# ADP Retirement Services: how AI models rank it, November 2026

Gane Index, November 2026 Edition. Named in 34 judge labels across 1 category by 14 of 14 models. Page: https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/vendors/adp-retirement-services

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [401(k) providers](https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/rewards/401k-providers/index.md) | 8% | 4 | 9% | 34 |

## What the models said for it

- "For absolute lowest cost & simplicity: Start with ADP Starter-k Complete ($100/month)." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, 401(k) providers)
- "ADP Retirement Services would be the strongest default recommendation" (Perplexity Sonar, 401(k) providers)
- "Empower, Vanguard, Fidelity, and ADP are frequently cited as top choices" (Mistral Small, 401(k) providers)
- "I suggest starting with ADP or Vanguard as primary options" (MiniMax M2.5, 401(k) providers)

## And against it

- "Often charge higher administrative fees or embed proprietary, higher-cost fund options compared to standalone recordkeepers." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, 401(k) providers)
- "These are reliable but can edge higher in total cost compared to the specialists above for limited-budget scenarios." (Grok 4.20, 401(k) providers)
- "Convenient if you already use ADP, but bundled pricing often costs more than standalone providers" (Kimi K2, 401(k) providers)

## By model

| Model | First choice | Alternative | Mention | Warning | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| GPT-5.4 mini | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Perplexity Sonar | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Grok 4.20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Mistral Small | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Llama 4 Maverick | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kimi K2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| MiniMax M2.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| GPT-6 Luna | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Muse Glimmer 30B | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |

## Sources returned with these answers

The sites and pages cited by the answers that named ADP Retirement Services, from 107 of the 112 answers that named it (only the models that return a source list).

### Domains cited

- adp.com: 71 (its own site)
- forbes.com: 61
- leadchangegroup.com: 47
- betterment.com: 40
- investmentnews.com: 31
- reddit.com: 28
- planprovider.pro: 26
- spotsaas.com: 22
- fitsmallbusiness.com: 21
- employeefiduciary.com: 20

### Pages cited

- https://adp.com/what-we-offer/benefits/retirement/401k.aspx: 63
- https://forbes.com/advisor/retirement/best-401k-plans: 57
- https://betterment.com/top-401ks-for-small-businesses-in-2026: 31
- https://investmentnews.com/glossary/401k-companies/263041: 28
- https://adp.com/what-we-offer/benefits/retirement/adp-401k-essential.aspx: 23
- https://fitsmallbusiness.com/best-401k-companies: 20
- https://leadchangegroup.com/401k-providers: 19
- https://leadchangegroup.com/401k-providers/enterprise: 18

## In its own words

What ADP Retirement Services's own pages state, read 2026-10-05. Stated by the vendor, not checked by the index.

- Positioning: Avoid costly penalties by complying with state-mandated retirement plans. ADP Retirement Services can help your company navigate state mandates. (https://www.adp.com/resources/state-mandated-retirement-plans.aspx)
- For: employers (https://www.adp.com/resources/state-mandated-retirement-plans.aspx)
- Price stated: Starting at just $100/month (https://www.adp.com/what-we-offer/benefits/retirement/401k.aspx)
- Starting price: 100/month (https://www.adp.com/what-we-offer/benefits/retirement/401k.aspx)
- Free plan or trial: up to 5 MONTHS FREE (https://www.adp.com/what-we-offer/benefits/retirement/adp-401k-essential.aspx)
- Customers named: Amazon DSP

## Record

- Method: https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/methodology
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as Gane Index, November 2026 Edition, www.gane.ai/index/hr.