Betterment at Work review

Betterment at Work bundles fiduciary cover into its entry plan. Essential costs a $100 monthly base fee billed annually as $1,200, plus a $5 monthly recordkeeping fee per participant and a 0.25% annual advisory fee, and it includes 3(38) and 3(16) fiduciary services, payroll integrations with Gusto, TriNet and others, and a dedicated onboarding specialist. Pro costs $150 a month plus $7 per participant and adds flexible plan design such as vesting and new comparability, a dedicated plan support contact, guided conversion help, 401(k) matching on student loan payments and 529 education savings. A one-time implementation fee of $500 applies to new plans and $1,000 to conversions. Betterment explains that the annual base fee is set and not prorated because it covers the plan document, annual compliance testing and a draft Form 5500. The 0.25% advisory fee is the main reason it scores lower on value than Ubiquity and 401GO.

Who it is for

employers who want managed portfolios for staff

Price

Essential $100 a month billed annually ($1,200) plus $5 per participant and a 0.25% advisory fee; Pro $150 plus $7; setup $500.

$100/mo monthly base fee, billed each calendar year annually ($1,200) +$5/mo monthly record-keeping fee per participant +0.25% annual advisory fee
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 14, 2026.

Key features

• 3(38) and 3(16) fiduciary services on the Essential plan
• Payroll integrations with Gusto, TriNet and other providers
• Pro plan adds vesting, new comparability and guided conversion support
• Pro plan adds 401(k) matching on student loan payments and 529 education savings
• Dedicated onboarding specialist and employee webinars

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Both fiduciary roles included from the entry plan
• Strength: Annual base fee covers plan document, compliance testing and draft Form 5500
• Strength: Student loan matching available on Pro
• Weakness: 0.25% annual advisory fee on top of the flat fees
• Weakness: Base fee is billed for the full year and not prorated
• Weakness: Implementation fee of $500 for new plans, $1,000 for conversions

Key facts

• Starting price: $100 a month, billed annually ($1,200)
• Per participant: $5 a month (Essential)
• Advisory fee: 0.25% a year
• Setup: $500 new, $1,000 conversion

Where it ranks

Betterment at Work is No. 7 in our Best 401K Providers verdict.