Ameritas Retirement Plans vs Merrill Small Business 401(k)

Ameritas Retirement Plans9.3Visit Merrill Small Business 401(k)8.0Visit

Higher score Ameritas Retirement Plans #1 in 401(k) Software 9.3/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Ameritas

vs

Merrill Small Business 401(k) #7 in 401(k) Software 8.0/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Merrill

• Ameritas Retirement Plans fits best

  Organizations seeking broad retirement plan administration

• Merrill Small Business 401(k) fits best

  Small employers preferring Merrill-managed plans

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Side by side

Feature	Ameritas Retirement Plans 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Merrill Small Business 401(k) 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.0
Ranking	#1 in 401(k) Software	#7 in 401(k) Software
Best for	Organizations seeking broad retirement plan administration	Small employers preferring Merrill-managed plans
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	$95/mo
Free plan	Not checked yet	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS
Support	Email, Phone	Phone, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business
Features Ameritas Retirement Plans 3/3 · Merrill Small Business 401(k) 3/3
Employee enrollment	✓	✓
Compliance support	✓	✓
Participant mobile app	✓	✓
Specs
Plan types	401(k); profit-sharing; multiple employer (MEP); pooled employer (PEP); money purchase; ERISA 403(b); solo 401(k); 457(b); prevailing-wage 401(k); defined benefit; cash balance; governmental; safe harbor 401(k)	401(k); Roth 401(k); Safe Harbor 401(k)
Payroll integrations	PRISM HR; iSolved	Not checked yet
Investment options	Mixed	Mixed
Our review
Pros	Supports many plan types, from 401(k) and PEP to defined benefit. Combines recordkeeping, compliance testing, filings and enrollment. Offers fiduciary services and participant web and mobile account tools.	Ascensus manages recordkeeping and plan administration. Includes compliance testing, Form 5500 support and online enrollment. Merrill provides fiduciary services and a target-date QDIA option.
Cons	Pricing is customized and starts with a sales conversation. Named payroll integrations are PRISM HR and iSolved. The broad service scope may exceed the needs of employers seeking only recordkeeping.	The Group 401(k) charges $5 per participant each month for recordkeeping. Published pricing also combines asset-based fees with plan fees. Contribution processing is through ACH rather than a named payroll integration.
Our verdict	Ameritas Retirement Plans provides customized retirement-plan recordkeeping and administration for businesses, nonprofits, governmental entities and professional employer organizations. Its scope extends beyond 401(k) plans to… Read the review →	Merrill Small Business 401(k) is a cloud-based retirement plan for small businesses, with web and iOS access for employers and employees. It brings plan setup, online enrollment, contribution processing and investment choices into a… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Ameritas Retirement Plans — where it wins

  • Supports many plan types, from 401(k) and PEP to defined benefit.
  • Combines recordkeeping, compliance testing, filings and enrollment.
  • Offers fiduciary services and participant web and mobile account tools.

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing is customized and starts with a sales conversation.
  • Named payroll integrations are PRISM HR and iSolved.
  • The broad service scope may exceed the needs of employers seeking only recordkeeping.

• Merrill Small Business 401(k) — where it wins

  • Ascensus manages recordkeeping and plan administration.
  • Includes compliance testing, Form 5500 support and online enrollment.
  • Merrill provides fiduciary services and a target-date QDIA option.

  Where it doesn't

  • The Group 401(k) charges $5 per participant each month for recordkeeping.
  • Published pricing also combines asset-based fees with plan fees.
  • Contribution processing is through ACH rather than a named payroll integration.

• Ameritas Retirement Plans9.3/10 · Pricing on request

  Broad retirement-plan administration with enrollment, payroll, fiduciary and participant services.

  Visit AmeritasFull verdict →
• Merrill Small Business 401(k)8.0/10 · Paid

  A focused small-business 401(k) with managed administration and ACH contributions.

  Visit MerrillFull verdict →