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Guideline description
Guideline is 401(k) software designed to simplify retirement plan administration for growing businesses. It offers affordable plans with automated features, making it easy for companies to provide this valuable employee benefit. Guideline streamlines employee onboarding, government filing, and manages employer contributions. It stands out by charging no participant fees on investments, regardless of account balance.
Who is using Guideline?
Who is Guideline best for
Guideline is a great choice for companies that want to offer 401(k) plans to their employees. Users appreciate the easy-to-navigate online portal, straightforward setup, and seamless payroll integrations. However, some users report difficulties canceling plans and desire more robust reporting features and investment options. We find that businesses seeking a simple, automated solution may find Guideline a good fit.
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Perfect for small to mid-sized businesses (1-1000 employees) aiming to provide accessible 401(k) plans.
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Great for companies in finance, banking, insurance, and professional services seeking streamlined retirement solutions.
Guideline features
Supported Customizable retirement plans: Guideline offers customizable retirement plans for companies of all shapes and sizes. |
Supported SEP IRA for small business: Guideline provides SEP IRA accounts popular for self-employed individuals and other small business owners. |
Supported Traditional/Roth IRA: Guideline offers flexible Traditional and Roth IRA accounts for first-time savers and experienced investors alike. |
Supported No transaction fees: Guideline does not charge fees for one-off transactions like rollovers, loans, distributions or plan wind-downs. |
Supported Low-cost investments: The total fees for Guideline's managed portfolios are up to 6x less than the industry average. |
Supported Fair pricing: Affordable 401(k) plan administration fees are covered by employers. Employees are only charged an annual account fee starting at 0.15%. |
Supported Payroll integrations: Guideline has teamed up with top payroll providers to make setting up and managing a 401(k) seamless. |
We evaluate the sentiment that users express about non-functional aspects of the software
Value and Pricing Transparency
Customer Service
Ease of Use
Reliability and Performance
Ease of Implementation
Scalability
Guideline reviews
We've summarised 690 Guideline reviews (Guideline TrustPilot reviews, Guideline Capterra reviews and Guideline G2 reviews) and summarised the main points below.
- Easy-to-navigate online portal and straightforward initial setup.
- Responsive customer support.
- Streamlined 401k plan setup and administration.
- Seamless integration with various payroll providers (e.g., Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks).
- User-friendly website and helpful resources.
- Difficult to cancel/pause 401k plan.
- Not available in Spanish.
- Limited reporting features; difficulty finding specific data.
- Separate logins for participant and sponsor accounts require manual URL editing.
- Limited investment options, especially individual stocks.
- Payroll integration issues with specific ADP account types.
Guideline pricing
The commentary is based on 188 reviews from Guideline Capterra reviews, Guideline G2 reviews and Guideline TrustPilot reviews.
We find that Guideline's pricing is generally considered reasonable and affordable, especially for small businesses. Some reviewers mention price increases and the addition of asset under management (AUM) fees, but many still feel it's a good value compared to other providers.
Users sentiment
See the Guideline pricing page.
Guideline alternatives
Guideline FAQ
Guideline is a 401(k) software provider that simplifies retirement plan administration for growing businesses. We find that it's particularly helpful for smaller companies due to its automated features and affordable pricing. It streamlines tasks like onboarding, filing, and managing contributions. Guideline also offers no participant fees on investments.
What is Guideline and what does Guideline do?
Guideline is a 401(k) software provider that simplifies retirement plan administration for growing businesses. We find that it's particularly helpful for smaller companies due to its automated features and affordable pricing. It streamlines tasks like onboarding, filing, and managing contributions. Guideline also offers no participant fees on investments.
We find that Guideline integrates with several top payroll providers to ensure a seamless 401(k) experience. This simplifies administration and management for employers, while also streamlining contributions.
How does Guideline integrate with other tools?
We find that Guideline integrates with several top payroll providers to ensure a seamless 401(k) experience. This simplifies administration and management for employers, while also streamlining contributions.
We find that Guideline's main competitors are 401GO, Betterment at Work, Ubiquity Retirement + Savings, Vestwell, and ForUsAll. These alternatives offer similar 401(k) services for businesses, focusing on ease of use and affordability. PeopleKeep also competes, but with a focus on personalized benefits like HRAs.
What the main competitors of Guideline?
We find that Guideline's main competitors are 401GO, Betterment at Work, Ubiquity Retirement + Savings, Vestwell, and ForUsAll. These alternatives offer similar 401(k) services for businesses, focusing on ease of use and affordability. PeopleKeep also competes, but with a focus on personalized benefits like HRAs.
We find Guideline to be a legitimate 401(k) provider, but with some caveats. While setup and administration are generally smooth, we've noticed negative feedback concerning customer service, reliability, and limited features. Proceed with caution and carefully weigh the pros and cons.
Is Guideline legit?
We find Guideline to be a legitimate 401(k) provider, but with some caveats. While setup and administration are generally smooth, we've noticed negative feedback concerning customer service, reliability, and limited features. Proceed with caution and carefully weigh the pros and cons.
We couldn't find pricing information for Guideline. Contact their sales team for detailed pricing options.
How much does Guideline cost?
We couldn't find pricing information for Guideline. Contact their sales team for detailed pricing options.
We find that Guideline's customer service receives mixed reviews. While many users praise the responsiveness and helpfulness of the support team, others have experienced difficulties getting timely support or resolving complex issues. Some users also mention inconsistent communication from support staff.
Is Guideline customer service good?
We find that Guideline's customer service receives mixed reviews. While many users praise the responsiveness and helpfulness of the support team, others have experienced difficulties getting timely support or resolving complex issues. Some users also mention inconsistent communication from support staff.
Reviewed by
Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.
Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.