Why it comes up: PeopleKeep publishes GCHRA at $12/employee/mo and ICHRA at $25/employee/mo plus base fees, if you want a printed HRA rate card.
Stands out: Employers pick QSEHRA (under 50 employees, no group plan), ICHRA (any size, individual policies), or GCHRA (a supplement on top of an existing group policy). Unused GCHRA allowance stays with the employer.
Watch out: Three seats are billed even if you have one or two employees. QSEHRA and ICHRA add a $50 monthly base. Annual QSEHRA is prepaid for the year.
Best for
- US small employers replacing a group medical plan with a QSEHRA
- Companies of any size that want an ICHRA instead of, or beside, a group plan
- Employers that already have group coverage and want a GCHRA for out-of-pocket medical costs
4.5 on Capterra from 89 reviews
Read the PeopleKeep write-up · Thatch vs PeopleKeep
Why it comes up: Gusto is US SMB payroll plus group benefits from $49/mo, not an ICHRA shopping layer.
Stands out: Payroll sitting next to HR for US small companies, with a first-party MCP.
Watch out: It is US-only, so it is not a route to hiring people in other countries.
Best for
- US small companies running payroll in-house
- HR teams that want benefits next to pay
- Desks that want MCP on payroll data
4.6 on Capterra from 4,225 reviews
Read the Gusto write-up · Thatch vs Gusto
Why it comes up: Justworks is a PEO at $8/employee/mo that sells group benefits through a co-employer, not individual policies.
Stands out: A cheap payroll SKU plus two PEO tiers, so you can stay payroll-only or move into benefits later.
Watch out: Payroll-only adds a $50 monthly base fee. PEO Plus is the benefits tier at $124 per employee. EOR is $599 per employee.
Best for
- US startups that want a printed payroll rate
- Teams ready for PEO benefits at $79 or $124
- Employers that also need time tracking access
Read the Justworks write-up · Thatch vs Justworks
Why it comes up: PlanSource is mid-market multi-carrier group benefits administration, quote-led, if you are staying on group plans.
Stands out: DecisionIQ, DependentIQ, and InsightsIQ support enrollment decisions and document checks. DependentIQ is cited as verifying nearly 95% of required documents. Carrier connections run through the Boost program.
Watch out: Fees are PEPM-style and custom. A public city contract showed $3.25 per benefits-eligible employee per month plus $15,000 implementation, which is a sample order, not a rate card. Payroll stays in Workday, UKG, or Paylocity.
Best for
- US mid-market employers (roughly 200 to 10,000 employees) running multi-carrier benefits
- HR teams that want employee self-service enrollment, ACA, and COBRA on one platform
- Orgs already on Workday, UKG, or SAP SuccessFactors that need a benefits layer
3.9 on Capterra from 15 reviews
Read the PlanSource write-up · Thatch vs PlanSource
