There’s no single answer, because AAA doesn’t have one nationwide plan to compare against. Allstate publishes one set of prices and towing limits for its own membership tiers, but AAA’s benefits and pricing are set by your regional club, so the same plan name can mean a different towing distance and price depending on where you live.
This comparison uses Allstate’s own published plans against two real AAA clubs, Auto Club Enterprises (ACE) and AAA Central Penn, to show how much the details can shift. Look up your own AAA club’s current numbers before assuming either company’s figures apply to you.
Key Takeaways
- Allstate’s paid membership plans list set nationwide prices ($75 to $99 the first year) and towing limits (15 to 100 miles); AAA’s price and towing distance are set locally, so the same plan name can mean different mileage in different states.
- Adding roadside coverage to an Allstate auto policy includes unlimited service calls; Allstate Motor Club membership and the AAA clubs checked here both cap you at a set number of calls a year instead.
- AAA Premier, through ACE, includes a one-day car rental; Allstate’s higher membership tiers add trip-interruption reimbursement and, on some plans, tire and wheel repair instead.
- Compare your own AAA club’s published numbers against Allstate’s plans page directly. Neither company is uniformly cheaper or more generous once regional AAA differences are factored in.
What Allstate Offers
Allstate sells roadside help three ways. Adding roadside coverage to an auto insurance policy includes unlimited service calls. A standalone Allstate Motor Club membership needs no Allstate policy and comes in tiers: 15-mile towing on Roadside Assist, 25 miles on Roadside Advantage, and 100 miles on Roadside Elite, each capped at 3 to 5 service calls a year for the primary member. Pay-per-use is also available with no ongoing membership. See Allstate’s roadside membership plans for the current details.
What AAA Offers
AAA is not one company. It operates through independent regional clubs that each set their own membership prices, towing distances and call limits under the shared AAA name. Auto Club Enterprises (ACE), which covers several states, lists three tiers: Classic (towing up to 7 miles), Plus (up to 100 miles) and Premier (up to 200 miles, with one call a year at that extended range), all with 4 service calls a year. Premier also includes a one-day car rental.
AAA Central Penn, for example, prices its own Classic tier differently: towing up to 5 miles for $65 a year. That’s a shorter towing distance and a different price than ACE’s Classic tier, confirming that the exact numbers depend on which club actually serves your address, not a single nationwide AAA rate.
Allstate vs. AAA at a Glance
| Plan | Towing Distance | Calls a Year | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allstate Roadside Assist | 15 miles | 3 (5 with household) | $75 first year |
| Allstate Roadside Advantage | 25 miles | 3 (5 with household) | $99 first year |
| Allstate Roadside Elite | 100 miles | 5 (7 with household) | Not published |
| AAA Classic (ACE) | 7 miles | 4 | Set by your club |
| AAA Plus (ACE) | 100 miles | 4 | Set by your club |
| AAA Premier (ACE) | 200 miles | 4 | Set by your club |
| AAA Classic (Central Penn) | 5 miles | 4 | $65 a year |
How to Choose
Start with your own driving pattern. If you rarely break down and already have an auto policy, adding the roadside endorsement gives you unlimited calls with no separate annual fee to track. See everything Allstate’s roadside assistance covers for the full list of included services before you compare it against a membership.
If you want a flat annual price instead, membership tiers, Allstate or AAA, work well, but pick the tier by matching towing distance to where you actually drive, not just the lowest price. Read how Allstate prices its policy add-on versus membership before deciding, and call your own AAA club to get its current numbers, since both can change.
Questions to Ask Before You Choose
- Towing distance: Does the plan cover the distance from your typical drives, including trips away from home? See Allstate’s own towing limits for more detail before you compare AAA’s numbers.
- Call limit: How many service calls do you realistically use in a year, and does the plan’s yearly cap match that?
- Extras: Do you want trip-interruption reimbursement, tire and wheel repair, or a rental day, and which specific plan actually includes it?
- Existing coverage: Does your current auto policy, from Allstate or another insurer, already include roadside assistance you would be paying for twice?
Whichever you choose, confirm the current price, towing distance and call limit directly with Allstate or your AAA club. Both companies can change plan details, and the figures above reflect what each one published when this comparison was checked.