Head to head

Benefitfocus vs BerniePortal

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Benefitfocus

Sales-quoted

Voya-owned enterprise benefits enrollment platform used by 900-plus large employers. Commercial terms are built on a sales call, not a public seat card.

Where Benefitfocus fits

  • Large US employers that want a dedicated benefits administration layer next to payroll
  • Brokers and carriers already connected into the Benefitfocus Marketplace
  • Benefits teams that need COBRA and HIPAA workflows in the same enrollment stack
  • Buyers already in the Voya health and wealth book

BerniePortal

$5/employee/mo

Broker-sold HR and benefits for small employers, with direct Starter at $5/employee/mo plus a $25 base fee.

Where BerniePortal fits

  • US small employers buying benefits admin plus COBRA in one login
  • Shops that want a printed per-employee rate instead of an enterprise quote
  • Brokers who resell BerniePortal with customized employer pricing
  • Teams that may later add payroll and PTO on Standard or Plus

At a glance

DetailBenefitfocusBerniePortal
Starting priceSales-quoted$5/employee/mo
Free tier–No–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underBenefits administrationBenefits administration
CapterraNot enough reviews4.3 from 130 reviews

Where they pull apart

Benefitfocus

Stands out: Benefitfocus stays a distinct Voya product after the January 2023 close, pairing carrier connectivity with COBRA, HIPAA, and decision-support modules for large employer populations.

Watch out: There is no self-serve checkout. Quotes move with employee count, carrier feeds, and add-ons such as dependent verification and ACA reporting.

Not the right fit for

  • Small employers that need a printed per-employee rate before a demo
  • Teams shopping for an all-in-one HRIS and payroll suite as the core system

BerniePortal

Stands out: bernieportal.com/pricing prints four direct plans: Starter $5/ee/mo, Standard $19, Plus $23, and Enterprise $29, each with an EIN base fee after Starter.

Watch out: Starter covers recruiting, onboarding, benefits, compliance, and COBRA only. PTO, time, payroll, and performance start on Standard, and each of those modules is capped at one approver and one subgroup.

Not the right fit for

  • Global employers that need multi-country payroll as the core product
  • Enterprises that want unlimited subgroups without moving to the $29/ee/mo Enterprise tier

Pros and cons

Benefitfocus

  • Purpose-built benefits enrollment rather than a thin HRIS add-on
  • Marketplace and carrier connectivity aimed at large employer plan designs
  • Still sold as Benefitfocus after the Voya deal, so the product line is intact
  • No published per-employee price, so budget work starts on a sales call
  • Capterra has only a handful of reviews, so peer ratings are thin
  • Implementation and carrier feeds add cost and calendar time beyond licenses

BerniePortal

  • Printed Starter through Enterprise rates on the vendor pricing page
  • COBRA administration is in Starter, not gated to the top tier
  • Broker channel plus a direct-buy path for employers
  • Starter omits PTO, time, payroll, and performance
  • Standard and Plus cap approvers and subgroups until Enterprise
  • No published trial length, only a demo CTA

What each one costs

Benefitfocus

Sales-quoted

Benefitfocus does not publish a rate card. Pricing is quoted from employee count, selected modules, and carrier integration complexity. Voya completed the acquisition in January 2023 and still sells the product under the Benefitfocus name. No public trial is stated. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

BerniePortal

$5/employee/mo

Direct Starter is $5 per employee per month plus a $25 base fee and covers recruiting, onboarding, benefits, compliance, and COBRA. Standard is $19/ee/mo plus $40/EIN. Plus is $23/ee/mo plus $40/EIN. Enterprise is $29/ee/mo plus $40/EIN. Brokers offer customized pricing. PTO, time, payroll, and performance start on Standard. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Benefitfocus or BerniePortal for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Benefitfocus alternatives All BerniePortal alternatives Every Benefits administration tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?