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BenefitsDock vs BerniePortal vs Employee Navigator
All three handle benefits enrollment. They’re sold differently, priced differently and built for different jobs. Here’s an honest side-by-side so you can pick the one that fits your group.
The short version
BenefitsDock
Benefits only, with people behind it. Every new hire and termination stays open until the carrier confirms it. Sold straight to employers, or $0 through a partner agency.
BerniePortal
A wider HR system. Benefits, onboarding, recruiting and COBRA in the base plan, with PTO, time, payroll and performance as paid upgrades. Sold to employers and through brokers.
Employee Navigator
A platform built for insurance brokers. Your broker buys it and sets up your company inside it. You usually can’t buy it on your own.
Side by side
Swipe the table sideways to see all three →
| BenefitsDock | BerniePortal | Employee Navigator | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who buys it | The employer, or a partner agency on the employer’s behalf | The employer, or a broker for its clients | The broker. Employers get access through their broker |
| Published employer price | Essentials: $25 a month + $5 per employee | Starter: $25 base + $5 per employee | Not published. Broker plans are quoted by their sales team |
| Done-for-you option | Full service: $349 a month + $8 per employee. Our team does the carrier work | Software, with broker support if you have one | Depends on your broker |
| Setup | $250 one time, free if you switch by Dec 31, 2026. We load your roster, plans and elections | Not published | Done by your broker |
| Contract | Month to month | Not published | Set by your broker |
| New hires and terminations | A task with a due date that closes only when carrier proof is attached | Onboarding and benefits workflows | New-hire onboarding on its higher plans |
| Carrier data feeds (834 EDI) | Carrier feed add-on coming soon. Today our team enters every change with your carriers (Full service) and keeps it open until the carrier confirms | Paid add-on (Carrier Exchange): $0.95 per enrolled employee a month for the first carrier, $0.45 for each added carrier | 834 files on higher plans: $0.45 per enrolled employee a month, free on the top plan. $750 one time to add a carrier not on its list |
| Carrier bill check | Monthly invoice checked against your roster (Full service), free one-time check for anyone | Not listed on its pricing page | Not listed on its pricing page |
| ACA 1095-C | Codes for ALE groups, forms prepared on Full service | Included in compliance | ACA reporting included |
| COBRA | COBRA and Texas continuation notices, with deadline tasks | COBRA administration included | Not listed on its pricing page |
| Payroll, PTO, recruiting | No. We stay focused on benefits | Recruiting included. PTO, time and payroll are paid upgrades | PTO tracking on higher plans, plus payroll integrations |
| Who you talk to | Our benefits team | Their support team or your broker | Your broker |
Which one fits you
Pick BenefitsDock if
- One person handles HR along with everything else
- You’ve had an enrollment slip through and can’t let it happen again
- You want someone else to deal with the carriers
- You think you’re paying for people who already left
BerniePortal may fit better if
- You want recruiting, PTO and payroll in the same system
- You’d rather run everything yourself in the software
Employee Navigator may fit better if
- Your broker already uses it and runs it for you
- You need automatic data feeds to many carriers
Comparison questions
Can I buy Employee Navigator directly?
Usually not. Employee Navigator sells its plans to insurance brokers, who then set up their clients. If your broker doesn’t offer it, you’d need a different broker or a tool you can buy yourself, like BenefitsDock.
Is BenefitsDock cheaper than BerniePortal?
The software price is the same. Essentials is $25 a month plus $5 per employee, which matches BerniePortal’s published Starter price. The difference is what comes with it: we load your group, setup is free if you switch by December 31, 2026, and each new hire is tracked until the carrier confirms it.
Do I have to change brokers to use BenefitsDock?
No. Essentials and Full service work with any broker, and your carrier contracts stay the same. If a BenefitsDock partner agency is your broker, the software is $0.
How long does switching take?
Send us a census, a current elections report and your plan paperwork. We load it and you review it before anything goes live. Most of the work is ours, and you keep your old system open until you’re comfortable.
See it with your own group.
In a 20-minute walkthrough we’ll show you how a new hire moves to carrier confirmation and what it would cost for your group.