Cowbell vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway: How Do They Compare for D&O Insurance?

Cowbell targets its D&O module at private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets; THREE lists D&O as a BOP category without establishing quote inclusion. 4,7,6

What Is Cowbell Insurance?

Cowbell suits small and midsize businesses seeking cyber options by company size, with technology E&O and Zurich management-liability options also available; firms needing broad commercial coverage should compare a full-service broker. Some security services cost extra. 1,2,3

Read the Cowbell profile

Read the Cowbell D&O Insurance page

THREE small business insurance: coverage, issuer and buying routes

THREE markets a packaged commercial insurance product through a direct quote route and partner agents. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company is named as issuer on THREE’s sample policy. 5,6

Read the THREE by Berkshire Hathaway profile

Read the THREE by Berkshire Hathaway D&O Insurance page

What Is Directors and Officers Insurance?

D&O insurance can help pay covered defense costs and losses from claims against company leaders over management decisions. If your organization has a board or executives, check whether the company itself is insured and whether legal bills reduce the limit. 8,9,10

Read the full coverage guide

Key Differences in D&O Insurance

Cowbell Names a Private-Company Segment

Cowbell's product page targets its D&O module at private companies with fewer than 250 employees and under $50 million in assets, including firms in technology, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail. THREE lists Directors & Officers as a category in its combined Business Owners Policy. That marketing claim does not establish that D&O appears in a particular quote, so a company near Cowbell's described size or industry boundaries should ask how the module fits and ask THREE whether it will offer D&O for the applicant. 4 7

Cowbell Describes Management-Wrongful-Act Protection

Cowbell describes its D&O module as protecting directors' and officers' personal assets and the company's financial assets against claims alleging wrongful acts in their management capacity. THREE markets D&O in the BOP but its listing does not establish how the buyer's policy would respond to a specific allegation. For a board comparing personal and company protection, request Cowbell's proposed Zurich Select Plus module wording and ask THREE for the issued D&O insuring agreements and exclusions. 4 3 7

What to Confirm in D&O Insurance Quotes

  • For Cowbell, confirm the private-company size and industry fit, Zurich paper named on the proposal, and actual limit and retention. 4 3
  • For THREE, confirm whether D&O is included and request its policy form, insured persons, limit, and retention. 7 6

Cowbell and THREE by Berkshire Hathaway Review Scores for 2026

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.

Cowbell Review Score

2.0/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Cowbell has one public rating we could find: 1.0 out of 5 on SourceForge from three reviews in 2023. That's too few and too old to say much.[8]

Read Cowbell reviews

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway Review Score

7.3/ 10

Review Score

2 rated sources

The inspected sources report separate measures: NerdWallet’s 4.0/5 editorial rating is excluded from the source-rating average; Trustpilot displayed 2.5/5 from five user posts and BBB displayed 4.8/5 from 265 reviews. Trustpilot and BBB include different purchase, service and agent/intermediary interactions, not a verified common policyholder cohort. BBB separately lists complaints. Any source-rating average weights eligible platforms equally and is not a pooled, representative customer-experience estimate or a claims-quality measure.[4][3][1][2]

Read THREE by Berkshire Hathaway reviews

Cowbell vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway D&O Insurance Compared

Cowbell vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway: D&O Insurance: documented features by provider

CriteriaCowbell / Zurich Select Plus Private Company D&OTHREE Business Owners Policy
Role in This Line

Private Company D&O is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell gives Zurich-appointed E&S wholesalers platform access, and Zurich underwrites the module. Zurich's own page labels this module 'Private Management and Company Liability' rather than plain 'D&O.' 4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section.

THREE presents Directors and Officers as a component of its combined Business Owners Policy rather than identifying it as a separate standalone policy on the reviewed product page. 7Company-reported. Company-described U.S. package structure. The page does not establish underwriting terms or that every listed category will be included for every applicant.

Issuing Insurer

Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including D&O, are offered on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich's site footer names 'Zurich American Insurance Company' in its copyright notice, but neither page states that entity is the specific policy issuer for this D&O module. 4,3Company-reported. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer.

The linked sample policy's declarations identify Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company as issuer. 6Company-reported. This is the issuer named on the public sample only; the sample does not establish the issuing entity for every state-specific quote or buyer's issued policy.

Who It’s For

Cowbell targets this D&O module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, in industries such as technology, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list.

The reviewed product page does not state separate eligibility rules for Directors and Officers; the general quote and advisor route is not proof that a particular business qualifies for it. 7,5Not publicly disclosed. Eligibility and state availability remain unestablished for an individual risk until THREE returns its quote and applicable forms.

Coverage Features

Cowbell describes D&O liability as protecting the personal assets of directors and officers and the company's financial assets against claims alleging wrongful acts in their capacity as directors and officers. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'.

THREE's Business Owners Policy page lists Directors & Officers among its marketed coverage categories in the combined policy. This describes the product page, not whether the category appears in a particular quote or responds to a loss. 7,6Company-reported. Official THREE package marketing for Directors and Officers. The sample policy is state-selectable and does not establish that this item is included in every quote or issued policy.

Limits and Retentions

Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes D&O limit or retention amounts. 4,3Not publicly disclosed. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.

The reviewed public product page does not state a separate limit or deductible for Directors and Officers; THREE says the quote-specific insurance summary lists limits and deductibles. 7,6Not publicly disclosed. No number is inferred from the sample policy. The quote and issued declarations control the buyer-specific limit and deductible.

Risk Services

Cowbell frames D&O coverage as a way to help attract and retain directors and officers by giving them personal-asset protection, and says the product covers legal fees, settlements, and other defense costs for the company and its management. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'Why does my company need management liability coverage?'.

Confirm in your quote.

How to Apply

This D&O module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. 4Company-reported. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.

THREE directs small-business prospects to an online quote and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help with the process. 5Company-reported. This is the route for the overall THREE product. It does not show whether Directors and Officers will be offered for a particular business or whether a customer can bind that line without an issued policy.

Related Pages for Cowbell vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway D&O Insurance

D&O Insurance Pages for Cowbell and THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

Other Coverage Lines Compared for Cowbell vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

Other D&O Insurance Provider Comparisons

Sources for Cowbell vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway D&O Insurance

Sources About Cowbell

  1. Cowbell. Cowbell; What We Do; Assess, Insure, Respond and Improve; U.S. navigation; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  2. Prime Tech Product Overview. Cowbell; PDF pp. 1–4: non-admitted combined Technology E&O and cyber for technology businesses up to $1 billion; up to $5 million; surplus lines in 50 states; edition PRIME TECH US0001 1025. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus. Zurich North America; Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Private Management and Company Liability'; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (identical to Cowbell's page); Targeted industries list; footer copyright. Accessed 2026-09-23.
  4. Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises. Cowbell; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (D&O definition); FAQ 'Why does my company need management liability coverage?' (Protection for Directors and Officers, Legal Expense Coverage, Attracting and Retaining Talent bullets); Target industries list. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Sources About THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

  1. Jargon-free small business insurance - THREE by Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Lines 23, 39, 70–81 and 406–410: business location quote entry, single-policy description, issuer, business focus, online quote and licensed Small Business Advisor route. Quote entry inspected without submitting a form. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  2. The Policy: 3 Jargon-free pages - THREE by Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; State-selectable sample policy: Summary (Declarations) identifies Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company as issuer and says the insurance summary lists limits and deductibles; sample policy text and state selection do not establish terms for a particular quote or issued policy. Accessed 2026-09-30.
  3. Business Owners Policy - THREE by Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Product page: “No need for multiple policies” and one comprehensive policy; Business Liability, Property and Business Auto categories and the listed line names. Product page footer identifies Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE. Accessed 2026-09-30.

Sources for the D&O Insurance Guide

  1. Glossary of Business Insurance Terms. The Hartford; Directors and Officers Liability Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance; Employment Practices Liability Insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. The Chubb Primary Directors & Officers and Entity Securities Liability Insurance. Chubb Group of Insurance Companies; hosted by eperils; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; I and III.A–B pp.1–2; VI Reporting pp.3–4. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. Private Company Directors and Officers Liability Coverage. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America; I.A–C p.1; I.C p.1; Header p.1 and VI.A pp.6–7. 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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