Sonnet Insurance review
One of Canada’s first fully-online insurers (part of Definity).
Our rating · #5 of 10 for car insurance
Customer sentiment
6,900 real reviews
At a glance
The bottom line
Sonnet is the pick for Canadians who’d rather run their own quote at midnight than sit across from a broker — its fully-online model (car insurance in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes) turns coverage into a few-minute web transaction, and its ~4.0-star Trustpilot and App Store scores (across roughly 6,900 reviews) confirm the buying experience delivers, usually at a sharp first-year price. The catch is the one every long-time customer names: renewal. Complaint platforms like InsurEye (1.5–1.7/5) and BBB (1.22/5) are dominated by year-two jumps of 40–50%, slow claims with rotating adjusters, and a phone-only escape hatch when the app can’t help. Choose Sonnet if you have a standard car or home, a clean record and the discipline to re-shop every renewal; look elsewhere if you own a non-standard risk, expect a complex claim, or want an advocate on the line rather than a login.
- A fully online experience
- Slick, fast online quoting
- Competitive first-year pricing
- Steep renewal increases
- Hard to reach service
- Online-only — no agent or broker support
The expert assessment
How our analysts score Sonnet Insurance’s car insurance — 80/100 across six weighted pillars.
Underwritten by Definity Insurance Company (upgraded to A in Jan 2025).
Source: AM Best — Definity, Jan 2025
What experts like
- One of Canada’s first fully-digital insurers — quote and buy in minutes
- Backed by Definity’s AM Best A (Excellent)
- Transparent online pricing, no broker
- Sonnet Shift telematics
Watch-outs
- Online-only — no agent or broker support
- Narrower provincial footprint
- Newer brand with a shorter track record
What the regulators' filings say about Sonnet Insurance
Not ratings or reviews: the numbers Sonnet Insurance's underwriting companies file with OSFI and the provincial rate regulators, read straight from the public record.
Definity kept 15.2% of premiums after claims and expenses in 2025. Its MCT ratio is above OSFI's 150% supervisory target and higher than a year earlier. All p&c insurers →
Approved car insurance rate changes
| Province | Latest approved change | Renewals from | Last 12 months | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OntarioFSRA · Sonnet | -1.08% | Oct 30, 2025 | — | 0 / 22 |
| AlbertaAIRB · Sonnet | 0.00% | Dec 14, 2024 | — | 0 / 3 |
Approved change is the insurer's overall average for the province; your renewal can differ. Each tracker has a renewal calculator and every filing since the regulator's records begin.
What Sonnet Insurance's home insurance policy wording actually says
Read from Sonnet Homeowners Insurance Policy brief guide (Homeowner's Policy DW 20160601) (DW 20160601 (2016); a 10-page guide, not the full wording, which is issued through the customer portal), not the brochure. Each answer is the contract's own sentence with its page number.
- Overland flood
- Not stated in the wording
- Sewer backup
- Not stated in the wording
- Away from home in winter
- Away more than 14 consecutive days: someone must enter periodically, or the water shut off and drained, or a monitored heating alarm in place
Read the clause
“If you are away from your house for more than 14 consecutive days, in order for coverage to apply due to freezing, you must: - Have a person to enter the dwelling periodically to ensure that heating is being maintained, or - Shut off the water supply and drain all pipes and appliances, or”
p. 10 - Vacancy
- No coverage after 30 consecutive days vacant; before that, vandalism, malicious acts, glass and water damage excluded
Read the clause
“There is no coverage under this policy when your house has, to your knowledge, been vacant for more than 30 consecutive days.”
p. 10 - Roof depreciation
- Not stated in the wording
- Renting to others
- Rental of part of the house permitted with at most 2 roomers or boarders, or one additional unit to one household
Read the clause
“Rental of part of your house provided there are no more than 2 roomers or boarders, or one additional unit within rented to not more than one household.”
p. 10
All 14 questions for Sonnet Insurance, and the same questions for 5 other insurers →
What customers actually say
We aggregated 6,900 real reviews and ratings of Sonnet Insurance from independent sites to see what its customers report — this is our Customer Satisfaction signal, drawn from real user experiences rather than a marketing claim.
Strong to buy, weaker to service. The fully-online model delivers a fast, cheap first-year purchase (Trustpilot ~4.0 across ~6,000 reviews, app 4.0), but complaint platforms are dominated by big year-two renewal jumps, slow claims and phone-only escalation.
What people praise
- Slick, fast online quoting. The standout — quote-to-bind in minutes with no broker calls, repeatedly cited across Trustpilot and comparison sites.
- Competitive first-year pricing. Often the cheapest quote in comparison shopping; even negative reviewers concede “great rates” up front.
- Easy digital management. Self-serve app/portal for documents, changes and 24/7 claims submission.
What people complain about
- Steep renewal increases. The single most common grievance — 40–50%+ jumps at year two with no claims (one BBB case cited $94→$280/month).
- Hard to reach service. “Impossible to contact,” unanswered emails and long holds, with cancellation funnels that force a phone call.
- Slow claims, rotating adjusters. Delays and multiple adjusters on one claim (one home reviewer cited six over a year).
- Sonnet Shift disputes. Drivers report the usage-based score feels inaccurate — penalised for route or work-schedule driving.
Reading these fairly: Sonnet shows a textbook bimodal split: high-volume channels (Trustpilot ~6,000 reviews, App Store) sit near 4.0/5, while low-volume complaint platforms (InsurEye 1.5, BBB 1.22) are dominated by renewal shock and claims friction — typical of the no-broker direct segment. The honest read is “good to buy, contested to service,” not a one-star company. (AM Best A rating is the Definity/Economical group, not Sonnet-specific.)
Customer-sentiment analysis based on public reviews · July 2026
Sonnet Insurance by product: what it's good for — and what it's not
Sonnet Insurance sells several lines of insurance. Here's a candid overview of each — what it does well and where to look elsewhere. Car insurance is the line we fully rate with The Expert Score.
Sonnet Insurance car insurance
80/100 · #5Fully-online auto in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes (NS/NB/PE) — Sonnet exited Alberta auto in 2024, though it still sells home there. Three packaged tiers (Essential, Preferred, Ultimate) layer on standard coverage; higher tiers add accident forgiveness, rental and extras. Discounts for bundling, multi-vehicle, clean record, winter tires and group affiliation apply automatically at quote, plus the optional Sonnet Shift telematics program.
Comparison shoppers and digitally-comfortable drivers with standard vehicles and clean records who want a fast, broker-free quote — and who will re-shop at renewal to keep the first-year price.
Owners of classic/modified vehicles, rideshare/commercial use, drivers who want a human advocate, and anyone who won’t monitor renewals — the biggest complaint is a large year-two increase.
What customers say The most polarised line: Trustpilot ~4.0 versus InsurEye 1.5/5 (155 reviews). Praise centres on quote speed and initial price; complaints on renewal hikes, slow claims and Shift-score fairness.
Read the full car insurance review ↓Sonnet Insurance home insurance
OverviewFully-online property covering homeowner, condo, tenant and landlord policies, customisable online with a strong bundle-with-auto incentive and optional water/overland endorsements.
Condo, tenant and standard-home owners who want a quick online quote and a bundle discount with their Sonnet auto policy, and who value digital self-service over an agent.
Owners of high-value, non-standard or high-risk properties wanting hands-on advice, and anyone in a complex claim who wants a single dedicated adjuster.
What customers say Smaller base and lower score — InsurEye home 1.7/5 (31 reviews); recurring themes are no-claim renewal increases, slow water claims and disputed add-ons.
Where you can buy Sonnet Insurance car insurance
Sonnet Insurance sells car insurance in 5 of the 7 private-market provinces. In British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, mandatory auto insurance is government-run (ICBC, MPI, SGI), so no private insurer sells it there.
How Sonnet Insurance compares to other Canadian insurers
Sonnet Insurance scores 80/100 on The Expert Score. Here's how it stacks up against the insurers people most often cross-shop it with — what each is good for, and where each falls short.
| Insurer | Expert Score | Financial strength | Good for | Not ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonnet Insurance This review Direct / online | 80/100 · #5 | A (Excellent) | A fully online experience | Online-only — no agent or broker support |
| Intact Insurance Broker | 86.2/100 · #1 | A+ (Superior) | Overall strength & claims reliability | Broker pricing isn’t always the cheapest |
| Belairdirect Direct / online | 83.9/100 · #2 | AA (FSR) | Digital-first direct buyers | Not available in MB, SK or the territories |
| Desjardins Insurance Direct / online | 80.8/100 · #4 | AA (group) | Bundling & telematics (Ajusto) | Auto availability concentrated in ON/QC/AB |
| The Co-operators Agents | 80.9/100 · #3 | A (Excellent) | Customer satisfaction & face-to-face advice | Advisor model is less self-serve than digital-first rivals |
All scored on coverage & terms, financial strength, value, digital experience and availability. See all 10 insurers ranked →
Sonnet Insurance car insurance in detail
The line we score with the full Expert Score methodology.
At a glance
- Telematics
- Sonnet Shift — app-based safe-driving rewards
- How to buy
- Fully direct, online-only
- Availability
- ON, QC, AB, NS, NB, PEI (verify current list)
- Parent company
- Definity Financial (formerly Economical)
- Founded
- 2016 (Economical), roots 1871
- Head office
- Waterloo, ON
Sonnet Insurance home insurance in detail
Scored on our home insurance Expert Score — see the full home insurance ranking.
Ranked #5 of 10 home insurance providers we rate
4.0Good for fully-online homeowners & condos
Sonnet is the pick for homeowners, condo owners and tenants who’d rather run their own quote online than sit with a broker — it sells home coverage in more provinces than it sells auto (including BC and Alberta), with customizable coverage and optional water endorsements bought in minutes. The buying experience is genuinely good and the first-year price is often sharp; the recurring catch, as with its auto, is renewal increases and slower, hands-off claims service.
- Fast, fully-online quote and purchase for home, condo and tenant
- Sold in more provinces than Sonnet auto (incl. BC and Alberta)
- Backed by Definity’s A (Excellent) financial strength
- No broker or advisor to tailor coverage or advocate at claim time
- Renewal increases and slower claims are the main complaints
Sonnet Insurance: frequently asked questions
How do I get car insurance from Sonnet Insurance?
Sonnet is fully online — you get a quote and buy a policy on its website in minutes, with no phone call or broker. It sells in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and the Maritimes (confirm your province at quote time).
Can I bundle home and car insurance with Sonnet Insurance?
Yes — Sonnet Insurance sells home insurance as well as car, so you can put both on one account and take the multi-policy discount. Bundling home and auto is usually one of the biggest savings a Canadian insurer offers, so it’s worth asking for a combined quote.
Is Sonnet Insurance’s Sonnet Shift usage-based program worth it?
Sonnet Insurance offers Sonnet Shift (app-based safe-driving rewards). It uses an app or device to measure how you actually drive. If you’re a calm, mostly-daytime driver it can meaningfully cut your premium; if you brake hard, drive late at night or rack up long distances, the savings shrink. Turn it on if your driving genuinely reflects low risk.
Can Sonnet Insurance be trusted to pay out a claim?
On the evidence, yes: Sonnet Insurance holds an A (Excellent), ICR a financial-strength rating from AM Best (Jan 2025) — an independent agency’s verdict on its ability to pay claims. Underwritten by Definity Insurance Company (upgraded to A in Jan 2025).
Who is Sonnet Insurance car insurance a good fit for?
Sonnet Insurance stands out for a fully online experience. One of Canada’s first fully-digital insurers — quote and buy in minutes, and backed by Definity’s AM Best A (Excellent). If those things matter most to you, it’s worth a close look; if your priority is something else, compare it against the insurers that rate highest on that pillar.
What are the downsides of Sonnet Insurance car insurance?
The watch-outs we found: online-only — no agent or broker support; narrower provincial footprint; newer brand with a shorter track record. We spell these out so you can weigh them before buying — every insurer has trade-offs, and knowing them upfront is the point of a real review.
How does Sonnet Insurance compare to other car insurers in Canada?
Sonnet Insurance ranks #5 of the 10 insurers we scored, at 80/100. It’s strongest on digital experience and has the most room to improve on customer satisfaction. The highest-scoring insurer in our ratings is Intact Insurance (86.2/100).