Human Interest vs. PeopleStrategy

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Human Interest
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Human Interest headquartered in San Francisco offers their cloud-based 401k administation platform for employers featuring flexible plan design and a dedicated account manager.
$805
per month
PeopleStrategy
Score 10.0 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
PeopleStrategy provides small and mid-sized companies access to a cloud-based, Software-as-a-Service, hire-to-retire HR platform featuring integrated Payroll, Human Resources, Employee & Manager Self-Service, Applicant Tracking, Onboarding, Benefits Administration, Time & Attendance, Performance Management, Compensation Planning, Learning Management, Employee Engagement, Compliance, Reporting and Analytics. PeopleStrategy features a single, centrally located database for all employee,…N/A
Pricing
Human InterestPeopleStrategy
Editions & Modules
Essentials
$80 + $5 per eligible employee
per month
Complete
$180 + $7 per eligible employee
per month
Concierge
$280 + $9 per eligible employee
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Human InterestPeopleStrategy
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup Fee$499 one-time feeRequired
Additional DetailsEmployees pay a recordkeeping services and custody-related asset-based fee of 0.05% to Human Interest Inc., an investment advisory fee of 0.01% to Human Interest Advisors, plus underlying fund fees. Asset-based fees are deducted monthly from the employee’s account according to the HII Terms of Service and HIA Terms of Service. All prices are exclusive of applicable taxes. If the plan sponsor elects to hire an external investment advisor, the plan sponsors will pay such advisor as agreed between the plan sponsor and advisor. All prices are exclusive of applicable taxes and are subject to a $499 startup fee. See Terms of Service for additional details. Refer to humaninterest.com/payrolls for a list of integrated payroll providers. For non-rollover distributions, shipping and handling fees may apply to requests for check issuance and delivery.PeopleStrategy's pricing model is comprised of two primary components: a Per Employee Per Month fee for system usage, maintenance, and support and a one-time Implementation fee. Both components depend on the modules selected, the complexity of the setup, the interfaces required, etc. There are optional capabilities offered through 3rd parties which are priced separately. For companies that select to use PeopleStrategy's brokerage services, a personalized quote will be provided.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Human InterestPeopleStrategy
Considered Both Products
Human Interest
Chose Human Interest
We use have used multiple 401k platforms from Fidelity, John Hancock, Transamerica, ADP. Human Interest is one of the easier platforms that provides the proper integration
Chose Human Interest
We do have other retirement partners and another one that we like to use that's similar in service would be 401GO and Icon.
Chose Human Interest
I can't remember the other vendor. I've used lots of big 401k providers, so John Hancock, Transamerica, Empower. I would say this is pretty well stacked, but again, for some reason, I'm not sure why people, larger organizations have this.
Chose Human Interest
So we had previously been with Empower, which is another 401k. They're substantially larger. Their web platform is very bulky. Their compliance was hard to get information from. We really liked when we talked with Human Interest Implementation Team that we could get pretty much …
Chose Human Interest
Human Interest was more cost effective to employees and so great to be connected with Gusto
Chose Human Interest
Paychex Flex was a terrible experience from start to finish. Bad communication, no follow-through, incorrect setups, etc... HI has been the opposite of all those things so far.
Chose Human Interest
I don't know what competes with Human Interest; as an employer, this is my first interaction with a 401(k) platform. As an employee, this lacks a lot of the functionality I'm used to seeing in other platforms.
Chose Human Interest
Previously we utilized John Hancock which was a nightmare from the user standpoint and a huge time waster from the administrative standpoint. The very outdated platform made it incredibly difficult to manage. The one thing I miss from John Hancock is the enrollment and …
Chose Human Interest
We were using American Funds Group, but it was convoluted and difficult to understand. Human Interest calculates the numbers for us and it is so much easier.
Chose Human Interest
It's not even close. Paychex Flex is expensive, confusing, and the customer service is abominable. Human Interest is better across every front, at least so far.
Chose Human Interest
Human Interest is more cost effective and easier to navigate than Empower.
Chose Human Interest
We just found the cost to participate in the mass marketed investing options were beyond the administrative and financial capacity of our small business.
Chose Human Interest
The cost for the service was better and we felt more understood as a company and felt that Human Interest took the time to explain the 401k program and options
Chose Human Interest
Insperity was horrible. Expensive, hidden fees at every corner, not communicative. They messed up my plan and didn't include the requested Safe Harbor provision and I had to pay the piper for their mistake.

Nothing Insperity did was customer first, fiduciary, or even compliant.
Chose Human Interest
We didn't really search for others; Human Interest was the preferred 403b provider for our services through Rippling.
Chose Human Interest
I met a rep at a tax conference and didn't seriously evaluate any alternatives
PeopleStrategy
Chose PeopleStrategy
PeopleStrategy was decided upon because of the custom features and integration options. Additionally, there were many packages available to purchase as needed. The customer service team was amazing to work with!
Chose PeopleStrategy
ADP and Oracle are systems I have used and the GUI of Oracle even as antiquated as it is was vastly more efficient to work with than the people as well as system that PeopleStrategy claimed to be supporting. I didn't have any part in the selection of this system as it was in …
Features
Human InterestPeopleStrategy
401(k)
Comparison of 401(k) features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
9.0
Ratings
16% above category average
PeopleStrategy
-
Ratings
Payroll Integration9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance Maintenance9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Plan Flexibility8.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Filings and Disclosures8.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Ease of Enrollment9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
-
Ratings
PeopleStrategy
10.0
Ratings
21% above category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
-
Ratings
PeopleStrategy
10.0
Ratings
21% above category average
Pay calculation00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Reimbursement management00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
-
Ratings
PeopleStrategy
10.0
Ratings
20% above category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
-
Ratings
PeopleStrategy
10.0
Ratings
20% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Employee recognition00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
-
Ratings
PeopleStrategy
10.0
Ratings
28% above category average
Report builder00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
-
Ratings
PeopleStrategy
10.0
Ratings
23% above category average
New hire portal00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
-
Ratings
PeopleStrategy
10.0
Ratings
22% above category average
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Individual goal setting00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
-
Ratings
PeopleStrategy
10.0
Ratings
24% above category average
Performance plans00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
-
Ratings
PeopleStrategy
10.0
Ratings
24% above category average
Candidate development00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Human Interest
-
Ratings
PeopleStrategy
10.0
Ratings
24% above category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Human InterestPeopleStrategy
Small Businesses
OnPay
OnPay
Score 8.7 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies

No answers on this topic

Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises

No answers on this topic

PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Human InterestPeopleStrategy
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.2
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Human InterestPeopleStrategy
Likelihood to Recommend
Actually you guys serve a lot of variety of clients that we have. So everything from simple clients on your 316 and then you got your 338 platforms to some more of the complex clients that want to carve out their own funds. You guys integrate well with financial advisors if they wish to use that, but a lot of times it's, those aren't necessary if clients want to save money.
Read full review
Unless PeopleStrategy has made improvements to the quality of support they give their users as well as the system they support there is no situation in which I would ever recommend them to another HR professional. I'd prefer to save them the headache and hassle that I wish someone had provided us.
Read full review
Pros
  • They sold us very well in the beginning and the original sales rep brought in his manager which also helped answer questions our executives had.
  • Ease of use for employees seems great. Walking through as an employee is simple and quick. All electronic paperwork is great.
  • Sending reminder emails to sign up for the 401(K) is a great feature that's easy to use. I have used these a lot!
Read full review
  • It was easy to navigate
  • Easy to read
  • Document upload was very easy and quick
  • User Access was really easy to manager and reset passwords.
Read full review
Cons
  • Payroll cycles in small business can be a weekly on-cycle evolution which is not automatically recognized.
  • The Annual Census verification, and IRS requirement, is cumbersome as a resubmission of data already known.
  • Email to new participants can go unaddressed without notification to the company administrator. Better to illicit early follow-up than wait till their emails expire do to participant non-action.
Read full review
  • Certain functions cannot be integrated unless you have purchase that specific package
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
We will drop Human Interest as soon as they rectify their error in withdrawing $3600 in additional fees earlier this year
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Usability
It's really easy to get, well, first of all, they get enrolled automatically so they get added to the platform automatically. They get removed from the platform automatically and everything is really easy to understand for someone who doesn't have a lot of experience. And that's actually a lot of our employees have never had a retirement benefit before. They don't know anything about it. They really don't understand how it works. There's also a little bit of a fear factor with deducting money from their paycheck to be able to contribute to this. And so how easy it is for them to get it set up and then the information that Human Interest gives them about what the benefit is, how it works, all that, it's great
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Reliability and Availability
no issues so far
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Performance
Easy to navigate
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
So we had a designated rep and he was fantastic. I don't remember his name at the moment, but he was almost immediately responsive. And you guys also partnered with us for client knowledge webinars and he was great. Great at that too.
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No answers on this topic
Online Training
super easy to get going
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
A key insight from our implementation of Human Interest is that early coordination across finance, HR, and leadership is critical. The platform itself is straightforward, but ensuring payroll integration, compliance documentation, and employee education are aligned from the start makes the rollout smoother and increases adoption. Another insight is that employees respond best when given clear, simple communication about how to enroll and the benefits of participation—this minimizes confusion and builds trust in the program. Finally, dedicating time up front to review compliance and reporting features helps avoid issues later and gives leadership confidence in the plan’s long-term stability.
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
So we had previously been with Empower, which is another 401k. They're substantially larger. Their web platform is very bulky. Their compliance was hard to get information from. We really liked when we talked with Human Interest Implementation Team that we could get pretty much right to the top. I mean, if we wanted to talk to their COO, we could do that and that all of their compliance stuff just seems to be tied in as the compliance director. That's really important to me.
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PeopleStrategy was decided upon because of the custom features and integration options. Additionally, there were many packages available to purchase as needed. The customer service team was amazing to work with!
Read full review
Scalability
we are only using it for one employee but when we hire more, it will be easy to expand already setup
Read full review
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • I think it's a little bit hard for me to say since I have been more of a recommender of these products in my roles. I've been at a lot of early stage companies that we're looking for solutions and I've recommended human interest because I think it's easy for scaling organizations to get in place. I think in a large organization, what I would talk to is very specifically the user experience. I think 401k understanding and most large organizations is a very for, it's something that's forgotten. And what that means is basically we kind of give it to folks, but we don't actually teach them or help them leverage it. And so they're very on their own. I think human interest is so easy to use that you provide a better experience from day one there, let alone from actually really setting it up correctly.
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  • PeopleStrategy has reduced errors and paper waste
  • Since using PeopleStrategy, we've maximized our time and streamlined processes
  • Through PeopleStrategy's services, our business has increased employee retention
Read full review
ScreenShots

Human Interest Screenshots

Screenshot of the Admin Portal - A summary page offers a snapshot of the plan.Screenshot of the Admin Portal - Employee List: See employees at a glance and information such as contribution rate, participation, balance, risk setting, etc.Screenshot of the Employee Dashboard - History View: Employees have the ability to view their YTD contribution amount and account related activity on this page.Screenshot of the Employee Dashboard - History View: Employees have the ability to view their YTD contribution amount and account related activity on this page.

PeopleStrategy Screenshots

Screenshot of Configurable navigation bar to manage employeesScreenshot of Talent Acquisition: Configurable Career PortalScreenshot of Reporting Example: DashboardScreenshot of Configurable navigation bar to manage employees