Quick answer: Acolite and Aiden Risk are both licensed commercial insurance brokers, not carriers, and both are paid by the carrier rather than charging a broker fee. The difference is scope. Acolite is a construction-only broker: its homepage says it is a "Licensed broker, 20+ carriers, all 50 states" with "COIs in under 60 seconds" (Acolite). Aiden Risk is an AI-native independent broker for contractors, restaurants and professional services, placing coverage across 100+ carriers and 13 commercial lines in the 16 states where it is licensed, with an AI that watches the program year-round and a licensed broker who acts on what it finds. Acolite fits a contractor who wants a fast, self-serve, construction-only shop. Aiden Risk fits a contractor who wants an advised, multi-line program that is monitored between renewals.
Acolite is a young, construction-focused brokerage backed by Y Combinator, which lists it in its Spring 2025 batch (Y Combinator). It has built a deep library of contractor content and a COI Check tool. Because both companies talk to contractors about certificates, state rules and fast quotes, it is worth looking at how each one actually works.
This Aiden Risk guide compares the two on what each covers, how quotes and certificates work, carrier access, state licensing, monitoring, and how each broker is paid. Every Acolite detail below comes from Acolite's own live pages as of November 2026.
What Is Acolite?
Acolite is a commercial insurance broker built only for construction. Its homepage headline reads "Insurance built for Construction." and its subhead says "Licensed broker, 20+ carriers, all 50 states. COIs in under 60 seconds." Its FAQ adds that it serves contractors in all 50 states "through appointed carrier partners and surplus-lines markets" (Acolite). Its About page describes it as a "Licensed insurance broker. Not an insurer." with an office in New York (Acolite About).
On speed, Acolite says most contractors get quote options within 2 business hours once it has the underwriting information, and that it shops 10+ carriers in parallel on every submission. Certificates are issued "in under 60 seconds" after binding. On cost, it says quotes are free with no obligation, and "We're paid by the carrier when you bind" (Acolite). The homepage also offers a "Speak to AI" phone line, labelled "SAVE 50%".
Its coverage menu lists general liability, workers' compensation, builder's risk, commercial auto, and umbrella and excess. Its content library is large for a young company: 7 trade pages (roofing, general contractors, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, painting and handyman), 9 city pages, general liability pages for 8 states, and 10 state legal guides (Acolite Guides). The guides cover topics such as New York hammer clauses, New York grave injury under WCL Section 11, the Texas Anti-Indemnity Act, Pennsylvania workers' comp, the Florida construction exemption and the California CSLB workers' comp exemption. Acolite labels them educational, not legal advice.
Its COI Check tool asks a few questions about your work, has you upload your policy, and returns an instant grade with a gap report. Acolite describes it as "a free educational check based on the language detected in the document you upload" and says it is not a coverage determination or legal advice (Acolite COI Check).
Strengths: a single-minded focus on construction, fast quote and certificate turnaround, carrier-paid pricing with no-obligation quotes, and genuinely useful state-specific guides.
What its site does not say: on the pages we reviewed, Acolite does not name the carriers it works with, does not show client reviews, does not describe claims advocacy, and does not describe monitoring between renewals. The About page names one licensed broker. That does not mean those things are absent, only that a buyer should ask about them directly.
What Is Aiden Risk?
Aiden Risk is an AI-native independent commercial insurance broker for restaurants, contractors and professional services. It pairs an AI risk engine, which analyzes 140+ signals about a business, with a licensed broker on every account. The AI monitors; the broker advises, places coverage and acts.
Aiden Risk places coverage across 100+ carriers and 13 commercial lines. Intake takes 5 minutes, and most straightforward businesses are placed in as little as 48 hours. It is licensed in 16 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
For contractors, Aiden Risk has a contractor insurance hub, trade pages for general contractors, roofing, electrical and plumbing, a COI checker, and an EMR calculator. Its guides cover general liability for contractors and commercial auto for contractors.
Head-to-Head: Capability Comparison
| Capability | Acolite | Aiden Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Licensed broker, construction only | AI-native independent broker |
| Who it serves | Contractors | Contractors, restaurants and professional services |
| Carrier access | "20+ carriers"; 10+ shopped per submission | 100+ carriers |
| Lines listed | GL, workers' comp, builder's risk, commercial auto, umbrella and excess | 13 commercial lines |
| States | Says all 50 states, including through surplus-lines markets | Licensed in 16 states |
| Quote speed | Quote options within 2 business hours once underwriting info is in | 5-minute intake; most straightforward businesses placed in as little as 48 hours |
| Certificates | Issued in under 60 seconds after binding | Handled by your licensed broker |
| COI tool | COI Check: questions plus an uploaded policy, instant grade, labelled educational | COI checker: works from your answers, for contractors and restaurants |
| Between renewals | Not described on its site | AI watches the whole program year-round; a licensed broker acts on what it flags |
| How it is paid | "Paid by the carrier when you bind" | No fee to work with it; paid through standard carrier commissions |
| Best for | A contractor wanting a fast, self-serve, construction-only shop | A contractor wanting an advised, multi-line program watched year-round |
The Differences That Actually Matter
1. Construction-only vs. a program that grows with you
Acolite does one thing: construction. That focus shows in its trade pages and state guides. Aiden Risk covers contractors as one of its three priority segments, and it also writes restaurants and professional services. For most contractors that difference is invisible on day one. It matters when the business changes: you buy a building, need a bigger umbrella for a large general contractor, or diversify into a business outside construction, such as a restaurant. A broker that writes all of it can keep the program under one review instead of splitting it across shops.
2. 20+ carriers vs. 100+
Both brokers shop the market, which is the right model. Acolite says it has 20+ carriers and shops 10+ on each submission. Aiden Risk places across 100+ carriers. Market size matters most for risks that are not perfectly standard: roofing, height work, a prior claim, or a New York project where the Scaffold Law drives pricing (see our New York Scaffold Law guide). More carriers give a licensed broker more room to match each line to the right market.
3. Fast transactions vs. year-round monitoring
Acolite is built for speed: quote options in about 2 business hours and certificates in under 60 seconds after binding. Those are real conveniences for a contractor chasing a job. What its site does not describe is what happens between renewals. Aiden Risk's AI watches the whole program year-round, and a licensed broker acts on the changes it flags, such as work in a new state, a contract with stricter insurance terms, or payroll growth that will show up at a premium audit. The aim is to catch the change before an audit bill or a rejected certificate does.
4. Two different COI tools
Both companies offer a COI tool, and they work differently. Acolite's COI Check asks questions and reads the policy you upload, then returns an instant grade, which it labels educational. Aiden Risk's COI checker works from your answers about your coverage and the contract; it does not read uploaded documents, and it is built for contractors and restaurants. Either way, a tool is a first pass. A licensed broker still has to confirm endorsements such as additional insured and waiver of subrogation against the actual contract. Our certificate of insurance guide explains what a COI does and does not prove.
5. All 50 states vs. 16 licensed states
Acolite says it serves contractors in all 50 states. Aiden Risk is licensed in 16. If your work stays inside those 16, both can serve you. If you work outside them, Aiden Risk is not the right broker for that work, and you should choose a broker licensed where you operate. Here is how Acolite's 8 state GL pages line up with Aiden Risk's licenses:
| State with an Acolite GL page | Aiden Risk licensed there? | Related Aiden Risk resource |
|---|---|---|
| New York | Yes | New York Scaffold Law guide |
| New Jersey | Yes | Contractor insurance |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Contractor insurance |
| Texas | Yes | Texas Anti-Indemnity Act guide |
| California | Yes | California contractor insurance requirements |
| Florida | Yes | Contractor insurance |
| Georgia | Yes | Contractor insurance |
| North Carolina | No | Not served by Aiden Risk |
6. How each is paid
This is closer than it looks. Acolite says quotes are free with no obligation, and that it is paid by the carrier when you bind. Aiden Risk charges no fee to work with it, with no platform fee or subscription; it is paid through standard carrier commissions. Neither charges a separate broker fee. Acolite also promotes a "Speak to AI" line labelled "SAVE 50%". Any savings on commercial insurance depend on the risk itself: your trade, payroll, loss history and the carriers willing to write you. The useful questions for either broker are how many carriers were actually shopped and why the chosen carrier won.
Where Acolite Still Fits
Acolite is a reasonable fit for a contractor who wants a construction-only shop and a self-serve feel: quote options in about 2 business hours, certificates in under 60 seconds after binding, and a COI tool that reads an uploaded policy. It also fits a contractor working outside Aiden Risk's 16 licensed states, such as in North Carolina, since Acolite says it serves all 50.
Aiden Risk fits a contractor who wants more than a fast transaction: an advised program across 100+ carriers and 13 lines, room to add umbrella, property or a second line of business, and an AI that watches the program year-round with a licensed broker acting on what it flags.
How Aiden Risk Solves Each of These Problems
Aiden Risk is an AI-native independent commercial insurance broker that pairs an AI risk engine built for commercial insurance, which analyzes 140+ signals about a business, with a licensed broker on every account. Here is how that applies to the issues raised above.
| The problem | How Aiden Risk solves it |
|---|---|
| A smaller carrier panel leaves fewer options for harder trades | A licensed broker shops 100+ carriers to match each line to the right market |
| Coverage needs outgrow a construction-only program | 13 commercial lines, including umbrella, plus restaurant and professional services programs if you diversify |
| Nobody watches the program between renewals | The AI monitors the whole program year-round, and a licensed broker acts on what it flags |
| Payroll growth turns into a surprise audit bill | Changes are flagged during the year, and our premium audit guide shows what to prepare |
| A certificate gets rejected for missing endorsements | The COI checker flags likely gaps from your answers, and a licensed broker confirms them against the contract |
| State rules change how contractors are insured | State guides on Texas, California and New York, plus a broker licensed in each of our 16 states |
Aiden Risk charges no fee to work with it, with no platform fee or subscription; it is paid through standard carrier commissions. We place coverage across 100+ carriers and 13 commercial lines; our contractor insurance page covers how we approach contractors. Intake takes 5 minutes, and most straightforward businesses are placed in as little as 48 hours. We are licensed in 16 states, listed on our licenses page.
Key Takeaways
- Acolite and Aiden Risk are both licensed brokers paid by carriers, and neither charges a separate broker fee.
- Acolite is construction-only, says it has 20+ carriers and serves all 50 states, and focuses on fast quotes and certificates.
- Aiden Risk serves contractors, restaurants and professional services across 100+ carriers and 13 lines, licensed in 16 states.
- Aiden Risk's AI watches the whole program year-round, and a licensed broker acts on what it flags. Acolite's site does not describe monitoring between renewals.
- Acolite's COI Check reads an uploaded policy; Aiden Risk's COI checker works from your answers. Both are a first pass, not a coverage determination.
- Choose Acolite for a fast, self-serve, construction-only shop. Choose Aiden Risk for an advised, multi-line program watched year-round inside its 16 states.
FAQs
What is Acolite insurance?
Acolite is a licensed commercial insurance broker built for construction. It says it works with 20+ carriers, serves contractors in all 50 states, returns quote options within about 2 business hours, and issues certificates in under 60 seconds after binding. Y Combinator lists it in its Spring 2025 batch.
Is Acolite an insurance company or a broker?
Acolite is a broker, not an insurer; its About page says so directly. It places coverage with carriers, which issue the policies. Aiden Risk is also a broker, placing coverage across 100+ carriers.
What is the main difference between Aiden Risk and Acolite?
Scope. Acolite is construction-only and built around fast quotes and certificates. Aiden Risk is an AI-native broker for contractors, restaurants and professional services, with 100+ carriers, 13 commercial lines, and an AI that watches the program year-round while a licensed broker acts on what it flags.
Does Acolite charge a fee? Does Aiden Risk?
Acolite says quotes are free with no obligation and that it is paid by the carrier when you bind. Aiden Risk charges no fee to work with it, with no platform fee or subscription; it is paid through standard carrier commissions.
Is the Acolite COI Check the same as the Aiden Risk COI checker?
No. Acolite's COI Check asks questions and reads a policy you upload, then gives an instant grade it labels educational. Aiden Risk's COI checker works from your answers and does not read uploaded documents; it is built for contractors and restaurants. Either result should be confirmed by a licensed broker.
Does Aiden Risk insure contractors in all 50 states?
No. Aiden Risk is licensed in 16 states: AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TX, VA and WA. Acolite says it serves all 50 states. If you work outside Aiden Risk's 16, choose a broker licensed where you operate.
How fast can a contractor get covered?
Acolite says most contractors get quote options within 2 business hours once it has the underwriting information. At Aiden Risk, intake takes 5 minutes, and most straightforward businesses are placed in as little as 48 hours.
Can I switch from Acolite to Aiden Risk?
Yes, if you operate in Aiden Risk's 16 states. Renewal is the simplest time to switch, and a broker of record letter can move an existing policy mid-term without cancelling it. Having your loss runs ready speeds things up.
To see how an advised, monitored program compares with what you have now, start with our contractor insurance page and have a licensed Aiden Risk broker review your current coverage.
