· About 1,700 words · Part of the freelance insurance guide.

Hiscox and Simply Business are the two routes most often suggested to UK freelancers shopping for cover. They're not directly equivalent — Hiscox is a specialist insurer that writes the policy directly; Simply Business is a broker that compares quotes from multiple insurers (which may include Hiscox among them). This comparison covers what each is, how they differ structurally, and when each makes sense.

Structural difference

This is the most important thing to understand. The two aren't competing on the same product layer:

• Hiscox is one possible destination for your premium
• Simply Business is one possible route to multiple destinations (potentially including Hiscox)

It's possible — sometimes — that a Hiscox policy bought via Simply Business and a Hiscox policy bought direct have different pricing, terms, or commission structures. It's also possible they're identical. Both routes are legitimate.

Cover available

Hiscox

Hiscox offers freelance / SME packages typically including:

• Professional indemnity
• Public liability
• Employer's liability (if needed)
• Cyber and data protection
• Buildings / contents / equipment
• Business interruption

Underwriting is tailored by industry — Hiscox publishes industry-specific freelance product pages (designers, IT contractors, consultants, photographers, etc.) with cover variations appropriate to each.

Simply Business

Through Simply Business you can compare quotes for:

• Professional indemnity
• Public liability
• Employer's liability
• Tools / contents / equipment
• Some trades-specific covers (e.g. for electricians, plumbers, builders)
• Landlord insurance (separate product line)

The breadth of the underlying insurer panel means Simply Business often has competitive options for niche or trades categories that a generalist insurer might decline.

Buying journey

Hiscox journey

1. You select your profession on Hiscox's website
2. Answer industry-specific underwriting questions (revenue, services, claims history)
3. Get a Hiscox-branded quote with selectable cover levels
4. Buy direct from Hiscox

Typical time: 10–15 minutes for straightforward cases.

Simply Business journey

1. You enter your business details once on Simply Business's site
2. The platform fans your details out to its panel of insurers
3. You receive multiple quotes side-by-side, sorted by price
4. You select one and buy through Simply Business; the policy is issued by the chosen underlying insurer

Typical time: 10–20 minutes. The trade-off vs Hiscox direct is that you can compare prices across multiple insurers in one journey, but the underwriting questions are by necessity more standardised (which can disadvantage edge cases that need a specialist conversation).

Pricing

It's not possible to make a single price claim that holds across all freelancers. Premium varies materially by:

• Profession (a copywriter and an accountant have very different risk profiles)
• Revenue level
• Cover limits and excess
• Claims history
• Territorial scope

What can be said:

• Same insurer, same cover, same risk — should be similar price. If Hiscox underwrites your risk, the Hiscox quote via Simply Business and the direct Hiscox quote will be broadly comparable (small variation possible due to commission structure).
• Different insurer, same cover, same risk — meaningful variation. Same freelancer can see 30–50% price variation across UK insurers for what looks like the same cover. This is the main argument for using a comparison route.
• Niche categories — specialists like Hiscox or PolicyBee may underwrite a profile that generalist insurers decline. In those cases the specialist is sometimes the only viable option.

The honest answer for most freelancers is: get quotes from both and compare. The 10–20 minutes is worth it for the typical £50–£150 annual difference.

For an illustrative annual budget before you get real quotes: freelancer insurance cost calculator.

Claims handling

Hiscox

You notify Hiscox directly. Hiscox handles claims in-house (with panel solicitors for legal defence work). Single relationship, single claims team, single point of contact.

Simply Business

You notify the underlying insurer — not Simply Business — because Simply Business is the broker, not the carrier. The underlying insurer (e.g. Aviva, AXA, Zurich, etc.) handles the claim. Simply Business can assist with the broker function (chasing, advising) but the cover and the claims relationship is with the underwriter.

This is worth understanding before you buy: whose claims team will I deal with? For a Hiscox-direct buyer it's Hiscox. For a Simply Business buyer it's whoever underwrote the policy.

When each makes sense

For many UK freelancers, the realistic answer is: get quotes from both, plus PolicyBee, plus Markel Direct. The comparison takes under an hour and frequently saves £50–£150/year.

Renewal experience compared

Insurance is annual, so renewal experience matters as much as the initial buy. Two patterns to know:

Hiscox renewal

Hiscox auto-renews by default with a pre-renewal letter ~30 days out showing next-year's premium. Premium movement at renewal is typically modest year-on-year if your activity and revenue haven't materially changed. You can accept, adjust cover, or decline (in which case you shop the market). Mid-year amendments (adding a new service line, raising cover limit) are straightforward through the same online portal.

Simply Business renewal

Because Simply Business is a broker, your underlying policy is with whichever insurer wrote it. The renewal mechanic depends on that insurer's process — sometimes routed back through the Simply Business portal, sometimes direct from the underwriter. Simply Business does re-shop the market for some renewals automatically, which can mean a different underlying insurer at renewal than at purchase. Worth checking if you want continuity with the same insurer.

The practical upshot: Hiscox direct gives a single ongoing relationship with one insurer. Simply Business gives you ongoing access to a market comparison but at the cost of potentially changing insurers between policy years.

When client contracts mandate a specific insurer

Occasionally — particularly in regulated sectors (financial services, healthcare, public sector) — a client contract specifies a specific insurer or insurer rating. Examples:

• "Insurer must be A-rated by S&P or equivalent"
• "Policy must be underwritten by an FCA-authorised UK insurer"
• "Cover from a Lloyd's syndicate or named market participant"

Both Hiscox and the major underlying insurers behind Simply Business (Aviva, AXA, Zurich, etc.) generally satisfy these requirements. If a contract specifies a particular insurer brand, you may need to buy from that specific carrier — which usually means direct from Hiscox (if Hiscox is named) rather than via a broker that may or may not route through them.

For most B2B freelance contracts the wording is generic ("PI of £X minimum from a UK-authorised insurer") and either route satisfies it.

Documentation and certificates

Both routes produce a policy schedule and a certificate of insurance suitable for sharing with clients. The certificate typically shows:

• Insured name and address
• Policy period
• Cover limits (PI aggregate, PL each-and-every)
• Insurer name and FCA reference
• Renewal date

Hiscox-direct certificates are branded Hiscox. Simply Business policies show the underlying insurer (the broker's branding is incidental). Procurement portals usually accept either.

Both routes provide the certificate within a few hours of purchase, usually as a PDF download via the buyer portal. Updated certificates after mid-policy changes are also straightforward — typically same-day.

For an alternative broker comparison, see Hiscox vs PolicyBee.

Related: Professional indemnity insurance cost in the UK — from FreelanceToolkit UK.

Related: UK Freelancer Insurance Comparison Matrix — from FreelanceToolkit UK.

Related: UK National Insurance Rates 2025/26 — from FreelanceToolkit UK.

Editorial comparison only — not regulated insurance advice. We don't rate or rank these providers; we describe their structural differences so you can choose. Final cover decisions should be made on your own assessment or with an FCA-regulated broker.