3 7

Risk review and named policy features

Aon describes project risk advice but does not publish a GL form. The Hartford lists bodily injury, property damage, products-completed operations, advertising injury, and medical payments, with product recall only by endorsement. That distinction matters for sellers: ask Hartford to separate product liability from recall, and Aon to identify the form and endorsements in its proposed placement. 3 7

What to Confirm in General Liability Insurance Quotes

  • Ask Aon for its construction form and how it addresses completed operations and project contracts. 3 7
  • Ask The Hartford whether product recall is included or requires an endorsement and request the full schedule. 3 7

Review Scores

These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.

Aon

6.1/ 10

Review Score

3 rated sources

Public ratings for Aon are low: Trustpilot shows 1.2 out of 5 from 782 reviews, and BBB shows 1.6 from five. Aon is a global firm, so those pages mostly reflect other parts of the business, not large U.S. commercial accounts.[4][6][7]

Read Aon reviews

The Hartford

4.9/ 10

Review Score

5 rated sources

The Hartford’s service record is mixed: NerdWallet rates it 4.5/5 but reports below-average small-business satisfaction. Low Trustpilot ratings add a service concern, although they mix policy types.[1][2][4][5][6][7]

Read The Hartford reviews

Offering Details

Aon vs The Hartford: General Liability Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaAon General Liability brokerage and risk-advisory offeringThe Hartford General Liability Insurance
Role in This Line

Aon says its global construction practice designs and places risk solutions and uses broking experience and a global network across construction insurance lines. For general liability, this is evidence of Aon’s brokered market offering; the page does not identify the insurer for a buyer’s placement. 3Company-reported. Aon’s global construction and infrastructure practice page. This establishes a marketed brokerage/advisory offering, not policy issuance or account-specific placement.

The Hartford's general liability insurance (GLI), also called commercial general liability (CGL), helps protect small businesses from third-party claims of bodily injury or property damage. It can be bought as a stand-alone policy or bundled into a Business Owner's Policy. 7Company-reported. General liability product page as read 2026-09-23.

Issuing Insurer

The reviewed practice page does not name the insurer or producing legal entity for a specific placement. Ask for both on the quote and binder. 3Not found in reviewed sources. Aon’s global practice page as reviewed 2026-09-30; no state-specific placement schedule or buyer quote was reviewed. This does not establish that Aon cannot arrange a placement.

Confirm in your quote.

Who It’s For

Aon describes its global construction and infrastructure practice as serving contractors, owners, developers, engineers, architects, designers, financiers and investors, and says it works with organizations of varied sizes and complexity. 3Company-reported. Audience described for Aon’s global construction and infrastructure practice. It does not establish U.S. state availability or underwriting eligibility for a placement.

The Hartford markets GL coverage to businesses that meet clients face-to-face, work on or with client property, use third-party locations, or advertise, and names specific professions it targets, including architects, engineers, photographers, hair salons, gym owners, interior designers, technology companies, landscapers and real estate agents. 7Company-reported. General liability product page as read 2026-09-23.

Coverage Features

Aon lists General Liability within construction liability and describes casualty protection for third-party bodily injury or property damage associated with negligent acts during construction or operations. A policy’s actual insureds, triggers, exclusions and conditions are not stated on this practice page. 3Company-reported. Aon’s marketing description of the brokerage/coverage area. The page is not the insurer’s policy form and does not establish an insured's entitlement to coverage.

The Hartford lists key coverages under its GL policy: bodily injury, property damage, personal and advertising injury (like libel or false advertising claims), legal fees/judgments/settlements, copyright infringement in advertising, products-completed operations (claims after a job is finished), and medical payments for minor injuries regardless of fault. Product liability coverage is included as part of the GL policy, while product recall is available only as an endorsement. 7Company-reported. General liability product page as read 2026-09-23. Coverage descriptions are general; the issued policy controls.

Limits and Retentions

The reviewed page does not state a buyer-specific limit, retention, deductible or other placement terms. Confirm these in the quote, bond or issued policy. 3Not publicly disclosed. Aon’s global practice page as reviewed 2026-09-30; no quote, bond form or issued policy was reviewed.

The Hartford reports average GL premiums of about $810 a year ($67 a month) for its customers, and says cost varies by business type, revenue, employee count, location, coverage limits/deductibles and claims history; the page does not publish standard limit or deductible amounts. 7Company-reported. Company-reported average as of 2026-09-23; not a specific quote.

Risk Services

Aon describes project risk-advisory services to understand project-specific risks and develop risk-transfer, management or mitigation strategies. It also describes a global construction team and market access. These are company-reported brokerage and advisory services, not coverage benefits. 3Company-reported. Company-reported advisory services on Aon’s global practice page; account-specific service scope is not stated.

Confirm in your quote.

Claims Support

Confirm in your quote.

The Hartford provides a 24/7 general liability claims phone line (800-327-3636) and an online claim form, with a policy-type selector that also covers cyber, employee benefits, property and workers' compensation claims. 8Company-reported. GL claims page as read 2026-09-23. Describes intake channels, not claim outcomes.

Full Comparison

More Aon vs The Hartford Comparisons

Other General Liability Insurance Comparisons

Sources

Aon

  1. Commercial Risk Solutions U.S. Brokerage Terms of Service. Aon; Lines 120–127: certain-program broker-of-record scope, consultation, application assistance, client signature and bind instruction, and account administration; lines 140–147: variable and contingent compensation, potential placement incentive, and client request route; lines 206–213: no price guarantee and surplus-lines limitations; lines 229–231: client insurer-notice duty unless separately agreed. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Middle Market Clients. Aon; Lines 125–132: mid-sized organizations and middle-market framing; lines 165–173: dedicated practice and North America statement; lines 188–224: Commercial Risk capabilities. No numeric company-size cutoff or U.S.-only eligibility rule is stated on the reviewed page. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. Construction and Infrastructure Insurance and Risk Management. Aon; Construction client audience and global placement role, lines 123–126; offering descriptions lines 135–156; coverage-area taxonomy lines 167–195; contact link lines 120–122. Global practice page; no U.S. state or account-specific placement schedule. Accessed 2026-09-30.

The Hartford

  1. SaaS Insurance for Your Business. The Hartford; Audience list (software startups, SaaS, IT consulting); Get a Business Owner’s Policy; What Is Business Owner’s Policy Insurance?; general liability introduction and Get a Quote; Get Commercial Property Insurance; Commercial Property Insurance for Your Business; Benefits of The Hartford’s WC Insurance for Employers and Employees; cyber insurance and data breach descriptions; Get a quote for cyber insurance; EPLI introduction and Private Choice Premier; add-ons (workers’ compensation, data breach, commercial auto); technology professional liability mention; small-business availability banner; industry-average premium footnote; footnote 2 state restrictions; footer product-availability disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Find a Local Insurance Agent. The Hartford; Small-business and midsize agent locators; FAQ that buyers can purchase without an agent by calling or quoting online; statement that agents may charge fees. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. General Liability Insurance. The Hartford; What Is General Liability Insurance?; How Much Does General Liability Insurance Cost?; Key Coverages; Examples of General Liability Coverage; Bundle It All With a BOP; Who Needs General Liability Insurance? Accessed 2026-09-23.
  4. General Liability Claims | File A Claim. The Hartford; 24/7 phone 800-327-3636; online general-liability claim form. Accessed 2026-09-23.

General Liability Insurance Guide

  1. Commercial general liability insurance. Insurance Information Institute; Coverage A; Coverage B; Coverage C; Purchasing commercial general liability insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Commercial General Liability; Commercial Automobile; What Should I Expect from a Broker-Agent?; How Are Commercial Policies Rated? Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Commercial General Liability Coverage Form. ISO; specimen hosted by Hiscox; I.A pp.1–5; I.B pp.6–7; I.C pp.7–8; Supplementary Payments p.8; II pp.9–10; III p.10; IV pp.10–12. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Updated . Spot, a product of Tools for Enlightenment, publishes this research and works in the commercial insurance market. The comparison applies the same criteria to both providers. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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