Overall, Liberty Home Guard offers top-rated service with its affordable and comprehensive home warranty plans.
Detailed Comparison of American Home Shield vs. Liberty Home Guard
AHS vs Liberty | American Home Shield | Liberty Home Guard |
Monthly Price | $29.99 to $69.99 | $49.99 to $59.99 |
Coverage Scope | Appliances, major home systems, or both | Appliances, major home systems, or both |
Refrigerator Covered in Cheapest Plan | No | No |
Service Fees | $75 to $125 | $65 to $125 |
Contractor Network Size | 17,500 qualified contractors | More than 10,000 qualified contractors |
Claims Response Time | 48 hours or less | 24 to 48 hours or less |
BBB Rating | B | A |
Years in Business | 50+ | 6+ |
Warranty | 60-day workmanship | 60-day workmanship |
Can File Claims Online 24/7 | Yes | Yes |
How do you decide on a home warranty between American Home Shield or Liberty Home Guard?
It's not always easy to make a decision when comparing American Home Shield vs. other popular home warranty companies. Most people just want to know how to get thorough coverage that's easy to use when you want to make a claim.
This is why it's important to break down coverage features, price, exclusions, customer service, claims turnaround times, and other details when comparing American Home Shield vs. Liberty Home Guard and other companies that offer home warranties before making a decision. In this review, we'll cover how top-rated home warranty companies stack up.
What Is American Home Shield?
Memphis-based American Home Shield is widely known for its ShieldSilver ($29.99), ShieldGold ($49.99), and ShieldPlatinum ($69.99) plans that let you choose major appliances, major home systems, or both. While there's a lot to like about AHS's coverage, one frustrating aspect is that customers need to upgrade to at least the SheildGold plan to get coverage for basic appliances.
With appliance coverage totaling $3,000, even homeowners with high-end appliances might find the jump to the higher tier worth it. When jumping to the most expensive tier, ShieldPlatinum customers get everything in the lower tiers with the addition of $1,000 in roof leak repairs, up to $250 in code violations in permits, free HVAC services, and free refrigerant refills.
What Is Liberty Home Guard?
Liberty Home Guard is a highly-rated home warranty company that has rocketed to the top of nearly every "best of" list since arriving on the scene in 2017. In addition to being the only home warranty to earn an "A" rating with the BBB, Liberty has a 5-star status with customers based on thousands of online reviews.
Connecticut-based Liberty Home Guard offers three plan options for covering all home systems and appliances that are called Appliance Guard ($49.99), Systems Guard ($54.99), and Total Home Guard ($59.99).
LHG's Total Home Guard plan offers one of the most comprehensive coverage options in the industry at what works out to be a very middling price compared to competitors. Customers can also select add-on coverage for major home systems and features that aren't generally covered in plans offered through standard home warranties.
Which Company Has Better Prices: American Home Shield or Liberty Home Guard?
When comparing American Home Shield vs Liberty Home Guard, based solely on price alone, Liberty is the better deal. Liberty's Total Home Guard is just $59.99 per month compared to AHS's comparable PlatinumShield plan which costs $69.99 per month.
While AHS's introductory SilverShield plan at $29.99 is actually cheaper than Liberty's Appliance Guard Plan at $49.99, it's important to remember that PlatinumSheild doesn't offer any appliance coverage.
Which Company Has a Better Reputation: American Home Shield or Liberty Home Guard?
While AHS has had 50 years to build a reputation, Liberty Home Guard dramatically wins in the category of BBB ratings by scoring an "A" compared to AHS's "B." What's more, Liberty has higher customer reviews and industry reviews from various publications and review websites. Liberty currently earns 4.52 out of 5 stars from BBB users. Meanwhile, American Home Shield earns just 2.3 out of 5 stars.
Which Company Responds to Claims Faster?
Both American Home Shield and Liberty Home Guard rank near the top among all home warranty companies when it comes to quick claims responses. This is one of the many reasons why both ranked among our top three picks for the best home warranty companies in California. However, Liberty appears to be slightly speedier when it comes to claims responses compared to AHS. While AHS attempts to reply to all claims submissions within 24 to 48 hours, Liberty's responses are closer to 24 hours.
Choice Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield
When searching for the best home warranty company, you might also be looking at American Home Shield vs Choice Home Warranty. Founded in 2008, CHW has earned accolades from U.S. News and World Report’s 360 Reviews for being on the best warranty companies in 2022. CHW is also one of the only companies to even come close to Liberty Home Guard's stellar "A" rating with the BBB. While CHW only manages to score a B, the company does have 4.5 out of 5 stars based on more than 2,300 customer reviews on the BBB website.
American Home Shield Pros and Cons
Pros:
Lots of choice and freedom among three plan tiers.
Comprehensive coverage.
Strong 60-day workmanship guarantee.
Network of more than 10,0000 contractors in all 50 states.
Tons of add-on options for household features that are rarely covered by other companies.
Lighting-fast claims response.
Live chat feature is the best in the industry.
Cons:
Liberty Home Guard has exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
Premiums aren't the cheapest in the industry.
Contractors will be assigned to you.
American Home Shield Pros and Cons
Pros:
50 years of experience.
Three comprehensive plan tiers.
Flexible service fees lets customers customize monthly payments in relation to deductible prices.
$6,000 coverage limit in the top tier is generous for appliances.
Coverage won't be denied due to age or condition.
Free extras.
Cons:
Skimpy 30-day workmanship guarantee.
Plans are pricey compared to Liberty Home Guard and other companies.
Lacks an appliance-only plan that would provide a "budget" way to get a refrigerator, oven, or washer and dryer covered.
Choice Home Warranty vs American Home Shield
Choice Home Warranty:
Monthly Price | $45 to $53 |
Coverage Scope | Some to all major home systems and appliances |
Refrigerator Covered in Cheapest Plan | No |
Service Fees | Up to $125 per call |
Contractor Network Size | 25,000 affiliated contractors |
Claims Response Time | 48 Hours |
BBB Rating | B |
BBB Accredited | No |
Years in Business | 16 |
Warranty | 60-day workmanship/90-day parts |
Can File Claims Online 24/7 | Yes |
If American Home Shield is one of your finalists when selecting a top-rated home warranty company, New Jersey-based Choice Home Warranty stands out for its mid-priced plans and very respectable ratings.
CHW's basic plan covers 14 appliances and systems for $46.67 per month. The company also boasts a "B" rating with the BBB that is accompanied by an average rating of 4.56 out of 5 stars.
However, you might find that pivoting back to a company like Liberty Home Guard is a better option than jumping from American Home Shield to Choice Home Warranty if categories of choice and add-on coverage are important to you. Unlike Liberty and American, CHW offers just two plans to choose from instead of three.
CHW's very limited options for add-on coverage also pale in comparison to Liberty Home Guard's vibrant add-on list. While Choice offers solid coverage at a reasonable price, the lack of comprehensive options for all types of homeowners caused the home warranty provider to only reach #5 on our list of best home warranty companies in Virginia.
Select Home Warranty vs. American Home Shield
Select Home Warranty
Monthly Price | $52.50 to $56.25 |
Coverage Scope | Some to all major home systems and appliances |
Refrigerator Covered in Cheapest Plan | No |
Service Fees | $75 and $100 |
Contractor Network Size | Not shared |
Claims Response Time | 48 hours |
BBB Rating | B |
Years in Business | 10+ |
Warranty | 90-day workmanship |
Can File Claims Online 24/7 | Yes |
While Select Home Warranty offers appliance-only and systems-only plans that both cost the same price, the way to get the best value with this company is to opt for the all-inclusive plan that gives you everything that's included in both plans for just $4 more.
Like Liberty Home Guard, Select gives customers discounts when they sign up for multiple-year contracts. Free leak coverage is another perk.
However, everything that's likable about a Choice Home Warranty policy is overshadowed by the fact that this company has stringent guidelines regarding its exclusions for preexisting conditions. According to some customers, the way you maintain a covered appliance or system could result in a coverage denial.
What Is the Best Choice for Home Warranties With Pool Coverage?
Home warranty companies don't include pools and spas under their general coverage tiers. This means that you'll need to select a home warranty company that offers add-on coverage for these items if you'd like to avoid costs for unexpected repairs or replacements. For most homeowners, going straight to Liberty Home Guard's extended pool and spa warranty coverage is the best choice for staying protected against unexpected breakdowns. These add-on policies can be purchased for one to five years.
Conclusion
What Is the Best Home Warranty Company Based on Price Alone?
If you'd like to avoid getting in the $60 to $80 territory per month just to get coverage for all of your home's essential appliances and systems, both American Home Shield and Liberty Home Guard come out on top for providing comprehensive coverage that still keeps you in the middle range for price. However, Libertygets a slight edge over American simply because you homeowners can select the elite and comprehensive Total Home Guard tier while staying below $60 per month. The comparable plan from AHS brings you closer to the $70 range.
About Author
Scott Dylan Westerlund
Scott Dylan Westerlund has been writing about home improvement, repair, and maintenance for almost ten years. In addition to Trusted Company Reviews, he writes for Angi, HomeAdvisor, Today's Homeowner, Homedit, Flyhomes, and HomeLight. You'll find his byline on articles about everything from buying a house and managing rentals to clearing clogged drains and picking the right lumber for your home improvement project. Prior to writing, Scott was an apprentice building contractor and property manager--so he knows how to keep the lights on and the water running.
