Principal Financial Group
Best Principal Financial Group Alternatives
6 products that do the same job as Principal Financial Group, matched to the reason you might switch, with similarity scores and published prices.
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Principal Financial Group alternatives, closest first
Betterment at WorkSimilarity 90
Fidelity Workplace InvestingSimilarity 90
Human InterestSimilarity 90
Alternatives by reason for switching
Lower published price
$100 a month at 25 employees vs $295 for Principal Financial Group.
$100/mo1
Published pricing
Principal Financial Group alternatives, closest first
Products built for the same job come first, then products that also cover it, each group by similarity: the share of categories (50%), company sizes served (30%) and pricing model (20%) a product shares with Principal Financial Group.
Betterment at Work
vs Principal Financial Group: From $225 vs $295 a month at 25 employees (starting prices). 401(k) Providers score 7.9; Principal Financial Group is not scored yet.
Betterment at Work plans and prices
Similarity90 of 100From $100/mo + $5/employee/mo3
Fidelity Workplace Investing
vs Principal Financial Group: From $100 vs $295 a month at 25 employees (starting prices). 401(k) Providers score 7.7; Principal Financial Group is not scored yet.
What Fidelity Workplace Investing costs
Similarity90 of 100From $100/mo1
Human Interest
vs Principal Financial Group: From $205 vs $295 a month at 25 employees (starting prices). 401(k) Providers score 9.4; Principal Financial Group is not scored yet.
Similarity90 of 100From $80/mo + $5/employee/mo4
Vanguard Workplace Solutions
vs Principal Financial Group: Vanguard Workplace Solutions: from $3,775/yr; Principal Financial Group: from $145/mo + $6/employee.
Vanguard Workplace Solutions pricing
Similarity90 of 100
Empower
vs Principal Financial Group: Empower: quote-only; Principal Financial Group: from $145/mo + $6/employee.
Similarity80 of 100
Paychex Retirement Services
vs Principal Financial Group: Paychex Retirement Services: quote-only; Principal Financial Group: from $145/mo + $6/employee.
Paychex Retirement Services plans and prices
Similarity80 of 100
Why buyers look beyond Principal Financial Group
Fees on top of recordkeeping
Custodial, investment, financial professional and TPA fees are additional.
Setup fee for bundled plans
Bundled Simply Retirement plans carry a $500 one-time setup fee.
Principal Financial Group vs its closest alternatives
| Product | Score | Starting base fee | Pricing model | SOC 2 Type II | Mobile apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Principal Financial Group5,6 | Not scored | $145/mo | Base fee + per employee | Not verified | Not verified |
| Betterment at Work3,7,8 | 7.9 | $100/mo (billed annually) | Base fee + per employee | Yes | Yes |
| Fidelity Workplace Investing1,9 | 7.7 | $100/mo | Base fee + per employee | Not verified | NetBenefits (web and mobile app) |
| Human Interest4,10 | 9.4 | $80/mo | Base fee + per employee | Yes | Not verified |
| Vanguard Workplace Solutions11 | Not scored | See plans | Base fee + per employee | Not verified | Not verified |
| Empower12,13 | Not scored | Not verified | Not verified | Yes | Yes |
| Paychex Retirement Services14–16 | Not scored | Not verified | Quote only | Yes | Yes |
Not verified = we have no sourced value for it yet.
Alternatives to similar products
Frequently asked questions
What are the best alternatives to Principal Financial Group?
Among products built for the same job in 401(k) Providers, the closest to Principal Financial Group are Betterment at Work (90% similar), Fidelity Workplace Investing (90% similar), and Human Interest (90% similar), by the categories, company sizes and pricing model they share. Betterment at Work vs Principal Financial Group: From $225 vs $295 a month at 25 employees (starting prices). 401(k) Providers score 7.9; Principal Financial Group is not scored yet.
What is a cheaper alternative to Principal Financial Group?
Fidelity Workplace Investing: From $100 a month at 25 employees vs $295 for Principal Financial Group (starting prices).
Which Principal Financial Group alternatives publish their prices?
Of the alternatives to Principal Financial Group, Betterment at Work, Fidelity Workplace Investing, Human Interest, and Vanguard Workplace Solutions publish list prices for at least one plan. Principal Financial Group publishes part of its pricing.
Which Principal Financial Group alternative scores highest?
Human Interest scores highest at 9.4/10, 90% similar to Principal Financial Group; Principal Financial Group is not scored yet. Closest to Principal Financial Group: Betterment at Work (90% similar, 7.9).
Why do teams look for Principal Financial Group alternatives?
The fit limits documented for Principal Financial Group: fees on top of recordkeeping and setup fee for bundled plans. The “Why buyers look beyond Principal Financial Group” section explains each one from its source.
Which Principal Financial Group alternatives integrate with Paylocity?
Fidelity Workplace Investing and Human Interest document an integration with Paylocity, like Principal Financial Group.
How this page was made
What it is built from
26 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 2, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested Principal Financial Group 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
Switching from Principal Financial Group?
Tell us why you’re leaving and when your contract ends, and see the alternatives that fit, with verified evidence for what you need, ranked without regard to who pays us.
Sources
The 19 pages this page's facts come from. The date beside each is our last check of the facts taken from it (the oldest, when they differ). The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- Fidelity Investments fidelity.com/retirement-ira/small-business/401k-plans“$100 monthly fee” “Straightforward pricing and an award-winning employee experience”
- Human Interest humaninterest.com/new-401k-standard“Simple pricing published on our pricing page”
- Betterment betterment.com/work/pricing“monthly record-keeping fee per participant” “monthly base fee, billed each calendar year annually ($1,200)”
- Human Interest humaninterest.com/pricing“Per eligible employee $5 / mo” “Base fee $80 / mo”
- Principal simplyretirement.com/business-owners“Pricing shown applies when working with a third party administrator (TPA).”
- Principal simplyretirement.com/business-owners/why-simply-retirement“There’s a one-time startup fee of $500 for bundled plans, a monthly recordkeeping fee as low as $145 ($435 billed quarterly), and a $6 monthly fee per participating employee.”
- Betterment betterment.com/hubfs/PDFs/b4b/employer-dashboard/Betterment%20at%20Work%20Security%20Brochure.pdf“Audit reports are made available to clients, including a SOC 2 Type II with coverage for the security program, as well as a SOC 1 Type II report with coverage for internal controls specifically relevant to us.”
- Betterment betterment.com/work“Weighted avg. app store rating as of 9/3/25 (reviews since: 9/10/10 Apple, 10/30/13 Google).”
- Fidelity Investments fidelityworkplace.com/s/401ksmallbusiness-details“Your employees will have access to NetBenefits®– Fidelity’s #1-rated web and mobile app¹”
- Human Interest security.humaninterest.com“SOC 1 SOC 2 Type 1 SOC 2 Type 2”
- Vanguard workplace.vanguard.com/content/dam/inst/iig-transformation/offers/vrpa/pdf/build-your-retirement-business-with-Vanguard-Retirement-Plan-Access-Advisor-pricing.pdf“Our bundled program includes both recordkeeping and certain plan administration services.” “Complete pricing information is available upon request.”
- Empower empower.com/plan-sponsors/about-empower/cybersecurity“Unqualified SOC 2 Type 2 third-party attestation”
- Empower empower.com/plan-sponsors/what-we-offer/small-to-mid“Participants can enroll, adjust contribution rates, track progress, and view their complete financial picture — all in one place, on web or mobile.”
- Paychex paychex.com/retirement-services“The cost of a Paychex 401(k) plan depends on factors like your business size and the services you require.”
- Paychex paychex.com/corporate/security“Paychex maintains SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 reports over various products and services.”
- Paychex paychex.com/apps/mobile-app“Access to payroll, time, HR, benefits, retirement, and scheduling”
- Principal principal.com/businesses/protect-my-employees/retirement-plans/401k-403b-plans“Get a quote in just a few minutes”
- Fidelity Investments fidelityworkplace.com/s/401ksmallbusiness-payroll
- Human Interest humaninterest.com/payrolls