Darwin is part of the Direct Line Group. It was set up in 2018 and primarily sells through comparison sites.
It's distinct from its sister brands – Churchill, Direct Line and Privilege – in that it utilises its own pricing system that uses more sophisticated technology. It claims this allows it to provide premiums that more closely reflect the merits of each individual customer, rather than the group they belong to.
Its policy is underwritten by UK Insurance Ltd.
What does Darwin's car insurance cover?
Elements marked with a ✓ are covered as standard, those marked with a ✘ aren't covered as standard. Elements marked with a £ can be added to a policy as optional extras for an additional cost.
✓ Courtesy car
Provides the policyholder with a car to use while repairs are carried out on their vehicle as part of a claim
✓ Personal accident
Covers the policyholder and passengers if they're injured in an accident
✓ Stolen keys cover
Covers the cost of replacing keys and locks in the event that your car keys are stolen
✓ Lost keys cover
Covers the cost of replacing keys and locks in the event that your car keys are lost
£ NCD protection
Allows the policyholder to make a specified number of claims over a period without affecting their no claims discount
£ Motor legal protection
Covers legal expenses for legal action you may take as the result of an accident
Does Darwin offer the best car insurance?
Here's how Darwin insurance scored in our latest car insurance survey:

To help you find the best car insurance policy, Which? goes the extra mile to sort the best from the worst.
How we analyse car insurance
We analyse and rate 73 key elements of standard car insurance policies to come up with the overall policy score. We assess how important each individual element is to drivers when choosing and using a car insurance policy, and weigh it accordingly when calculating our total policy score.
Initially, we score all of the product elements out of five, reflecting how competitive each provider is in this area compared with other insurers. Weightings are then applied to the higher and lower element scores to enhance/reduce their impact on the overall product score.
Darwin's car insurance policy: is it good or bad?
We've rated hundreds of policy details and picked out the best and worst elements of this cover.
Members can log in to read our full policy analysis. If you're not already a member, join Which? for full access to these results and all our reviews.
In detail: every part of Darwin's car insurance rated
Table last updated in February 2022. Next update in February 2023.
To see how Darwin's car insurance compares with other policies, see our guide on the best and worst car insurance.
How can you save money on Darwin's car insurance?
The first offer an insurer makes isn’t necessarily the best it's able to provide, especially if you’re renewing. So, before parting with your cash, check what other insurers are offering for comparable cover and ask if your current insurer can better it.
Carefully consider what’s optionally included in the quote. You may want the confidence of an all-singing, all-dancing policy, but certain add-ons might not be for you or could duplicate cover you already have separately.
Where you buy your cover can sometimes make a difference to what you’ll end up paying, which is why we recommend checking prices through multiple comparison sites (where available) as well as trying them direct.
Darwin's car insurance policy is available through the following comparison websites:
- Compare the market
- Confused.com
- Go Compare
- MoneySupermarket
✘ Membership discount
A discount to the premium for being a Darwin member
✘ Joint car and home insurance discount
There's no Darwin home insurance product
✘ Multi car discount
A discount to the premium for insuring more than one car on a single policy with the same provider
✘ Dash cam discount
A discount to the premium for having a dash cam installed in your car
Above information is correct as of December 2021.
What is Darwin's car insurance claims number?
If you need to make a claim with Darwin car insurance call 0345 246 2089. It also has a 24-hour accident recovery helpline 0800 051 9958 and a 24-hour glass helpline 0800 328 9150.
You'll need your policy number and documents, your vehicle registration number and crime reference number, if applicable.
- Find out more: is it worth claiming on your car insurance?