Employee Navigator vs PlanSource (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Employee Navigator and PlanSource share a 1.6 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Employee Navigator
Benefits administration and HR platform sold through insurance brokers
Paid
PlanSource
Benefits administration platform with ACA and COBRA services
Paid
Which one is for you
Pick Employee Navigator if
- Fits if you are a US employer whose broker already offers it
- Works for brokers who want enrollment and ACA reporting for their clients
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price, as every tier says Contact Sales
- Not for you if you are outside the US, as it is built for US benefits and ACA
- Watch out: 834 EDI feeds cost $0.45 per employee a month on Enhanced Plus and Elite
- Tight if you want PTO tracking or onboarding, as they start at Elite
Pick PlanSource if
- Fits if you want ACA, COBRA and carrier billing handled by the same vendor as enrollment
- Works for US brokers and carriers building on a benefits platform
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want prices or plan names up front, as none are published
- Not for you if you employ people outside the US: the pages talk about ACA, COBRA and QMCSO
- Watch out: ACA and COBRA are extended services beside the platform, so expect more than one line on the quote
- Too light for payroll or time off, which aren't described
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAEmployee NavigatorWeak | 1.6GPAPlanSourceWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published; every tier says Contact Sales. The page is written for brokers, and an employer buys through one. | CNo price is published, so there's nothing to set against the $2 to $9 a seat a month this category charges. That leaves it at C. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial is on record in the listing or on its pricing page. | FNo free plan or trial is listed, and a demo request is the only way in. |
| Features | CBenefits enrollment, ACA reporting, carrier and payroll feeds and HR records. Onboarding and PTO tracking only start at Elite, and there is no payroll. | CEnrollment, ACA, COBRA, carrier billing and health accounts, but the listing says ACA and COBRA are separate service lines beside the core platform. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Open enrollment needs plans, carriers and rules loaded in before staff can use it. | CNo store rating on record, and you'd set it up with your own people data first, so it's an ordinary C. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. Carrier and payroll feeds are described, but no integrations list or apps are on record. | CWeb only on record, and no integrations are listed. |
| Best for | benefits enrollment through a broker | benefits administration with ACA and COBRA |
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: Employee Navigator and PlanSource. How we grade
Where they differ
- Employee Navigator also covers time off.
In commonWebReportsEmployee records
At a glance
| Employee Navigator | PlanSource | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Employee Navigator | PlanSource Benefits Administration, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Employee Navigator
- No prices are published: every tier on the pricing page says Contact Sales, so the cost is unverified.
- The pricing page is written for brokers, with tiers named Enhanced, Enhanced Plus, Elite and Platinum; an employer buys through a broker.
- 834 EDI feeds are listed at $0.45 PEPM on Enhanced Plus and Elite, free on Platinum, with additional fees noted.
- New hire onboarding and PTO tracking start at the Elite tier.
PlanSource
- No pricing, plan names or trial are published; a demo request is the only entry point.
- The pages describe a US-style benefits setup (ACA, COBRA, QMCSO); it is not described for use elsewhere.
- Extended services such as ACA or COBRA are separate service lines beside the core platform.
Key features
Employee Navigator
- Benefits administration
- Online enrollment, new hire and open enrollment, life events and beneficiary tracking, and customizable plan libraries.
- ACA reporting
- ACA reporting and compliance tools are included in every broker plan tier.
- Carrier and payroll integrations
- The site says it connects with 600+ partners, including carriers, TPAs and payroll providers, and 834 EDI feeds are available on higher tiers.
- Onboarding and HR records
- New hire onboarding, recurring task management and PTO and vacation tracking are listed from the Elite tier.
PlanSource
- Benefits administration platform
- Configure plans, vendors and employee populations in one system, with an employee-facing enrollment and decision-support experience.
- ACA and COBRA administration
- Handles ACA measurement, reporting and forms, and the COBRA notice, election and billing cycle.
- Carrier billing and payments
- Consolidates carrier bills, reconciliation and payment workflows, a service the site lists beside the core platform.
- Consumer health accounts
- Administration of HSAs, FSAs, HRAs and lifestyle spending accounts, with compliance support.
- Service center and advocacy
- An employee service center and claims or clinical advocacy support are listed as extended services.
- AI features
- AI is used for dependent verification, plan configuration checks, reporting and a virtual assistant for admins and employees.
Plans
Employee Navigator
Pricing could not be confirmed. See employeenavigator.com.
PlanSource
Pricing could not be confirmed. See plansource.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Employee Navigator or PlanSource?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Employee Navigator has no price we could confirm, and PlanSource has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Employee Navigator or PlanSource?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Employee Navigator nor PlanSource has a free plan.
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.