Ease vs Namely (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Namely grades higher than Ease: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Namely grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Namely
US HR, payroll and benefits for mid-sized firms, with managed services
From $9/mo
Which one is for you
Pick Ease if
- Fits if you're an insurance broker enrolling small employers in benefits
- Works for employers whose broker already uses it
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're an employer without a broker, since it's sold to brokers
- Not for you if you want a price on the page
- Pricey if you want HR add-ons, at $1 to $2 per employee a month on top
- Watch out: Pro covers up to 2,000 employees and 3 agency users, with SSO only on Enterprise
Pick Namely if
- Fits if you want HR, payroll and benefits from one US provider
- Works for businesses with hourly staff who clock in at kiosks or on phones
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try it first, as there's only a guided tour
- Not for you if you employ people outside the US
- Pricey if you want onboarding on Namely Now, which costs extra, or workers' comp, which comes only with Complete
- Watch out: Plus, Plus People and Complete are quoted after a needs review, and contracts can run up to 3 years
- Watch out: the rated Namely app hasn't been updated since 2021, and NamelyONE has no ratings yet
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAEaseWeak | 2.0GPANamelyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo subscription price is shown. HR add-ons are $1 a month per employee for brokers or $2 for employers, and ACA is $6 per form a year. | CNamely Now starts at $9 an employee a month, so a ten-person company pays $90 and up, with the final price quoted. That buys HR and payroll together, which most here don't include. It sits at this category's dearer quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial; brokers book a demo. | FNo free plan and no trial, only a guided tour. |
| Features | CEnrollment, quoting, census downloads, carrier connections, HR add-ons and ACA reporting. Single sign-on and custom reports are Enterprise only. | BPayroll with tax updates for every jurisdiction, time clocks and scheduling, records, time off and onboarding, then recruiting, reviews, compliance training and benefits administration on Plus. The whole job, payroll included. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A broker sets it up for employers. | CNo App Store rating on record: the rated Namely app hasn't been updated since 2021, and its replacement, NamelyONE, has no ratings yet. Plans beyond Namely Now are set up through a sales process. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with ADP, Paycor, Paylocity and Heartland payroll links. No phone or desktop app is listed. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus kiosks and biometric clocks for clocking in, and a general ledger export. No integrations list or desktop app on record. |
| Best for | benefits enrollment for brokers and their clients | US mid-sized firms wanting HR and payroll |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Ease and Namely. How we grade
Where they differ
- Namely also covers payroll, shift scheduling, time clock and applicant tracking.
In commonWebReportsEmployee recordsTime off
At a glance
| Ease | Namely | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $9 per employee / month and up, for Namely Now |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Enrollease Inc. | Namely, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | namely.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Ease
- No subscription prices are published: three levels (Pro, Agency, Enterprise) are bought by brokers through a demo request.
- Pro covers up to 2,000 employees and 3 agency users, Agency has 6 agency users and Enterprise 10; single sign-on and custom reports are Enterprise only.
- HR add-ons are priced separately: $1 per employee per month for brokers to enable and $2 for employers, and ACA compliance is $6 per employee per form per year.
- Payroll integrations typically cost $0 to $1.50 per employee per month with partner-specific fees, and the site says Ease is now owned by Employee Navigator.
Namely
- Only Namely Now has a published starting price; the other packages are quoted after a needs review.
- Built for US employers: payroll updates tax calculations for every jurisdiction and issues W-2s; the pages read name no other countries.
- There is no free trial, only a guided tour; contracts run from month to month up to 3 years.
- Onboarding is an extra charge on Namely Now, and workers' comp and shared liability come only with Complete.
Key features
Ease
- Online enrollment
- Replaces paper forms with online benefits enrollment, with onboarding that leads new hires straight into their elections.
- Quoting and census
- Rate quoting, Excel census download and renewal assist for brokers.
- Carrier connections
- EaseConnect and EaseConnect+ send enrollment data to carriers; the Agency level adds EaseConnect 834 and third-party EDI apps.
- HR tools
- Time-off requests with manager approval, a PTO calendar, a company directory, an org chart, onboarding and offboarding.
- ACA compliance
- Tracks variable-hour employees and affordability, sends notifications and generates IRS 1094 and 1095 B and C forms.
- Payroll connections
- Syncs deductions and demographic data with payroll providers such as ADP Workforce Now, Heartland, Paycor and Paylocity.
Namely
- Payroll with tax compliance
- Runs any pay frequency and off-cycle pay runs, keeps tax calculations updated for each jurisdiction, and exports to the general ledger.
- Time, scheduling and clocks
- Staff enter time from a desktop, kiosk, mobile app or biometric clock with geofencing, and managers build schedules with shift swaps.
- HR, onboarding and reporting
- Employee records, file storage, time-off tracking, onboarding for new hires and custom reports with charts.
- Recruiting, performance and compliance
- From Namely Plus: AI-assisted applicant tracking, continuous feedback and goals, and state-mandated training with a living handbook.
- Managed services
- Higher packages hand payroll processing and benefits brokerage to Namely's team, and Complete adds workers' comp and shared liability.
- NamelyOne mobile app
- Employees see pay stubs, W-2s and benefits, request time off and clock in; managers approve leave and check timecards.
Plans
Ease
Pricing could not be confirmed. See ease.com.
Namely
Namely Now$9
per employee / month and up
HR and payroll. Onboarding and large-group benefits cost extra. Final price is quoted by sales.
Namely PlusCustom
Adds onboarding, recruiting, performance, compliance, the benefits administration module and time tracking.
Namely Plus PeopleCustom
Namely Plus with Namely's managed payroll and managed benefits services.
Namely CompleteCustom
Adds large-group medical, dental and vision plans, workers' comp, risk and safety management and shared-liability compliance.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Ease or Namely?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ease has no price we could confirm, and Namely starts at $9 per employee / month and up, for Namely Now.
Which has a free plan, Ease or Namely?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Ease nor Namely has a free plan.
Which platforms do Ease and Namely run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Namely lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.