What Is Pie Insurance?
Pie suits small businesses seeking workers’ compensation with online quoting and pay-as-you-go billing based on reported payroll, without an initial deposit; firms needing a broad technology or executive program should look elsewhere. 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. 5,6
What Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
Workers’ compensation can pay medical care and part of an employee’s lost wages after a work-related injury or illness. If you have staff, check who is covered in each state; owners, contractors and some workers may be treated differently. 8,9,10,11
Key Differences in Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Pie identifies its own underwriting group
Pie says it writes workers’ compensation through Pie Casualty Insurance Company and The Pie Insurance Company. Simply Business routes buyers to panel insurers, with issuer identified on a particular offer. Compare the legal insurer in the declarations and the financial rating applicable to that exact company before selecting a policy. 4 6
Pie publishes a payroll and class-code quote path
Pie says online applicants provide business and payroll details plus class-code information, with a tool to help identify the class, and advertises a roughly three-minute quote. Simply Business also offers online comparison but does not describe the same inputs in its overview. Ask each route to confirm the class assignment and how estimated payroll is audited. 2 7
Pie describes certificate and audit services
Pie says it can issue a certificate as proof of coverage and performs a post-term audit comparing estimated with actual payroll. Simply Business’s overview focuses on benefits and quote access without describing these operational steps. If a project requires evidence before work begins, ask how quickly either carrier issues the certificate and what audit documents are needed. 2 6
What to Confirm in Workers’ Compensation Insurance Quotes
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.
Pie Insurance
Review Score
2 rated sources
Pie’s service record raises clear concerns: elevated regulator complaints reported by NerdWallet, 1.7/5 on Trustpilot and an F from BBB. Investigate billing, cancellation and complaint handling before buying.[1][4][6]
Read Pie Insurance 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
Pie Insurance vs Simply Business: Workers’ Compensation Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Pie Workers' Comp Insurance | Workers’ compensation insurance through Simply Business |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Pie underwrites workers' compensation itself through its own carrier group, rather than only brokering the line to outside insurers as it does for several of its other small-business products. 2Company-reported. Workers' Comp product page as read on 2026-09-23; restates the provider record's verified insurer-route fact. | Confirm in your quote. |
| Issuing Insurer | AM Best's disclosure report says Pie completed acquiring Pie Casualty Insurance Company in September 2021 and The Pie Insurance Company (formerly The American Insurance Company) in January 2023, and that beginning January 1, 2024, Pie writes 100% of its workers' compensation business through these two entities, part of the pooled Rating Unit 018981 Pie Insurance Group. AM Best affirmed Pie Casualty Insurance Company's Financial Strength Rating at A- (Excellent) and Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating at a- (Excellent), both with a stable outlook, effective April 24, 2026. 4Verified. AM Best rating disclosure report (AMB #012272, NAIC #10997) for Pie Casualty Insurance Company; a rating is an opinion of insurer financial strength, not a guarantee a claim will be paid, and reflects the pooled group rather than a standalone assessment of either entity. | Confirm in your quote. |
| Who It’s For | Pie says workers' compensation is legally required in nearly all states for businesses with few exceptions, and markets its program to small businesses. 2Company-reported. Workers' Comp product page as read on 2026-09-23. | The page explains that requirements vary by state and that a one-person LLC without employees may not be required to carry the coverage in many states. This is general education, not a jurisdiction-specific legal determination. 7Company-reported. Company-published workers-compensation information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer. |
| Coverage Features | Pie describes workers' compensation as a state-mandated program providing medical, disability (typically two-thirds wage replacement), and death benefits for employees injured or killed on the job, while excluding injuries suffered off the job, self-inflicted injuries, policy violations, and injuries from committing a crime. 2Company-reported. Workers' Comp product page as read on 2026-09-23; actual covered/excluded scenarios depend on the issued policy and state law. | The company’s page describes workers’ compensation as potentially covering medical, rehabilitation, wage-replacement and death benefits for employees injured or made ill at work; state law and policy terms affect benefits. 7Company-reported. Company-published workers-compensation information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer. |
| Risk Services | Pie says it can issue a Certificate of Insurance to show proof of workers' comp coverage, which it notes some industries, such as construction, require before work can begin, and that it performs a post-term premium audit comparing estimated to actual payroll. 2Company-reported. Workers' Comp product page FAQ as read on 2026-09-23. | Confirm in your quote. |
| How to Apply | Pie says getting a quote online requires the applicant's name, business name, annual payroll amount, and class-code information, with a tool available to help identify the correct class code, and advertises a roughly three-minute online quote and up to 30% savings. 2Company-reported. Workers' Comp product page as read on 2026-09-23; quote time and savings figures are company marketing claims, not independently verified, and individual results vary. | The company publishes a workers’ compensation quote route. Its Terms say quote availability may vary by state, insurer and business details and binding requires panel-member approval. 7,6Company-reported. Company-published workers-compensation information for U.S. small businesses; availability and actual policy terms depend on the insurer, state and buyer. |
Full Comparison
More Pie Insurance vs Simply Business Comparisons
Other Workers’ Compensation Insurance Comparisons
Sources
Pie Insurance
- Legal. Pie Insurance; State Licenses; footer disclosure naming producer and workers’ compensation versus third-party underwriting roles. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Workers' Comp Insurance for Small Businesses. Pie Insurance; How do I get a workers' comp quote?; What is workers' comp insurance?; What does workers' compensation insurance cover?; Why choose Pie for workers' compensation insurance? Affordable, Simple, Trusted (AM Best A- Excellent); FAQs: how workers' comp works, what's covered/not covered, class codes, NCCI. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Online Account Tutorial. Pie Insurance; Payment-method updates; instant and custom certificates; policy information; document access; agent-handled custom certificate qualification. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- AM Best Rating Disclosure Report — Pie Casualty Insurance Company. AM Best Rating Services, Inc.; Page 1: Financial Strength Rating A- (Excellent), Affiliation Code p (Pooled Rating), Financial Size Category VIII, Outlook Stable, Action Affirmed, Effective Date April 24, 2026; Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating a- (Excellent), same outlook and effective date; page 14 (Additional Regulatory Disclosures, Business Profile: Limited): Rating Unit 018981 Pie Insurance Group; Pie completed the acquisition of Pie Casualty Insurance Company (PCIC) in September 2021 and of The American Insurance Company, renamed The Pie Insurance Company (TPIC), on January 1, 2023; beginning January 1, 2024 Pie started writing 100% of its workers' compensation business through these insurance entities; Pie launched workers' compensation in March 2018 and continues to be a workers' compensation writer in 40 states and the District of Columbia. Accessed 2026-09-23.
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.
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance for Small Business. Simply Business; Coverage and benefits lines 45–69; state/buyer qualifications lines 178–189. Accessed 2026-09-29.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance Guide
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Opening definition; mandatory coverage except Texas opt-in; exclusive remedy; monopolistic state funds; self-insurance note. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Small Business Insurance. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Typically covers medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and lost wages; check with your state insurance department; ask these questions / who qualifies as a covered employee (contractors, part-time staff, interns); payroll and type-of-work rating factors. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- DWC employer information. California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers’ Compensation; Opening trade-off and California requirement; basic benefits including medical care, temporary and permanent disability, supplemental job displacement, return-to-work supplement and death benefits; out-of-state employer note. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Employer resources. Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation; In Texas, private employers can choose to carry workers’ compensation insurance coverage, but it is not required in most cases; lost wages and medical benefits; except when gross negligence results in a fatality, coverage limits liability. Accessed 2026-09-16.
