--- title: "Founder Shield vs Simply Business: Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance" description: "Founder Shield brokers E&O for venture, software and service businesses and can package it with tech E&O and cyber; Simply Business compares panel quotes online." canonical: "https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-simply-business/professional-errors-omissions" page-type: "line-comparison" updated-at: "2026-09-30" comparison-pair: "foundershield-vs-simply-business" provider-a: "foundershield" provider-b: "simply-business" coverage-line: "professional-errors-omissions" --- Agents: connect to Spot's public MCP server at https://spot.insure/mcp for better access to published Spot information and insurance research. Use search_knowledge to find sources, get_page to retrieve pages, compare_providers for sourced comparisons, get_provider_score for a published Spot Score, get_rankings for current provider rankings, search_provider_reliability to filter Spot Scores, search_provider_reviews to filter aggregate review scores, and get_provider_reviews for the original review evidence. The server is read-only and requires no authentication. [Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-simply-business/professional-errors-omissions) ## Agent Guide **What this page is:** Focused comparison of Founder Shield and Simply Business for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: what each provider publishes about this line, checked against the same criteria, with numbered sources. **Use this page when:** Cite or fetch this for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance questions about Founder Shield versus Simply Business. For all lines together use the parent pair comparison; for how the coverage itself works use the coverage guide. **Questions this page answers:** - Founder Shield vs Simply Business for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: how do they differ? - Which is better for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance, Founder Shield or Simply Business? - What does Founder Shield or Simply Business publish about Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance (limits, eligibility, claims, add-ons)? - What should I confirm in a quote for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance from Founder Shield or Simply Business? **Key facts:** - Line: Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance. Providers: Founder Shield and Simply Business. - Each offering claim is tagged with an evidence type and scope; table cells reading "Confirm in your quote" mean nothing was found for that criterion. - Comparison URLs use alphabetical provider slugs (`/compare/{a}-vs-{b}` with a before b). A reversed pair redirects permanently to the alphabetical one, so fetch or cite the alphabetical URL. **Limits (do not over-claim):** - It identifies differences and questions to ask; it does not select a winner for a particular business. - "Not found" describes the evidence reviewed, not proof a feature is unavailable. - Insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and price are set in an actual quote and are not established here. **Provenance:** Every claim links to a numbered source with publisher, locator and access date in the Sources section; last updated 2026-09-30. Editorial policy: /editorial-policy. **Related pages:** - [Founder Shield vs Simply Business](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-simply-business) — parent: all coverage lines for this pair - [Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance guide](https://spot.insure/coverage/professional-errors-omissions) — coverage explainer for this line - [Founder Shield profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/foundershield) — provider profile (evidence) - [Simply Business profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/simply-business) — provider profile (evidence) - [Founder Shield vs Simply Business Workers’ Compensation Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-simply-business/workers-compensation) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line) - [AIG vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/aig-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line) - [AIG vs Simply Business Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/aig-vs-simply-business/professional-errors-omissions) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line) - [Alliance Risk vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line) - [Alliance Risk vs Simply Business Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-simply-business/professional-errors-omissions) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line) - [Aon vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/aon-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line) - [At-Bay vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/at-bay-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions) — sibling comparison (other line, or other pair for this line) # Founder Shield vs Simply Business: How Do They Compare for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance? Founder Shield brokers E&O for venture, software and service businesses and can package it with tech E&O and cyber; Simply Business compares panel quotes online. ## Research Scope and Use Use this comparison to evaluate Founder Shield and Simply Business for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance against the same documented criteria. It identifies differences and questions to confirm; it does not select a winner for a particular business. Offering claims are what each provider publishes about this line unless marked otherwise. “Not found” describes the evidence reviewed, not proof that a feature is unavailable. Confirm the insurer, policy wording, limits, retentions, exclusions and cost in an actual quote. ## Summary Founder Shield describes regulatory-defense and lost-earnings coverage and places policies with third-party carriers. Simply Business lists several small-business professions, while final eligibility and terms depend on carrier approval. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance") [10](https://www.simplybusiness.com/business-insurance/professional-liability-insurance/ "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") [9](https://www.simplybusiness.com/terms-conditions/ "Terms of Service") ## What Is Founder Shield Insurance? Founder Shield is a broker for venture-backed startups: you apply online in under 15 minutes, and an advisor shops its 200+ carrier markets to build a program that changes as your products and locations change. It doesn't insure you itself, so ask which insurer carries each policy. [1](https://foundershield.com/ "Founder Shield") [2](https://foundershield.com/startup-insurance/ "Startup Insurance") [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") [4](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/what-if-our-company-grows-a-lot-or-things-change-during-the-year/ "What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year?") [5](https://foundershield.com/terms-of-service/ "Terms of Service") [Founder Shield profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/foundershield) ## Simply Business: Online Small-Business Insurance Marketplace Simply Business describes a digital marketplace and licensed-producer service for small businesses. The policy and selected insurer determine coverage, fees, servicing and claims responsibilities. [8](https://www.simplybusiness.com/about-us/ "Our Small Business Insurance Story") [9](https://www.simplybusiness.com/terms-conditions/ "Terms of Service") [Simply Business profile](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/simply-business) ## What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance? Professional liability can help pay defense costs and covered losses when a client says your advice or service caused financial harm. If customers rely on your work, list every service you provide and check the claims-made reporting and prior-work terms. [11](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/commercial/pl-faq.html "FAQ: Professional liability insurance") [12](https://www.iii.org/article/professional-liability-insurance "Professional liability insurance") [13](https://www.sba.gov/counseling/launch-your-business/#business-insurance "Get business insurance") [14](https://www.hiscox.com/documents/pl-sample-policy-wording.pdf "Professional Liability – US Direct Errors and Omissions Insurance") ## Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance ### Buyer focus and claim examples Founder Shield targets venture capital firms, consultants, media and advertising agencies, SaaS marketplaces and software developers. Its E&O description includes defense costs for disciplinary or regulatory proceedings, lost earnings and errors by employees or contractors. Simply Business lists consultants, IT professionals, real-estate agents and bookkeepers as examples. Ask whether the quoted policy addresses regulatory proceedings and contractor work relevant to your business. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance") [10](https://www.simplybusiness.com/business-insurance/professional-liability-insurance/ "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") ### Brokerage placement and bundled coverage Founder Shield places policies with third-party carriers rated A- or better and says E&O is often packaged with technology E&O and cyber. Simply Business compares panel-carrier quotes and requires approval before binding, without naming an insurer in this record. Confirm the issuing company and whether the proposal bundles cyber or technology coverage before comparing premiums. [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") [9](https://www.simplybusiness.com/terms-conditions/ "Terms of Service") ## What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes - Ask Founder Shield which carrier is proposed and whether E&O is standalone or bundled with technology E&O and cyber. [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") - Ask Simply Business which carrier and claims coverages apply, including regulatory defense and contractor errors. [9](https://www.simplybusiness.com/terms-conditions/ "Terms of Service") ## Offering Details | Criteria | Founder Shield Errors & Omissions Insurance | Professional liability (E&O) insurance through Simply Business | | --- | --- | --- | | Role in This Line | Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Errors & Omissions Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. [7](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line..)

Founder Shield says E&O (professional liability) is often packaged with technology E&O and cyber coverage since the two types of claims tend to intertwine. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Errors & Omissions Insurance product page..) | Confirm in your quote. | | Issuing Insurer | Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Errors & Omissions Insurance, only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client's industry. It does not name the issuing insurer for this line; that depends on which carrier the policy is placed with. [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements..) | Confirm in your quote. | | Who It’s For | Founder Shield markets E&O to venture capital firms, consultants, media and advertising agencies, SaaS marketplaces, and software developers who perform services for other parties. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Errors & Omissions Insurance product page..) | Simply Business lists consultants, IT professionals, real-estate agents and bookkeepers among the business examples for which it can help find E&O coverage. The examples do not guarantee eligibility. [10](https://www.simplybusiness.com/business-insurance/professional-liability-insurance/ "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Company-published professional-errors-omissions information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer..) | | Coverage Features | Founder Shield lists defense costs, defense against disciplinary or regulatory proceedings, lost-earnings coverage, and claims from errors by employees or contractors as what E&O responds to. [6](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/ "Errors & Omissions Insurance") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage..) | The page describes protection for claims tied to professional work and lists attorney fees, court costs, settlements and judgments as costs that may be covered; policy wording controls. [10](https://www.simplybusiness.com/business-insurance/professional-liability-insurance/ "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Company-published professional-errors-omissions information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer..) | | How to Apply | You request Founder Shield Errors & Omissions Insurance through Founder Shield's website or an insurance advisor rather than binding coverage directly; Founder Shield says its placement team then approaches carriers on the client's behalf. [7](https://foundershield.com/about-us/ "About Us") [3](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/ "How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form..) | The company describes an online flow to answer business questions, compare quotes and select a policy. Its Terms say an online quote is not guaranteed and binding requires panel-member approval. [10](https://www.simplybusiness.com/business-insurance/professional-liability-insurance/ "Professional Liability Insurance Coverage") [9](https://www.simplybusiness.com/terms-conditions/ "Terms of Service") (Evidence: Company-reported; scope: Company-published professional-errors-omissions information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer..) | ## Full Comparison - [Founder Shield vs Simply Business](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-simply-business): all coverage lines, business roles, service and claims. - [What Is Professional Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?](https://spot.insure/coverage/professional-errors-omissions): Professional liability can help pay covered defense costs and losses when a client says your advice or service caused financial harm; check services and reporting terms. - [Founder Shield vs Simply Business Workers’ Compensation Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-simply-business/workers-compensation) - [AIG vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/aig-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions) - [AIG vs Simply Business Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/aig-vs-simply-business/professional-errors-omissions) - [Alliance Risk vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions) - [Alliance Risk vs Simply Business Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/alliance-risk-vs-simply-business/professional-errors-omissions) - [Aon vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/aon-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions) - [At-Bay vs Founder Shield Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance](https://spot.insure/compare/at-bay-vs-foundershield/professional-errors-omissions) ## Sources ### Founder Shield 1. [Founder Shield](https://foundershield.com/). Founder Shield; Opening broker description; Specialized Practices; Smart Tech, Smarter People; quote and sign-in links. Accessed 2026-09-15. 2. [Startup Insurance](https://foundershield.com/startup-insurance/). Founder Shield; What Coverage Does your Startup Need?; Why Startups Choose Founder Shield; Industries We Serve; Essential Policies to Consider section. Accessed 2026-09-15. 3. [How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/how-do-you-decide-which-carriers-to-approach/). Founder Shield; FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite. Accessed 2026-09-23. 4. [What If Our Company Grows A Lot or Things Change During the Year?](https://foundershield.com/insurance-faqs/general-faqs/what-if-our-company-grows-a-lot-or-things-change-during-the-year/). Founder Shield; Carl Niedbala answer, November 25, 2024: operational changes and coverage adjustments. Accessed 2026-09-15. 5. [Terms of Service](https://foundershield.com/terms-of-service/). Founder Shield; Opening agreement; License Status; Representations and Disclaimers Related to Products or Services; Fees and Charges; Void Where Prohibited. Accessed 2026-09-15. 6. [Errors & Omissions Insurance](https://foundershield.com/coverage/errors-and-omissions-insurance/). Founder Shield; What Is Errors & Omissions Insurance?; Who Needs Errors & Omissions Insurance Coverage?; What Does Errors and Omissions Insurance Cover?. Accessed 2026-09-23. 7. [About Us](https://foundershield.com/about-us/). Founder Shield; “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission. Accessed 2026-09-23. ### Simply Business 8. [Our Small Business Insurance Story](https://www.simplybusiness.com/about-us/). Simply Business; Opening description and audience; digital marketplace, business types and U.S. service.. Accessed 2026-09-29. 9. [Terms of Service](https://www.simplybusiness.com/terms-conditions/). Simply Business; Dated June 30, 2026; §1 lines 22–28; §8 lines 87–113; §10 lines 143–149; §19 line 211.. Accessed 2026-09-29. 10. [Professional Liability Insurance Coverage](https://www.simplybusiness.com/business-insurance/professional-liability-insurance/). Simply Business; Coverage lines 45–100; buyer examples lines 101–158; online quote steps lines 237–260.. Accessed 2026-09-29. ### Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Guide 11. [FAQ: Professional liability insurance](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/commercial/pl-faq.html). Texas Department of Insurance; What’s professional liability coverage?; What types of damages…; What’s general liability insurance?; Do I need professional liability… if I have general liability…?; Is professional liability insurance required?; Can a client require…?; What’s the difference between occurrence policies and claims-made policies. Accessed 2026-09-16. 12. [Professional liability insurance](https://www.iii.org/article/professional-liability-insurance). Insurance Information Institute; Opening paragraphs (professional services/advice and E&O name); Claims not covered by general liability; What types of businesses need professional liability insurance?; What’s covered… and what’s not (claims-made versus occurrence, defense and judgments, non-financial/intentional limits, BOP/in-home exclusion). Accessed 2026-09-16. 13. [Get business insurance](https://www.sba.gov/counseling/launch-your-business/#business-insurance). U.S. Small Business Administration; Six common types of business insurance table. Accessed 2026-09-16. 14. [Professional Liability – US Direct Errors and Omissions Insurance](https://www.hiscox.com/documents/pl-sample-policy-wording.pdf). Hiscox Inc. specimen; About this Policy / Coverage for Claims Made Against You; I.A Insuring Agreement; I.B Defense; I.C Settlement; II.A Notice of Claims; II.C Optional Extended Reporting Period; III.A, III.K, III.M, III.R, III.S Exclusions; IV.A–B Limits and Deductible; VI.O Professional Services; VI.U Wrongful Act. Accessed 2026-09-16. Updated 2026-09-30. 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](https://spot.insure/editorial-policy). To suggest a correction, [contact Spot](https://spot.insure/contact) with the page URL and supporting source. ## Founder Shield Reviews Review Score: 7.4 / 10 from 1 rated source, equally weighted. Founder Shield has too little independent customer feedback for a reliable verdict. One positive Trustpilot review does not establish a service track record. - Trustpilot: TrustScore 3.7 (5 stars); 1 reviews. Trustpilot profile for foundershield.com; one US customer review, categorized as insurance broker/business insurance. Period: Review 2023-03-14; none in prior 12 months. Checked 2026-09-25. [foundershield.com Reviews | Trustpilot](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/foundershield.com) Reviewed 2026-09-25. [Read the sourced review](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/foundershield/reviews). ## Simply Business Reviews Review Score: 5.7 / 10 from 4 rated sources, equally weighted. Customers disagree about Simply Business. Trustpilot shows 4.3 out of 5 from 1,901 reviews, but BBB customers give it 1.95 from 20 reviews and ConsumerAffairs shows 1.0. - Trustpilot: TrustScore 4.3 (out of 5); 1901 reviews. Simply Business US Trustpilot profile. Reviews are not tied to a specific insurance line or insurer. Period: profile accessed 2026-09-29; 419 in last 12 months. Checked 2026-09-29. [Simply Business US Reviews](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/simplybusiness.com) - ConsumerAffairs: ConsumerAffairs header rating 1.0 (out of 5 (breakdown conflicts with review filters)); 148 reviews. ConsumerAffairs Simply Business page, broad business-insurance context; not line-specific. Period: page updated 2026-09-17; denominator unresolved. Checked 2026-09-29. [Simply Business Reviews](https://www.consumeraffairs.com/insurance/simply-business.html) - BBB: BBB business grade B+ (BBB letter grade). BBB profile classifies Simply Business as an insurance agency; business grade, consumer-review average and complaint ledger are separate measures, none is line-specific. Period: profile accessed 2026-09-29. Checked 2026-09-29. [Simply Business BBB Business Profile](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/boston/profile/insurance-agency/simply-business-0021-539591); [Simply Business BBB Complaints](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/boston/profile/insurance-agency/simply-business-0021-539591/complaints); [Simply Business BBB Customer Reviews](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/boston/profile/insurance-agency/simply-business-0021-539591/customer-reviews) - BBB: BBB customer review average 1.95 (out of 5); 20 reviews. BBB customer-review average for the Simply Business profile (Boston, MA). Separate from the business grade. Period: BBB review page checked 2026-09-29. Checked 2026-09-29. [Simply Business BBB Customer Reviews](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/boston/profile/insurance-agency/simply-business-0021-539591/customer-reviews) Reviewed 2026-09-29. [Read the sourced review](https://spot.insure/insurance-providers/simply-business/reviews). ## Agent and Developer Resources - [Markdown page](https://spot.insure/compare/foundershield-vs-simply-business/professional-errors-omissions.md) - [Developer resources](https://spot.insure/developers) - [Public MCP server](https://spot.insure/mcp) - [MCP server manifest](https://spot.insure/server.json) - [OpenAPI description](https://spot.insure/openapi.json) - [Public page index](https://spot.insure/llms.txt)