SimplyHRA vs Gravie: Which One Should You Choose in 2026

SimplyHRA and Gravie are two of the top contenders in the ICHRA benefits space.

And, if you're a growth-minded business, they should definitely be on the table — whether you're transitioning from a traditional group plan or offering employee health benefits for the first time.  

Both SimplyHRA and Gravie make ICHRA planning, implementation, and management a walk in the park. However, each platform achieves ease of administration in different ways.

This post explores those differences to make sure you choose the right ICHRA platform for your business.  

But first, a quick side-by-side comparison:

SimplyHRA vs Gravie ICHRA: Quick Comparison

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Comparing SimplyHRA vs Gravie ICHRA

To make a fair comparison, here's an overview of the features, pros, and cons of both ICHRA platforms:

SimplyHRA

Although SimplyHRA prioritizes intuitiveness and ease of administration, it still puts business owners in the driver's seat of their ICHRA health plan. The visual, self-service interface makes it easy for anyone to complete tasks like managing reimbursement amounts and employee onboarding without extensive training.

SimplyHRA Pros

• Manage your ICHRA plan on desktop or mobile
• Automate all legal and compliance-related paperwork
• Built-in AI assistant
• Personalized employee onboarding support
• Payroll and HRIS integrations (e.g., ADP, BambooHR, Gusto, Okta, and Rippling)
• Transparent and fixed pricing structure
• Dynamic data dashboards

SimplyHRA Cons

• Strictly for ICHRA only
• Limited marketplace partnerships compared to Gravie

Gravie ICHRA

Gravie ICHRA is better described as a "concierge" ICHRA managed service with employee and employer portals. Much of the ICHRA planning and implementation steps will be human-led via a team of in-house advisors.

Gravie Pros

• Access to ICHRA and level-funded plans (Gravie Comfort)
• Access to personalized employee support (Gravie Care)
• Optimized ICHRA plan for long-term savings and predictability
• Wide carrier network
• Insurance shopping assistance for employees

Gravie Cons

• Limited self-service options
• Plan implementation takes longer, requiring you to plan ahead
• Non-transparent and more expensive pricing

1. ICHRA Setup Process

A great ICHRA platform ensures the setup process goes smoothly and hassle-free for business owners. And for SimplyHRA and Gravie ICHRA, "hassle-free" means different things.

SimplyHRA

Setting up an ICHRA plan with SimplyHRA is more of a DIY, guided experience that keeps you in control.

The recommended route is to schedule a private consultation for assistance and then build your plan through the visual interface. This only involves inputting important details about your business and ICHRA plan, like your business address, number of employees, and preferred reimbursement allowance per employee class.

Gravie ICHRA

Gravie ICHRA's setup process, for the most part, is facilitated by its internal team.

With this approach, you need to plan ahead to give your broker and account manager time to review your expectations, assess special considerations, and develop your ICHRA plan details.

Phase one ends after you sign the Agent on Record (AOR) form and pre-fund your ICHRA account.

2. Ease of Use & Support

Just like in the setup stage, SimplyHRA and Gravie ICHRA have different "flavors" in terms of ease of use and support.

SimplyHRA

SimplyHRA is created with modern software usability standards.

It follows a mobile-first structure, provides AI-powered functionality, and uses a clutter-free design that makes it easy to find what you need.

The SimplyHRA dashboard allows you to make specific changes, like adding employees and switching business bank accounts, within minutes.

Whenever you need assistance, the built-in AI assistant can provide you with direct answers and instructions for a variety of tasks. For example, employees can request updates on their reimbursement status or assistance in finding certain features.

If you need human support, you can reach out to SimplyHRA's team via email, phone, or scheduled consultation (for both employers and employees).

Gravie ICHRA

For Gravie ICHRA, ease of use means requiring you to do as little work as possible while your ICHRA plan runs like clockwork.

When shopping for a health plan, employees can choose the "Easy Enroll" method to automate the process. Alternatively, they can use the "Self-Enroll" option to access customization options, like prescriptions and preferred healthcare providers.

It's also worth mentioning that Gravie ICHRA comes with Gravie Care, which is backed by a network of advisors who can address any concern or complexity with your plan. This guarantees effective resolutions in exchange for your ability to explore and learn processes yourself.

3. Pricing

It's no secret that most small businesses and startups are choosing ICHRA as a response to ever-rising insurance premiums. That's why you should never ignore pricing when choosing an ICHRA platform.

SimplyHRA

SimplyHRA comes with a transparent and predictable pricing structure that scales proportionally to your needs.

You don't have to worry about setup fees or subscription payments. You only need to pay $29 per employee per month to access all of SimplyHRA's features, services, and priority support channels.

Gravie ICHRA

Gravie ICHRA's pricing follows an enterprise pricing structure, coming with a platform subscription on top of per-employee fees. Pricing is determined by factors like group size and add-ons (i.e., Gravie Pay).

Remember, choosing Gravie ICHRA is like working with a boutique Third-Party Administrator (TPA) that offers custom, quote-based pricing. Expect to pay more for the platform and its administrative services.

On the plus side, Graive ICHRA leverages partnerships with a large network of carriers, enabling the "Easy Enroll" system and reducing administrative costs.

4. Reimbursement Management & Automation

A reliable and efficient reimbursement workflow is perhaps the most important aspect of a top ICHRA management platform.

Modern solutions like SimplyHRA and Gravie ICHRA do this via technology-driven automation workflows, direct pay arrangements, and other tools.

SimplyHRA

As an employer, your primary responsibility is to set a reimbursement allowance for each employee class. SimplyHRA will automate the rest, including reimbursement tracking, processing, and approvals.

For employees, submitting reimbursement requests can be done easily via the mobile app. They also have the option to automate insurance premium payments by creating a SimplyHRA bank account or virtual card, which can be used to enable autopay with your insurance carrier in one workflow.

Gravie ICHRA

When it comes to reimbursements, Gravie ICHRA offers a true "hands-off" experience — handling everything from insurance payments to payroll deductions on your behalf.

This greatly reduces the administrative load of your ICHRA plan. It also takes human error out of the equation, enabling you to focus on other aspects of employee healthcare and your business as a whole.

5. Compliance, Document Management, & Reporting

In ICHRA, document management goes beyond just record-keeping. It's also essential for compliance oversight and identifying areas of improvement for the next plan year.

SimplyHRA

SimplyHRA comes with a collection of efficient analytics and reporting tools to keep you in the loop.

From the main dashboard to the payroll deductions page, each key section includes useful analytics, measuring crucial data points like month-over-month utilization changes and employee plan costs.

SimplyHRA also handles compliance while automatically generating plan documents and keeping them in a central location — organized and audit-ready without the administrative burden.

Gravie ICHRA

Similar to SimplyHRA, Gravie ICHRA also leaves an accessible audit trail of documents (i.e., contribution invoices) in the employer portal.

The platform creates essential legal documentation, like your Summary Plan Description (SPD) and Special Enrollment Period (SEP) notices, without your manual effort. Your Gravie Implementation Manager also provides enrollment reports for payroll deductions.

But rather than providing real-time data visibility, Gravie utilizes reporting with high-level summaries for compliance and performance oversight. This will help you ensure your budget and reimbursement strategy align with your workforce's actual healthcare needs and utilization.

6. Miscellaneous Features

In some cases, a single feature is all it takes for business owners to decide. That's why, before we conclude this comparison, let's look at the other important features that SimplyHRA and Gravie ICHRA bring to the table.

SimplyHRA

• Instant Dashboard Changes — Use the intuitive, self-service dashboard to configure employee classes or business bank settings without waiting for an account manager.
• AI Assistant for Employers and Employees — Both you and your workers can take advantage of the AI assistant to extract insights, answer questions, and receive instructions on managing your plan.
• Sync Payroll with Integrations — Manage payroll deductions from your SimplyHRA account using integrations with services like Rippling, Gusto, BambooHR, ADP, and Zoho.

Gravie ICHRA

• Level-Funded Options — Use Gravie Comfort to offer zero-copay services like preventive care, urgent visits, and virtual consultations.
• Gravie Pay — Help employees cover out-of-pocket medical expenses without interest.
• Hands-On Shopping Assistance — Help employees pick the best plan for their household with assistance from Gravie's expert advisors.

SimplyHRA vs Gravie ICHRA: Verdict

Both SimplyHRA and Gravie ICHRA can help you reap the full benefits of ICHRA — from ensuring cost predictability to providing the healthcare your employees deserve.

However, there are glaring differences in how each platform achieves these goals.

SimplyHRA offers predictability, fundamental guidance, and a self-service ICHRA experience that keeps you in charge. Gravie ICHRA, on the other hand, delivers a white-glove experience that aims for minimal employer involvement while guaranteeing positive results.

Both have drawbacks, like the higher price tag for Gravie ICHRA and SimplyHRA's limited marketplace partnerships.

At the end of the day, your choice depends on what you value more.

To gain a deeper understanding of how SimplyHRA works and what it can do for your organization, schedule a private consultation here.