Head to head

BerniePortal vs Employee Navigator

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

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

Employee Navigator

Sales-quoted

Employee Navigator is broker-channel benefits enrollment and HR software. It acquired Ease in April 2023 and is sunsetting Ease in 2027. Pricing is quoted across Enhanced, Enhanced Plus, Elite, and Platinum.

Where Employee Navigator fits

  • US benefits brokers running enrollment, ACA reporting, and HR for many employer groups
  • Agencies moving off Ease before the 2027 sunset
  • Brokers that need carrier, TPA, and payroll integrations plus 834 EDI
  • Books of business that want AI Plan Builds on the base Enhanced tier

At a glance

DetailBerniePortalEmployee Navigator
Starting price$5/employee/moSales-quoted
Free tier–No–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underBenefits administrationBenefits administration
Capterra4.3 from 130 reviews4.6 from 184 reviews

Where they pull apart

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

Employee Navigator

Stands out: Unlimited companies and employees on every listed plan. AI Plan Builds sit on Enhanced. 834 EDI is $0.45 PEPM on Enhanced Plus and Elite, and $0 PEPM on Platinum.

Watch out: Sold through insurance brokers, not a self-serve employer checkout. Ease stays read-only from 1 July 2027, so Ease brokers need a migration plan. 834 EDI is not free until Platinum.

Not the right fit for

  • Employers buying benefits admin direct without a broker
  • Mid-market HR teams that want a multi-carrier employer platform (see PlanSource)

Pros and cons

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

Employee Navigator

  • Broker-channel platform with unlimited companies and employees on listed plans
  • AI Plan Builds on Enhanced. 834 EDI free PEPM on Platinum
  • Ease acquisition with a dated 2027 sunset path for those groups
  • Quoted to brokers. Employers usually do not buy it direct
  • 834 EDI is $0.45 PEPM until Platinum
  • Ease sunset in 2027 is a migration project for leftover Ease books

What each one costs

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

Employee Navigator

Sales-quoted

Employee Navigator quotes Enhanced, Enhanced Plus, Elite, and Platinum. Contact sales on every tier. Unlimited companies and employees are listed on all four. 834 EDI is $0.45 PEPM on Enhanced Plus and Elite, and $0 PEPM on Platinum. AI Plan Builds are on Enhanced and up. Sold to insurance brokers. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

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

Not the pair you wanted?

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