Updated September 28, 2026 · AssureCue Editorial Team
CHECK24 vs Principal
CHECK24 vs Principal: the differences
| Compare |  CHECK24 |  Principal |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance types | Auto, Home, Life, Health, Travel, Pet, Motorcycle, Dental, Income protection, Gadget | Dental, Life, Critical illness, Income protection |
| Provider type | Comparison site | Insurer |
| Cover limit | EUR 5 million to EUR 50 million, recommended at least EUR 10 million | Dental annual maximum typically $1,000 to $2,000 per year |
| Claims channels | CHECK24 Versicherungscenter online claim form, Insurer online claim form, Post | Dentist files the claim on the member's behalf (preferred), Member submits their own claim, Online account or mobile app to view claims |
| Premium from | €0.69 | Not confirmed |
| Age range | Not confirmed | Member, spouse and dependents to age 26 |
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Key differences
- Principal scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.3.
- Founded is lower at Principal: 1879 vs 1999.
- CHECK24 is available in 2 more countries.
- Insurance types: only CHECK24 offers Auto, Home, Health.
- Insurance types: only Principal offers Critical illness.
- Claims channels: only CHECK24 offers CHECK24 Versicherungscenter online claim form, Insurer online claim form, Post.
- Claims channels: only Principal offers Dentist files the claim on the member's behalf (preferred), Member submits their own claim, Online account or mobile app to view claims.
- Support channels: only CHECK24 offers Chat.
Our verdict on each
CHECK24
CHECK24 suits people who would rather compare several insurers in one place than settle with a single provider, and it has worked as a comparison site since 1999. The trade-off is that the policy belongs to whichever insurer you pick, so the gain comes from the choice rather than from the site itself.
Principal
Principal suits anyone whose cover comes through work and who wants dental cover alongside life, critical illness and income protection from the same insurer. It has traded as an insurer since 1879, claims can be filed by the dentist, and dental benefits cap at Dental annual maximum typically $1,000 to $2,000 per year.
Score breakdown
| Area | CHECK24 | Principal |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.8Entry premium €0.69 sits well under the site median of €8.37, though monthly payments decide the total. | Not confirmed |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 9.1 |
| Trust | 8.6 | 9.7Higher |
Availability and regulation
| Country | CHECK24 | Principal |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | IHK Frankfurt am Main D-UC2S-PFVJD-82 IHK fuer Muenchen und Oberbayern D-FPD7-IQZPB-00 Handelskammer Hamburg D-I6KJ-85T6H-31 | Not confirmed |
| United States | Not confirmed |
Additional countries for CHECK24: 3. Additional countries for Principal: 1.
What each covers
| Insurance types | CHECK24 | Principal |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Yes | No |
| Home | Yes | No |
| Life | Yes | Yes |
| Health | Yes | No |
| Travel | Yes | No |
| Pet | Yes | No |
| Motorcycle | Yes | No |
| Dental | Yes | Yes |
| Critical illness | No | Yes |
| Income protection | Yes | Yes |
| Gadget | Yes | No |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | CHECK24 | Principal |
|---|---|---|
| Life insurance | 7 of 261 | 37 of 261 |
| Health insurance | 8 of 215 | 37 of 215 |
| Income protection insurance | 3 of 92 | 8 of 92 |
| Dental insurance | 5 of 50 | 13 of 50 |
Sources behind this comparison
CHECK24
- check24.de: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Principal
- principal.com: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- linkedin.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | CHECK24 | Principal |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Monthly | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | CHECK24 Vergleichsportal GmbH | Principal Life Insurance Company |
| Headquarters | Germany | United States |
| Founded | 1999 | 1879Lower |
| Support channels | Chat, Email, Phone, Help centreCovers more | Phone, Email, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | CHECK24 | Principal | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium from | €0.69lowest quarter | Not confirmed | €5.97 |
Median across 109 listed insurance providers.
Pros and cons
CHECK24
Pros
- One account reaches auto, home and life, so several kinds of cover can be arranged in the same place.
- Monthly payments are the model on offer, monthly, which spreads a policy charge month by month.
- Support runs on chat, email and phone, so a question can go by chat, email, phone or the help centre.
Cons
- comparison site places CHECK24 outside underwriting, so the cover limit, the wording and the payout are set by the insurer you choose.
- The claim route follows the insurer too: CHECK24 Versicherungscenter online claim form, insurer online claim form and post means the form sits with the site's insurance centre, with the insurer, or goes by post.
- Monthly payments are the only model listed, monthly, so nothing annual is shown beside the monthly figure.
Principal
Pros
- Cover spans dental, life and critical illness, so dental sits with life, critical illness and income protection under the same carrier.
- Dentists file on the member's behalf as the preferred route, listed in dentist files the claim on the member's behalf (preferred), member submits their own claim and online account or mobile app to view claims.
- Support runs on phone, email and help centre, so a phone line and a help centre back the plan.
Cons
- Cover is limited to Member, spouse and dependents to age 26, so it ends when a dependent leaves that band.
- Dental benefits stop at Dental annual maximum typically $1,000 to $2,000 per year, leaving heavy treatment years to the member's own pocket.
- Support runs on phone, email and help centre only, with no live chat or branch counter listed.
Who each suits
CHECK24
Who it suits
- People arranging several kinds of cover, since one account reaches auto, home and life.
- Shoppers who want a policy charge spread month by month: monthly.
- Applicants in Germany, where the site is based: DE.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want one insurer's own cover rather than a comparison: Good Sam Insurance Agency sets out auto, home and renters from a single provider.
- People who want a quote from a single market rather than a German comparison: EuroAsia Insurance lists UZS 60,000, drawn from a different market to DE.
Principal
Who it suits
- Members on an employer benefits package who want dental cover alongside life, critical illness or income protection.
- Households happy to let the dentist file, the preferred route in dentist files the claim on the member's behalf (preferred), member submits their own claim and online account or mobile app to view claims.
- US employees and their families, since the insurer is based in the United States.
Who should look elsewhere
- Linxea, whose list is life, leaves a member who wants dental without a dental line.
- Oney, which lists health, life and gadget and adds gadget cover rather than employer benefits.
- Good Sam Insurance Agency, whose auto, home and renters spread suits someone bundling home, auto and pet cover.
Country by country
| Country | CHECK24 | Principal |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Yes | No |
| Germany | Yes | No |
| Spain | Yes | No |
| United States | No | Yes |
Questions about each
CHECK24
What does cover cost through CHECK24?+
For private liability cover on monthly payments, the entry premium is €0.69. The model is monthly, so a policy is carried month by month rather than settled in one payment, and the monthly figure is the number to weigh when comparing insurers. The exact premium follows the insurer and the cover you select.
Is CHECK24 an insurer?+
CHECK24 is a comparison site rather than an insurer, and the site is operated by CHECK24 Vergleichsportal GmbH. The policy you take out is underwritten and settled by the insurer you choose from the comparison, which is why the cover limit and the claim route both point to that insurer rather than to the site.
Principal
What kinds of cover does Principal write?+
Principal's listed lines are dental, life and critical illness. Dental is usually reached through a workplace benefits package, while life, critical illness and income protection sit alongside it under the same carrier. The type list shows quickly whether the whole package comes from the same provider.
How much does the dental plan pay out each year?+
The published dental annual maximum typically sits at Dental annual maximum typically $1,000 to $2,000 per year, so that cap is the figure to plan around. Budgeting for crowns, bridges or other restorative work means checking your share once the maximum is reached. The figure sits inside a typical range, so plans within the same group can differ.
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