What Is Hiscox?
Hiscox suits eligible small businesses that want online GL, professional liability, cyber or BOP quotes; businesses needing other specialty products should compare brokers. Core Hiscox NOW policies are usually issued by its own insurer, while some products use partners. 1,2,3
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. 7,8
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. 10,11,12,13
Key Differences in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance
A named insurer versus a panel placement
Hiscox names Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. as the underwriter for admitted Hiscox NOW professional-liability policies. Simply Business describes comparing marketplace quotes, and its terms say a panel member must approve binding; the overview does not identify the insurer for a particular offer. Buyers who want to assess the risk-bearing company early can check whether Hiscox sells in their state, while Simply Business shoppers should identify the issuer on each quote. 3 8
State availability changes the purchase route
Hiscox says online professional liability is available in 49 states and Washington, D.C., excluding Alaska, with a specialist broker potentially available where online sales are unavailable. Simply Business offers an online comparison flow, but says quotes are not guaranteed and binding depends on panel approval. Confirm your state and business details before treating either screen as a bindable offer. 6 8
Claims timing belongs in the coverage review
Hiscox describes its professional-liability form as claims-made: a claim generally must be made and reported while the policy is active. Simply Business lists attorney fees, court costs, settlements and judgments as costs that may be covered, subject to the insurer’s wording, but that overview does not establish a trigger. If your work has long client relationships, compare the retroactive date and reporting requirements on the issued forms. 4 9
What to Confirm in Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes
- Ask Hiscox whether your state and profession qualify for online purchase; ask Simply Business to identify the proposed insurer and whether its panel has approved binding. 6 8
- Compare claims-made reporting rules and retroactive dates against Simply Business’s actual policy form, including defense costs, exclusions and limits. 4 9
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.
Hiscox
Review Score
4 rated sources
Hiscox’s review results are sharply divided: low Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs scores contrast with strong Feefo feedback. Service quality deserves closer scrutiny before purchase.[1][4][5][6][7]
Read Hiscox reviewsSimply Business
Review Score
4 rated sources
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.[6][10][7]
Read Simply Business reviewsOffering Details
Hiscox vs Simply Business: Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Hiscox Professional Liability Insurance | Professional liability (E&O) insurance through Simply Business |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Hiscox Inc., a licensed insurance intermediary, sells professional liability (errors and omissions) coverage directly online to small businesses as part of its Hiscox NOW admitted small-business catalogue. 3,4Company-reported. Company-stated online small-business channel. | Confirm in your quote. |
| Issuing Insurer | Hiscox's appetite guide and About Hiscox US page name Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. (NAIC 10200) as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW professional-liability policies. 6,3Company-reported. Admitted small-business professional liability as described in company materials; the exact contracting entity for a particular state or channel should be confirmed on the quote. | Confirm in your quote. |
| Who It’s For | Hiscox says professional liability is licensed for sale in 49 states and Washington, D.C., excluding Alaska, and that if it does not sell the product online in a buyer's state, a specialist broker may be able to help instead. 4,6Company-reported. Company-stated jurisdiction for the online small-business catalogue; the appetite guide's technology classes (IT consultants, software development) illustrate typical buyers but do not guarantee acceptance for any one applicant. | 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. 9Company-reported. 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 | Hiscox describes professional liability as a claims-made policy, meaning a claim is covered only if it is made (and typically reported) while the policy is active, rather than an occurrence policy covering incidents regardless of when the claim surfaces. 5Company-reported. Product FAQ description; exact triggers, retroactive dates, exclusions and wording are set by the issued policy. | 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. 9Company-reported. Company-published professional-errors-omissions information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer. |
| Limits and Retentions | The professional-liability pages reviewed do not publish standard limit, retention or deductible amounts; specific figures are shown only on a quote. 4,5Not publicly disclosed. Public product and FAQ pages as previously reviewed. | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Hiscox says eligible buyers can quote and buy professional liability online, with licensed advisors available by phone during posted hours for questions during the process. 4Company-reported. Company-described online application; eligibility and binding conditions require confirmation on the actual application. | 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. 9,8Company-reported. Company-published professional-errors-omissions information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer. |
| Claims Support | A professional-liability FAQ tells current customers that the claims phone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, separate from the general claims-center hours listed elsewhere on the Hiscox site. 5Company-reported. Company-described claims-reporting availability for this product's FAQ; does not establish claim outcomes or turnaround time. | Confirm in your quote. |
Full Comparison
More Hiscox vs Simply Business Comparisons
Other Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Hiscox
- Website Terms & Conditions of Use. Hiscox; Last modified May 28, 2024; Hiscox Inc. as Delaware corporation headquartered in Atlanta, d/b/a Hiscox Insurance Agency in CA, licensed intermediary for admitted and surplus-lines business with Hiscox Insurance Company Inc., other domestic insurers, and Lloyd’s syndicates; small-business online path distinguished from broker-only site sections. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Get A Small Business Insurance Quote. Hiscox; States that Hiscox offers general liability, professional liability, cyber security and business owner’s policies online; zip-code quote field; licensed-agent hours Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–10 p.m. ET and Saturday–Sunday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional Liability Insurance for Small Businesses. Hiscox; Professional liability/E&O product; licensed in 49 states and Washington, D.C. (Alaska excluded); specialist-broker assistance if not licensed in a state; licensed-advisor hours. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- What is Professional Liability Insurance? Hiscox; Claims-made description; current-customer claim number described as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Hiscox US Agent Appetite Guide. Hiscox; Hiscox NOW admitted GL, PL, cyber and BOP underwritten by Hiscox Insurance Company Inc.; technology classes including IT consultants and software development. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Simply Business
- Our Small Business Insurance Story. Simply Business; Opening description and audience; digital marketplace, business types and U.S. service. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Terms of Service. 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.
- Professional Liability Insurance Coverage. 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
- FAQ: Professional liability insurance. 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.
- 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.
- Get business insurance. U.S. Small Business Administration; Six common types of business insurance table. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Professional Liability – US Direct Errors and Omissions Insurance. 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.
