Vestwell publishes a monthly base fee, an $8 participant fee and a 0.20% asset fee. What that means for 5, 10 and 25 participants, and who pays which part.
By StaffGrid · Published 2026-10-06
Vestwell publishes its small-business 401(k) prices. Each plan has a monthly base fee, an $8 monthly fee for each active participant and a 0.20% asset-based fee.
Vestwell's plan comparison page lists Starter(k) at $49 a month, Workplace at $125 a month and Plus at $175 a month, each plus $8 a month per active participant and a 0.20% asset-based investment management fee. Solo(k) is $45 a month plus a 0.30% asset-based fee. [1]
The base fee and the participant fee are fixed amounts, so you can total them for any team size:
| Active participants | Starter(k) | Workplace | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $89 a month ($1,068 a year) | $165 a month ($1,980 a year) | $215 a month ($2,580 a year) |
| 10 | $129 a month ($1,548 a year) | $205 a month ($2,460 a year) | $255 a month ($3,060 a year) |
| 25 | $249 a month ($2,988 a year) | $325 a month ($3,900 a year) | $375 a month ($4,500 a year) |
These totals leave out the 0.20% asset fee. Vestwell does not say whether that rate applies per year or per quarter, so we do not add it. They also do not decide who pays: by default, the participant fee and the asset fee come out of employees' accounts, not the employer's budget.
The price difference between the plans buys employer contributions and plan transfers.
| Plan | Base fee | Employer contributions | Plan transfers | Employee contribution limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter(k) | $49 a month | None | New plans only | $6,000 |
| Workplace | $125 a month | Basic options, such as a match | New plans only | $24,500 |
| Plus | $175 a month | More flexible options, including QACA | New plans and transfers | $24,500 |
Vestwell's comparison lists no employer contributions and new plans only for Starter(k), basic options such as a match for Workplace, and more flexible options including QACA plus existing-plan transfers for Plus. It lists a $6,000 employee contribution limit for Starter(k) and $24,500 for Workplace and Plus, excluding catch-up contributions for employees age 50 and over. [2]
Starter(k) is the cheapest plan, but it has firm limits. You cannot add a match, and employees can save at most $6,000 a year, plus a $1,000 catch-up from age 50. Vestwell's help center says automatic enrollment is required, at 3% to 15%, and that only employers with no current retirement plan can offer it.
Vestwell's Starter 401(k) FAQ, updated December 17, 2025, lists a 2026 contribution limit of $6,000 a year with a $1,000 catch-up at age 50 and over, states that employer contributions are not allowed, that automatic enrollment is required at 3% to 15%, and that the plan is for employers with no current retirement plan. [3]
This is the part most comparisons miss. The base fee goes to the employer. The $8 participant fee and the asset fee are charged to each employee's account every quarter, unless the employer chooses to pay them.
Vestwell's participant help article, updated May 20, 2025, says the participant fee and the asset-based fee are deducted from the participant's account balance on a quarterly basis unless the employer opts to pay them, that fees are deducted within 15 to 30 days of the quarter's end, and that participants can download the 404(a)(5) fee disclosure under My Plan, then Notices & Forms. [4]
So for a 10-person Workplace plan there are two ways to read the cost:
| Who pays | Employer pays per year | Each participant pays per year |
|---|---|---|
| Default | $1,500 (base fee only) | $96 plus the asset fee |
| Employer covers participant fees | $2,460 | The asset fee only, unless the employer covers that too |
96 USD a year per active participant in Vestwell participant fees ($8 a month), before the asset fee
Vestwell lists the participant fee as $8 a month per active participant on all three employer plans: $8 × 12 = $96 a year. Unless the employer pays it, the fee is deducted from the participant's account each quarter.
Employers receive the plan's fee disclosure, the 408(b)(2) notice. Employees can download theirs, the 404(a)(5) notice, under My Plan, then Notices & Forms. Read both before you sign.
Vestwell lists the asset fee as "0.20% asset-based investment management fee". It does not say whether 0.20% is a yearly rate, a quarterly rate or something else.
On $100,000 of plan assets, 0.20% is $200. Whether that is $200 a year or $200 a quarter, the public pages do not say. That difference matters: charged each quarter, the same rate would cost four times as much per year.
The asset fee has no stated period
Vestwell's comparison page gives the asset fee as a bare percentage. Its footnote explains how the fee is measured, not over what period it applies. Ask Vestwell to confirm the period in writing, or read it in your plan's fee disclosure, before you compare it with other providers.
Vestwell's own pages also describe the measurement in two ways:
Footnote 3 on Vestwell's comparison page says asset-based fees are calculated as a percentage of assets as of the end of each month in each participant account. [5]
Vestwell's employer help article, updated June 18, 2025, says asset charges are calculated on the assets in the plan at the end of each quarter, that participant fees are based on participants with a balance at the end of each quarter, and that administration fees are charged quarterly. [6]
The comparison page is newer. Your services agreement and fee disclosure decide which method applies to your plan.
| Item | Cost or term |
|---|---|
| Setup fee | "May apply" on Workplace and Plus; amount not published |
| Plan document maintenance | $20 a month, optional |
| Required plan amendments without that program | $350 each |
| Plan restatement without that program | $1,750 |
| Leaving Vestwell | $750 termination fee |
| Loans (charged to the employee) | $175 to set up, $75 a year |
| Other distributions (charged to the employee) | $100 each |
| Contract term | Three years, then renews each year |
| Notice to leave | 90 days |
Vestwell's miscellaneous fees page lists the Plan Document Maintenance Program at $20 a month, required plan amendments for plans not enrolled in it at $350, a plan restatement for plans not enrolled at $1,750, terminating Vestwell's services at $750, loan origination at $175, loan annual maintenance at $75 and other participant distributions at $100. [7]
Vestwell's terms of service, incorporated into its services agreement, set a three-year initial term that renews automatically for one-year periods, allow either party to terminate without cause on 90 days' written notice, reserve the right to charge a deconversion or termination fee from the fee schedule, and allow Vestwell to reasonably increase or restructure fees with advance notice. [8]
Some payroll providers also charge a fee to connect to Vestwell, and Vestwell says it may pass that fee on to the plan. Fund expense ratios are separate from all of the above.
Footnote 8 on Vestwell's comparison page says some payroll companies charge a fee to integrate with their platform and that Vestwell reserves the right to pass this fee on to the plan. Footnote 2 notes that expense ratios vary. [9]
Vestwell is running a promotion: sign a services agreement before November 15, 2026 and pay no base or participant fees for three months, counted from the plan's first contribution date.
The promotion's fine print says the three-month waiver covers only Vestwell's base plan fee and participant fees, excludes pass-through, third-party, investment-related and setup fees and optional add-ons, requires a services agreement signed before November 15, 2026, and starts on the plan's contribution start date with Vestwell. [10]
For a 10-participant Workplace plan, that waives $205 a month, or $615 in total. The asset fee and any setup fee still apply. It is a discount, not a free trial, and it does not shorten the three-year term.
| Provider | Employer fees | Per-person fee | Asset fee | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vestwell Workplace | $125 a month | $8 a month per active participant, from employees' accounts by default | 0.20%, period not stated | May apply |
| Human Interest Essentials | $80 a month | $5 a month per eligible employee, paid by the employer | 0.06% a month, deducted monthly from employees' accounts | $499, may apply |
| Employee Fiduciary | $1,500 a year for up to 30 eligible employees | $30 a year for each employee above 30 | 0.08% a year | $500 for a new plan |
Human Interest's pricing page lists Essentials at $80 a month base plus $5 a month per eligible employee, paid by the employer, and $0 transaction fees. Its fine print says a one-time $499 setup fee may apply, and that employees pay a monthly advisory fee of 0.01% of plan assets when Human Interest Advisors acts as 3(38) fiduciary (0.018% as 3(21)) plus a monthly recordkeeping fee of 0.05%, deducted monthly from the employee's account. Its 10-employee Essentials example totals 0.06% a month. [11]
Employee Fiduciary's pricing page lists a $500 establishment fee for new plans, a $1,500 annual administration fee covering up to 30 eligible employees with $30 for each additional employee, and an asset-based custody fee of 0.08% of plan assets a year. [12]
The three providers count people differently. Vestwell charges per active participant, meaning employees with a balance. Human Interest and Employee Fiduciary count eligible employees, whether or not they save. A team where few people enroll pays less per head on Vestwell; a team where most people enroll may not.
What the table means for a small employer:
We did not compare fund lineups or service levels. Ask each provider for a full quote for your headcount and expected balances.
How much does a Vestwell 401(k) cost? Starter(k) is $49 a month, Workplace $125 and Plus $175, each plus $8 a month per active participant and a 0.20% asset fee. Solo(k) is $45 a month plus 0.30%.
What does Vestwell cost for 10 employees? With 10 active participants, base and participant fees total $129 a month on Starter(k), $205 on Workplace and $255 on Plus, before the asset fee.
Does the employer pay the $8 participant fee? Not by default. Vestwell deducts it from each participant's account every quarter unless the employer chooses to pay it.
Is the 0.20% asset fee charged per year? Vestwell's public pages do not say. Confirm the period in your fee disclosure.
Can I add a match on Starter(k)? No. Starter(k) does not allow employer contributions. Workplace and Plus do.
Is there a free trial? No. Plans signed before November 15, 2026 pay no base or participant fees for three months. Other fees still apply.
What does it cost to leave Vestwell? The fee schedule lists $750 for terminating Vestwell's services, and the terms require 90 days' notice.
Sources. Vestwell's employer plan comparison page, miscellaneous fees page and terms of service; Vestwell help center articles on fees and on Starter 401(k); the pricing pages of Human Interest and Employee Fiduciary. All checked on October 6, 2026.
Calculations. Monthly totals add the base fee to $8 times the number of active participants. Yearly totals multiply the monthly total by 12. The waiver example multiplies a month of base and participant fees by three. We left the asset fee out of every total because Vestwell does not state its period.
Where sources disagree. Vestwell's comparison page says asset fees are measured on month-end balances. An older employer help article says quarter-end. Neither says whether 0.20% is a yearly or quarterly rate. We show both statements and do not choose.
What we did not check. We did not request a quote or sign up. We could not see the setup fee amount, payroll-provider charges or fund expense ratios. Advisor-sold plans can be priced differently, as Vestwell notes.
This is not financial or legal advice. It describes published prices. Check your plan documents and, where needed, ask a qualified adviser.
Affiliate relationships. We have an affiliate relationship with Vestwell. The review page linked above contains an affiliate link: if you sign up through it, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. The sign-up link in "How Vestwell Compares" is also an affiliate link. We have no affiliate relationship with Human Interest or Employee Fiduciary. No vendor pays for placement.
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