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Pie Insurance vs THREE by Berkshire Hathaway

Pie centers its direct and agent routes on workers’ compensation, with other products supplied through additional insurers; THREE presents workers’ compensation among a broader combined small-business product. Compare whether you need a standalone workers’ compensation policy or a package with other lines. 2,5,3,26,35

Introduction

Coverage Comparison

CoveragePie InsuranceTHREE by Berkshire Hathaway
Business owner’s policyListed 7Pie accepts business owner’s policy quote requests.Listed 35,27Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Commercial autoNot listedListed 35,27Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Commercial propertyNot listedListed 35,27Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Cyber liabilityListed 8Pie provides access to cyber insurance quotes from carrier partners.Listed 35,27Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Directors and officersNot listedListed 35Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Employment practices liabilityNot listedListed 35Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Equipment breakdownNot listedListed 35,27THREE 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.
Fiduciary liabilityNot listedListed 35Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
General liabilityListed 10Pie arranges general liability insurance through unaffiliated third-party insurers.Listed 35,27Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Liquor liabilityNot listedListed 35Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy if required; the quote and issued form determine availability and protection.
Professional errors and omissions (E&O)Listed 9Pie Insurance arranges professional errors and omissions insurance for small businesses through third-party insurers.Listed 35Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Tools, equipment and inland marineNot listedListed 35Marketed within THREE’s combined commercial policy; the quote and issued form determine the protection.
Workers’ compensationListed 3Pie Insurance offers workers’ compensation insurance for small businesses.Listed 35,27Marketed 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.

Pie Insurance

Hybrid provider

Broker

5.3/ 10

Assessed provider: Pie Insurance. Scope: Pie Insurance Services, Inc. as producer/administrator; The Pie Insurance Company and Pie Casualty Insurance Company as separately named P&C entities. This review does not assign Pie Casualty to a product without product-specific evidence and does not treat Pie Group Holdings, Inc. as an insurer.

Carrier & MGA

6.3/ 10

Assessed provider: Pie Insurance. Scope: Pie Insurance Services, Inc. as producer/administrator; The Pie Insurance Company and Pie Casualty Insurance Company as separately named P&C entities. This review does not assign Pie Casualty to a product without product-specific evidence and does not treat Pie Group Holdings, Inc. as an insurer.

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.

Pie Insurance

1.7/ 10

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 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 Pie Insurance and THREE

Business Roles and Access to Insurers

Pie Insurance’s documented role shapes who handles underwriting and how you reach a policy.

Pie Insurance Services, Inc. is the producer that sells and administers policies; verify its current license in your state because Pie’s own license page is not regulator confirmation. 5,25Company-reported. Producer identity and Pie-published US license list; Wisconsin’s regulator separately identifies this entity in a 2024 administrative action.

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. 26,27,28Company-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.

Small businesses looking for workers’ compensation can approach Pie directly or through local, regional and national agencies. 2,3Company-reported. US small-business workers’ compensation distribution described on Pie’s current About and product pages.

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. 26,32Company-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. 5 2 3 26 26 35

Small businesses can start a workers’ compensation quote online or through an insurance agent; agencies use a separate partner portal. 2,1,3Company-reported. Workers’ compensation access for small businesses and agencies; other product pages direct buyers to quote or contact flows but do not document the same process.

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. 26,28Company-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 Pie which insurer provides each requested line and whether workers’ compensation is direct or agent-placed. Ask THREE how workers’ compensation is written within your proposal and whether it is available with the other sections. 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

CriteriaPie InsuranceTHREE by Berkshire Hathaway
Business role

Small businesses can buy Pie’s workers’ compensation directly or through agents; affiliated insurers underwrite workers’ comp, while outside insurers provide some other Pie products. 2,5,3,7,8,9,10Company-reported. Current public Pie brand and US small-business insurance services; this describes group roles, not a promise that every product is available to every applicant.

If parent-company ownership matters, Pie Group Holdings, Inc. owns the website and is regulator-listed parent of Pie Casualty; AM Best identifies the insurer group as Pie Insurance Group. 4,24,22Verified. Website ownership and the parent shown for Pie Casualty Insurance Company; no claim about voting control or every intermediate subsidiary.

Pie Insurance Services, Inc. is the producer that sells and administers policies; verify its current license in your state because Pie’s own license page is not regulator confirmation. 5,25Company-reported. Producer identity and Pie-published US license list; Wisconsin’s regulator separately identifies this entity in a 2024 administrative action.

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. 26,27,28Company-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. 33,32Company-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

Small businesses looking for workers’ compensation can approach Pie directly or through local, regional and national agencies. 2,3Company-reported. US small-business workers’ compensation distribution described on Pie’s current About and product pages.

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. 26,32Company-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 businesses can start a workers’ compensation quote online or through an insurance agent; agencies use a separate partner portal. 2,1,3Company-reported. Workers’ compensation access for small businesses and agencies; other product pages direct buyers to quote or contact flows but do not document the same process.

Have your ZIP, payroll and class-code details ready for a Pie workers’ compensation quote; its online intake begins with ZIP code. 6,3Company-reported. Unauthenticated first step and Pie’s description of workers’ compensation quote inputs; no data was entered and the flow was not advanced.

Pie advertises a workers’ compensation quote in about three minutes, but this company estimate does not predict underwriting or binding time. 3,1Company-reported. Workers’ compensation quote marketing; no timed independent quote test was performed.

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. 26,28Company-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. 31Company-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

Pie Insurance Official Website

  1. Pie Insurance. Pie Insurance; Homepage: small-business audience; direct workers’ compensation quote; online account; footer entity, insurer and availability qualifications. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  2. About Pie Insurance. Pie Insurance; About Pie; direct and agency distribution; footer legal disclosure. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  3. Workers’ Comp Insurance For Small Businesses. Pie Insurance; Get a workers’ compensation quote online; insurance made for your small business; quote inputs; coverage description; quote-time and savings qualifications; AM Best link. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  4. Terms Of Use. Pie Insurance; Updated 26 April 2022; Ownership and Agreement to Terms; geographic and product eligibility; policy controls coverage. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  5. Legal. Pie Insurance; State Licenses; footer disclosure naming producer and workers’ compensation versus third-party underwriting roles. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  6. Pie Insurance — Quote. Pie Insurance; First step: Business ZIP Code. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  7. Business Owner’s Policy. Pie Insurance; BOP definition; typical components; Make sure you’re covered: Start your BOP quote; footer third-party insurer qualification. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  8. Cyber Insurance For Small Businesses. Pie Insurance; First- and third-party descriptions; carrier-partner quote invitation; policy-variation qualification. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  9. Errors And Omissions Insurance. Pie Insurance; Errors and Omissions Insurance hero (E&O and professional liability equivalence); typical claims; Make sure you’re covered: insurance carrier partners, Start now; footer third-party professional liability insurers. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  10. General Liability Insurance. Pie Insurance; Typical covered categories; Make sure you are covered: carrier-partner quote invitation; legal footer: third-party insurers not affiliated with Pie. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  11. Workers’ Comp Coverage By State. Pie Insurance; Headline says 40 states and the District of Columbia; rendered state selector listed 39 state names and omitted New York and D.C. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  12. Agency Document Library. Pie Insurance; Workers’ Comp State Documents: 40 named states plus Washington, D.C. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  13. Pie Insurance Reports Strong 2025. Pie Insurance; 13 January 2026 release; Key 2025 Milestones says 39 states plus Washington, D.C.; company and distribution description. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  14. Commercial Auto Claim FAQs. Pie Insurance; Does Pie offer commercial auto insurance?; submission cutoff 1 December 2025; no new or renewal policies on or after 1 January 2026; legacy claim guidance. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  15. 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.
  16. Workers’ Comp FAQs. Pie Insurance; Certificates; specific and blanket waiver requests, two-business-day response and state-dependent charge; Billing & Payments; Policy Renewal / When will I know it’s time to renew my policy? (approximately 30 days before expiry, quote for review and acceptance); Annual Audit; Claims. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  17. Payment Options. Pie Insurance; Annual, semi-annual, quarterly, monthly and pay-as-you-go schedules; payment methods; 3% card fee and state exceptions. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  18. Pay-As-You-Go With Pie Insurance. Pie Insurance; No initial deposit; actual-payroll monthly premium; automatic deductions; payroll-provider coordination. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  19. Your Workers’ Comp Premium Audit. Pie Insurance; Required annual audit; estimated versus actual payroll; audit partner; requested payroll, employee, cash-expense and subcontractor certificate records. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  20. File Your Claim Within 24 Hours. Pie Insurance; Workers’ compensation reporting by online form, 24/7 phone or email; information requested; post-report coverage determination. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  21. Partner FAQ. Pie Insurance; How does Pie handle claims? (workers’ compensation in 34 states; CorVel in Alaska, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon); How does Pie pay commissions? (new and renewing policies, earned premium); How does Pie handle renewals? (30-day preview: under $20,000 to insured with agency copied, over $20,000 to producer; unless otherwise notified, deposit draft and renewal issuance five days before effective date; exact $20,000 case unstated); Renewal Billing. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  22. AM Best Rating Disclosure Report — Pie Casualty Insurance Company. AM Best Rating Services, Inc.; Page 1: A- (Excellent), Stable, affirmed 24 April 2026; page 14: rating unit, group insurer acquisitions, 100% workers’ compensation writing through PCIC and TPIC from 1 January 2024, 40 states and D.C. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  23. The Pie Insurance Company — Company Details. Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance; Company name; active license status; NAIC 21857; property-and-casualty authority; 2025 workers’ compensation market data. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  24. Pie Casualty Insurance Company — Entity Details. Illinois Department of Insurance; Legal name; P&C Domestic Stock; active status; NAIC 10997; Pie Group Holdings, Inc. parent. Accessed 2026-09-15.
  25. Administrative Actions — January 2024. Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance; Allegations and Actions Against Companies: Pie Insurance Services, Inc. agreed to add a disclaimer to its “save up to 30%” advertising claim after misleading-advertising allegations. Accessed 2026-09-15.

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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