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HUB International vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

HUB places most buyers with a broker, with an online Insureon route for accounts meeting its size guidelines; THREE offers its own online quote route. Use HUB when you need an advisor to coordinate broader risks, and compare THREE for an eligible small-business quote. 8,4,9,39,48

Introduction

Coverage Comparison

CoverageHUB InternationalTHREE by Berkshire Hathaway
Builders riskListed 10HUB International arranges builders risk insurance.Not listed
Business owner’s policyListed 18HUB International arranges business owner’s policies for small and midsized businesses.Listed 48,40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Cargo and transitListed 28,10HUB International arranges cargo insurance.Not listed
Commercial autoListed 20HUB International arranges commercial auto insurance.Listed 48,40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Commercial propertyListed 19HUB International arranges commercial property insurance.Listed 48,40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
CrimeListed 21,16HUB International arranges commercial crime insurance.Not listed
Cyber liabilityListed 13,10HUB International arranges cyber insurance.Listed 48,40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Directors and officersListed 12,10HUB International arranges directors and officers liability insurance.Listed 48Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Employee health and benefitsListed 30,1HUB International arranges employee health and benefits programs.Not listed
Employment practices liabilityListed 16,10HUB International arranges employment practices liability insurance.Listed 48Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Equipment breakdownListed 29HUB International arranges equipment breakdown insurance.Listed 48,40THREE lists equipment breakdown within the package; its displayed sample excludes machinery, equipment or listed vehicles that stop without an accident. Check the quoted form for the actual protection.
Fidelity bondsListed 16HUB International arranges crime and fidelity coverage through its professional and executive risk practice.Not listed
Fiduciary liabilityListed 22,16HUB International arranges fiduciary liability insurance.Listed 48Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
General liabilityListed 11HUB International arranges general liability insurance.Listed 48,40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Hired and non-owned autoListed 20HUB International arranges hired and non-owned auto coverage through its commercial auto brokerage.Not listed
Key personListed 10HUB International arranges key person life and disability insurance.Not listed
Kidnap and ransomListed 23,16HUB International arranges kidnap and ransom insurance.Not listed
Liquor liabilityNot listedListed 48Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy if required; the quote and issued form determine availability and protection.
Management liabilityListed 10,16HUB International arranges management liability insurance through its professional and executive risk practice.Not listed
Medical malpracticeListed 25HUB International arranges medical professional liability insurance for health care professionals.Not listed
Product liabilityListed 27HUB International arranges product liability insurance.Not listed
Product recallListed 27HUB International arranges product recall insurance.Not listed
Professional errors and omissions (E&O)Listed 14,15HUB International arranges professional errors and omissions insurance.Listed 48Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Representations and warrantiesListed 26HUB International arranges representations and warranties insurance.Not listed
Surety bondsListed 24HUB International arranges surety bonds.Not listed
Technology errors and omissions (E&O)Listed 10HUB International arranges technology errors and omissions insurance.Not listed
Tools, equipment and inland marineListed 28HUB International arranges inland marine insurance through its marine practice.Listed 48Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
TruckingListed 20HUB International arranges trucking insurance.Not listed
Umbrella and excess liabilityListed 27HUB International arranges umbrella and excess liability insurance.Not listed
Virtual care and telehealthListed 31HUB International arranges virtual care insurance for health care organizations.Not listed
Workers’ compensationListed 17HUB International arranges workers’ compensation insurance.Listed 48,40Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.

A listing may be arranged through an insurer or partner. “Not listed” means this catalogue has no separate offering recorded; ask the provider whether it can quote the coverage and request the policy terms.

Current Spot Scores

Each score uses the rubric for that provider’s documented role. Providers with more than one role may have a score for each.

HUB International

Broker

Broker

5.5/ 10

Assessed provider: HUB International. Scope: HUB International Limited and relevant U.S. subsidiaries as a commercial insurance broker and consulting group for U.S. technology and middle-market property-casualty placements; no specific HUB office, producer entity or policy issuer is assigned from group-level pages.

Provider assessment

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

Carrier

Carrier & MGA

No Spot Score

Assessed entity: Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company. Scope: Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), the insurer named on the displayed THREE sample policy. THREE is the commercial product/DBA label. This assessment uses BHDIC-specific evidence only; information about parent companies, affiliates, brokers and other Berkshire insurers is not transferred to BHDIC.

Provider assessment

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.

HUB International

5.6/ 10

Review Score

2 rated sources

Customers who reviewed HUB on BBB rate it 1 out of 5, but that is only 7 reviews for a very large broker. BBB's own business grade is A-.[7][6]

Read HUB International reviews

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

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

Key Differences Between HUB International and THREE

Business Roles and Access to Insurers

HUB International’s documented role shapes who handles underwriting and how you reach a policy.

HUB helps businesses arrange insurance through brokers and agents; reviewed product pages describe brokerage, not HUB as the insurer. Its subsidiaries hold licenses in various US states and Canadian provinces. 4,5,9Company-reported. Brand and parent identity as of 16 September 2026. Does not identify which subsidiary would appear on a California producer license or policy declarations.

THREE documents its own insurance role and access arrangement.

THREE is the commercial brand and product form used by Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), which identifies itself as doing business as THREE and names itself as issuer on the sample THREE policy. THREE’s FAQ describes THREE or THREE Insurance as the product name, not a separate insurer. The state-specific issued policy controls. 39,40,41Company-reported. U.S. THREE commercial-insurance brand and sample policy; current company identity pages checked 2026-09-28. Company-reported legal disclosure; the state-specific issued policy controls the buyer’s contract.

Customer Fit and Application

Compare each provider’s stated customer focus against your business activities and stage; a published target market is not a guarantee of eligibility.

Bay Area technology, venture-capital, healthcare, life-sciences, real-estate and construction businesses can contact HUB’s San Francisco team; this is a local service description, not a product eligibility list. 1,2Company-reported. HUB International San Francisco office page at 201 Mission Street. A separate 44 Montgomery Street office describes contractor bonding and City of San Francisco contractor-development work under a Merriwether & Williams history.

THREE describes its focus as businesses and presents industries it serves. Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 annual report says BH Direct and GUARD together primarily offer commercial insurance to small and medium-sized businesses; it separately says BH Direct underwrites through the biBERK.com and Threeinsurance.com distribution platforms. Eligibility varies by state and business. 39,45Company-reported. THREE’s company-described business focus and industry examples, plus the 2025 report’s joint BH Direct-and-GUARD SMB statement. The report does not attribute that customer-size focus to BHDIC alone; actual eligibility varies by state and business.

These entry points show how to start; they do not confirm eligibility or that coverage has been bound. 4 8 9 39 39 48

Small accounts meeting HUB’s size guidelines can start an online Insureon quote; other buyers contact a HUB broker or local office. The reviewed site does not offer a public self-serve bind route for mid-market programs. 8,11,12,13,10,6Company-reported. Public website paths as of 16 September 2026. No application was submitted. Insureon’s own site is a separate digital agency flow.

THREE directs prospective customers to an online quote flow and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help them start or continue the process; the company’s FAQ also describes a phone quote and says an unfinished quote can be saved and resumed. This documents quote routes, not online purchase or binding by an individual customer. 39,41Company-reported. U.S. business insurance quote application. Company-described online and phone process; no customer form was submitted and no binding outcome was tested.

What to Confirm in Quotes

Ask HUB whether your account qualifies for the Insureon route or needs a HUB broker. Ask THREE which entity will issue your coverage and whether all requested locations can be included. Ask each provider to identify the proposed insurer, exact forms and endorsements, any intermediary or account service contact, and the steps required to bind. Compare premiums only after matching limits, retentions, exclusions, policy periods, taxes and fees.

Compare Services

What each provider documents about the services you may need

CriteriaHUB InternationalTHREE by Berkshire Hathaway
Business role

HUB helps businesses arrange insurance through brokers and agents; reviewed product pages describe brokerage, not HUB as the insurer. Its subsidiaries hold licenses in various US states and Canadian provinces. 4,5,9Company-reported. Brand and parent identity as of 16 September 2026. Does not identify which subsidiary would appear on a California producer license or policy declarations.

Small businesses may reach HUB through its digital Insureon route, acquired in 2022; Insureon and TechInsurance are associated with Specialty Program Group, so the retail account path may differ from HUB’s offices. 4,34,35,36,37Company-reported. Corporate-affiliation statements. Does not establish that every HUB office places business through Insureon, or that TechInsurance is a distinct California producer.

THREE is the commercial brand and product form used by Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (BHDIC), which identifies itself as doing business as THREE and names itself as issuer on the sample THREE policy. THREE’s FAQ describes THREE or THREE Insurance as the product name, not a separate insurer. The state-specific issued policy controls. 39,40,41Company-reported. U.S. THREE commercial-insurance brand and sample policy; current company identity pages checked 2026-09-28. Company-reported legal disclosure; the state-specific issued policy controls the buyer’s contract.

Berkshire Hathaway’s published company list identifies Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company (THREE) and lists Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) and biBERK separately. Its 2025 annual report says BH Direct and GUARD together primarily offer commercial products to small and medium-sized businesses; it separately describes BH Direct’s admitted commercial underwriting and use of the biBERK.com and Threeinsurance.com distribution platforms. The reviewed list and report do not establish the exact direct-versus-indirect ownership chain. 46,45Company-reported. Berkshire Hathaway company list checked 2026-09-28 and 2025 annual-report discussion of BH Direct and GUARD; group relationship and commercial operating scope only, not a precise ownership-chain finding.

Customer focus

Bay Area technology, venture-capital, healthcare, life-sciences, real-estate and construction businesses can contact HUB’s San Francisco team; this is a local service description, not a product eligibility list. 1,2Company-reported. HUB International San Francisco office page at 201 Mission Street. A separate 44 Montgomery Street office describes contractor bonding and City of San Francisco contractor-development work under a Merriwether & Williams history.

Technology companies can ask HUB about E&O, cyber, D&O, transactional coverage, workers’ compensation and benefits; HUB says it currently insures 5,000+ technology companies, a company-reported figure. 10Company-reported. Industry marketing page only. Does not establish California eligibility, insurer panels or policy wording for any named coverage.

Businesses with 50 or fewer employees or under $5 million revenue are directed by HUB to Insureon’s online quote; larger or different commercial accounts go to HUB advisors. These are routing guidelines, not a legal small-business definition. 8Company-reported. HUB contact-us Business Solutions copy as of 16 September 2026. Actual Insureon underwriting appetite can differ by product and insurer.

THREE describes its focus as businesses and presents industries it serves. Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 annual report says BH Direct and GUARD together primarily offer commercial insurance to small and medium-sized businesses; it separately says BH Direct underwrites through the biBERK.com and Threeinsurance.com distribution platforms. Eligibility varies by state and business. 39,45Company-reported. THREE’s company-described business focus and industry examples, plus the 2025 report’s joint BH Direct-and-GUARD SMB statement. The report does not attribute that customer-size focus to BHDIC alone; actual eligibility varies by state and business.

Application process

Small accounts meeting HUB’s size guidelines can start an online Insureon quote; other buyers contact a HUB broker or local office. The reviewed site does not offer a public self-serve bind route for mid-market programs. 8,11,12,13,10,6Company-reported. Public website paths as of 16 September 2026. No application was submitted. Insureon’s own site is a separate digital agency flow.

THREE directs prospective customers to an online quote flow and says licensed Small Business Advisors can help them start or continue the process; the company’s FAQ also describes a phone quote and says an unfinished quote can be saved and resumed. This documents quote routes, not online purchase or binding by an individual customer. 39,41Company-reported. U.S. business insurance quote application. Company-described online and phone process; no customer form was submitted and no binding outcome was tested.

THREE describes a partner-agency channel. Its partner page says the Agency Service Team assists policyholders and agents and that agency partners can use the THREE platform to quote, bind, and issue policies online. This describes the partner channel, not the direct public quote flow. 44Company-reported. THREE partner agency program and platform capabilities as described by the company; these capabilities apply to partner agencies and do not establish direct-customer self-binding.

Sources

HUB International Official Website

  1. Insurance Broker San Francisco. HUB International; Page metadata naming HUB International Limited as parent; About Us office copy for 201 Mission Street; products and industries blocks. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  2. HUB International San Francisco 44 Montgomery Street. HUB International; Office profile describing Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services history, bonding and contractor-development programs. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  3. California Insurance Brokers. HUB International; Introductory copy and listed California office directory including San Francisco locations. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. About Us. HUB International; Opening description; 1998 formation of HUB International Limited; 2022 Insureon acquisition; headquarters and employee/office counts. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  5. Terms and Conditions. HUB International; Licensing section stating subsidiaries are licensed as brokers or agents in various U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  6. HUB International Privacy Policy. HUB International; Effective 21 August 2025; applies to HUB International Limited and subsidiaries; insurance brokerage services; automation for quoting. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  7. How We Get Paid. HUB International; Commission, contingency, supplemental commission, client-paid fees, wholesale, carrier-services, strategic-carrier and other-compensation sections. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  8. Contact Us. HUB International; Business Solutions paths for Commercial Insurance Solutions versus Small Commercial Insurance Solutions via Insureon; office search. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  9. Business Insurance Broker Coverage Policy. HUB International; Essential coverage and beyond-the-basics product catalog. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  10. Insurance for Technology Companies. HUB International; Technology Company Insurance & Risk Management: startup, software, hardware and digital-media introduction; Business Coverage and People Protection lists; technology-client count. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  11. General Liability Insurance Brokers. HUB International; Product page describing typical general-liability subjects and invitation to contact a broker. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  12. Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability Insurance Broker. HUB International; Product page for private, nonprofit and public-company D&O brokerage. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  13. Cyber Insurance. HUB International; Product page describing first-party and post-breach cyber expenses as typically arranged. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  14. Professional Liability Insurance Brokers. HUB International; Product page equating professional liability with errors and omissions and describing typical claim types. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  15. Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance Coverage. HUB International; Industries listed for E&O including technology, and statement that policies are customized. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  16. HUB ProEx. HUB International; Professional & Executive Risk practice: EPL, fiduciary, crime/fidelity, K&R; ProEx Coverages: Executive Liability; Cyber, Technology E&O, and Intellectual Property; Financial Institutions; certificates of insurance; claims and legal support; carrier-premium figure; FAQ on management liability and ProEx program structuring. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  17. Workers' Compensation Insurance Brokers. HUB International; Product page on workers’ compensation brokerage, state-fund variation and typical benefits. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  18. Business Owners Policy (BOP) Company Coverage. HUB International; BOP described as combined property and liability for small and mid-size businesses. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  19. Commercial (Business) Property Insurance Brokers. HUB International; Property Practice description, domestic and global carrier access, traditional and alternative structures. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  20. Commercial Auto Insurance Broker Policy & Coverage. HUB International; Coverage that works for you: securing commercial auto and trucking insurance; Hired and non-owned exposures. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  21. Crime Insurance Brokers. HUB International; Crime/fraud coverage product page for private, public and not-for-profit organizations. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  22. Fiduciary Liability Insurance Brokers. HUB International; Fiduciary liability product page distinguishing it from D&O. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  23. Kidnap and Ransom Insurance Brokers. HUB International; Kidnap and ransom product page for traveling executives and employees. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  24. Surety Bonds and Surety Bond Insurance for Businesses. HUB International; Contract surety types including bid, performance and payment bonds. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  25. Medical Malpractice Insurance Brokers. HUB International; Medical malpractice brokerage, including telemedicine-related risks. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  26. Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Insurance Broker. HUB International; Representations and warranties, litigation buyout and tax indemnification insurance. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  27. Comprehensive Casualty Insurance Solutions. HUB International; Casualty Insurance & Risk Financing: General & Product Liability; Umbrella & Excess Liability; workers’ compensation; Ancillary Coverages (product recall); global carrier relationships. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  28. Marine Insurance Broker Policy & Coverage. HUB International; A comprehensive approach to ocean and inland marine insurance; Tailored solutions: Marine Cargo Insurance and Stock Throughput Insurance; related marine liability coverages; domestic and international carriers; inland marine FAQ. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  29. Boiler and Machinery Equipment Insurance Coverage. HUB International; Boiler & Machinery Insurance – Protect Your Equipment and Business: design and negotiation of a tailored equipment-breakdown program. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  30. Employee Benefits Brokers and Consulting Services. HUB International; An Employee Benefits Broker for Changing Times: employee-benefits brokerage and multi-year planning services; tailored solutions; Talk to an Employee Benefits Broker; plan-design FAQ. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  31. Virtual Care Insurance Brokerage Coverage. HUB International; Virtual care insurance and support: risk management and insurance list for virtual care organizations, including medical professional liability, technology E&O, products liability, cyber and management liability. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  32. Insurance Claims Management. HUB International; Claims advocacy, TPA coordination, coverage-dispute support and published process metrics. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  33. Risk Management Information System (RMIS). HUB International; RMIS claims administration, certificate tracking and carrier/TPA data aggregation. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  34. About Insureon. Insureon; Insureon as part of HUB; licensed in every state; named example insurers; 2022 acquisition history; TechInsurance origin. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  35. Insurance Licenses by State. Insureon; California 0L09546; footer that Insureon operates as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC dba SPG Insurance Solutions. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  36. Hub International and Bold Penguin to Acquire Leading Digital Small Commercial Insurance Firm Insureon. Insureon; 1 March 2022 announcement that HUB would acquire the Insureon digital agency and brand; operations to sit in Specialty Program Group LLC. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  37. About Us | TechInsurance. TechInsurance; TechInsurance as part of Insureon; 2022 HUB acquisition of Insureon’s digital agency. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  38. California Department of Insurance License Status Inquiry. California Department of Insurance; Public license-search portal landing page. Accessed 2026-09-16.

THREE by Berkshire Hathaway Official Website

  1. THREE by Berkshire Hathaway — small business insurance. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Issuer, business focus, and industry scope, lines 70–81; quote/advisor route, lines 405–420; DBA footer, lines 432–434. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. The Policy. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Sample declarations, limits and three-day Business Interruption waiting period (lines 58–76); Section I: interruption follows a property loss the insurer pays and ends on resumed normal operations or an applicable limit (lines 82–86); Section III: machinery/equipment/listed vehicles stopping without an accident are excluded (lines 104–112). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. FAQs: Understanding THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Quote save/resume, lines 73–76; claim/update routes, lines 78–89; product-not-company wording, lines 98–100; one-year policy/payment terms, lines 129–130; servicing requests, lines 141–157. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Terms & Conditions. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; BHDIC dba THREE, lines 20–23; recurring automatic bank draft qualification, lines 27–33. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Filing a Claim: Call to get started. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Online/phone claims and account-manager assignment, lines 24–43; claim updates, lines 59–61. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Become a THREE Partner. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Partner-agency program and platform permissions, lines 6–18; state availability, lines 30–35. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 2025 Annual Report / Form 10-K. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; 2025 annual report, PDF page 5, printed K-4, lines 303–308: BH Direct and GUARD joint SMB focus; BH Direct platforms/admitted products. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Links to Berkshire Hathaway Subsidiary Companies. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; Published subsidiary-company list; BHDIC (THREE), BHSI, and biBERK shown separately, lines 11–16. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. THREE online quote application. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; THREE online quote entry point inspected; the page is a route to begin an application. No form was submitted or quote generated; this source alone does not establish customer self-binding. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Business Owners Policy | THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Product page explicitly markets Business Liability categories (including liquor liability if required), Property (including equipment breakdown and inland marine), Business Auto (including cargo liability and hired/non-owned), Business Interruption, Cyber and Workers’ Compensation, within one combined policy description (lines 8–9, 19–21, 23–76); BHDIC dba THREE footer (lines 93–94). Accessed 2026-09-29.
  11. Benefits | THREE. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Page copy: commercial coverage category descriptions for liability, cyber, property/business interruption, business auto and workers compensation; describes product benefits, not a complete policy form. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  12. THREE logo SVG. Berkshire Hathaway Direct Insurance Company, dba THREE; Direct official SVG asset; viewBox 0 0 720 253; embedded title “Three by Berkshire Hathaway”; downloaded and preserved byte-for-byte as assets/three-logo.svg. Accessed 2026-09-29.

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; it is not a recommendation for a specific policy. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with the page URL and supporting source.

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