Ethos vs SelectQuote
Last updated July 2026
Ethos
Life insurance in minutes, without the medical exam for most
Advantages
- Fully online application in about 10 minutes, no medical exam for most applicants
- Term coverage from $20,000 up to $2 million
- Instant decision for a majority of eligible applicants
- Policies underwritten by highly-rated carriers (Legal & General, AAA Life)
- Offers guaranteed-issue final expense policies for older buyers up to age 85
Drawbacks
- No universal or whole life products beyond a small final-expense line
- Higher-value applicants may still be routed to a medical exam
- No local agent network for hand-holding through underwriting
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
Ethos and SelectQuote both play in life insurance, but they're aimed at different buyers. Ethos is built for healthy adults who want fast, no-exam term life with high coverage limits. 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 | Ethos | SelectQuote |
|---|---|---|
| Product Lineup | -- | Term, whole, universal, final expense |
| Product Type | Term life (10, 15, 20, 30 yr) + final expense | -- |
| Maximum Coverage | $2M term (no-exam up to $2M for eligible buyers) | $10M+ through carrier partners |
| Application Time | ~10 minutes online | Quote by phone; bind in 4-8 weeks |
| Underwriter | Legal & General America, AAA Life, TruStage | -- |
| Medical Exam | No exam for most applicants under $2M | Varies by carrier; no-exam options available |
| Issue Ages | 20-65 for term; up to 85 for final expense | -- |
| Riders Included | Accelerated death benefit; child/spouse riders limited | -- |
| App Experience | Fully digital; instant quote to bind | -- |
| 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 |
Ethos Wins
Ethos takes it overall (8/10 vs 7/10), but SelectQuote is still the sharper pick for buyers who want a specialist agent walking them through the whole process.
Ethos's standout strength: Fully online application in about 10 minutes, no medical exam for most applicants. Its biggest drawback (no universal or whole life products beyond a small final-expense line) is easier to live with than SelectQuote's (very phone-heavy, expect calls after requesting a quote). SelectQuote isn't out of the running though — its own standout strength is operating since 1985, deep experience with life underwriting. If you fit the profile of buyers who want a specialist agent walking them through the whole process, that alone can flip the decision.
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