What’s to play for in Insurance Times’ upcoming eTrading Report 2026?

Every year, the UK’s largest insurers and broker software platforms vie for a prestigious five-star ranking in Insurance Times’ eTrading Report. And, ahead of the release of the latest instalment tomorrow (12 May 2026), Insurance Times has revisited the 2025 report to see where the liveliest contests will play out.

The report covers three main areas of digital distribution – insurer extranets, insurers via software platforms and the software platforms themselves – with brokers rating each offering on areas including quality of support, questions, quotability and usability.

Last year, Aviva extended its streak of first-place finishes in the insurer extranet category into the seventh year – with its Aviva Fast Trade platform receiving an overall unadjusted score of 4.35 from brokers.

However, its 0.09 point year-on-year improvement was bettered by several close rivals, with Zurich Online (0.15), RSA Online (0.2) and QBE Fastflow (0.17) all closing the gap.

Indeed, leading the pack is an increasingly difficult task, given insurer extranet performances have improved steadily from an average star score of 3.78 out of five in 2021 to 3.9 in 2025.

Axa Connect was the only extranet to climb two places in 2025, with a 0.19 point improvement, as rated by brokers. The firm will be looking to repeat the performance this year and seal a distinguished five-star rating.

Insurers via platforms

Brokers accessing insurer products via software platforms rated Zurich as 2025’s highest scoring offering.

Aviva and RSA were the only other insurers to receive a five-star award last year, though with solid four-star scores, QBE, NIG, Axa and Allianz will all feel hopeful of making a charge towards the podium positions in 2026.

The biggest year-on-year improvement was achieved by RSA, now known as Intact Insurance, which saw a 0.18 point leap that helped it climb one place to third in the rankings. Should the firm repeat the feat in 2026, a first-place finish would be within reach.

AIG, meanwhile, will be keen to reverse a 0.04 point drop which saw it slide two places to eighth in the face of improving competition.

Similar to insurer extranets, insurer propositions via software houses have improved in the last few years, up from an average score of 3.82 out of five in 2021 to 3.95 last year. It remains to be seen whether firms will continue these incremental gains in 2026.

Software houses

In terms of software houses, brokers have long been definitive in their preferences. Last year, Acturis secured an impressive ninth consecutive year as brokers’ top choice, recording an unweighted average score of 4.23.

Its 0.09 point year-on-year improvement was largely driven by an increase in brokers’ ratings of the range and breadth of its products – up from 4.19 to 4.31.

Applied Systems and Open GI also managed to improve their scores, meaning only SSP Broker saw no improvement in its ratings. It retained the score of 2.62 it received in 2024.

In 2025, the gulf between first and second position stood at a dramatic 0.69 points, and only a remarkable turn of events will be enough to stop Acturis marking a decade at the top.