Bestow vs SelectQuote
Last updated July 2026
Bestow
Term life in under 10 minutes, no medical exam
Advantages
- Fully online application in under 10 minutes with instant decision
- No medical exam required for the vast majority of applicants
- Term coverage from $50,000 to $1.5 million
- Simple, single-product focus means less upsell noise
- Backed by North American Company for Life & Health (A+ AM Best rating)
Drawbacks
- Only sells 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30-year term, no permanent options
- Face amounts capped at $1.5M, high earners often need more
- No option to adjust coverage after issue; policy is static
- Age cap of 60 keeps older applicants from qualifying
SelectQuote
Life insurance comparison with a phone-first agent
Advantages
- Operating since 1985, deep experience with life underwriting
- Compares quotes from 20+ carriers
- Agents are life insurance specialists, deep product knowledge
- Also brokers Medicare, home, and auto
Drawbacks
- Very phone-heavy, expect calls after requesting a quote
- Digital experience lags Policygenius by a wide margin
- Less transparent comparison view, agent controls what you see
Bestow and SelectQuote both play in life insurance, but they're aimed at different buyers. Bestow is built for younger buyers who want simple, affordable term life without medical exams. SelectQuote is built for buyers who want a specialist agent walking them through the whole process. Which one fits depends on which of those descriptions sounds more like you.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Bestow | SelectQuote |
|---|---|---|
| Product Lineup | -- | Term, whole, universal, final expense |
| Product Type | Term life only (10, 15, 20, 25, 30 yr) | -- |
| Maximum Coverage | $1.5M | $10M+ through carrier partners |
| Application Time | Under 10 minutes; instant decision | Quote by phone; bind in 4-8 weeks |
| Underwriter | North American Company for Life & Health | -- |
| Medical Exam | No exam for eligible applicants | Varies by carrier; no-exam options available |
| Issue Ages | 18-60 | -- |
| Adjustable Coverage | No, coverage is fixed at issue | -- |
| Riders Included | Accelerated death benefit standard | -- |
| Carrier Network | -- | 20+ carriers (Banner Life, Protective, John Hancock, etc.) |
| Agent Support | -- | Assigned specialist agent |
| Digital Tools | -- | Basic quote tool; heavy phone workflow |
| Bundling Options | -- | Medicare, home, auto |
Too Close to Call
Bestow and SelectQuote land roughly even overall; the right pick depends on which of their strengths matters more to you.
Bestow's standout strength: Fully online application in under 10 minutes with instant decision. SelectQuote's standout strength: Operating since 1985, deep experience with life underwriting. Neither dominates across the board, and both have well-known weak spots. Bestow's biggest drawback: Only sells 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30-year term, no permanent options. SelectQuote's biggest drawback: Very phone-heavy, expect calls after requesting a quote. Pick the one whose strengths line up with what you actually need.
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