Benefits administration software costs roughly $3 to $10 per employee per month when an employer licenses it directly, plus a one time setup fee of about $1,500 to $5,000 to build the portal and load census data.[11] Enterprise platforms sit inside that band, with Benefitfocus independently reported at $3 to $5 PEPM for core enrollment and $5 to $8 PEPM for the full platform against implementation of $25,000 to $50,000, and no published rate of its own.[12] Many small and midsize employers pay nothing for the license, because Employee Navigator and Ease are sold to insurance brokers rather than to employers and the broker funds the subscription out of carrier commissions averaging roughly 2 to 10 percent of medical premium.[1][4][11][14] Modules are quoted separately either way: Ease charges $6 per employee per form per year for ACA filing, Employee Navigator bills 834 EDI carrier feeds at $0.45 per enrolled employee per month, and one published COBRA schedule charges $1.00 per active employee per month with a $50 monthly minimum plus a $300 to $1,000 setup fee.[3][2][6]
\n","summary":"Bought directly, benefits administration software runs about $3 to $10 per employee per month plus $1,500 to $5,000 in setup, and enterprise platforms land near $3 to $8 PEPM against implementation in the tens of thousands. Many small and midsize employers pay nothing for the license because platforms like Employee Navigator and Ease are sold to insurance brokers and funded by carrier commissions. ACA filing, COBRA administration, and 834 carrier feeds are priced on their own schedules.","publishedAt":"2026-07-20T22:34:30.597","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","editorialStatus":"APPROVED","lastReviewedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","nextReviewDueAt":"2026-10-20T00:00:00","templateVersion":"v2","aliases":["How much does benefits administration software cost?","Benefits administration software cost per employee per month","What is a typical PEPM rate for benefits administration?","Ben admin software pricing 2026","How much does Employee Navigator cost an employer?","How much does Ease cost per employee?","Why is benefits administration software free through my broker?","Benefits enrollment system cost for 250 employees","COBRA administration cost per month per employee","ACA 1095-C filing cost per form","EDI carrier feed fee per employee per month","Hidden fees in benefits administration software contracts"],"confidenceScore":78,"confidenceLabel":"Medium","canonicalUrl":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"contributorOrganizationProfile":{"entityId":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","legalName":null,"description":null,"websiteUrl":null,"imageUrl":null,"slogan":null,"subtitle":null,"facts":[],"coiNote":null,"foundingDate":null,"numberOfEmployeesText":null,"contactPoint":null,"address":null,"headquartersText":null,"organizationType":null},"contributorPerson":{"slug":"answerstack-editorial-team","displayName":"AnswerStack Editorial Team"},"sections":[{"id":"0e7c00a1-df13-4667-a16f-6b9553a01b14","sectionKey":"cost_overview","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"How much does benefits administration software cost per employee per month?","introMarkdown":"Benefits administration software costs roughly $3 to $10 per employee per month when an employer licenses it directly, plus a one time setup fee of about $1,500 to $5,000 to build the portal and load census data.[11] The same software frequently costs the employer nothing when it arrives through an insurance broker, because the broker holds the license and pays for it out of the commissions the carriers already pay.[11][14] Both numbers are real for the same product, and the channel you buy through decides which one lands on your invoice.\n\n### What the recurring fee covers\n\nThe per employee fee buys online enrollment, plan and rate configuration, life event processing, dependent and beneficiary records, and the reporting carriers and auditors ask for. Independent research on Benefitfocus puts core enrollment at $3 to $5 PEPM and the fuller platform at $5 to $8 PEPM, while noting that Benefitfocus publishes no rates at all, so every figure attached to it is a third party estimate.[12] Rippling's core HR platform is reported at $8 per employee per month with the benefits module quoted separately.[13]\n\n### Who publishes a rate and who does not\n\nAlmost nobody in this category posts a base price. Employee Navigator attaches Contact Sales to all four of its broker tiers and publishes only the fee for 834 carrier feeds, and Ease sizes three tiers by employee and agency user count with no dollar figure before publishing exact prices for its add-on modules.[1][3]\n\n### Where it is bundled at no separate charge\n\nSome payroll platforms fold benefits administration into the base subscription instead of pricing it as a module. OnPay lists it inside the $49 base plus $6 per worker plan with licensed in house agents and open enrollment self service, and charges nothing for implementation or integrations.[5]","introHtml":"Benefits administration software costs roughly $3 to $10 per employee per month when an employer licenses it directly, plus a one time setup fee of about $1,500 to $5,000 to build the portal and load census data.[11] The same software frequently costs the employer nothing when it arrives through an insurance broker, because the broker holds the license and pays for it out of the commissions the carriers already pay.[11][14] Both numbers are real for the same product, and the channel you buy through decides which one lands on your invoice.
\nThe per employee fee buys online enrollment, plan and rate configuration, life event processing, dependent and beneficiary records, and the reporting carriers and auditors ask for. Independent research on Benefitfocus puts core enrollment at $3 to $5 PEPM and the fuller platform at $5 to $8 PEPM, while noting that Benefitfocus publishes no rates at all, so every figure attached to it is a third party estimate.[12] Rippling's core HR platform is reported at $8 per employee per month with the benefits module quoted separately.[13]
\nAlmost nobody in this category posts a base price. Employee Navigator attaches Contact Sales to all four of its broker tiers and publishes only the fee for 834 carrier feeds, and Ease sizes three tiers by employee and agency user count with no dollar figure before publishing exact prices for its add-on modules.[1][3]
\nSome payroll platforms fold benefits administration into the base subscription instead of pricing it as a module. OnPay lists it inside the $49 base plus $6 per worker plan with licensed in house agents and open enrollment self service, and charges nothing for implementation or integrations.[5]
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":10},{"id":"a1494822-2424-468b-8668-9a7d7514a074","sectionKey":"pricing_models_table","sectionType":"table_section","heading":"What are the five ways this software gets priced?","introMarkdown":"Every figure below was read off the cited page on July 20, 2026, and third party estimates are labeled.","introHtml":"Every figure below was read off the cited page on July 20, 2026, and third party estimates are labeled.
\n","outroMarkdown":"The first two rows are the same product sold through two channels, which is the largest single reason quotes for identical headcounts come back an order of magnitude apart.[4][11]","outroHtml":"The first two rows are the same product sold through two channels, which is the largest single reason quotes for identical headcounts come back an order of magnitude apart.[4][11]
\n","contentJson":{"rows":[{"cells":["Broker funded platform","$0 to the employer for the core license [4][11]","The agency, out of carrier commissions averaging 2 to 10 percent of medical premium [14]"]},{"cells":["Standalone PEPM subscription","$3 to $10 per employee per month plus $1,500 to $5,000 setup [11]","The employer, direct to the vendor"]},{"cells":["Enterprise platform","$3 to $5 PEPM core and $5 to $8 PEPM full, implementation $25,000 to $100,000 plus (estimate) [12]","The employer, on a multi year contract"]},{"cells":["Module inside a payroll or HR plan","Included in OnPay's $49 base plus $6 per worker; quoted separately at Rippling [5][13]","The employer, inside the payroll invoice"]},{"cells":["Per transaction and per form services","834 feeds $0.45 per enrolled employee monthly; ACA $6 per employee per form yearly at Ease or $1.29 to $3.49 per form at a filing bureau; COBRA $1.00 per active employee monthly [2][3][9][6]","The agency is billed for feeds, the employer for COBRA and ACA"]}],"columns":["Pricing model","What it costs","Who pays"]},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":20},{"id":"9486f623-f7be-49aa-8559-7e246dfe207b","sectionKey":"pricing_models_detail","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"How does each pricing model actually work?","introMarkdown":"### Broker funded platforms\n\nThe license is sold to the insurance agency and the employer is set up as a client inside the agency's account. Ease states it plainly: insurance brokers pay for subscriptions across its Pro, Agency, and Enterprise tiers.[4] Ask which platform your broker licenses and at which tier, because the tier decides whether carrier feeds and onboarding tools are available to you at all.[1]\n\n### Standalone PEPM subscriptions\n\nAn employer buying directly pays $3 to $10 per employee per month plus a build fee, which one analysis puts at up to $12,000 a year recurring for a 100 person company against setup of $1,500 to $5,000.[11] This route makes sense when you want the platform to outlast any single broker relationship.\n\n### Enterprise platforms\n\nAbove roughly a thousand employees the software fee stops being the main number, because implementation runs $25,000 to $50,000 for a standard deployment and $75,000 to $100,000 or more with heavy carrier counts, against a PEPM of $3 to $8.[12]\n\n### Modules inside payroll and HR platforms\n\nBenefits administration is sometimes a line item and sometimes included: OnPay puts it in the base plan, while Rippling quotes it on top of a reported $8 per employee per month core platform.[5][13] The bundled version usually assumes the vendor also brokers the plans, so check what happens if you keep your existing broker.\n\n### Per transaction and per form services\n\nCarrier feeds, ACA filing, and COBRA carry their own schedules no matter which of the four models above you land in, and they are the fees most often missing from a first quote.[2][3][6]","introHtml":"The license is sold to the insurance agency and the employer is set up as a client inside the agency's account. Ease states it plainly: insurance brokers pay for subscriptions across its Pro, Agency, and Enterprise tiers.[4] Ask which platform your broker licenses and at which tier, because the tier decides whether carrier feeds and onboarding tools are available to you at all.[1]
\nAn employer buying directly pays $3 to $10 per employee per month plus a build fee, which one analysis puts at up to $12,000 a year recurring for a 100 person company against setup of $1,500 to $5,000.[11] This route makes sense when you want the platform to outlast any single broker relationship.
\nAbove roughly a thousand employees the software fee stops being the main number, because implementation runs $25,000 to $50,000 for a standard deployment and $75,000 to $100,000 or more with heavy carrier counts, against a PEPM of $3 to $8.[12]
\nBenefits administration is sometimes a line item and sometimes included: OnPay puts it in the base plan, while Rippling quotes it on top of a reported $8 per employee per month core platform.[5][13] The bundled version usually assumes the vendor also brokers the plans, so check what happens if you keep your existing broker.
\nCarrier feeds, ACA filing, and COBRA carry their own schedules no matter which of the four models above you land in, and they are the fees most often missing from a first quote.[2][3][6]
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":30},{"id":"dac70a4b-b1f9-437a-ad5a-5d89461f0d71","sectionKey":"broker_funded","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Why do some employers pay nothing for the software?","introMarkdown":"Two of the most widely used platforms in the United States are sold to insurance agencies rather than to employers, so the employer never receives a software invoice. Ease states that insurance brokers pay for subscriptions to Ease, and Employee Navigator's pricing page is addressed entirely to brokers managing benefits for their book of clients.[4][1] Employee Navigator acquired Ease in April 2023, and the combined company reported supporting more than 150,000 businesses and over 4,000 insurance brokers.[1] For an employer whose broker is on either platform, the ben admin cost per employee per month is zero.\n\n### What funds it\n\nThe agency recovers the license cost from commissions the carriers pay on the plans it places, which average roughly 2 to 10 percent of medical premium and run far higher on some ancillary lines.[14] One cost analysis of enrollment systems puts it directly: the cost is effectively zero for the employer because the broker absorbs the licensing fees.[11] The software line really is free, though the technology and the insurance placement come as a single purchase.\n\n### What to ask for in writing\n\nUnder the group health plan disclosure rules added to ERISA by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, a covered service provider expecting $1,000 or more in compensation for brokerage or consulting services must describe all direct and indirect compensation it expects to receive, reasonably in advance of the contract.[10] A broker funded platform is indirect compensation in economic substance, so that disclosure is where you see what the free software is attached to. This is general information rather than legal advice.","introHtml":"Two of the most widely used platforms in the United States are sold to insurance agencies rather than to employers, so the employer never receives a software invoice. Ease states that insurance brokers pay for subscriptions to Ease, and Employee Navigator's pricing page is addressed entirely to brokers managing benefits for their book of clients.[4][1] Employee Navigator acquired Ease in April 2023, and the combined company reported supporting more than 150,000 businesses and over 4,000 insurance brokers.[1] For an employer whose broker is on either platform, the ben admin cost per employee per month is zero.
\nThe agency recovers the license cost from commissions the carriers pay on the plans it places, which average roughly 2 to 10 percent of medical premium and run far higher on some ancillary lines.[14] One cost analysis of enrollment systems puts it directly: the cost is effectively zero for the employer because the broker absorbs the licensing fees.[11] The software line really is free, though the technology and the insurance placement come as a single purchase.
\nUnder the group health plan disclosure rules added to ERISA by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, a covered service provider expecting $1,000 or more in compensation for brokerage or consulting services must describe all direct and indirect compensation it expects to receive, reasonably in advance of the contract.[10] A broker funded platform is indirect compensation in economic substance, so that disclosure is where you see what the free software is attached to. This is general information rather than legal advice.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":40},{"id":"14dc9054-0b29-4a00-aa04-2f2f00aaf034","sectionKey":"headcount_definition","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Is the fee charged per eligible employee or per enrolled employee?","introMarkdown":"That definition changes the bill by 30 to 50 percent at a typical participation rate, and it is set in the contract rather than by any industry standard. Employee Navigator states its basis explicitly: 834 EDI feeds are billed to agencies at $0.45 per enrolled employee per month, based on the highest eligible feed per group.[2] Most PEPM quotes say only per employee, which leaves the meaning open.\n\n### The arithmetic\n\nTake a 200 person company where 140 employees enroll in medical, a 70 percent participation rate that is unremarkable where employee contributions are meaningful. At $5 PEPM, per enrolled billing produces $700 a month and per eligible billing produces $1,000, about $3,600 a year on an otherwise identical contract. The gap widens as participation falls, which is why a company with a high waiver rate should push for an enrolled basis.\n\n### The other counting questions\n\nAsk how part time and variable hour employees are counted, since ACA tracking can pull people into the eligible population who never enroll, and ask whether terminated employees stay billable while COBRA continues. Ease sizes its tiers by employee count rather than charging PEPM on the base product, which sidesteps the question at the platform level but not for its add-on modules at $1 to $2 PEPM.[3]","introHtml":"That definition changes the bill by 30 to 50 percent at a typical participation rate, and it is set in the contract rather than by any industry standard. Employee Navigator states its basis explicitly: 834 EDI feeds are billed to agencies at $0.45 per enrolled employee per month, based on the highest eligible feed per group.[2] Most PEPM quotes say only per employee, which leaves the meaning open.
\nTake a 200 person company where 140 employees enroll in medical, a 70 percent participation rate that is unremarkable where employee contributions are meaningful. At $5 PEPM, per enrolled billing produces $700 a month and per eligible billing produces $1,000, about $3,600 a year on an otherwise identical contract. The gap widens as participation falls, which is why a company with a high waiver rate should push for an enrolled basis.
\nAsk how part time and variable hour employees are counted, since ACA tracking can pull people into the eligible population who never enroll, and ask whether terminated employees stay billable while COBRA continues. Ease sizes its tiers by employee count rather than charging PEPM on the base product, which sidesteps the question at the platform level but not for its add-on modules at $1 to $2 PEPM.[3]
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":50},{"id":"9fad0f76-736a-4ccc-b092-7dadf9883e72","sectionKey":"worked_examples","sectionType":"table_section","heading":"What does it cost at 50, 250, and 1,000 employees?","introMarkdown":"Each row applies a published or independently reported rate to one scenario, assuming one 1095-C per employee per year.","introHtml":"Each row applies a published or independently reported rate to one scenario, assuming one 1095-C per employee per year.
\n","outroMarkdown":"Cost per employee barely falls with scale here, unlike payroll software, because the fee is almost entirely variable and the fixed component is small.[11][12] What changes with scale is the one time build, from a $1,500 census load to six figures for an enterprise deployment with many carrier feeds.[11][12]","outroHtml":"Cost per employee barely falls with scale here, unlike payroll software, because the fee is almost entirely variable and the fixed component is small.[11][12] What changes with scale is the one time build, from a $1,500 census load to six figures for an enterprise deployment with many carrier feeds.[11][12]
\n","contentJson":{"rows":[{"cells":["50 employees, platform supplied by the broker [4][11]","$0 software","$0","ACA at Ease is $300 a year; COBRA hits the $50 monthly minimum, plus $300 setup [3][6]"]},{"cells":["50 employees, standalone at $3 to $10 PEPM [11]","$150 to $500 a month","$3 to $10","$1,500 to $5,000 setup [11]"]},{"cells":["250 employees, standalone at $3 to $10 PEPM [11]","$750 to $2,500 a month","$3 to $10","Setup $1,500 to $5,000; ACA print, mail and e-file at $1.79 per form is $447.50 plus $99 [9]"]},{"cells":["250 employees, 180 enrolled, 834 feed added [2]","$81 a month","$0.32 across the eligible population","Billed to the agency, not the employer [2]"]},{"cells":["1,000 employees, enterprise core at $3 to $5 PEPM (estimate) [12]","$3,000 to $5,000 a month","$3 to $5","Implementation $25,000 to $50,000 [12]"]},{"cells":["1,000 employees, enterprise full platform at $5 to $8 PEPM (estimate) [12]","$5,000 to $8,000 a month","$5 to $8","Implementation $75,000 to $100,000 plus; ACA at $1.29 per form is $1,290 [12][9]"]}],"columns":["Scenario","Recurring cost","Cost per employee per month","One time or annual extras"]},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":60},{"id":"510d16a7-671f-43fb-8ab3-1811bfa079a1","sectionKey":"missed_costs","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Which costs do buyers routinely miss?","introMarkdown":"Five charges sit outside the headline PEPM often enough to break a budget built on that number alone, and most are hard to renegotiate after signature.\n\n### 834 EDI carrier feeds\n\nAn electronic eligibility feed to each carrier is priced separately and is frequently the reason a quote moves. Employee Navigator bills agencies $0.45 per enrolled employee per month based on the highest eligible feed per group, requires its Enhanced Plus license or higher, and waives the fee on its Platinum tier.[2][1] It warns that setup takes longer than its other integrations because a file has to be built and tested for each company individually, so confirm your broker's tier before assuming feeds are available.[2]\n\n### ACA reporting and 1095-C filing\n\nACA forms are priced per form per year rather than per employee per month, and Ease charges $6 per employee per form per year for 1094-B/C and 1095-B/C generation.[3] Filing bureaus are cheaper at volume: TaxBandits charges $2.99 per form for the first 49 falling to $1.99 at 501 to 1,000, plus $1.50 for direct state filing and $2.50 for postal mailing.[8] Sovos ACAMs charges $3.49 per form to print, mail and e-file at 1 to 10 forms, $1.29 at 501 to 1,000, and $0.59 above 10,001, with a $99 annual setup fee and state filing at $99 per state plus $1.49 per record.[9]\n\n### COBRA administration\n\nCOBRA is quoted on its own schedule and is rarely inside the ben admin PEPM. Professional Benefit Services publishes a 2026 schedule of $1.00 per active employee per month with a $50 monthly minimum, setup from $300 at 20 to 200 employees up to $1,000 above 800, and annual renewal of $200 to $700.[6] Flat annual pricing also exists, with COBRAadminOnline listing comprehensive service at $799 under 100 employees, $1,799 for 100 to 499, and $3,499 above 500.[7] Both bill on employee counts rather than per qualified beneficiary, so treat any per beneficiary quote as a different structure and rerun it on your own numbers.\n\n### Implementation and the annual rebuild\n\nSetup is quoted once and open enrollment reconfiguration is quoted every plan year. Small and midsize builds run $1,500 to $5,000, while enterprise implementations run $25,000 to $50,000 standard and more with heavy carrier counts.[11][12] Ask what a plan change in year two costs, because that is where a low first year quote is usually recovered.\n\n### Payroll integration\n\nEase says payroll integration costs are partner specific and typically range from $0 to $1.50 PEPM.[3] Employee Navigator provides payroll integrations at no additional cost to brokers while noting that the client's payroll provider may charge them setup or integration fees.[2]","introHtml":"Five charges sit outside the headline PEPM often enough to break a budget built on that number alone, and most are hard to renegotiate after signature.
\nAn electronic eligibility feed to each carrier is priced separately and is frequently the reason a quote moves. Employee Navigator bills agencies $0.45 per enrolled employee per month based on the highest eligible feed per group, requires its Enhanced Plus license or higher, and waives the fee on its Platinum tier.[2][1] It warns that setup takes longer than its other integrations because a file has to be built and tested for each company individually, so confirm your broker's tier before assuming feeds are available.[2]
\nACA forms are priced per form per year rather than per employee per month, and Ease charges $6 per employee per form per year for 1094-B/C and 1095-B/C generation.[3] Filing bureaus are cheaper at volume: TaxBandits charges $2.99 per form for the first 49 falling to $1.99 at 501 to 1,000, plus $1.50 for direct state filing and $2.50 for postal mailing.[8] Sovos ACAMs charges $3.49 per form to print, mail and e-file at 1 to 10 forms, $1.29 at 501 to 1,000, and $0.59 above 10,001, with a $99 annual setup fee and state filing at $99 per state plus $1.49 per record.[9]
\nCOBRA is quoted on its own schedule and is rarely inside the ben admin PEPM. Professional Benefit Services publishes a 2026 schedule of $1.00 per active employee per month with a $50 monthly minimum, setup from $300 at 20 to 200 employees up to $1,000 above 800, and annual renewal of $200 to $700.[6] Flat annual pricing also exists, with COBRAadminOnline listing comprehensive service at $799 under 100 employees, $1,799 for 100 to 499, and $3,499 above 500.[7] Both bill on employee counts rather than per qualified beneficiary, so treat any per beneficiary quote as a different structure and rerun it on your own numbers.
\nSetup is quoted once and open enrollment reconfiguration is quoted every plan year. Small and midsize builds run $1,500 to $5,000, while enterprise implementations run $25,000 to $50,000 standard and more with heavy carrier counts.[11][12] Ask what a plan change in year two costs, because that is where a low first year quote is usually recovered.
\nEase says payroll integration costs are partner specific and typically range from $0 to $1.50 PEPM.[3] Employee Navigator provides payroll integrations at no additional cost to brokers while noting that the client's payroll provider may charge them setup or integration fees.[2]
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":70},{"id":"29b47203-8811-4eea-9d45-33232e6396fc","sectionKey":"contributor_perspective","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"How this answer was researched","introMarkdown":"Ten of the fourteen sources here are vendor pricing pages, published fee schedules, or the statute itself, opened and read on July 20, 2026, and every figure attributed to a vendor was taken off the page rather than from memory. Benefits administration is unusually opaque on price, since most platforms publish nothing at all, so the enterprise ranges here are labeled as third party estimates and dated, and the module prices vendors do publish are cited to the vendor. Gusto, ADP, Paylocity, Rippling, and Intuit block automated fetching, so no figure is attributed to them from a page this team could not open. Rates move with open enrollment cycles, and module and filing fees move faster than platform fees. If you administer benefits, broker them, or build these platforms and you hold a fee schedule that contradicts anything above, send the correction with a source.","introHtml":"Ten of the fourteen sources here are vendor pricing pages, published fee schedules, or the statute itself, opened and read on July 20, 2026, and every figure attributed to a vendor was taken off the page rather than from memory. Benefits administration is unusually opaque on price, since most platforms publish nothing at all, so the enterprise ranges here are labeled as third party estimates and dated, and the module prices vendors do publish are cited to the vendor. Gusto, ADP, Paylocity, Rippling, and Intuit block automated fetching, so no figure is attributed to them from a page this team could not open. Rates move with open enrollment cycles, and module and filing fees move faster than platform fees. If you administer benefits, broker them, or build these platforms and you hold a fee schedule that contradicts anything above, send the correction with a source.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":"This answer was written and reviewed by the AnswerStack Editorial Team, which has no commercial stake in the products, companies, or methods discussed. Every claim is cited inline and verified on the dates shown.","noteHtml":"This answer was written and reviewed by the AnswerStack Editorial Team, which has no commercial stake in the products, companies, or methods discussed. Every claim is cited inline and verified on the dates shown.
\n","sortOrder":80},{"id":"234d5127-4431-4c71-b0e4-9df690d88298","sectionKey":"what_pepm_does_not_tell_you","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"What a benefits administration PEPM does not tell you","introMarkdown":"### It is not the cost of your benefits\n\nThe software fee is small next to the premium it administers, since a $5 PEPM platform costs $60 per employee per year against employer medical contributions running into five figures per employee. That is why the selection question is usually about the accuracy of the carrier feed rather than the subscription price.\n\n### It is not a like for like number across quotes\n\nTwo PEPM figures compare only once you fix the headcount basis, the module list, and the term. Employee Navigator's published $0.45 is per enrolled employee, Ease's $1 and $2 sit on an add-on rather than the platform, and the $3 to $8 enterprise range is a third party estimate against vendors that publish nothing.[2][3][12] Restate every quote on your own census before ranking them.\n\n### A zero on the software line is not a zero overall\n\nBroker funded platforms remove the license fee rather than the underlying cost, since the agency recovers it from commissions built into the premium you already pay.[11][14] The ERISA disclosure rules exist so a fiduciary can see that indirect compensation before renewing.[10]\n\n### It is not fixed once you sign\n\nHeadcount moves monthly, COBRA and ACA volumes move with turnover, and open enrollment reconfiguration recurs every plan year.[6][11]","introHtml":"The software fee is small next to the premium it administers, since a $5 PEPM platform costs $60 per employee per year against employer medical contributions running into five figures per employee. That is why the selection question is usually about the accuracy of the carrier feed rather than the subscription price.
\nTwo PEPM figures compare only once you fix the headcount basis, the module list, and the term. Employee Navigator's published $0.45 is per enrolled employee, Ease's $1 and $2 sit on an add-on rather than the platform, and the $3 to $8 enterprise range is a third party estimate against vendors that publish nothing.[2][3][12] Restate every quote on your own census before ranking them.
\nBroker funded platforms remove the license fee rather than the underlying cost, since the agency recovers it from commissions built into the premium you already pay.[11][14] The ERISA disclosure rules exist so a fiduciary can see that indirect compensation before renewing.[10]
\nHeadcount moves monthly, COBRA and ACA volumes move with turnover, and open enrollment reconfiguration recurs every plan year.[6][11]
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":90}],"citations":[{"title":"Employee Navigator Pricing: Compare Plans and Features","url":"https://www.employeenavigator.com/Pricing","excerpt":"Plans designed for brokers of all sizes ... 834 EDI Feeds: Enhanced Plus $0.45 PEPM*, Elite $0.45 PEPM*, Platinum Free ... *Additional fees apply","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Four broker plan tiers (Enhanced, Enhanced Plus, Elite, Platinum) with Contact Sales and no published subscription price; unlimited companies and unlimited employees on all tiers; 834 EDI feeds at $0.45 PEPM on Enhanced Plus and Elite and free on Platinum; 1095 and 1094 reporting and email and phone","domain":"employeenavigator.com","publisherName":"Employee Navigator"},{"title":"The Definitive Guide to Integrations with Employee Navigator","url":"https://www.employeenavigator.com/the-definitive-guide-to-integrations-with-employee-navigator/","excerpt":"Employee Navigator charges agencies $0.45 per enrolled employee per month based on the highest eligible feed per group.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"834 EDI carrier feeds billed to agencies at $0.45 per enrolled employee per month based on the highest eligible feed per group; Enhanced Plus license or higher required; setup takes longer than other integrations because a file must be set up and tested per company; payroll integrations available at","domain":"employeenavigator.com","publisherName":"Employee Navigator"},{"title":"Ease Product Pricing","url":"https://www.ease.com/pricing/","excerpt":"The cost is $1 PEPM for brokers to enable and $2 PEPM for employers ... The cost is $6 per employee per form per year for Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance ... typically range from $0 to $1.50 PEPM.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Three subscription tiers (Pro up to 2,000 employees and 3 agency users, Agency, Enterprise) sized by employee and agency user counts with no published dollar figure; EaseHR at $1 PEPM for brokers to enable and $2 PEPM for employers; ACA compliance at $6 per employee per form per year covering IRS 10","domain":"ease.com","publisherName":"Ease"},{"title":"Benefits Administration Software Answers (FAQ)","url":"https://www.ease.com/resources/faq/","excerpt":"Insurance brokers pay for subscriptions to Ease. There are three tiers to choose from: Pro, Agency, and Enterprise.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Insurance brokers pay for subscriptions to Ease across the Pro, Agency, and Enterprise tiers; employers access the platform through their broker; customer support included in the subscription at no extra cost","domain":"ease.com","publisherName":"Ease"},{"title":"OnPay Pricing: Payroll Costs and Plans","url":"https://onpay.com/payroll/software/costs-pricing/","excerpt":"$49 base + $6/worker per month ... Benefits admin: Compare and customize plans ... Support from licensed in-house agents ... No implementation or integration fees","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Benefits administration listed inside the $49 base plus $6 per worker per month Payroll Essentials plan, including plan comparison and customization, support from licensed in house agents, open enrollment employee self service, and automated plan administration; no implementation or integration fees","domain":"onpay.com","publisherName":"OnPay"},{"title":"COBRA Administration Services and Fee Schedule, 2026","url":"https://www.profben.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2026-COBRA-Fee-Schedule.pdf","excerpt":"Administration Fee: $1.00 per Active Employee on eligible plan. Minimum billing of $50 per month. Initial Set-up Fee: 20-200 $300 ... 800+ $1000. Annual Renewal Fee: 20-200 $200 ... 800+ $700.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"2026 published COBRA administration fee schedule: administration fee of $1.00 per active employee on an eligible plan with a minimum billing of $50 per month; initial setup fee of $300 for 20 to 200 employees, $500 for 201 to 400, $700 for 401 to 600, $900 for 601 to 800, and $1,000 above 800; annua","domain":"profben.com","publisherName":"Professional Benefit Services"},{"title":"COBRA Administration Cost","url":"https://www.cobraadminonline.com/Pricing.aspx","excerpt":"Comprehensive Services: Under 100 employees: $799.00; 100 to 499 employees: $1,799.00; 500+ employees: $3,499.00","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Flat annual COBRA pricing by employer size: self administration at $379 under 100 employees, $879 for 100 to 499, and $1,679 for 500 and above; comprehensive service at $799, $1,799, and $3,499 on the same bands","domain":"cobraadminonline.com","publisherName":"COBRAadminOnline"},{"title":"TaxBandits Pricing: ACA Forms 1094 and 1095","url":"https://www.taxbandits.com/pricing/","excerpt":"First 49 Forms $2.99/form ... 501-1000 Forms $1.99/form ... Direct State Filing $1.50/form ... Postal Mailing $2.50/form","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Federal e-filing of Forms 1094/1095-B and 1094/1095-C at $2.99 per form for the first 49 forms, $2.49 for 50 to 100, $2.29 for 101 to 250, $2.09 for 251 to 500, and $1.99 for 501 to 1,000; direct state filing $1.50 per form; state only filing from $1.99 down to $0.99 per form; online access $0.50 pe","domain":"taxbandits.com","publisherName":"TaxBandits"},{"title":"Print, Mail and eFile 1095 Forms Online: ACA Pricing","url":"https://acams.1099pro.com/ACA_Pricing","excerpt":"1-10 $3.49 ea. ... 501-1,000 $1.29 ea. ... 10,001+ $0.59 ea. ... $99 per Eligible State & $1.49 per Eligible Record ... All ACA customers have a one-time, $99, setup fee charged to the first order of the tax year.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Per form tiered pricing for Forms 1095-B and 1095-C with 1094s free: print, mail and e-file at $3.49 for 1 to 10 forms, $2.79 for 11 to 50, $2.29 for 51 to 100, $1.79 for 101 to 250, $1.59 for 251 to 500, $1.29 for 501 to 1,000, $0.99 for 1,001 to 5,000, $0.79 for 5,001 to 10,000, and $0.59 above 10","domain":"acams.1099pro.com","publisherName":"Sovos Compliance (ACAMs by 1099 Pro)"},{"title":"29 U.S. Code 1108: Exemptions from prohibited transactions, subsection (b)(2)(B)","url":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/1108","excerpt":"reasonably expects $1,000 ... or more in compensation ... Services (including brokerage services) ... A description of all indirect compensation that the covered service provider ... reasonably expects to receive ... not later than the date that is reasonably in advance of the date on which the contract or arrangement is entered into","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Group health plan service provider compensation disclosure added by the Consolidated Appropriations Act: a covered service provider is one that reasonably expects $1,000 or more in compensation for services including brokerage services and consulting; it must describe all direct and all indirect com","domain":"law.cornell.edu","publisherName":"Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute"},{"title":"Employee Benefits Enrollment Systems: A Cost and Value Analysis","url":"https://abigsolutions.com/blog/employee-benefits-enrollment-systems-cost-value-analysis/","excerpt":"The employee benefits enrollment systems cost is effectively zero for the employer. The broker absorbs the licensing fees ... Implementation Fees: Most vendors charge a one-time setup fee to build your portal and load your census data, ranging from $1,500 to $5,000","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Direct SaaS purchase of an enrollment system at $3 to $10 PEPM, described as up to $12,000 a year recurring for a 100 person company; one time implementation fee to build the portal and load census data at $1,500 to $5,000; under the broker partnered model the cost is effectively zero for the employ","domain":"abigsolutions.com","publisherName":"ABIG Solutions"},{"title":"Benefitfocus Pricing: Enterprise Costs","url":"https://peopleopsclub.com/software/benefitfocus/pricing","excerpt":"Core platform: $3 to $5 PEPM ... Full-featured platform: $5 to $8 PEPM ... Standard deployment: $25,000-$50,000 ... Enterprise deployments: $75,000-$100,000+ ... Reviewed Jun 11, 2026","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Benefitfocus publishes no pricing, so all figures are third party estimates: core platform $3 to $5 PEPM and full featured platform $5 to $8 PEPM; standard implementation $25,000 to $50,000 and enterprise deployments $75,000 to $100,000 or more; underlying data described as G2, Capterra and Gartner ","domain":"peopleopsclub.com","publisherName":"PeopleOps Club"},{"title":"11 Best Benefits Administration Systems (2026)","url":"https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/buyer-guide/benefits-administration-software","excerpt":"Rippling ... $8 per employee per month ... Last Updated: February 24, 2026","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Rippling core HR base reported at $8 per employee per month with the benefits module requiring a custom quote; Namely and Maxwell Health listed as non disclosed pricing; page last updated February 24, 2026","domain":"selectsoftwarereviews.com","publisherName":"SelectSoftwareReviews"},{"title":"Employee benefits broker commissions: How do brokers make money?","url":"https://www.navabenefits.com/resources/employee-benefits-broker-commissions","excerpt":"This percentage averages between 2-10% of the total premium, but there are outliers in some situations ... brokers must proactively disclose direct and indirect compensation before you sign a contract","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","supportsText":"Broker commissions on medical coverage average between 2 and 10 percent of total premium with outliers, and some ancillary benefits vendors offer commissions upwards of 50 percent of premium; brokers must proactively disclose direct compensation, indirect compensation, and conflicts of interest befo","domain":"navabenefits.com","publisherName":"Nava Benefits"}],"revisions":[],"relatedAnswers":[{"id":"82d55598-cac2-4cf5-8a2c-d838a9e3e1de","slug":"how-do-i-drive-employee-participation-and-adoption-across","question":"How do I drive employee participation and adoption across benefits, wellness, and perks programs?","publishedAt":"2026-07-22T12:25:12.777","confidenceScore":85,"confidenceLabel":"High","industry":{"id":"e1a1da3c-52a8-4e99-88ad-d08ef17d7c3f","slug":"hr-technology","label":"HR Technology","description":"ATS, HRIS, payroll, and workforce management"},"topic":{"slug":"benefits-employee-wellbeing","label":"Benefits & Employee Wellbeing","description":"Benefits Administration & Enrollment, Corporate Wellness, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Financial Wellness, Employee Perks & Discounts","schemaKind":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"snippet":"Low utilization is normal across benefits, wellness, and perks. What raises it is communication that reaches people, timing tied to onboarding, open enrollment, life events and paydays, less friction to enroll, honest defaults where the law allows, manager involvement, and measuring the funnel from aware to using rather than enrollment alone. Adding more programs rarely helps and can lower engagement through choice overload. Confidentiality communication is itself an adoption lever.","url":"/q/how-do-i-drive-employee-participation-and-adoption-across"},{"id":"43b6eee1-c965-41c8-bc16-a906ffb4e94c","slug":"what-are-the-best-employee-perks-and-discount-platforms","question":"What are the best employee perks and discount platforms, and do employees actually use them?","publishedAt":"2026-07-22T12:25:10.107","confidenceScore":74,"confidenceLabel":"Medium","industry":{"id":"e1a1da3c-52a8-4e99-88ad-d08ef17d7c3f","slug":"hr-technology","label":"HR Technology","description":"ATS, HRIS, payroll, and workforce management"},"topic":{"slug":"benefits-employee-wellbeing","label":"Benefits & Employee Wellbeing","description":"Benefits Administration & Enrollment, Corporate Wellness, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Financial Wellness, Employee Perks & Discounts","schemaKind":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"snippet":"Perks and discount tools fall into four groups: no-cost retail discount marketplaces, employer-funded lifestyle spending accounts and stipends, recognition platforms with a reward store, and voluntary benefits marketplaces. The right pick depends on your workforce, not a ranking. Utilization is the real test, and discount catalogs often go unused while flexible stipends see higher participation. Most employer-funded perks are taxable to the employee unless a specific IRS exclusion applies.","url":"/q/what-are-the-best-employee-perks-and-discount-platforms"},{"id":"f4572961-7252-480f-8656-a346c8bb14c8","slug":"what-is-a-financial-wellness-program","question":"What is a financial wellness program, and is it worth the investment?","publishedAt":"2026-07-22T12:25:06.867","confidenceScore":84,"confidenceLabel":"High","industry":{"id":"e1a1da3c-52a8-4e99-88ad-d08ef17d7c3f","slug":"hr-technology","label":"HR Technology","description":"ATS, HRIS, payroll, and workforce management"},"topic":{"slug":"benefits-employee-wellbeing","label":"Benefits & Employee Wellbeing","description":"Benefits Administration & Enrollment, Corporate Wellness, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Financial Wellness, Employee Perks & Discounts","schemaKind":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"snippet":"Financial wellness programs bundle money education, coaching, budgeting and savings tools, debt and student loan help, and sometimes earned wage access or product offers. The honest cases split: financial stress is real and targeted help can reduce it, yet most ROI figures are vendor produced and engagement runs low. The model matters most, since a program funded by selling employees loans or investments carries a conflict of interest that fee for service coaching does not.","url":"/q/what-is-a-financial-wellness-program"},{"id":"876cc79e-90d9-412f-84ec-cdfee5ee00d5","slug":"corporate-wellness-programs-actually-work","question":"Do corporate wellness programs actually work, and how do you measure the ROI?","publishedAt":"2026-07-22T12:25:03.711","confidenceScore":88,"confidenceLabel":"High","industry":{"id":"e1a1da3c-52a8-4e99-88ad-d08ef17d7c3f","slug":"hr-technology","label":"HR Technology","description":"ATS, HRIS, payroll, and workforce management"},"topic":{"slug":"benefits-employee-wellbeing","label":"Benefits & Employee Wellbeing","description":"Benefits Administration & Enrollment, Corporate Wellness, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Financial Wellness, Employee Perks & Discounts","schemaKind":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"snippet":"Randomized trials of general workplace wellness programs, including the Illinois Workplace Wellness Study and the JAMA study at BJ's Wholesale Club, found minimal near-term effects on health, costs, and productivity, while the widely cited multiple-to-one ROI figures rest on observational data skewed by who volunteers. Disease management for existing conditions has stronger cost evidence than broad lifestyle programs. Measure value of investment and participation separately from causal, hard-dollar ROI.","url":"/q/corporate-wellness-programs-actually-work"}],"contributorStats":{"verifiedAnswers":224,"openDisputes":0},"schemaJson":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Question","name":"How much does benefits administration software cost per employee per month?","text":"How much does benefits administration software cost per employee per month?","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/how-much-does-benefits-administration-software-cost-per-employee","answerCount":1,"datePublished":"2026-07-20T22:34:30.597","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"AnswerStack Editorial Team","worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"AnswerStack"},"url":"https://www.answerstack.io/contributors/answer-stack"},"about":[{"@type":"Thing","name":"Benefits & Employee Wellbeing"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"HR Technology"}],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Benefits administration software costs roughly $3 to $10 per employee per month when an employer licenses it directly, plus a one time setup fee of about $1,500 to $5,000 to build the portal and load census data.[11] Enterprise platforms sit inside that band, with Benefitfocus independently reported at $3 to $5 PEPM for core enrollment and $5 to $8 PEPM for the full platform against implementation of $25,000 to $50,000, and no published rate of its own.[12] Many small and midsize employers pay nothing for the license, because Employee Navigator and Ease are sold to insurance brokers rather than to employers and the broker funds the subscription out of carrier commissions averaging roughly 2 to 10 percent of medical premium.[1][4][11][14] Modules are quoted separately either way: Ease charges $6 per employee per form per year for ACA filing, Employee Navigator bills 834 EDI carrier feeds at $0.45 per enrolled employee per month, and one published COBRA schedule charges $1.00 per active employee per month with a $50 monthly minimum plus a $300 to $1,000 setup fee.[3][2][6]","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/how-much-does-benefits-administration-software-cost-per-employee","upvoteCount":0,"datePublished":"2026-07-20T22:34:30.597","dateModified":"2026-07-20T00:00:00","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"AnswerStack Editorial Team","worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"AnswerStack"},"url":"https://www.answerstack.io/contributors/answer-stack"},"citation":[{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Employee Navigator Pricing: Compare Plans and Features","url":"https://www.employeenavigator.com/Pricing"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"The Definitive Guide to Integrations with Employee Navigator","url":"https://www.employeenavigator.com/the-definitive-guide-to-integrations-with-employee-navigator/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Ease Product Pricing","url":"https://www.ease.com/pricing/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Benefits Administration Software Answers (FAQ)","url":"https://www.ease.com/resources/faq/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"OnPay Pricing: Payroll Costs and Plans","url":"https://onpay.com/payroll/software/costs-pricing/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"COBRA Administration Services and Fee Schedule, 2026","url":"https://www.profben.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2026-COBRA-Fee-Schedule.pdf"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"COBRA Administration Cost","url":"https://www.cobraadminonline.com/Pricing.aspx"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"TaxBandits Pricing: ACA Forms 1094 and 1095","url":"https://www.taxbandits.com/pricing/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Print, Mail and eFile 1095 Forms Online: ACA Pricing","url":"https://acams.1099pro.com/ACA_Pricing"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"29 U.S. Code 1108: Exemptions from prohibited transactions, subsection (b)(2)(B)","url":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/1108"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Employee Benefits Enrollment Systems: A Cost and Value Analysis","url":"https://abigsolutions.com/blog/employee-benefits-enrollment-systems-cost-value-analysis/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Benefitfocus Pricing: Enterprise Costs","url":"https://peopleopsclub.com/software/benefitfocus/pricing"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"11 Best Benefits Administration Systems (2026)","url":"https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/buyer-guide/benefits-administration-software"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Employee benefits broker commissions: How do brokers make money?","url":"https://www.navabenefits.com/resources/employee-benefits-broker-commissions"}]}}}