A business that offers a retirement plan pays three ways: a platform fee, a charge per employee and a percentage of assets.
This guide ranks 401(k) and workplace pension providers on how quickly the plan goes live, what the full yearly cost looks like once payroll sync and filings are added, how a plan moves to another recordkeeper, and whether the provider stands alone.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
In short
What retirement plan providers software does
Retirement plan providers set up and run employer-sponsored savings plans, handling enrolment, payroll contributions, investments, testing and filings, so employers can offer retirement benefits without building the administration themselves.
Our order comes from five tests, taken in turn: effort to set up, what you really pay, what happens to your data on the way out, how locked in you are, and the intended customer. One rule overrides the order: smaller vendors take the first three places when the category offers them, and the best-known brands start at four. For why these five were chosen, and why nothing here gets a numeric score, see how we work.
Quoted per plan; no plan fees shown on the pages read
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A sponsor that cares most about fund cost and target-date options
A tiny business wanting self-serve plan setup
We list the country the vendor operates from or contracts through. That is not the same as the hosting region, and any difference is spelled out in the entry.
A 401(k) for small employers with fees printed on the page
Ranked #1 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
The three tiers differ mainly in what is filed and who pays for an audit. Essentials has a lower base fee, Complete adds a filed Form 5500 with an ERISA fidelity bond, and Concierge adds Audit Relief for plans above 100 participants.
Employees also bear small asset-based fees for advisory and recordkeeping. Eligibility follows W-2 status and the plan document, which matters for contractor-heavy teams. The owner of the parent company is not named.
What stands out
Published fees
Payroll sync
401(k) only
Where it costs you
The pages describe 401(k) plans only, with no pension or nonqualified option.
Concierge may add an upfront setup charge, which the page leaves open.
Right for
A small employer that wants to total the plan cost before any sales call
Wrong for
A solo owner or a company wanting a pension design
United StatesPublished monthly base fee plus per-employee fee across three tiers; asset-based fees on balances
A 401(k) with a monthly fee, an advisory percentage and payroll links
Ranked #2 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
Three offers let a sponsor buy only the missing piece: Payroll Integration links an existing 401(k) to payroll, Advisor Plus adds a fiduciary advisor to an existing plan, and Start a 401(k) is the full build with recordkeeping and administration.
The site cites HiBob, ADP and Justworks on payroll and Empower, Vanguard and Voya as 401(k) providers. A brokerage and crypto window is optional, so the plan can stay plain.
What stands out
Published fees
Payroll partners
Crypto window
Where it costs you
The pricing page names no country, owner or parent company.
The new-plan price has three parts, so the yearly total shifts as assets and headcount grow.
Right for
A sponsor keeping its current recordkeeper but wanting payroll links or advice
Wrong for
Buyers who need a stated country and ownership before signing
Not stated by the vendorPublished monthly fee plus per-participant fee and an asset-based advisory fee; separate payroll-link option
Plan types from Starter(k) to 403(b), priced by contract
Ranked #3 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The plan list is the selling point: Safe Harbor or traditional 401(k), Solo(k), a Starter(k) without matching, 403(b), state auto-IRA and pooled options. Payroll and HR feeds sync automatically, and TPAs, payroll and benefit partners plug in, with a Flex option for small businesses and TPAs.
The site publishes ADV Part 1, Part 2 and Form CRS, which helps due diligence. Offer terms expire on 30 November 2026, so check the date before relying on them.
What stands out
Many plan types
Payroll auto-sync
Quoted fees
Where it costs you
Fees are set in a services agreement, so the site gives no total to compare.
The introductory waiver excludes third-party, fund and onboarding charges.
Right for
A business expecting to move between plan types as it grows
Wrong for
A buyer who wants a printed price before contacting anyone
Not stated by the vendorQuoted per plan through a services agreement and fee disclosure notices; three-month fee waiver on current offer
Annual membership for solo 401(k) and IRA accounts, two tiers
Ranked #4 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Published pricingNorth America
Membership is billed yearly, with the upper tier adding crypto and alternative assets inside IRAs. Spouses need their own memberships, so a couple pays twice. The pricing page says there is no trial, which means committing before seeing the product.
Carry Advisors LLC and Global Carry LLC are subsidiaries of Lettuce Financial Labs Inc., and the page says Carry is joining that company, so check who services your account.
What stands out
Solo 401(k)
Annual membership
US residents only
Where it costs you
Nothing on the pricing page offers a plan for staff.
Eligibility is limited to Americans and permanent residents.
Right for
A self-employed owner wanting a Solo 401(k) and IRAs in one place
Wrong for
Any company that needs a plan for employees
United StatesPublished annual membership in two tiers; spouses each need their own membership; no trial is offered
A 401(k) with tax-credit help, 350+ payroll links and onboarding staff
Ranked #5 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
The service list is practical: annual testing, contribution calculations, a signature-ready Form 5500, a Plan Support Team or Client Success Manager, and an onboarding specialist for new or conversion plans. It syncs with 350+ payroll providers.
Betterment points to tax credits worth up to $15,000 over three years, which a buyer should confirm with an adviser. Fees shown on the pricing page cover its consumer products, so the 401(k) cost has to be asked for.
What stands out
Payroll integrations
Annual testing
Fees not shown
Where it costs you
401(k) plans are named on the pricing page without any fee beside them.
No free plan or trial is stated; promotional offers are tied to consumer investing accounts.
Right for
A growing company wanting compliance work and payroll links handled for it
Wrong for
A buyer who must see the 401(k) price before talking to sales
United StatesQuoted per plan; the pricing page lists 401(k) plans without showing fees
A mutual-owned insurer offering recordkeeping for plans of all sizes
Ranked #6 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
The retirement page claims over 60 years as a recordkeeper and administrator, and lists commercial, charitable and public sponsors, and PEOs. Pooled plans and fiduciary assistance are listed.
Ownership sits with Ameritas Mutual Holding Company, which the page contrasts with stockholder-owned firms. The affiliates include Ameritas Investment Company, LLC, with FINRA BrokerCheck linked. Everything starts with a contact form, so timing and cost stay unknown until then.
What stands out
Mutual-owned
Pooled plans
Fiduciary help
Where it costs you
The site shows no fee, trial or payroll integration list for retirement plans.
Retirement sits beside life, disability and dental lines, so the offer is not specialised.
Right for
A nonprofit, public body or PEO wanting a long-established recordkeeper
Wrong for
A startup wanting online sign-up and printed prices
United StatesQuoted per plan; no retirement fees appear on the site
A workplace pension with ready-made funds and an employer section
Ranked #7 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The scheme gives members an online account with a dashboard to check whether the pension is on track, a three-step pension check and an income calculator. Seven fund choices run from Retirement Date to Sharia and Guided Retirement.
Bringing pensions together costs nothing to transfer in, per the site. Employer pages exist but the reading found no fee table, so confirm charges and onboarding steps directly before comparing it with 401(k) providers.
What stands out
Workplace pension
Ethical and Sharia funds
UK-style scheme
Where it costs you
Fee amounts did not appear in the pages read, and a contributions-and-fees link returned HTTP 404.
Where the scheme is based and who owns it is missing from the pages.
Right for
An employer wanting a packaged workplace scheme with set funds
Wrong for
A sponsor needing configurable plan design or payroll sync
Not stated by the vendorCharges not listed on the pages read; transfers into the scheme carry no charge
Retirement services sold on top of a payroll relationship
Ranked #8 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Retirement is one entry under Employee Benefits, beside health insurance and benefits administration, and the retirement page stresses a Safe Harbor deadline. Payroll packages run Basic, Foundations, Advanced and Complete, plus HR Pro and PEO, so the plan is usually bought with payroll.
A promotion offers up to six months of no-cost payroll on a qualifying bundle with a one-year agreement. That tie is the trade here: quick to start, harder to price or exit.
What stands out
Payroll bundle
Quoted fees
Safe Harbor
Where it costs you
Payroll bundles route to Request Pricing and retirement fees are absent.
A free-payroll promotion is tied to a one-year agreement on a qualifying bundle.
Right for
A business already on Paychex payroll that wants one vendor for retirement
Wrong for
A buyer comparing retirement fees without a sales conversation
Not stated by the vendorQuoted per business; payroll packages say Request Pricing and no retirement charge is printed
Insurer-backed plans from 401(k) to ESOP and pension designs
Ranked #9 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The navigation groups retirement under one heading: 401(k) and 403(b), ESOPs, nonqualified deferred compensation, pension plans and bonus plans. The home page adds annuities, IRAs and several insurance lines, plus a retirement wellness planner.
That spread suits an organisation consolidating benefits with one insurer. It also means the site gives a first-time sponsor little to compare, since country, owner and costs are missing from the pages read.
What stands out
Broad plan menu
Insurer-backed
Quoted fees
Where it costs you
Cost and trial terms are absent.
The retirement offer shares the site with group insurance lines.
Right for
A company expecting ESOP, nonqualified or pension needs alongside its 401(k)
Wrong for
A small firm wanting a quick online start
Not stated by the vendorQuoted per plan; no plan prices on the pages read
A very large recordkeeper covering defined contribution and benefit plans
Ranked #10 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The employer site lists defined contribution, defined benefit with cash balance plans, nonqualified plans, stock plan services, benefit consulting and health and welfare administration.
Advisory fees are based on assets managed and are detailed in the Empower Advisory Group Form ADV. The advisory arm is an indirect subsidiary of Empower Annuity Insurance Company of America. The size claims (94K+ plans) are the vendor's own and cannot be checked from the site.
What stands out
Large recordkeeper
Defined benefit plans
Advisory services
Where it costs you
No plan charges are listed on the employer pages.
Asset-linked advisory charges mean the bill grows with balances.
Right for
A larger sponsor needing defined benefit, nonqualified or stock plan services
Wrong for
A founder setting up a first plan without a consultant
Not stated by the vendorQuoted per plan; advisory fees are asset-based and set out in its Form ADV
Fund-led workplace plans owned by the funds' shareholders
Ranked #11 of 11 in Best Retirement Plan Providers in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
The workplace pages cover mutual funds, trusts and ETFs, target-date fund approach, recordkeeping, advice and financial wellness. Collective trust mandates are managed by Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Vanguard Group, Inc.
Advice comes from Vanguard Advisers, Inc. or Vanguard National Trust Company. Its low expense ratio is a vendor statistic as of end 2025; plan-level recordkeeping charges are not listed.
What stands out
Low fund costs
Target-date funds
Recordkeeping
Where it costs you
No plan-level charges appear on the workplace pages.
The workplace site addresses sponsors and consultants rather than first-time small employers.
Right for
A sponsor that cares most about fund cost and target-date options
Wrong for
A tiny business wanting self-serve plan setup
Not stated by the vendorQuoted per plan; no plan fees shown on the pages read
Retirement plan providers set up and run employer-sponsored savings plans, handling enrolment, payroll contributions, investments, testing and filings, so employers can offer retirement benefits without building the administration themselves. Rather than compare features, settle the following points one after another.
01
Check who publishes a price
8 vendors on this page sell by quote, while 3 publish a pricing model you can read today: Human Interest, ForUsAll, Carry.
02
Ask which country the contract runs through
Jurisdiction is a buying criterion here. The 11 vendors are spread over 2 countries (Elsewhere 7, North America 4), and the home country determines which disclosure rules bind them.
Why 401(k) providers for small business price in three layers
Human Interest prints a monthly base charge, a fee for each eligible employee and asset-based charges, so one page gives you a yearly total. ForUsAll splits its offer into payroll linking, advice and a full plan, each with its own fee. Vestwell, Ameritas, Principal and Vanguard quote per plan, so the first number arrives after a sales conversation.
The error is comparing the base fee alone: a per-employee charge multiplies with headcount, and an asset-based charge rises as balances build. Build a three-year projection with your real headcount and expected balances, then compare providers on that total. Ask who pays each layer, the company or the employees, because Human Interest passes some asset-based fees to staff.
Ask for the base, per-employee and asset-based fee in one written quote.
Project cost at your headcount in year one and year three.
Find out which fees come out of employees' balances.
Payroll connection decides how much work the plan creates
Late or wrong contributions are the usual operational failure, and they come from a weak link between payroll and the plan. Betterment at Work lists 350+ payroll integrations, Human Interest 600+ payrolls with automatic contributions, and ForUsAll points to HiBob, ADP and Justworks.
Paychex Flex runs payroll itself, so the retirement plan sits on the same system but ties you to it. Vestwell describes an auto-sync with payroll and HR. Before signing, test the exact payroll product you use, not the logo on the list, and ask who corrects a missed deferral and how fast.
Name your payroll product and ask for written confirmation of the sync.
Ask how a missed or late contribution is corrected.
Check whether leaving payroll later breaks the plan link.
Filings and testing: what the fee actually covers
Annual compliance is where cheap plans become expensive. Human Interest includes a filed Form 5500 plus an ERISA fidelity bond starting at Complete, and Audit Relief on Concierge for plans above 100 participants. Betterment at Work lists annual testing, contribution calculations and a signature-ready Form 5500. ForUsAll lists automated recordkeeping and plan administration.
Safe Harbor plans, which Vestwell and Paychex Flex both mention, come with a deadline, and Paychex Flex flags one on its retirement page. A fee that looks low can leave audits, bonds and corrective work as extra items on the invoice, so ask for the compliance scope in writing, line by line, and for the price of each filing that is not covered.
Confirm whether Form 5500 is filed for you or only prepared.
Ask what happens if the plan passes 100 participants.
Request the Safe Harbor notice dates for your plan year.
Plan type and who the provider actually serves
Several names here do not serve a typical employer with a first 401(k). Carry sells a Solo 401(k) and IRAs to the self-employed, and only to US citizens and legal residents. Nest is a workplace pension scheme with set funds, and Empower, Principal and Vanguard address larger sponsors with defined benefit, ESOP or consultant needs.
Vestwell lists the widest set of plan types. Match the provider to the plan you will hold in three years, and check eligibility rules such as W-2 status before you pay a setup fee. Also confirm the sponsor's headcount rules.
List the plan type you need now and in three years.
Check minimum or eligibility rules on the provider's page.
Ask what a conversion to another provider costs.
What goes wrong most often when buying retirement plan providers software
Choosing on the lowest base fee while ignoring per-employee and asset-based charges that grow with the company.
Assuming that a payroll logo on a provider's list means your own payroll product syncs correctly.
Buying a retirement plan inside a payroll bundle without asking what leaving either one would involve.
Picking a solo-owner product such as Carry, then hiring staff who cannot join it.
07
Frequently asked questions
6 answers
What is the best retirement plan providers in 2026?
First of 11 on this page is Human Interest. It prints the base, the per-head and the balance-linked charges on one page, so a ten-person firm can total the year before talking to anyone.
Payroll sync covers 600+ payrolls and the middle tier files Form 5500. The catch is scope: it sells 401(k) plans for W-2 staff and nothing for pensions, nonqualified plans or a solo owner, and a one-time setup fee may apply on the top tier.
Which retirement plan providers tools publish their pricing?
3 out of 11 state a price model on their own site:
Human Interest: Published monthly base fee plus per-employee fee across three tiers; asset-based fees on balances.
ForUsAll: Published monthly fee plus per-participant fee and an asset-based advisory fee; separate payroll-link option.
Carry: Published annual membership in two tiers; spouses each need their own membership; no trial is offered.
Everything else on the list is priced on request.
Is there a free retirement plan providers tool?
No. None of the 11 offer a usable free tier.
Where are these retirement plan providers vendors established?
Across 2 countries (Elsewhere 7, North America 4):
Human Interest: United States.
ForUsAll: Not stated by the vendor.
Vestwell: Not stated by the vendor.
Carry: United States.
Betterment at Work: United States.
Ameritas: United States.
Nest: Not stated by the vendor.
Paychex Flex: Not stated by the vendor.
Principal: Not stated by the vendor.
Empower: Not stated by the vendor.
Vanguard: Not stated by the vendor.
What should you use instead of Human Interest?
Second is ForUsAll, which suits a sponsor keeping its current recordkeeper but wanting payroll links or advice. Third is Vestwell, which suits a business expecting to move between plan types as it grows.
Who should not buy Human Interest?
A solo owner or a company wanting a pension design. The pages describe 401(k) plans only, with no pension or nonqualified option..
Missing from this retirement plan providers ranking? Contact us with a short description of the product and its users. Adding it is an editorial choice, and software advice explains what a listing does and does not involve.
