Choice Home Warranty vs American Home Shield

Service Fee (Winner: Choice Home Warranty)
Choice Home Warranty's repair costs are $60 for every service call. American Home Shield charges $75, $100, or $125 for its service fee. You can select which price you want, but it will make the overall price of your home warranty fluctuate. If you choose the cheaper $75 service fee, your home warranty plan will be $180 more expensive when compared to the $125 service fee option.

Even with the flexible service fee options that AHS has, CHW still has cheaper repair costs.

Home Warranty Cost (Winner: Choice Home Warranty)
Although CHW and AHS have similar price points for their warranty plans, CHW has a cheaper service call fee, which makes its overall service cheaper. However, AHS does have cheaper add-on coverage options, which we'll discuss more below.

Contract (Winner: American Home Shield)
American Home Shield and Choice Home Warranty both require a one-year service contract. However, AHS offers month-to-month contracts after the first year of coverage, while CHW requires a one-year service contract each time you renew your plan.

Basic Coverage (Winner: Choice Home Warranty)

Because American Home Shield's basic warranty coverage is separated into a Systems Plan and an Appliances Plan, you cannot have coverage for both unless you choose the Combo Plan or select the individual items you want a la carte. Choice Home Warranty is the better option if you want a prearranged home warranty plan with both major appliances and systems. 

Choice Home Warranty's Basic Plan includes the following:

American Home Shield offers two basic plans that separate system and appliance coverage. Both basic plans are the same price. The Appliances Plan includes the following items:

American Home Shield's Systems Plan warranty covers these items:

American Home Shield has better combo coverage because it covers the following systems and appliances in its combo plan that Choice Home Warranty does not: doorbells, smoke detectors, instant hot/cold water dispenser, central vacuum, trash compactor, free-standing ice maker, and built-in food center. Also, when comparing AHS's and CHW's combo plans, CHW only has one item that AHS doesn't and that's coverage for a whirlpool bathtub. Unless this is a deal breaker for you, AHS is the better option for combo coverage.

Add-On Coverage Options (Winner: American Home Shield)
When comparing add-on warranty coverage options, American Home Shield offers the better price on each of these three items:

Time in Business (Winner: American Home Shield)
American Home Shield is the founder of the home warranty industry and has been in business since 1971. Choice Home Warranty has only been in business for a little over a decade since its founding in 2008. If you prefer the company with the most industry experience, American Home Shield is the best option.

 

Both Choice Home Warranty and American Home Shield provide licensed contractors. This means customers won't have to find their own contractors for a repair, which can be a benefit or a drawback depending on how thoroughly a warranty company's contractors are vetted. Both warranty companies seem to take vetting their technicians seriously.

 

Choice Home Warranty covers claim requests 24/7 through their phone support. The company's website also allows you to fill out the contact form to reach a representative. American Home Shield also allows 24/7 calls and online claim filing. Not every warranty company has 24/7 customer service, and this is a benefit for customers who need a repair as soon as possible.

Customer Reviews (Winner: Choice Home Warranty)
Choice Home Warranty and American Home Shield are similar when it comes to customer feedback. Both warranty companies have average star ratings with many positive thoughts as well as negative. However, Choice Home Warranty does have an overall higher star-rating from consumers when compared to American Home Shield. Choice Home Warranty ranks highest in regards to value for your money and customer service, while American Home Shield ranks highest for value for your money and ranks lowest in customer service and company trustworthiness.

Choice Home Warranty vs American Home Shield: Which is the Better Option?
Both Choice Home Warranty and American Home Shield are service providers with robust home warranty plans at affordable price points. When deciding which company is best for you, it depends on what you're looking for. If you want a basic home warranty plan that covers both major systems and appliances at an affordable price, Choice Home Warranty is your better option. In comparison, if you want a home warranty plan for only select systems or only select appliances, American Home Shield is the better choice since it has a basic plan exclusively for both.

If you're looking for a combo plan with the most coverage and you don't mind paying a little more, American Home Shield is better for you. Although AHS's combo plan is pricier than CHW's, AHS offers coverage for a few additional items that Choice Home Warranty does not, making its coverage more extensive.

Overall, Choice Home Warranty wins in these areas: service fee price, warranty cost, basic coverage options, and customer reviews. 

American Home Shield wins in these areas: contract length, combo coverage, add-on coverage, and industry experience.