Ease vs Empyrean

Ease is a broker-powered benefits administration and HR platform for small businesses, including businesses with two employees. It is available on Android, iOS and the web. The Pro tier includes online enrollment, rate quoting, onboarding, marketing tools and renewal assistance. Agency adds plan libraries, compensation statements, client management reports, EOI management, third-party EDI apps and EaseConnect 834; Enterprise adds custom reports, single sign-on, carrier-specific census and point-in-time reporting. EaseConnect and EaseConnect+ provide direct carrier connections for enrollment updates, additions and changes. The marketplace spans HR tools, telemedicine, payroll, compliance resources, enrollment assistance, COBRA management and identity protection partners. Named payroll integrations include ADP Workforce Now, Heartland, Paycor, Paylocity and RUN Powered by ADP. Pricing is on request; payroll integration costs and setup fees vary by partner and typically range from $0 to $1.50 PEPM. Optional Modernize costs $1 PEPM for brokers to enable and $2 PEPM for employers; ACA compliance is listed at $6 per employee per form per year. Ease offers support by chat, phone, video, Help Center and Ease Academy. Its security page mentions plans to sunset the platform in 2027.

Empyrean provides benefits administration technology and services for employers, covering eligibility, enrollment, employee engagement, reporting and compliance. Its platform automates eligibility and enrollment and includes built-in eligibility and compliance features. BenefitsGO lets employees view benefits, coverage details and account balances on mobile, with an AI-powered assistant available at any time. Empyrean supports connections to payroll and HRIS systems, wellness providers, carriers and consumer accounts, and says it can integrate with any carrier. HR teams can use customizable on-demand reports and real-time analytics; employee communications can include targeted push notifications, reminders, messages and ready-made campaigns. A HIPAA-compliant Employee Service Center is staffed by representatives trained on the employer’s benefits and culture. Empyrean reports annual third-party SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II audits and ISO/IEC 27001 certification. It says client databases are dedicated, data is encrypted in storage and transit, and systems are monitored 24/7/365. Participants use their organization’s dedicated benefits portal and should ask their employer’s HR or benefits team for access instructions. Pricing is available on request.