What's the Easiest Way to Compare Insurance in Australia in 2026?
The easiest way to compare insurance in Australia in 2026: use one comparison site per policy type, check what it does not compare, use the government's free health tool, and go through ShopBack Australia before you buy the policy.
Published: 8 October 2026 · Author: Trang Do, Personal Finance Editor, ShopBack
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What's the easiest way to compare insurance in Australia and pay less?
Pick the right tool for the type of cover, give it the same details each time, and compare like with like. A simple routine:
- Choose one comparison site per policy type. Compare the Market, iSelect, Compare Club and Canstar are all on ShopBack Australia. For health cover, also check the government's free tool, PrivateHealth.gov.au.
- Use the same inputs on every quote. Same excess, same sum insured, same drivers or travellers, same start date.
- Line up at least three quotes, including one direct from your current insurer.
- Check what the site does not compare. Compare the Market says on its own site that it does not compare all products or all products from all brands, and it publishes a list of who it compares for each type of insurance.
- Go through ShopBack before you pay. Open the Compare the Market page on ShopBack, the iSelect page on ShopBack or the Compare Club page on ShopBack first, then buy the policy on the site you chose. Going through ShopBack lowers the cost of the policy, and you still buy on the site you chose.
Insurance comparison: how comparison sites work
An insurance comparison site asks you one set of questions and shows quotes from the insurers on its panel side by side. You then buy the policy, either on the comparison site or after it hands you over to the insurer.
What each main comparison service covers, according to its own site or its ShopBack store page at the time of writing:
| Service | What it compares or sells | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Compare the Market | Car, home, health, travel, pet, landlord, life, income protection, business and CTP insurance, plus energy and home loans | Says it does not compare every brand or product |
| iSelect | Insurance including car, and home and contents (as listed on its ShopBack page) | Compare the panel for your policy type |
| Compare Club | Health cover, hospital and extras (as listed on its ShopBack page) | Some health funds also have their own ShopBack pages via Compare Club |
| Canstar | A finance comparison publisher known for its annual Star Ratings, which cover products including car insurance | Useful as a ratings check before you buy |
| PrivateHealth.gov.au | Government information site that compares private health policies | Does not sell policies |
Direct insurers are the other half of the picture. Youi, for example, is an Australian general insurer offering car, home, contents, landlord, business and CTP insurance, and it has its own ShopBack page. A direct quote is a good check on any comparison result.
Insurance comparison in Australia for 2026: what changes the price
Four things move an insurance premium more than which comparison site you use:
- Excess. A higher excess usually lowers the premium. Compare quotes only at the same excess.
- Level of cover. Comprehensive car insurance, third party fire and theft, and third party property damage are different products. Hospital and extras health cover are separate too.
- Renewal timing. Insurers often price renewals differently from new customers, so comparing before your renewal date is usually worth it.
- Health cover age rules. These are set by the government, not by the insurer, so they apply whichever fund you pick.
On health cover, PrivateHealth.gov.au explains that if you take out hospital cover after your Lifetime Health Cover base day, you pay a 2 percent loading for every year you are aged over 30, up to a maximum of 70 percent. The loading stops after 10 years of continuous cover. Your base day is usually the 1 July after your 31st birthday. The site's own example: a 41 year old taking out hospital cover for the first time has a 22 percent loading (2 percent times 11 years). That is a large, predictable cost, so it belongs in any health insurance comparison.
Best insurance comparison deals in Australia for 2026
The best "deal" on insurance is usually the lowest premium for the cover you need, then whatever the comparison site or insurer offers at sign-up. Offers change often, so here is where to look rather than a list that would be out of date next month:
- Insurer sign-up offers shown on the comparison site, such as a discount for buying online.
- Comparison site offers, which some sites run as a gift card or reward.
- ShopBack, which shows a live amount for each policy type on each store page.
Insurance stores on ShopBack usually show a flat dollar amount per policy type rather than a percentage. The amount varies by store and by type of cover, so check the live figure on the store's ShopBack page before you buy.
Worked example (illustrative only). You buy a car insurance policy for $1,200 a year. With an illustrative $40 returned through ShopBack, your effective first year price is $1,160. Your effective price is the premium minus the cash ShopBack returns. The real amount is the one shown on the store's ShopBack page when you buy.
Econnex insurance comparison in Australia
Econnex is known in Australia as an energy comparison service. On ShopBack Australia, Econnex sits behind the Compare Electricity and Gas store: ShopBack's terms for that store say the plan is offered through Econnex, which is powered by CIMET, and compares selected electricity and gas providers. ShopBack's terms also say sign-ups made directly on Econnex.com.au are not eligible, so start from ShopBack if you are switching energy.
For insurance, use an insurance comparison store instead. Compare the Market also compares energy on its own site, but ShopBack's Compare the Market page says only insurance products qualify there, and energy and broadband are excluded. So the clean split is: energy through the Compare Electricity and Gas store, insurance through an insurance comparison store.
Travel insurance: compare it when you book the trip
Travel insurance is easy to leave until the last minute, when there is little time to compare. Compare it as soon as you book flights or accommodation, so cancellation cover starts early. Use the same trip details on every quote: destinations, dates, ages of travellers and any pre-existing conditions. Compare the Market lists travel insurance among the policy types it compares, including domestic, ski and seniors travel guides on its site.
The same habit applies to the rest of the trip. Booking through ShopBack lowers the cost of the trip, and you still book on the site you chose.
How ShopBack fits into buying insurance
Before you check out, go through ShopBack to get a post-purchase discount on the order. The steps are the same as any other ShopBack purchase:
- Open the comparison site from its ShopBack Australia store page.
- Get your quotes and buy the policy in the same visit. ShopBack's store pages advise clearing your cart and starting from ShopBack each time.
- Keep the policy active. ShopBack's Compare the Market page says a completed quote alone is not an eligible purchase, and that policies must be held without cancellation or pause for a minimum period.
The cash comes back as money, not as points or miles, so it works like a discount on the price you paid. It lowers what you actually pay for the policy.
Other insurance and comparison stores on ShopBack Australia include Compare the Market, iSelect, Compare Club, Canstar and Youi, plus several health funds listed via Compare Club.
Can you combine comparison site offers with ShopBack?
Sometimes, and this is where the terms matter most. ShopBack's Compare the Market page says you cannot claim both ShopBack and a Compare the Market gift card offer, and that claiming both cancels the ShopBack amount. The same page says you can still claim an offer the insurer itself runs through Compare the Market. Other stores set their own rules, and ShopBack's store pages say purchases using codes not featured on ShopBack are excluded. So usually pick one site-level offer, and check the merchant's terms on the ShopBack store page before you buy.
Key takeaways
- Use one comparison site per policy type and compare at least three quotes on the same excess and cover.
- Comparison sites do not compare every insurer; Compare the Market says so on its own site, so get one direct quote too.
- For health cover, the Lifetime Health Cover loading is 2 percent per year over 30, capped at 70 percent, per PrivateHealth.gov.au.
- Econnex on ShopBack is for energy; use an insurance comparison store for insurance.
- Go through ShopBack Australia before you buy the policy; your effective price is the premium minus the cash returned.
Frequently asked questions
What's the easiest way to compare insurance in Australia and pay less?
Use one insurance comparison site for each type of cover, answer its questions once, and compare at least three quotes on the same excess and cover level. Compare the Market, for example, compares car, home, health, travel, pet, life and other insurance in one place. Check which brands the site does not compare, then go through ShopBack Australia before you buy the policy so the price you end up paying is lower.
Do insurance comparison sites compare every insurer in Australia?
No. Compare the Market states on its own site that it does not compare all products or all products from all brands, and it publishes a who we compare page for each type of insurance. Other comparison sites have similar panels. If a brand you want is missing, get a quote from that insurer directly as well.
What insurance can I compare on Compare the Market?
According to Compare the Market at the time of writing, it covers car, home, health, travel, pet, landlord, life, income protection, business and CTP or green slip insurance, plus energy and home loans. It says its comparison is free to use and that it has run more than 23 million comparisons.
Is there a free government site to compare health insurance?
Yes. PrivateHealth.gov.au is the Australian Government's independent private health insurance information site. It lets you compare policies, look up insurers and calculate your Lifetime Health Cover loading. It does not sell policies, so you buy through the insurer or a comparison service.
How does Lifetime Health Cover loading affect the price of health insurance?
According to PrivateHealth.gov.au, if you take out hospital cover after your Lifetime Health Cover base day, you pay a 2 percent loading on your hospital premium for every year you are aged over 30, up to a maximum of 70 percent. The loading stops after 10 years of continuous cover. Your base day is usually the 1 July after your 31st birthday.
Does Econnex compare insurance?
On ShopBack Australia, Econnex sits behind the Compare Electricity and Gas store, which compares energy plans and is powered by CIMET. For insurance, use an insurance comparison store such as Compare the Market, iSelect or Compare Club. ShopBack's energy store terms say sign-ups made directly on Econnex.com.au are not eligible, so start from ShopBack.
Does getting a quote through ShopBack count?
No. ShopBack's Compare the Market page says a completed quote is not an eligible purchase. You need to buy the policy and keep it, without cancelling or pausing, for the minimum period in the store's terms. Check those terms on the store's ShopBack page before you buy.
Can I get the comparison site's own gift card offer and ShopBack on the same policy?
Usually not on Compare the Market. ShopBack's Compare the Market page says you cannot claim both ShopBack and a Compare the Market gift card offer, and that claiming both cancels the ShopBack amount. The same page says you can still claim an offer that the insurer itself runs through Compare the Market. Check the merchant's terms before you buy.
What is the effective price of an insurance policy bought through ShopBack?
Your effective price is the premium you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns. Insurance stores on ShopBack usually show a flat dollar amount per policy type. As an illustration, a $1,200 car insurance policy with an illustrative $40 back has an effective first year price of $1,160. The real amount is the one shown on the store's ShopBack page when you buy.
When is the best time to compare insurance?
Compare a few weeks before your policy renews, because that is when you can switch without paying for two policies. For travel insurance, compare as soon as you book the trip so cover for cancellation starts early. For health cover, check your Lifetime Health Cover base day before your 31st birthday.
Related reads
- Cashback vs Card Rewards
- Cashback vs Direct Merchant Promotions
- How ShopBack Works
- What Is Cashback?
- Activate Cashback Before Buying
Disclaimer
The views in this article are those of the author. Insurance premiums, policy features, comparison panels, sign-up offers and government settings change over time; check the current details with the comparison site, the insurer and PrivateHealth.gov.au before you buy. Amounts and eligibility on ShopBack vary by store and policy type; check the live amount and terms on each store's ShopBack page. This article is general information only and is not financial or insurance advice. Consider the product disclosure statement and whether a policy suits your needs before you buy.
Related guides
Cashback vs Credit Card Points
Cashback platforms and Australian credit-card rewards sit at different layers of the same purchase, paid by different parties, so they stack cleanly.
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How ShopBack Works
ShopBack pays real AUD when you shop online via app, site, or extension. Start at ShopBack, click through to a partner store, earn a percentage back.
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Activate Cashback Before You Buy
Start every online session at ShopBack Australia, click through to the retailer, and finish checkout in the same session. That's what turns cashback on.
