For most people, Policygenius is the best starting point — it's a broker, not an insurer, so it compares real quotes across multiple carriers instead of selling you just one company's policy. If you want the fastest possible approval with no medical exam, Ethos is the strongest alternative, with most applicants approved instantly from a health questionnaire alone.
Verified August 2, 2026 against each provider's own site, cross-checked against MoneyGeek, NerdWallet, and U.S. News. It's worth being clear about what these companies actually are: Policygenius and SelectQuote are brokers that shop your application across many insurance carriers, while Ethos and Ladder are insurtechs that underwrite (or closely partner with) their own policies directly. Neither structure is inherently better — a broker gives you more carriers to compare, a direct insurtech usually means a faster, simpler application.
How the top term life marketplaces compare
| Provider | Rating | Type | Medical exam | Max coverage (no-exam) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policygenius PartnerBest for: comparing multiple carriers | ★★★★★4.7 | Broker (marketplace) | Depends on carrier chosen | Varies by carrier | Compare quotes |
| Ethos PartnerBest for: fastest no-exam approval | ★★★★★4.6 | Direct insurtech | Not required for most applicants | Up to ~$2,000,000 | Get a quote |
| LadderBest for: coverage that adjusts over time | ★★★★☆4.5 | Direct insurtech | Not required up to $3,000,000 | Up to $3,000,000 | Get a quote |
| SelectQuoteBest for: talking it through with an agent | ★★★★☆4.2 | Broker (agent-assisted) | Depends on carrier chosen | Varies by carrier | Talk to an agent |
"No-exam" coverage limits and exam requirements vary by age, health history, and state — the figures above are the general ranges each provider advertises, not a guarantee for every applicant. Ratings are Wealthward's own — see methodology below.
What actually matters more than the quote
- Broker vs. direct insurer isn't just semantics. A broker like Policygenius shows you options across carriers, which matters most if your health history is anything but pristine — a rate that looks bad from one insurer can look completely different from another. A direct insurtech like Ethos or Ladder is faster precisely because it isn't shopping you around.
- Skipping the medical exam usually costs a little more. For a healthy applicant, a fully underwritten policy (with the exam) is typically cheaper per month than a no-exam policy for the same coverage — the no-exam option is about speed and convenience, not necessarily the lowest price.
- Term length should match the actual obligation, not a round number. A 20-year term to cover a 20-year mortgage, or a term that runs until your youngest is expected to be financially independent, is usually a more defensible choice than defaulting to whatever length is pre-selected on the quote form.
Our pick for most people
Start with Policygenius if you want to see how your quote actually compares across carriers — it costs nothing to check, and the difference between insurers for the same coverage can be larger than people expect. If speed matters more than comparison shopping, Ethos gets most healthy applicants approved in minutes with no exam.
Compare life insurance quotesThinking through life insurance often means thinking through money conversations with the people it protects — see our guide on talking to someone you care about, about money.
How we chose these providers
We compared whether each provider is a broker or a direct insurer, medical exam requirements, and advertised no-exam coverage limits, using each provider's own site, cross-checked against MoneyGeek, NerdWallet, and U.S. News as of August 2, 2026. We did not rank by commission size. Actual premiums depend on your age, health, state, and the specific carrier you're placed with — the only way to know your real rate is to get a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Not always. Several insurers now offer no-exam term policies based on a health questionnaire and database checks instead of labs — usually for coverage up to $2–3 million. Skipping the exam typically costs a little more per month than a fully underwritten policy for the same healthy applicant.
A common starting point is 10–12 times your annual income, adjusted for outstanding debt (like a mortgage) and how many years of income your dependents would need replaced. A marketplace's built-in calculator can refine this, but it's a reasonable back-of-envelope number to start quotes with.
For most people who just need income replacement for a set period — until a mortgage is paid off or kids are grown — term life is dramatically cheaper for the same death benefit. Whole life bundles in a savings/investment component and permanent coverage, which raises the cost significantly and is usually a separate decision from pure protection.