Insly vs Root Platform (2026)
For an MGA in the UK or Europe, these two answer the same need from opposite ends: Insly lets business teams configure products without code, while Root keeps each product's logic as code in modules built through its Workbench, command line tools and public API. Insly, based in London with teams in Tallinn and Warsaw, adds Nora, which reads broker submissions, chases missing information by email or phone and exports finished files. Its claims portal gives every claim an approve, reject or needs review recommendation with a confidence score that a handler accepts or changes. Root Platform, which works from London and Cape Town, offers a Claims AI assistant, still in beta and switched on per role, that reads claim documents against prompts the client's claims managers write and recommends approve or reject, and every claim still passes an assessor and a supervisor. Root suits embedded programs, powering Admiral's point of sale motor cover, while Insly suits broker led specialty books such as Accelerate Underwriting's. Insly holds ISO 27001 and ISO 27017, and Root reports a SOC 2 Type 1 audit and offers a single tenant Private Stack.
- Business teams will build the products. Insly products are configured without code, and a client's own Excel rater can plug in.
- Broker submissions are the bottleneck. Nora extracts, chases and exports them into your policy system.
- Claims should route by rule. Clients set priorities, amount thresholds and keywords that send claims to handlers, and the intake chat hands over to a live agent on triggers you define.
- Certified cloud controls are a requirement. Insly holds ISO 27001 and ISO 27017 certification.
- Developers will build the products. Root product modules are code, backed by a public API reference, documentation, a command line tool and an MCP server.
- Cover is sold inside a partner's checkout. Root powers Admiral's embedded motor cover, from Wagonex car subscriptions to electric vehicle cover with Octopus EV.
- Data needs a dedicated environment. Private Stack runs a single tenant copy of the platform in an AWS region you choose.
- Claims decisions must stay with people. Root's Claims AI only recommends, AI is switched on per role, and every claim passes an assessor and a supervisor.
This comparison is published by AI FinTech Index, an independent research platform that publishes independent ratings of AI vendors for financial services. Insly and Root Platform are each graded against the same capability taxonomy, from each vendor's own public materials and the regulatory record, under the AI FinTech Index verification standard. No vendor pays for placement, and no vendor has reviewed this page. How this evidence is graded
Plain facts
| Insly | Root Platform | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Insurance AI | Insurance AI |
| Founded | 2013 | 2016 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | Not published |
| Website | insly.com | rootplatform.com |
Side by Side
Select any grade to read the note behind it.
| Axis | I Insly |
R Root Platform |
|---|---|---|
| AI Centrality | ||
| Autonomy and Oversight Model | ||
| Model Risk Management and Transparency | ||
| Operational and Outcome Evidence | ||
| AI Safety and Data Stewardship | ||
| GLBA and Data Privacy Posture | ||
| Security Certifications and Trust Center | ||
| Regulatory Status and Licensure | ||
| AI Governance and Bias Disclosure | ||
| AI Liability and Recourse | ||
| Model Supply Chain Disclosure | ||
| Core Systems and Integration Depth | ||
| Deployment Model and Data Residency | ||
| Commercial Transparency | ||
| Institution and Segment Coverage |
The short version of each
Insly
Insly, based in London, sells no code policy administration to managing general agents, insurers and brokers, with broker portals that bind simple risks and refer the rest, claims handling built for delegated authority and a double entry accounting ledger. Nora, its AI layer, turns broker submissions in any format into complete files and answers questions from the client's own underwriting guide, and every claim gets an approve, reject or needs review recommendation with a confidence score for a handler to decide. It holds ISO 27001 and ISO 27017 certification.
Source: AI FinTech Index, 2026
Root Platform
Root Platform sells an API first insurance core to insurers, MGAs and embedded distributors in the UK and South Africa, with each product's logic kept as code in modules built through its Workbench and a white labelled portal for selling inside partner journeys. Its Claims AI assistant, in beta and switched on per role, reads claim documents against prompts the client writes and recommends approve or reject, and every claim still passes an assessor and a supervisor. It runs on AWS, with a single tenant Private Stack in a region the client chooses.
Source: AI FinTech Index, 2026
Common questions
Which suits a broker led MGA, Insly or Root Platform?
According to the AI FinTech Index, Insly is the closer fit for a broker led MGA, since Nora is built around broker submissions and Insly's price includes unlimited broker users. Root is the stronger choice when growth runs through embedded partners and the MGA has developers to build on an API.
How do Insly and Root Platform use AI on claims?
Both recommend rather than decide. Insly's claims AI returns approve, reject or needs review with a confidence score and the policy terms behind it, and handlers accept, reject or change it. Root's Claims AI, in beta, returns a reasoned approve or reject recommendation against client written prompts, and an assessor and then a supervisor decide every claim. Graded by AI FinTech Index against the same capability axes from each vendor's own published materials, verified October 12, 2026. No vendor pays for placement.
What do Insly's and Root's contracts say about liability?
Insly's license terms cap its aggregate liability at 12 months of license fees received. Root's master services agreement provides the services as is and caps each party's liability at the fees paid in the previous 12 months. Neither addresses a wrong AI recommendation. Graded by AI FinTech Index against the same capability axes from each vendor's own published materials, verified October 12, 2026. No vendor pays for placement.
Where do Insly and Root Platform keep data?
Insly processes personal data within the EU and EEA and does not name its hosting provider. Root runs on AWS, multi tenant by default, with a single tenant Private Stack in a region the client chooses. Graded by AI FinTech Index against the same capability axes from each vendor's own published materials, verified October 12, 2026. No vendor pays for placement.
Related comparisons
Other published head to head assessments involving these vendors or their closest peers. The full set for this category is on the Insurance AI page.
Insly owns Socrates Systems, a UK platform that still sells under its own name. Root Platform is a Delaware company with UK and South African subsidiaries and is unrelated to Root Insurance, the US carrier.