Here Are the 7 Best Employee Benefits Platforms in 2026

Quick Summary

Brands that attract and keep top talent have excellent employee benefits programs. This guide compares seven top employee benefits platforms used across the UK, Europe and globally. It covers each tool’s key features, pricing, pros, and who it’s best for.

Looking for the Best Employee Benefits Platforms?

Managing benefits without the right platform is a painful experience.

You wrestle spreadsheets, log in and out of different systems, and field constant questions from employees.

That’s why choosing the best employee benefits platform is critical. Undoubtedly, it’s one of the highest-impact decisions your HR or People team can make.

The best platforms:

• Maximise employee choice and well-being
• Reduce HR admin
• Integrate cleanly with payroll and HRIS
• Offer transparent pricing
• Come compliant-ready

This guide reviews the leading employee benefits platforms and reveals their ideal use cases to help you find the right fit.

Why Listen to Us?

Kota is a modern employee benefits platform serving high-growth brands like Remote.com, Poolside, Carwow, and more.

Our team of benefits experts works with growing businesses every day to build and deploy engaging benefits packages while reducing admin for people and finance teams.

Our insights come from practical knowledge, not from theory.

1. Kota

Kota is a modern broker alternative built to take all the work involved in running benefits off your plate, and deliver a much more engaging employee experience.

It’s built to handle the entire benefits journey, from HRIS integration through to end providers. Kota gives your team a single place to manage pensions, health insurance, and flexible benefits, instead of juggling multiple portals.

Employees access core and flexible benefits through an easy-to-use app, with an optional benefits spend card for additional perks. For HR, deep integrations with your HRIS and payroll systems mean Kota acts as a connector that syncs data automatically rather than adding another platform to check and update manually.

Kota operates as a benefits infrastructure, not just another admin tool.

Key features

• Centralised benefits: Control health, life, retirement, and flex benefits in one central location
• Flexible benefits wallet: Workers choose perks that fit their lives with a few clicks
• Broker-level support: Five decades of benefits package experience to help you create your program and answer employee questions
• Integrations: Connections to Allianz, Smart Pension, and Vitality streamline paperwork
• Automatic HRIS and payroll sync: Syncs joiners, leavers, and salary updates automatically without needing manual data
• Detailed analytics: Measure spend and engagement across different benefits and geographies.
• Employee app: Supports self-service enrollment and benefits management

Pricing

Kota offers three plans, charged per active employee:

• Startup: £199 base monthly fee for up to 20 employees.
• Scale-up: £9 per employee monthly platform fee for 21-100 employees.
• Mid-market: per employee monthly platform fee for 101-500 employees.

These are current prices that can change any time.

Pros

• Clean, modern UX that encourages employee uptake.
• Core benefits like pensions, health, and life assurance can be easily procured and automated without brokers or excessive admin.
• Simple, predictable cost model (no broker surprises).

Cons

• Not a full HRIS
• Unsuitable for large enterprises with complex HCM ecosystems.

Best for

Scaling small-to-mid-market and mid-market companies across the UK and Europe that want an all-in-one flexible benefits platform with predictable pricing.

2. Ben

Ben, formerly Thanks Ben, is a benefits platform that blends automation with deep expertise across 140+ countries. It centralises provider catalogues, allowances, enrolment workflows, plus benchmarking, and cost tools.

The platform’s AI-driven personalisation capabilities enhance the employee experience. It also automates boring, repetitive administrative work for HR teams.

Key features

• AI-powered benefit recommendations: Match employees with relevant perks effortlessly.
• Flexible allowances: Enable spending on wellness, learning, and lifestyle needs
• Global compliance management: Handles regulations across 140+ countries automatically
• Recognition and rewards: Celebrate good work with instant monetary rewards
• Marketplace integration: Connects employees to hundreds of benefit providers like BambooHR, Xero, and Medicash

Pricing

Ben uses tiered plans and custom quotes (Starter, Pro, Enterprise).

Pros

• Broad catalogue supports varied employee needs.
• Strong tools for cost benchmarking and international rollouts.
• Good for personalised allowance strategies.

Cons

• With marketplace breadth comes increased choices to manage.
• Heavy customisation may require professional services.

Best for

UK-headquartered companies and fast-growing international teams that want a marketplace-style flexible benefits experience and strong support for allowances and recognition.

3. Zest Benefits

Zest is an award‑winning UK employee benefits solution. It has a flexible benefits system that consolidates multiple benefits into one employee portal.

It replaces fragmented admin with a shopping‑style experience to improve uptake.

Key features

• Codeless benefit builder: Configures complex schemes without technical resources
• Smart automation: Handles eligibility, selections, and reporting automatically
• Real-time HRIS sync: Keeps all platforms aligned without manual work
• Insights centre: Provides deep analytics on benefit usage and engagement
• Self-service tools: Empowers employees to manage benefits independently

Pricing

Zest offers demo-driven, custom pricing. You contact sales for a quote.

Pros

• Mature platform for UK benefits consolidation.
• Works with existing providers and reduces admin fragmentation.
• All-in-one platform for managing perks.

Cons

• Limited to the UK market only.
• Some advanced customisations may require vendor support.

Best For

Mid-market UK employers with existing legacy providers who want to consolidate benefits without replacing providers.

4. Happl

Happl is an AI‑native platform built to make benefits feel inclusive, not one‑size‑fits‑all.

It drives benefits uptake through communication, recognition, and manager‑led engagement. The platform supports flexible allowances, insurance administration and global policy management.

Key Features

• Happl AI assistant: Lets employees ask questions like "benefits for back pain" and get prompt answers
• 100+ HRIS integrations: Automates enrolment, payroll, and compliance workflows
• Manager tools: Provides budgets and insights for team engagement
• Multi-currency & international payments: Run global allowances smoothly.
• Flexible spend controls: Enable custom budgets by role, team, or region

Pricing

Happl uses quote-based pricing with tiers for different company sizes and global needs.

Pros

• Comprehensive manager tools drive team engagement.
• Built-in support for global payments and allowances.
• The mobile app enables you to manage benefits anytime, anywhere.

Cons

• Not a deep benefits administration engine on its own.
• Costs can scale with international complexities.

Best for

Companies that prioritise engagement, recognition, and global allowances, especially distributed teams that need a polished communications layer.

5. Benifex

Benifex is an enterprise-focused platform that combines benefits, wellbeing, rewards, and recognition into an employee experience hub.

The OneHub platform gives employees one place to view their total reward package, select benefits, and access discounts. And for HR, it centralises administration across countries while integrating with existing HRIS and payroll systems to automate enrolment, reporting, and provider updates.

Key Features

• OneHub platform: Combines benefits, wellbeing, rewards, and recognition in one portal
• Total rewards statements: Shows employees the full value of their compensation package
• HRIS & payroll integration: Connects to existing HR systems to automate data flow and reporting
• Card-based allowances: Gives employees flexible spending through the Benifex wallet
• Global discounts: Provides savings on major brands to stretch employee pay further

Pricing

Contact sales for a quote.

Pros

• Proven at scale with major enterprises like Microsoft, Salesforce, and IKEA
• Strong UK heritage with genuine global reach (100+ countries)
• Combines benefits administration with engagement and recognition tools

Cons

• Enterprise focus means it's less suited to SMBs
• Implementation complexity for organisations with simpler needs
• Custom pricing lacks transparency for budget planning

Best For

Mid-to-large enterprises that want a unified platform for benefits, rewards, and employee engagement across multiple countries.

6. Gusto

Gusto (formerly ZenPayroll) began as a payroll tool and later added benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and commuter benefits. It combines payroll, HR, and benefits in one system, replacing multiple tools.

It’s known for a friendly UX and straightforward plans for small and mid‑sized US employers.

Key Features

• Automatic tax filing: Handles federal, state, and local payroll taxes, reducing manual entry
• Autopilot payroll: Runs automatically for salaried employees
• Gus AI assistant: Answers HR questions and automates daily tasks.
• Licensed benefits advisors: Provide free guidance on plan selection for better decision-making
• Extensive integrations: Connects with hundreds of providers covering every sphere

Pricing

Gusto uses a tiered base price plus per person monthly pricing approach. These are the platform’s pricing as of December 2025:

• The Simple plan costs $49 per month + 6/month per person.
• The Plus plan goes for $80 per month + $12/month per person.
• The Premium plan is $180 + $22/month per person.

Pros

• Exceptional value for small businesses with straightforward needs.
• Clear, self-serve onboarding.
• Licensed advisors provide benefits expertise at no extra cost.

Cons

• US-only focus limits utility for international teams.
• Not as flexible as modern flexible-benefits-only platforms.

Best For

US-based SMBs that want simple payroll plus basic benefits administration with minimal setup friction.

7. Workday

Workday is a large HCM suite that includes benefits administration within its HR and finance platform.

It offers guided benefits enrollment, total rewards visibility, and detailed analytics. Designed for large, complex organisations, Workday delivers enterprise‑grade capabilities.

Key Features

• Benefits and pay hub: Centralises all employee information in one interface.
• ACA compliance automation: Generates, transmits, and tracks required filings
• Workday Cloud Connect: Integrates hundreds of carriers without IT support
• Mobile enrolment: Provides guided benefits selection and enrolment from a desktop or mobile device
• Total rewards statements: Show comprehensive compensation, including benefits value

Pricing

Custom pricing based on module selection, number of users, and implementation scope.

Pros

• Extremely flexible and powerful for large organisations.
• Excellent reporting and total rewards visibility.
• Deep global compliance capabilities.

Cons

• Costly and heavyweight for smaller teams.
• Long implementation timelines and significant change management.

Best For

Large multinational enterprises that need a single vendor for HR, finance, and benefits. Huge companies that have the budget/time for a major implementation.

How to Choose a Benefits Platform

Selecting an employee benefits platform isn't just about features. It's about finding the right fit for your organisation's stage, geography, and priorities.

Here’s a quick framework you can use to compare tools and avoid expensive misfits.

1. Geographic Coverage and Compliance

First, ask: where are your people today, and where will they be in two years?

Choose a platform that already supports those countries and handles local rules in the background, so you are not firefighting compliance issues later.

This is non-negotiable if you have distributed teams.

2. Integration Architecture

Benefits don't exist in isolation.

Every new benefit touches payroll, HR, and at least a few tools your team already uses.

You need to connect a host of internal and external systems, such as:

• HRIS platforms to sync enrolments and plan updates
• Wellness apps for ease of access
• Payroll systems to reconcile deductions
• Insurance carriers and benefits providers

Your ideal platform must cover all the bases of the tools you already use or want to use in the future.

3. Implementation Speed and Complexity

Complex implementation slows your team down and leads to frustration, errors, and increased costs. Rapid deployment minimizes downtime and enables a seamless transition for your HR teams and employees.

Time-to-value matters.

You can implement some benefits solutions in weeks, while some enterprise solutions may take you months.

Does the platform’s implementation timeline match your company’s time considerations?

4. Employee Experience

Benefits only work if your employees use them.

The best platforms come with:

• Intuitive user interface so employees find what they want easily
• Mobile apps for on-the-move, always-on access and management
• Self-service to empower workers so they feel in control
• Tailored experiences to match benefits to individual needs

Above all, a good UI/UX reduces the number of employee queries your people team will need to answer day-to-day.

5. Scalability and Pricing Model

Consider your growth trajectory.

Choose a benefits platform that meets your current business size and is also able to accommodate future growth.

Understand whether pricing scales linearly or includes step-function increases.

6. Support and Expertise

For employees to make the right choices, they need to be taught.

This is especially true for complex benefits like personalised wellness stipends and lifestyle perks. Some platforms include benefits consultancy alongside technology. Others focus purely on software.

Determine whether you need strategic guidance or just better tools.

5 Key Features to Look For In An Employee Benefits Platform

Here’s what leading platforms, including Kota, Ben, and Zest, deliver for modern HR teams:

1. Integrations

Look for tools that connect smoothly with all the tools that combine to make the best benefits packages.

Kota has strategic integrations with major providers in different areas:

• HRIS and Payroll Platforms, such as BambooHR, Remote.com, and Workday.
• Insurance companies, like Allianz Global Care, Vitality, and Allianz Care.
• Pension providers, namely Smart Pension (UK) and Irish Life (Ireland).

2. Support for core offerings like Private Medical & Pensions

A lot of platforms will help with hosting existing benefits, but few will do the work of a traditional broker and remove the ongoing admin and renewal season chaos.

If your platform doesn't sync to providers directly, you'll end up doubling or tripling up on a lot of tasks - updating employee data across providers, your benefits platform, and your HRIS.

You'll also end up paying for both a broker and a platform, instead of having the best of both inside one tool.

3. Payroll reconciliation

Look for a solution with built-in payroll reconciliation that’ll verify carrier invoices against enrolment/payroll data to catch errors like:

• Overpaying
• Missed coverage, or
• Incorrect deductions

This prevents costly issues and supports legal adherence.

All Kota plans, be it Startup, Scale-up, or Mid-market, automate reporting and payroll reconciliation.

4. Employee wallet and personalisation

Modern employees expect flexibility. They get frustrated by rigid, take‑it‑or‑leave‑it schemes.

Kota offers a wallet where employees can pick benefits that match their life stage.

5. Transparent pricing

Clear pricing is vital for weighing your options and budgeting purposes.

Hidden pricing often comes with surprise costs that can throw your team off-balance.

Public pricing per active employee (like Kota’s) reduces procurement friction and budgeting surprises.

Employee Benefits Program Implementation Tips

Here are some quick-fire implementation tips and industry best practices

• Speak with employees and benefits experts. Survey your team to understand their priorities, then work with specialists to design a package that balances employee needs with budget realities.
• Begin talking about the new platform 4-6 weeks before launch. Focus on what’s changing for employees and how it helps them, not just on process and deadlines.
• Train managers as champions to influence employee behaviour. Give them quick reference guides and demo accounts.
• Run a small pilot with a specific department. Pilot the platform in a small context, gather feedback, and iterate before a full rollout.
• Integrate the payroll before the first payroll cycle.Validate if the payroll sync includes benefit deductions to prevent errors and nasty employee experiences.
• Use the analytics dashboard to monitor chosen benefits. Evaluate the numbers and tailor education campaigns towards underused benefits. Kota has insight tools for this purpose.

In short, make rollout painless and maximise adoption.

Ready To Make Employee Benefits a Competitive Advantage?

Employee benefits aren’t just a nice side-dish.

In today's highly competitive job market, it can become the edge you need to attract and retain elite employees. Do you want a modern benefits platform that:

• Gives employees control over their benefits and contributions?
• Makes pensions and other core benefits easy to understand?
• Syncs directly with health and pension providers to eliminate admin?
• Gives you and your employees on-the-go access to their benefits?
• Has a team of benefits experts on-hand to build packages and solve employee queries?
• Keeps pricing predictable?
• Handles the entire employee benefits journey?

Kota is the best starting point for UK and European SMEs looking for an efficient all-in-one benefits platform that replaces brokers, tools, and spreadsheets.

Get started today.

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