AURAS vs EKTA: same insurer, two products. Which should you buy?

Last updated: October 2, 2026 · By Benzi Peleg, licensed insurance agent (Israel)

Quick answer

Is AURAS or EKTA better for a Schengen visa? They come from the same company (Auras Insurance LLC, Comoros), so the regulator, the claims rules and the $3,000 per-event cap are identical. What differs is the product: AURAS is a flat $1.50 a day with a $100 deductible, while EKTA's Start plan is cheaper ($0.99 to $1.37 a day) but has a 25% deductible and a $50,000 limit, and EKTA's wording cuts limits sharply from age 60. AURAS charges more from age 66 instead.

These look like competitors, but they are two storefronts for one underwriter. The useful question is which product shape fits your trip and your age.

What each one actually is

AURAS is the direct brand of Auras Insurance LLC (Comoros). You buy it by the day in four sizes, with a flat price at any trip length. Full details in our AURAS review.

EKTA is a Schengen-visa product whose policy wording is published by the same Auras Insurance LLC. It is sold in three programs, Start, Gold and Max+. Full details in our EKTA review.

This is not a rivalry between two insurers. It is two storefronts for one underwriter, so you are choosing between products, not between companies. Everything that comes from the insurer (non-EU regulation, Comoros law, binding arbitration in Mutsamudu, a class-action waiver and a USD 3,000 per-event sublimit) applies to both.

Source: EKTA and AURAS policy wordings, both issued by IC "Auras Insurance" LLC, licence L16330/AI · Checked 2026-09-12 (EKTA) and 2026-10-02 (AURAS)

Price

	AURAS	EKTA
Entry plan	35,000 plan: $1.50 per day, $35,000 medical, $100 deductible	Start: $0.99 to $1.37 per day, $50,000 limit, 25% deductible
Mid plan	100,000 plan: $2.00 per day, $50,000 medical, $100 deductible	Gold: $1.75 to $2.40 per day, $150,000, no deductible
Top plan	1,000,000 plan: $5.00 per day, $250,000 medical	Max+: $5.90 to $8.08 per day, $500,000, no deductible
Trip length	Flat daily rate at any length	Per day
Discount	None seen	A site-wide discount has been running, applied at checkout; check the live price

Sources: AURAS live calculator, checked 2026-10-02 (adult 18-65, billed in USD) · EKTA published program prices, checked live 2026-09-09

The cheapest entry point is EKTA's Start plan, but it comes with a 25% deductible and the lowest limit of the six plans above. Compared like for like, AURAS's 100,000 plan and EKTA's Gold plan are in the same price range, and EKTA's Gold has the higher headline limit and no deductible.

Cover and deductible

	AURAS	EKTA
Medical limit	$35,000, $50,000, $150,000 or $250,000 by tier (also sold as euro plans)	$50,000, $150,000 or $500,000 by program
Deductible	$100 per claim; optional zero-deductible add-on	25% on Start; none on Gold and Max+
Cap on one event	USD 3,000 per person per occurrence	USD 3,000 per person per occurrence
Claims rules	Notify within 48 hours; consent first for treatment over $1,000	Notification and documentation rules in the wording

The $3,000 per-event cap is the single most important line in this table, and it is identical. A hospital stay that costs $20,000 is reimbursed up to $3,000 on either policy, whatever plan you bought, so paying for a bigger plan buys a larger trip ceiling rather than a larger payout per claim.

Older travelers and children

EKTA's wording overrides the plan limit from age 60. For any insured person aged 60 or older, a separate table replaces the program's limit: $10,000 with a 10% deductible at 60 to 65, $9,000 and 20% at 65 to 70, falling to $3,000 and 75% at 95 to 100. A 65-year-old on Gold is capped at $9,000, not $150,000.

AURAS charges more instead. In our live quotes the price is flat to age 65, then about 1.2 times at 66, 1.3 at 71, 1.4 at 76, 1.5 at 81 and 1.6 at 86. We did not find an EKTA-style limit override in the wording we read, but AURAS's own policy states that people aged 60 to 80 are insurable only with a surcharge, so confirm the limit that applies to you.

Children. AURAS prices children above the adult rate (about 1.6 to 1.8 times in our quotes). EKTA insures from 2 months old.

If your visa is refused

Neither refunds your premium. EKTA sells a separate Visa Cancellation add-on, confirmed in its policy wording, that reimburses the visa fee you paid the embassy against an official refusal letter. AURAS advertises a comparable add-on of about $49 that we could not find in its wording. Without it, AURAS refunds 100% only if you cancel within 14 days of buying and before the trip starts, and 60% after that until the start date.

Reputation

AURAS has a 3.2 out of 5 Trustpilot score from 169 reviews, praised for quick purchase and support and criticised over denied or slow claims. EKTA has no rated Trustpilot profile, so there is no third-party score to point to either way.

Trustpilot read directly on trustpilot.com: AURAS 2026-10-02, EKTA 2026-09-13

Who each one is for

AURAS suits a budget adult who wants a flat daily price, more payment options (UnionPay, PayPal, wallets) and a euro plan that clearly meets the €30,000 minimum, and who is under 66.

EKTA suits the buyer chasing the very lowest sticker price on a short trip with no plan to claim, or someone who wants the higher $150,000 or $500,000 ceilings, and who is under 60.

Neither is a comfortable choice for a traveler over 60 or anyone who is worried about a large claim. An EU-regulated insurer is the safer route for them.

Bottom line

Pick on price shape and age, not on the brand, because the insurer behind them is the same. Younger and short trip: EKTA's Start plan is the lowest price, with its deductible. Wider age range, flat pricing or a euro plan: AURAS. Either way, check the full comparison table against your exact age and dates before buying.

Frequently asked questions

Are AURAS and EKTA the same company?

At the insurer level, yes. EKTA's policy wording is published by Auras Insurance LLC, the same Comoros-registered company that sells AURAS directly, so the underwriter, the regulator and the claims rules come from the same place. They are separate products with different policy documents, plans and prices.

Which is cheaper, AURAS or EKTA?

EKTA's entry Start plan has the lower published rate, $0.99 to $1.37 a day against AURAS's flat $1.50, but it carries a 25% deductible and a $50,000 limit. At a similar level of cover the two are close: AURAS's 100,000 plan is $2.00 a day, EKTA's Gold plan $1.75 to $2.40 a day. EKTA also runs a recurring discount, so check both live prices.

Which has the better coverage, AURAS or EKTA?

On paper EKTA offers more at the top: Gold covers $150,000 and Max+ $500,000 with no deductible, while AURAS's tiers cover $35,000 to $250,000 medical with a $100 deductible. In practice both policies cap any single covered event at USD 3,000, so the headline numbers overstate what one claim can pay on either.

Which is better for travelers over 60?

Neither is great, but they work differently. EKTA's wording replaces the plan limit for anyone 60 or older with a table that starts at $10,000 and falls to $2,000, with deductibles rising from 10% to 80%. AURAS raises its price instead, from about 1.2 times at age 66 to 1.6 times at 86, and we found no limit override in the wording we read. Confirm the limit that will apply to you before buying either.

Does either refund my premium if my visa is refused?

No. EKTA offers a paid Visa Cancellation add-on that reimburses the visa fee you paid the embassy, confirmed in its policy wording. AURAS advertises a similar add-on for about $49 that we could not find in its wording. Neither refunds the insurance premium the way AXA and Europ Assistance do.

Which has better reviews?

AURAS has a 3.2 out of 5 Trustpilot score from 169 reviews, with complaints about denied and slow claims. EKTA has no rated Trustpilot profile at all, so there is no independent score to compare. A missing score is not a good one.

Ready to choose a plan?

Compare the six providers we track, or estimate the price for your exact trip in 10 seconds.

Compare plans Compare prices for my trip →