Use Tire Rack for most orders. On the same day, all three stores charged the same price for the same tire in five of six sizes we checked, and Tire Rack includes free 2-year road hazard cover on most tires.
Pick SimpleTire if you want a price-match promise or think you might return the tires. Tire Agent is worth a look on your exact size, since it was lower once. Just know it charges $25 to $40 a tire to send tires back.
This page compares online stores with each other. If you're still weighing online against a local shop like Costco or Discount Tire, read where to buy tires first.
We may earn a commission from links here. It doesn't change what we recommend.
The short version
The tire price rarely separates these three. What you get after checkout does.
Tire Rack | SimpleTire | Tire Agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
Shipping | |||
Road hazard cover | |||
Return shipping, set of four | Credit less freight, no set figure | ||
Installer network | 10,000+ (also claims 20,000+) | ||
Install price shown online | Yes | Yes, per shop | No |
Price match | Not stated | Not stated | |
Trustpilot |
All figures are from each store's own pages or Trustpilot, checked October 14, 2026.
Same tire, same day: the price check
The three stores matched to the cent on five of six sizes. We priced two Continental tires on October 14, 2026, in a 17-inch and two 18-inch sizes, using each store's model page.
Tire and size | Tire Rack | SimpleTire | Tire Agent | Set of four (lowest) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus 215/45R17 | $711.96 | |||
ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus 225/40R18 | $168.99 | $168.99 | $675.96 | |
ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus 245/40R18 | $197.99 | $197.99 | $791.96 | |
ExtremeContact Sport 02 215/45R17 | $875.96 | |||
ExtremeContact Sport 02 225/40R18 | $212.99 (a second part number $211.99) | $204.32 | $817.28 | |
ExtremeContact Sport 02 245/40R18 | $225.99 | $225.99 | $903.96 |
Prices are per tire, before rebates, fitting and tax. The set column is four times the lowest price.
The one gap was on the Sport 02 in 225/40R18, where Tire Agent was $8.67 a tire below Tire Rack. That's $34.68 on a set, about what Tire Agent charges to return a single tire ($25 to $40). Tire Rack listed that size as a closeout, and SimpleTire listed it under two part numbers, at $211.99 and $212.99.
A third tire, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in 225/40ZR18 92Y, was $238.99 at both Tire Rack and Tire Agent. Both also listed a second version at $245.99. Tire Rack labels the $238.99 one as the Toyota GR Yaris version, so check which one you're getting. SimpleTire's Michelin pages wouldn't load for our tools, so we can't give its price. For how the Sport 02 and the Pilot Sport 4S compare as tires, see Pilot Sport 4S vs ExtremeContact Sport 02.
Match the full size, including the load index and speed rating, before you compare. Tire Rack's 245/40R18 Pilot Sport All Season 4, for example, is a 97Y XL at $228.99 (Tire Rack). A 245/40R18 is the size most WRXs use, and our WRX tire picks price the main options in it.
Check sizes and prices for the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus at Tire Rack
Shipping and split shipments
Shipping is free at all three for a normal set of car tires. Tire Rack ships free on orders over $50. SimpleTire ships free to a home, an installer or a FedEx location, except oversized tires. Tire Agent ships free in the continental US and aims for 2 to 4 business days, using FedEx and last-mile couriers (Tire Agent).
Tires from any of them can arrive in more than one box on different days. Split or partial shipments come up in Trustpilot complaints for all three stores. Don't book the fitting until every tire has arrived.
Installers and what fitting costs
Tire Rack and SimpleTire show each shop's fitting price before you pay. Tire Agent doesn't.
Tire Rack lists 10,000+ "Recommended Installers" who take its Price Pledge, so the price shown is the price you pay (Tire Rack). In one sample ZIP code, Costa Mesa, California, chain shops charged $23 to $28 a tire, independents $12.50 to $65.99, and Tire Rack Mobile Installation $60 (Tire Rack).
SimpleTire shows a bundled price on each shop page. One shop in Sun City, California, charged $59 a tire for mounting, balancing, valve stems, disposal and a TPMS reset, with a four-tire minimum (SimpleTire). An Arizona mobile installer charged $125 a tire, including valve stems and a year of roadside assistance (SimpleTire).
Tire Agent says its network "includes over 2,000 tire mounting places" and tells you to call local shops for carry-in prices (Tire Agent). Mobile fitting is offered where available.
Store | Network | Fitting price shown before you buy | Example price per tire |
|---|---|---|---|
Tire Rack | 10,000+ | Yes, fixed by the Price Pledge | $23 at Firestone, Costa Mesa |
SimpleTire | 10,000+ (homepage also says 20,000+) | Yes, on each shop page | $59 bundled, Sun City, CA |
Tire Agent | 2,000+ | No | Call the shop |
These are single-shop examples, not averages. Fitting prices vary a lot by region, so put your own ZIP code in before you compare.
Road hazard cover
Tire Rack's cover is the most generous here and costs nothing. It lasts two years, pays up to $599 for a replacement and up to $40 per flat repair, and comes with roadside assistance (Tire Rack). Competition and trailer tires are excluded. You need pre-approval for a replacement and a signed installation receipt to claim.
SimpleTire's Tire Replacement Coverage runs 36 months or down to 2/32 inch of tread (SimpleTire). It pays 100% of the original tire price in year one, 50% in year two and 25% in year three, capped at $400 a tire, plus up to $25 per repair. SimpleTire's homepage says it's free on "select tires." Neither page showed what it costs on the rest.
Tire Agent sells Allstate Tire Road Hazard Protection at checkout, covering flat repair and replacement with installation and no deductible (Tire Agent). The page gives no price or term. Its Trustpilot profile says "up to 2 years," and its homepage says cover isn't available in California, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska or DC.
Store | Cost | Term | Replacement | Flat repair |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tire Rack | Free on most tires | 2 years | Up to $599 | Up to $40 |
SimpleTire | Free on select tires, otherwise not shown | 36 months or 2/32 in | 100%, then 50%, then 25%, up to $400 | Up to $25 |
Tire Agent | Paid, shown at checkout | Up to 2 years per Trustpilot profile | Covered, no deductible | Covered |
Punctures are the usual claim. Our guide to driving with a nail in your tire explains which ones can be repaired.
Returns: who pays to send them back
All three take unused, unmounted tires back within 30 days. The difference is the return freight.
Tire Agent charges "$25 - $40 per tire depending on the size of the tire," unless the mistake was its own (Tire Agent). SimpleTire takes $20 a tire off your refund, waived if you place another order (SimpleTire). Tire Rack credits the purchase "less all freight charges incurred," and doesn't publish a set figure (Tire Rack).
Store | Window | Return shipping | Other deductions |
|---|---|---|---|
Tire Rack | 30 days, unused | Freight charges deducted | $60 dismount on wheel and tire packages; special orders not returnable |
SimpleTire | 30 days, unmounted | $20 a tire ($80 a set) | Any handling fees on the original order |
Tire Agent | 30 days, unused and unmounted | $25–$40 a tire ($100–$160 a set) | None stated; refund 5–7 business days after arrival |
If you're unsure about a size, ask before you order. Tire Rack guarantees fitment when you give it your vehicle details at purchase (Tire Rack).
Who owns each store
Tire Rack belongs to Discount Tire's parent company, which "acquired the operations of Tire Rack in 2021." Discount Tire Direct closed on April 12, 2024 and now sends its customers to TireRack.com (Modern Tire Dealer). Tire Rack was headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, when the deal was announced (WNDU).
SimpleTire started in Philadelphia around 2012. Dealer Tire, which supplies car dealers, made "a significant investment" in it in May 2018, and the three founders stayed on (Modern Tire Dealer). The deal terms weren't disclosed.
Tire Agent is Tire Agent Corp., founded by tire-industry veteran Jared Kugel (Tire Agent). Its Trustpilot profile lists a New York address on West 23rd Street.
Reviews: Trustpilot
Tire Rack and Tire Agent both score 4.8 on Trustpilot. SimpleTire scores 4.3, with a much larger share of 1-star reviews.
Store | TrustScore | Reviews | 1-star share | Common complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tire Rack | 4.8 | 10,814 | 1% | Shipping delays, split shipments, tracking updates, damaged items and warranty claims |
SimpleTire | 4.3 | 1,376 | 16% | Delivery delays, partial shipments, wrong tires, slow warranty claims |
Tire Agent | 4.8 | 9,969 | 2% | Shipping delays, tracking problems, installer issues, unanswered emails about partial deliveries |
From Trustpilot for Tire Rack, SimpleTire and Tire Agent on October 14, 2026. The complaint themes come from Trustpilot's own summaries and recent low-star reviews.
We couldn't open the BBB profiles for any of the three, so we've left BBB ratings out. Check bbb.org if they matter to you.
Tire Rack vs Tire Agent
Tire Rack is the safer default. It matched Tire Agent's price on five of six sizes, includes road hazard cover that Tire Agent charges for, and has five times the installer network.
Tire Agent makes sense when it's clearly lower on your exact size and you're certain of the fit. A $34.68 saving on a set is mostly or fully gone if you send even one tire back, at $25 to $40.
Tire Rack vs SimpleTire
The two charged identical prices on all six sizes. Tire Rack's free road hazard cover applies to most tires and pays the current retail price, up to $599, with no yearly step-down listed. SimpleTire's is free only on select tires and drops to 50% in year two.
SimpleTire wins on two things: a price-match promise, "See the same tire at a lower price? We'll match it," and a fixed $20-a-tire return charge (SimpleTire). Its 16% 1-star share on Trustpilot is the trade-off.
How to check this on your own order
- Screenshot your exact size, with load index and speed rating, at all three stores on the same day.
- Add the fitting price from your chosen shop, plus any road hazard charge, before you compare.
- When the tires arrive, photograph each sidewall and read the DOT date code. Our DOT code guide shows how.
- Keep the signed installation receipt. Tire Rack needs it for a road hazard claim.
What to do today
- Write down the full tire size from your sidewall, including the load index and speed rating.
- Price that exact tire at Tire Rack, SimpleTire and Tire Agent within the same hour.
- Add fitting at your nearest listed shop and the cost of road hazard cover at each store.
- If any doubt remains about size or fit, buy where returns cost least or confirm fitment first.
- Ship to the installer, and book the appointment once every tire has arrived.
In the UK, these stores don't apply. The UK section of where to buy tires compares fully fitted prices instead.
Common questions
Is Tire Agent legit?
Yes. It's Tire Agent Corp., a New York company with a 4.8 Trustpilot score from 9,969 reviews. Its most common complaints are late or partial deliveries.
Who owns SimpleTire?
Its founders started it in Philadelphia around 2012. Dealer Tire made a significant investment in May 2018, but the size of its stake isn't public.
Does Discount Tire install Tire Rack tires?
Yes, according to The Rideshare Guy, and the two now share a parent company. Call your local store to check its fee for tires bought elsewhere.
Sources are linked in the text. Main references: Tire Rack road hazard, Tire Agent returns, SimpleTire returns and Trustpilot.
Featured image: Sams Tire Shop, Los Lunas NM by John Phelan (BY-SA). Source
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