How Much Does It Cost to Join an Insurance Cluster or Network?
Five of the 19 clusters and networks here put prices in dollars on their sites. Five more publish a fee or commission share in words in the fees table. Seven list only fees of $0 or 0% and two publish no figures.
In the published-prices table, monthly dues run from $50 to $850. Every price is dated October 2026. The fees table below lists what each network charges in words.
Pricing models
Five networks publish dollar prices: SIMG, Big I Alliance, American Agents Alliance, Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers and ISG United. Two of them, American Agents Alliance and ISG United, take nothing else from your commission.
SIMG keeps 5% to 30% of commission on top of its $300 yearly fee, or a $600 lifetime fee that replaces it. Pacific Interstate keeps 10% of profit sharing and charges $5,000 to leave. Big I Alliance Gold adds a $3,000 or $3,500 sign-up fee, and Alliance Blue keeps a share of commission on what it places.
Published prices by vendor
We list these in the default order built on trust factors. A higher spot is not a quality ranking.
| Vendor | Plan or item | Price | Unit | Billing | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIMG | Full access | $300 | agency per year | Yearly | October 2026 |
| SIMG | Lifetime access, replaces the yearly fee | $600 | one-time fee | One time | October 2026 |
| Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers | Membership dues | $850 | agency per month | Monthly | October 2026 |
| Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers | Separation fee when you leave | $5,000 | one-time fee | One time | October 2026 |
| American Agents Alliance | Association dues, by staff size | $50 to $130 | location per month | Monthly | October 2026 |
| ISG United | Silver | $299 | agency per month | Monthly | October 2026 |
| ISG United | Gold | $499 | agency per month | Monthly | October 2026 |
| ISG United | Platinum | $749 | agency per month | Monthly | October 2026 |
| Big I Alliance | Alliance Gold, Emerging | $300 | agency per month | Monthly | October 2026 |
| Big I Alliance | Alliance Gold, Established | $350 | agency per month | Monthly | October 2026 |
| Big I Alliance | Alliance Gold sign-up, Emerging | $3,000 | one-time fee | One time | October 2026 |
| Big I Alliance | Alliance Gold sign-up, Established | $3,500 | one-time fee | One time | October 2026 |
Published fees and pricing terms
The table lists each network's fees in words. Strategic Agency Partners' figures come from trade-press interviews with its managing director, and FirstChoice's $500 fee comes from the PIA associations that offer it. A blank cell means the network does not publish it, and exit costs are in the agreement table further down.
Vendors appear in our default order, which follows trust factors and says nothing about quality.
| Vendor | Entry fee | Recurring fee | Commission share | Other fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance Pro Agencies | $0 | $169 a month for required EZLynx | 20% of commission, at least $495 a month after 90 days | $799 one-time EZLynx setup, including the first $169 month |
| Smart Choice | $0 | $0 | 30% of commission on Smart Choice carriers until Leadership Level, then 0%. Smart Start stays at 30% | Not listed |
| SIMG | $0 | $300 a year, or $150 a year for limited access | 5% to 30% of commission | A one-time $600 lifetime option replaces the yearly fee, or $300 for limited access |
| Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers | Not listed | $850 a month | 0% of base commission, 10% of profit sharing | $350 a month for optional Accelerate |
| Firefly | One-time fee | $0 network dues | 10% of commission on Firefly carriers | $100 a month if you miss the growth target after year one |
| Advantage Partners Network | $0 | $0 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Ironpeak | $0 | $0 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Renaissance | $0 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| American Agents Alliance | $0 | $50 to $130 a month by staff size | Not listed | Not listed |
| Combined Agents of America | Not listed | Not listed | 20% on CAAIS placements | Not listed |
| Agents Alliance Services | $0 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| ISG United | $0 | $299 Silver, $499 Gold or $749 Platinum a month | 0% | Not listed |
| Greater Midstates Insurance Agency | One-time fee | $0 | Not listed | Not listed |
| SIAA | Not listed | Not listed | Set by each regional Master Agency | Not listed |
| FirstChoice | Not listed | $500 a month | 0% on direct appointments | Not listed |
| ISU Steadfast | Not listed | Sliding monthly fee by agency revenue | 0% on your own appointments | Not listed |
| Big I Alliance | $3,000 Emerging or $3,500 Established (Alliance Gold) | $300 Emerging or $350 Established a month (Alliance Gold) | 0% on Alliance Gold | Not listed |
| Strategic Agency Partners | $0 | Not listed | 0% | Not listed |
| SecureRisk | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Why rates differ
Big I Alliance Gold has two tiers. Emerging is for agencies with fewer than three appointments and Established is for the rest, and each has its own sign-up and monthly fee. ISG United's three tiers differ in profit sharing and software.
Terms on this page
Network fees come with their own vocabulary. Here is what the words in the tables mean.
- Appointment: a carrier's contract that lets an agency sell its policies.
- Master code and subcode: a master code is the network's own appointment with a carrier. A subcode is a member's code listed under it. Writing this way is called using the network code.
- Commission share: the part of each commission the network keeps.
- Profit sharing: a yearly carrier bonus for profitable growth, also called contingency pay.
- Carrier bar: a noncompete that stops you from signing with carriers you reached through the network.
- Leadership Level: the commission volume, not published, at which Smart Choice stops keeping 30%.
- CAAIS: the in-house brokerage of Combined Agents of America.
- Accelerate: a Pacific Interstate add-on for agencies too small for a subcode yet.
- EZLynx: quoting and agency software that some networks require.
Agreement and exit
The contract decides what you pay over time and what it costs to leave. Read the term, the renewal rule and the notice period before you sign. Combined Agents of America, Strategic Agency Partners and SecureRisk publish no contract terms, so they are not listed.
The default order goes by trust factors. It is not our pick of the best.
| Vendor | Term and exit |
|---|---|
| Insurance Pro Agencies | No fixed term. 30 days' written notice. One-year bar on IPA carriers after you leave |
| Smart Choice | One year, renewing yearly. Two-year bar on Smart Choice carriers after you leave |
| SIMG | SIMG or a carrier can end it for lack of activity |
| Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers | 90 days' notice and a $5,000 separation fee |
| Firefly | 30 days' written notice. 30% transfer fee to take Firefly carrier business |
| Advantage Partners Network | No fixed term. 30 days' written notice. Two-year bar on Advantage carriers after you leave |
| Ironpeak | No termination fee |
| Renaissance | 180 days' written notice. Says no exit fee |
| American Agents Alliance | Month to month. Written notice stops the dues |
| Agents Alliance Services | No vesting, buyout or exit penalty, it says |
| ISG United | Says you can cancel anytime. A flat exit fee applies |
| Greater Midstates Insurance Agency | 90 days' written notice, then 12 months to move your accounts |
| SIAA | Set by each regional Master Agency |
| FirstChoice | Says no noncompete after you leave |
| ISU Steadfast | Month to month. One month of notice and no exit fee |
| Big I Alliance | Alliance Gold runs three years, then renews yearly. A buyout option exists |
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to join an insurance cluster or network?
Five of the 19 clusters and networks on this page publish prices in dollars. In the published-prices table, monthly dues run from $50 to $850.
Five more publish a fee or commission share in words in the fees table. Seven list only fees of $0 or 0% and two publish no figures.
Where do these figures come from?
Most come from the networks' own pages and are as of the month shown. Strategic Agency Partners' figures come from trade press and FirstChoice's fee from PIA associations, as each profile notes. If a network did not publish something we left it out.
How we researched this. We based this page on each vendor's published pricing where available, terms and product pages, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.