Services differ.
These are prices, not like-for-like plans. Compare what each one includes, such as who files Form 5500 and who takes on fiduciary roles, before you compare the numbers.
What does a 401(k) cost?
- Plan fee
- 0.37%
- a year of the plan's assets, deducted from participants' accounts
- Setup for a new plan, as low as
- $500
- paid once
A larger company's setup may cost more. Investment fund expenses are separate, charged by the funds the plan uses.
Your estimate appears here.
What your company pays: once at setup, and each year after.
Upfront cost / once
Ongoing cost / per year
What this estimate includes
- Setup of a new plan: as low as $500, paid once. A larger company's setup may cost more, and moving an existing plan is priced in its written proposal.
- Ongoing: the company pays no plan fee. The plan fee is 0.37% of plan assets each year, deducted from participants' accounts, with no monthly fixed fees.
What it does not include
- Investment fund expenses, which are charged by the funds you choose.
- Employer contributions, such as matching, safe harbor or profit sharing.
- Anything your written proposal adds or changes.
Sources & Methodology
- alooola's current 401(k) plan fee terms, as of October 2026.
Figures are read from one cost schedule. Your written proposal sets the actual terms.
How does a percentage compare with a flat monthly fee?
Many providers charge a flat monthly fee plus a fee for each person. A fee set as a percentage of assets grows as the plan grows; a flat fee doesn't. So on price alone, 0.37% costs less while a plan is small, and a flat fee costs less once the plan has grown past a certain balance.
Here is how that works out for an example company of 12 employees, all eligible and all in the plan, using each provider's published prices.
| $250,000 in the plan | $500,000 in the plan | $1,000,000 in the plan | $1,500,000 in the plan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| alooola, 0.37% of plan assetsPaid from participants' accounts | $925 | $1,850 | $3,700 | $5,550 |
| ADP Starter-k Complete | $1,920 | $1,920 | $1,920 | $1,920 |
| Human Interest Essentials | $1,680 | $1,680 | $1,680 | $1,680 |
| Human Interest Complete | $3,168 | $3,168 | $3,168 | $3,168 |
Where each one crosses over
For this example, 0.37% costs less on price alone until the plan holds the balance below. Above it, that flat fee costs less.
- Human Interest Essentials
- $454,054
- against $1,680 a year
- ADP Starter-k Complete
- $518,919
- against $1,920 a year
- Human Interest Complete
- $856,216
- against $3,168 a year
To work out your own crossover, take a provider's yearly price for your headcount and divide it by 0.0037. For example, $1,680 a year divided by 0.0037 is $454,054.
| Published price | What it covers, from the provider's page | |
|---|---|---|
| ADP Starter-k Complete | $100 a month, plus $5 a month per active participant (no participant fee below 5 employees) | Core recordkeeping and plan maintenance; ADP says its recordkeeping includes Form 5500 filing. Optional add-ons are priced separately. |
| Human Interest Essentials | $80 a month, plus $5 a month per eligible employee | Recordkeeping with payroll integration and U.S.-based support. Form 5500 filing and 3(16) fiduciary services are not in this tier. |
| Human Interest Complete | $180 a month, plus $7 a month per eligible employee | Everything in Essentials, plus 3(16) fiduciary services, Form 5500 signed and filed, an ERISA fidelity bond, and employee disclosures prepared and sent. |
Human Interest lists asset-based fees separately.
Its pricing page shows recordkeeping and investment advisory fees as a percentage of plan assets, deducted from employee accounts. They aren't in the figures above.
Setup fees aren't in the yearly figures.
Human Interest says a one-time setup fee of $499 may apply. ADP's page doesn't publish one. Ours is as low as $500 for a new plan.
Who pays can differ.
Our 0.37% is deducted from participants' accounts, so your employees pay it, not the company. A fee the company pays and a fee taken from employee accounts are different costs, so compare who pays as well as how much. Ask each provider to set out, in writing, every fee, who pays it and what it covers. Service providers must give you information on their services and all the compensation they will receive.
Sources & Methodology
- ADP, 401(k) plans for small businesses (Starter-k Complete pricing and FAQ), read Oct 13, 2026. The page shows no effective date, and prices can change.
- Human Interest, Pricing, read Oct 13, 2026. The page shows no effective date, and prices can change.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, 401(k) Plans for Small Businesses, read Oct 13, 2026 (service provider disclosure).
- alooola's current 401(k) plan fee terms, as of October 2026.
Arithmetic on the published prices for an example of 12 people, all eligible and participating. Not a quote from any provider, and not a statement about any provider's service.
Can tax credits cover part of the cost?
Employers with 100 or fewer employees may be able to claim federal tax credits that offset part of the cost of starting a plan. Whether you qualify, and which costs count, depends on your headcount, pay and plan history, so confirm it with your CPA.
Ready to see it in writing?
Tell us about your business and the questions you want a proposal to answer. If you have a plan today, bring its fee disclosure and we can go through it with you.