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It's a split decision.
Choose Employee Navigator for broker-led benefits administration and ACA reporting; choose greytHR for payroll-centered HR operations and a free entry tier. Employee Navigator does not publish plan prices. Its 834 EDI costs $0.45 PEPM on Enhanced Plus and Elite, is free on Platinum, and other reporting and support fees are unpublished. greytHR Starter is free for up to 25 employees, but paid prices and annual billing are not published. Compare a full quote against your headcount and payroll needs.
01Side by side
| Employee Navigator | greytHR | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Not published; contact sales | $0 Starter; up to 25 employees |
| Free plan | No free plan listed | Starter is free for up to 25 |
| Best for | Broker-led benefits administration | Payroll and full-suite HR operations |
| Core strength | Benefits administration and ACA reporting | Payroll, attendance, and HR tasks |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | Homepage lists 600+ integrations | Integration count not published |
| Team/seat costs | Unlimited companies and employees on select plans | Starter caps at 25; paid limits unpublished |
| Support | Platinum includes priority phone support | Support details not published |
Employee Navigator Choose Employee Navigator if
- Choose Employee Navigator if benefits administration is broker-led.
- Choose Employee Navigator if ACA reporting is central.
- Choose Employee Navigator if you need its listed integrations.
greytHR Choose greytHR if
- Choose greytHR if you want a free tier for up to 25 employees.
- Choose greytHR if payroll and HR operations belong in one system.
- Choose greytHR if you need leave, attendance, and employee self-service.
02Pricing compared
Employee Navigator does not publish plan prices, monthly or annual, so you’ll need a quote to compare it with greytHR. Its broker-focused tiers are Enhanced, Enhanced Plus, Elite and Platinum. One published add-on price matters: 834 EDI feeds cost $0.45 PEPM on Enhanced Plus and Elite, are included at no charge on Platinum, and are unavailable on Enhanced. Additional fees apply for 1095/1094 reporting and email and phone support, but the amounts are not published.
greytHR has a free Starter plan for up to 25 employees. Essential is listed as a paid plan, but its price and annual billing details are not published. The practical comparison is a free entry point versus two opaque quotes: request full pricing based on headcount, payroll needs and required integrations before choosing.
03Features and depth
These platforms solve different problems. Employee Navigator centers on benefits administration for brokers, with online enrollment, carrier and payroll integrations, ACA reporting, and HR tools. Its homepage says it connects employers, brokers and partners through more than 600 integrations. Higher tiers add 834 EDI, third-party apps, onboarding, PTO tracking and priority phone support. It is not described here as a payroll processor; payroll integrations are the listed connection.
greytHR is the broader payroll and HR operations option. Its listed payroll tools calculate PF, ESI, PT, LWF and TDS, with payroll close and government portal filing. It also covers recruitment, onboarding, attendance, leave, employee self-service and performance management. The NAVOS assistant can carry out tasks such as granting leave, pulling reports and approving requisitions through language commands, according to the product description. Choose Employee Navigator for benefits and ACA workflows; choose greytHR if payroll and day-to-day employee administration are the center of the project.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Neither product’s provided materials give a detailed setup timeline or learning-curve estimate, so we wouldn’t treat ease as settled. The review scores published put Employee Navigator at 7/10 for ease of use and greytHR at 7.4/10; those scores are a directional comparison, not a migration guarantee.
On paper, the work differs: Employee Navigator is organized around benefits enrollment and broker workflows, while greytHR spans payroll, attendance, recruitment and other HR tasks. More coverage can mean more to configure, but the sources do not quantify implementation effort. Ask each vendor to walk through your actual enrollment, payroll and attendance processes, and confirm what support costs extra. Employee Navigator lists additional, unpublished charges for email and phone support.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of Employee Navigator?
Employee Navigator does not publish plan prices or monthly and annual billing rates. It lists Enhanced, Enhanced Plus, Elite and Platinum, but you’ll need a quote. The 834 EDI feed costs $0.45 PEPM on Enhanced Plus and Elite and is free on Platinum; other reporting and support fees are not published.
What are people saying about Employee Navigator?
The published review information rates Employee Navigator 6.5/10 overall, with 7.5/10 for features and 7/10 for ease of use. The summary says it is worth considering for broker-led benefits administration, but recommends getting a full quote before comparing costs. These scores do not replace feedback from customers with needs like yours.
Does Employee Navigator have an app?
The published Employee Navigator information does not confirm whether it has a mobile app, so we can’t give a reliable yes or no. It describes online benefits administration, HR tools and integrations, but does not specify app availability or mobile features. Ask the vendor to confirm the app’s capabilities for employees and administrators.
Is Employee Navigator a payroll system?
The available description presents Employee Navigator as a benefits, HR and compliance platform, with payroll integrations rather than payroll processing tools. If you need software to calculate and run payroll, greytHR’s listed features include payroll processing; Employee Navigator may connect to a payroll system you already use.