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Benefits Administration

How Much Does Benefits Administration Software Cost?

Real list prices from 2 benefits administration products that publish them, cost by headcount, the pricing models you will meet and the fees that are easy to miss.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Based on 2 sources, facts checked Report an error

How much benefits administration costs

Published prices for benefits administration range from $6–$124 per employee per month. At 25 employees, the median list cost across 2 products is $1,649.50 per month.

List prices before discounts, taxes and add-ons; quote-only vendors are not included.

Cost by company size

Estimated list price per month by number of employees
EmployeesGusto SimpleJustworks PEO Plus
1$55/mo (lowest)Not offered
10$109/mo (lowest)$1,240/mo
25$199/mo (lowest)$3,100/mo
50$349/mo (lowest)$6,200/mo
100$649/mo (lowest)$12,400/mo
250$1,549/mo (lowest)$31,000/mo

The lowest monthly cost in each row is highlighted.

Pricing models explained

  • Per employee per month. A monthly fee per employee. Check whether it counts all employees, benefits-eligible employees or only enrolled ones: BambooHR, for example, bills its benefits add-on on benefits-eligible employees.
  • Base fee + per employee. A monthly platform fee plus a per-employee fee, often with a minimum.
  • Bundled with HRIS. Included in, or sold only with, a payroll or HR plan. HiBob, for example, sells benefits administration only together with its U.S. payroll.
  • Broker compensated. No separate platform fee when the vendor is also your insurance broker. Gusto, for example, states there is no additional platform fee for benefits administration on health plans bought through it, at the same price as through any other broker.
  • Custom quote. Common for larger or multi-entity employers, with implementation and carrier feeds priced separately.

Price comparison

Benefits Administration prices, lowest published plan
ProductStarting pricePricing modelPricing details
Gusto$49/mo + $6/employee/mo1Base fee + per employeeWhat Gusto costs
Justworks$124/employee/mo (PEO Plus plan)2Per employeeJustworks plans and prices
BambooHRSee plansBambooHR pricing
RipplingSee plansRippling pricing
NamelySee plansWhat Namely costs
Employee NavigatorQuote onlyQuote onlyEmployee Navigator plans and prices
TriNetQuote onlyPer employeeTriNet pricing
HiBobQuote onlyPer employeeHiBob pricing
PaycorQuote onlyQuote onlyPaycor plans and prices
PaylocityQuote onlyBase fee + per employeePaylocity pricing
NetchexQuote onlyQuote onlyNetchex pricing
PaycomQuote onlyQuote onlyWhat Paycom costs
ADP Workforce NowQuote onlyQuote onlyADP Workforce Now pricing
isolved People CloudQuote onlyQuote onlyisolved People Cloud plans and prices
ADP TotalSourceQuote onlyQuote onlyADP TotalSource plans and prices
Paychex PEOQuote onlyQuote onlyWhat Paychex PEO costs

Lowest published monthly price of a plan for benefits administration, cheapest first at 25 employees. “See plans”: priced on another basis; “Quote only”: no published price.

Extra and hidden costs

  • Gusto

    • Next-Day pay add-on on Simple: $15/mo + $3/mo per person (included in Plus and Premium)
    • Same-day pay: $90 per payroll on Simple and Plus (included in Premium)
    • Instant pay: $100 per payroll on Simple and Plus (included in Premium)
    • State tax registration: pricing varies by state
    • Global contractor payments: $5 per payment to US-based bank accounts; foreign exchange rates may vary
    • R&D tax credits: 15% of identified tax credits
    • Time & Attendance Plus on Simple: $6/mo per person after free trial
    • Gusto Business Compliance: $85/mo per state, annual contract (included in Premium)
    • Remote I-9: $20 per submission (included in Premium)
    • E-Verify: $5 per submission on top of Remote I-9 (included in Premium)
    • Priority Support on Simple and Plus: $30/mo + $3/mo per person
    • Health insurance broker integration: $6/mo per eligible employee
    • Workers' compensation: starting at $14/mo
    • Gusto Money Plus: $19/mo
    • Tax-advantaged benefits: $200 annual service charge; HSA $2.50/mo per participant; FSA, dependent care FSA and commuter benefits $4/mo per participant each with a $20/mo minimum
    • 401(k): pricing varies by 401(k) integration
    • Cannabis-related businesses: some plans require a CRB compliance add-on (price not published)
    • Insufficient funds at the payroll debit deadline: $100 processing fee1
  • Justworks

    • Time Tracking: $8 a month per employee
    • US-based contractors: $8 a month per contractor, only in months you pay them
    • International contractors: $39 a month per paid contractor, plus exchange-rate fees
    • Health insurance on the Payroll plan: $8 a month per benefits-eligible employee, plus premiums
    • Dedicated HR Consulting: $30 a month per employee (PEO plans)
    • Health Insurance Reimbursements (CHOICE): $25 a month per enrolled employee
    • Workers' comp on PEO plans: premium as a percentage of wages, with a state minimum for unpaid owners, Health, dental, vision, life and disability premiums: billed on top of plan fees2

What drives the price

  • How employees are counted: all, benefits-eligible or enrolled
  • Number of plans, carriers and automated feeds
  • COBRA, ACA filing, FSA, HSA and commuter administration
  • Decision support and open enrollment help
  • Whether you buy payroll and HR from the same vendor

Fees to ask about before you sign:

  • Implementation and carrier feed setup fees
  • Broker integration fees when you keep your own broker
  • Per-participant fees for FSA, HSA, commuter or COBRA
  • ACA form printing and filing fees
  • Decision support sold as a separate module
  • Custom reports and file changes

Frequently asked questions

How much does benefits administration software cost?

Most vendors charge per employee per month, and some add a platform fee or sell benefits only as an add-on or bundle with payroll. Some vendors that are also your insurance broker charge no separate platform fee; Gusto states this for health plans bought through it. Ask for the annual total for your headcount, including carrier feed setup, broker integration, COBRA, ACA filing and decision support. Our pricing table shows the published prices we have verified.

What is the cheapest benefits administration software?

At 25 employees, the lowest published list prices are Gusto ($199/mo) and Justworks ($3,100/mo). List prices, before discounts and add-ons.

Do benefits administration platforms publish their prices?

Of the 16 benefits administration platforms we track, 2 publish a list price we can compare and 10 are quote-only (ADP TotalSource, ADP Workforce Now, HiBob, isolved People Cloud, and 6 more).

Do benefits administration platforms charge an implementation fee?

Gusto and Justworks state no implementation fee. Rippling includes it free for some buyers and prices it for others. HiBob, Paycom, and Paylocity list one; ask for it in writing with the quote.

Can I pay for benefits administration software month to month?

BambooHR, Gusto, and Namely bill month to month. Netchex sells annual terms.

How are benefits administration platforms priced?

By the published pricing model — per employee: HiBob, Justworks, and TriNet; base fee + per employee: Gusto and Paylocity.

How this page was made

  • What it is built from

    20 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Oct 24, 2026.

  • Method

    Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.3. Read the methodology

  • Independent review

    Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review

  • Hands-on testing

    We have not tested these products hands-on: this page uses public information only.

  • Who made it

    The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us

  • Independence and errors

    Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

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Sources

The 2 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources
  1. Gusto gusto.com/product/pricing“Simple Run basic payroll in one state. $49/mo + $6/mo per person” “Gusto Business Compliance Tools to help you track state tax registrations, annual reports, and agency mail as you expand into new states, in supported states. $85/mo per state for an annual contract”
  2. Justworks justworks.com/pricing“Justworks PEO pricing starts at $79 per month per employee for our Basic plan and $124 per month per employee for our Plus plan. Justworks Payroll customers pay $8 per month per employee plus a $50 base fee.” “Any payments to international contractors will cost $39 per active paid international contractor plus applicable exchange rate fees.”