Canstar NZ review

Updated September 28, 2026 · AssureCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Canstar NZ is a New Zealand comparison site that lines up auto, home, travel, pet, health and life quotes side by side rather than selling a policy of its own. It suits readers who want to weigh premiums and provider types across 494 brands, with a Financial Markets Authority registration behind the site.

Key facts

Best for
Weighing premiums and provider types across 494 New Zealand brands before committing to a policy.
Insurance types
Auto, Home, Travel, Pet, Health, Life (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Provider type
Comparison site (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Canstar New Zealand Ltd (NZ Companies Register No. 3225469) (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
New Zealand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Official website
canstar.co.nz

Apps and profiles

Elsewhere
LinkedIn

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Compares auto, home and travel in a single ratings tool rather than pushing one product
  • Registered with the Financial Markets Authority under FSP200146
  • Monthly payment models are standard in what it ranks, at 100%
  • Provider type is broken out, with 42.4% of the market insurers and 37.2% brokers

Cons

  • Support runs on email only, while 90.9% of the wider market offers phone
  • It covers a single market, NZ, so quotes do not extend to other countries
  • As a comparison site it adds a step, since the policy sits with the provider rather than the site
Canstar NZ

Ready to try Canstar NZ?

Scored 8.4 / 10 by AssureCue.

See alternatives

Who it suits

  • Readers comparing auto, home and travel across many New Zealand providers
  • People who want monthly payments, the norm in the market it ranks at 100%
  • Shoppers who read provider type closely, with 18.1% of the market being comparison sites

Who should look elsewhere

  • Good Sam Insurance Agency, if you want a single agency writing auto, home and renters
  • Euroasia Insurance, if you prefer an insurer that covers auto, home and travel including gadget
  • Hiscox UK, if landlord and home emergency cover in home, renters and landlord matters more than breadth

How your money is protected

Canstar NZ is a comparison site, not an insurer, so it does not underwrite the cover you end up buying. It is registered with the Financial Markets Authority under FSP200146, which is what you can check against the entity named on your quote. The policy itself sits with the insurer or broker the rating points you to, so read that provider's own terms, limits and claims process before you commit.

How Canstar NZ compares

Where Canstar NZ is available

Available
New Zealand
Licence in New Zealand
Financial Markets Authority (FSP200146), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What is Canstar NZ?+

Canstar NZ is a comparison site rather than an insurer, so it does not write policies itself. It rates personal insurance across auto, home and travel and lines up quotes from 494 brands, of which 332 hold a licence. You pick the provider, and the cover sits with them.

How much do policies cost on Canstar NZ?+

Prices move with the cover type and the level of cover you ask for. The median premium across the site is €8.37, the lower quartile is €2.92 and the upper quartile is €29.72, so the spread matters as much as the headline.

Who regulates Canstar NZ?+

Canstar New Zealand Ltd is registered with the Financial Markets Authority under FSP200146. As a comparison site the site does not hold your premium, so the insurer or broker named on your quote document is the party that underwrites the policy and handles the claim.

Can I pay monthly?+

Monthly payments are the norm in the New Zealand personal insurance market this site ranks, at 100%. Providers offering a monthly option make up 88.9% of the market it tracks. Whether your chosen policy can be paid monthly depends on the provider behind the quote.

What types of insurance can I compare?+

You can compare auto, home and travel. Auto and home are the largest shares of what the site tracks, at 55.8% and 51.7%, while pet sits at 29%. Each category is rated on its own, so price signals depend on the cover you are shopping for.

Will I deal with an insurer or a broker?+

It depends on the provider behind the quote. In the market covered here, 42.4% is insurers and 37.2% is brokers, with 18.1% comparison sites. The rating pages separate them, so you can see who writes the policy before applying.

How do I get help?+

Support runs on email. In the wider market, phone is offered by 90.9% of the sites tracked and live chat by 40.3%, so if you want to talk to someone, the insurer or broker you pick is usually the quicker route.

Is Canstar NZ useful outside New Zealand?+

Canstar NZ operates in New Zealand, so it is built around a single market. Its ratings, premiums and providers relate to New Zealand policies only. Cover needed in another country means a different market and a different set of providers to compare.

Sources

  • canstar.co.nz checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Insurance types, Legal entity

    “Insurance: Car Insurance, Home & Contents, Travel Insurance, Pet Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance”

  • canstar.co.nz/about-us checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Provider type, Headquarters, Support channels, Licences

    “Canstar is a research company and we are different to comparison sites for several reasons.”

Compiled from 2 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Premium from, Monthly payments.

Canstar NZ

Canstar NZ

Weighing premiums and provider types across 494 New Zealand brands before committing to a policy.

8.4/10See alternatives

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