SimplyHRA vs zizzl health: Top ICHRA Platform for Small Businesses 2026

SimplyHRA and zizzl health are two of the newest competitors in the ICHRA space. As such, both come equipped with tech-focused tools designed for modern organizations.

Remember, an ICHRA platform makes the difference between effective employee healthcare and a year full of headaches. If you're in the market for one, SimplyHRA and zizzl health are both worthy of consideration.

This post dissects both platforms, their features, pricing, pros, and cons.

Let's get started.

SimplyHRA vs zizzl health: Quick Comparison

Comparing SimplyHRA vs zizzl health

Before anything else, here's a quick overview of SimplyHRA and zizzl health:

SimplyHRA Overview

SimplyHRA is a clean and intuitive ICHRA platform built for usability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. It has everything you need to launch your ICHRA plan, onboard employees, and automate reimbursements from day one.

SimplyHRA Pros

• Done-For-You Compliance — Once you upload your business details (or after your private consultation, SimplyHRA will handle all paperwork related to taxes and compliance.
• Transparent Pricing — With SimplyHRA, you only pay a fixed monthly price per employee (no compliance, setup, or additional administration fees).
• In-App AI Support — While you can reach the SimplyHRA support team via traditional channels (e.g., email and phone), you can rely on the built-in AI chatbot to receive 24/7 assistance without leaving the app.
• Automated Reimbursements Workflow — Reimbursements will be handled by SimplyHRA in the background once employees submit them via the web-based dashboard or mobile app.
• Highly User-Friendly Visual Interface — SimplyHRA's clean and intuitive interface is designed with modern user experience standards (e.g., simplified navigation, clutter-free pages, multi-page setup steps).

SimplyHRA Cons

• ICHRA Only — SimplyHRA currently doesn't support other HRA types, like Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) and Group Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (GCHRA).

zizzl health Overview

Similar to SimplyHRA, zizzl health is also a software-driven ICHRA platform that emphasizes ease of use for both employers and employees. Originally an IT and Human Resources platform, the company shifted its focus into ICHRA — utilizing their technology and expertise in the "employer-first" side of health benefits to deliver a one-stop product.

zizzl health Pros

• Deep Decision Support — Employees can take advantage of zizzl health's smart software and live support team to get plan recommendations based on their preferences regarding deductibles, Health Savings Account (HSA), and healthcare service providers.
• Payroll-First Roots — As a former HR and IT company, zizzl health uses time-tested frameworks for handling tax compliance, payroll-deducted payments, renewals, and more.
• Human-Led Service — Every company using zizzl health gets a dedicated success team who will guide them through the rigorous aspects of ICHRA, like transitioning from a traditional group health plan.

zizzl health cons

• Complex Pricing Structure — Unlike SimplyHRA, which follows a clear and straightforward pricing model, zizzl health includes multiple fees alongside the monthly per-employee subscription cost.
• More Intensive Setup — Rather than an instant setup via a virtual platform, zizzl health relies on a human-led setup process that may take a few days.

1. ICHRA Setup Process

The less laborious the setup process, the better an ICHRA platform generally is.

Of course, offering an ICHRA plan to your employees may take several weeks of preparation. However, that doesn't mean it should be bottlenecked by a messy platform.

SimplyHRA

First of all, employers are highly encouraged to book a private consultation with the SimplyHRA team before building their ICHRA plan. But if they already have a firm understanding of how ICHRA works, they can use the self-service SimplyHRA platform to get their plan underway in less than a day.

With SimplyHRA, the process of building an ICHRA plan is comparable to using any modern web-based app. Just fill in your business details, create class-specific reimbursement plans, onboard employees, configure payments, and you're done.

zizzl health

When it comes to setting up, zizzl health follows a more "human-in-the-loop" approach that requires the involvement of a broker or account manager.

You will have access to a visual interface that streamlines plan management tasks for both employees and employers. But during the setup process, you'll rely more on the back-and-forth interactions between you and your broker or account manager.

The main upside is, you're guaranteed to get an ICHRA plan that's tailored to your workforce's needs and checks all compliance-related boxes. zizzl health will handle everything from preparing ICHRA plan documents, ensuring affordability, and creating an Open Enrollment (OE) presentation deck.

2. Ease of Use & Support

Beyond the setup phase, ICHRA platforms are meant to make routine tasks a breeze. Whether it's submitting reimbursement requests for employees or tracking utilization rates for employers, you need an ICHRA solution that makes these tasks easy, regardless of technical proficiency.

SimplyHRA

SimplyHRA's beginner-friendly UI is one of its key strengths.

For starters, the platform's navigation and visual elements are structurally consistent across platforms. You don't need to be on your computer to use any of SimplyHRA's features — a huge win for employees who prefer submitting reimbursement requests ASAP via mobile.

Employees can even complete the entire onboarding process on their phones without needing assistance from a broker, plan administrator, or account manager. Plan and service recommendations will be based on their specific maximum out-of-pocket budget, which they'll be able to set within the app.

On desktops, the SimplyHRA dashboard features a clear navigation system that makes important tools and features easy to find. It also includes Quality of Life (QoL) features like an integrated search bar and an AI assistant enable a productive, self-service experience.

zizzl health

While the initial setup process is human-led, zizzl health also offers self-service features like plan selection, reimbursement tracking, and reporting.

Employers can use the app to easily monitor real-time enrollment status, access compliance reporting, and more. Employees, on the other hand, will have everything they need for tasks like plan selection, benefits management, and reimbursement request submission.  

Just remember that the premium, "boutique" service is the centerpiece of zizzl health's value offering. While the software side is more than good enough for non-technical users, employers can get the best results while saving time with the help of their concierge support team or Success Advocate.

3. Pricing

ICHRA plans are meant to help businesses save money. This, however, is difficult if you're not sure where your ICHRA platform payments are going.

SimplyHRA

SimplyHRA uses a straightforward, per-employee pricing model with absolutely zero hidden costs.

You only need to pay $29 for every employee participating in your ICHRA plan. This increases at a flat rate that entirely depends on your group size — simple and predictable.

A transparent pricing model ensures your ICHRA budget is airtight. Once you figure out the affordability threshold in your area, it's only a matter of setting a compliant reimbursement allowance model and your ICHRA costs will be fixed throughout the plan year.

zizzl health

Unlike SimplyHRA, zizzl health's pricing model is a tad more nuanced.

The platform also charges a per-employee fee of $25 per month, but this requires a minimum of $630 if you get their base "Foundation" plan. You can reduce the per-employee rate to $15 per employee if you have 25 or more enrollees.

zizzl health also charges an annual fee of $550 per year, which covers their concierge support resources and basic administration fees. For ACA services, you need to pay $24 per employee per year ($600 minimum).

Lastly, zizzl health's payroll integration add-on will cost $2.50 per employee per month, which is required to enable automated payroll deductions.

zizzl health also offers custom quote-based pricing for businesses that require additional integrations. This includes COBRA, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and Health Savings Account (HSA).

Just bear in mind, zizzl health's pricing is much higher overall because of the human resources they commit to providing smooth rollouts, guaranteed compliance, and priority support. Ask yourself if you value these components in your ICHRA plan — or, if you'd rather do a little bit of self-service and maximize your savings.

4. Reimbursement Management

Managing reimbursement requests and approvals is among the most time-consuming, ongoing tasks involved in ICHRA.

A good ICHRA platform not only makes reimbursement management easy. It should also be equipped with tools for expediting or automating the approval pipeline.

SimplyHRA

First and foremost, SimplyHRA will handle all transactions, compliance concerns, reimbursement approvals, and tracking.

As an employer or plan administrator, your primary responsibility is monitoring reimbursement metrics — from utilization rates to employee plan costs — to prepare for adjustments in the following plan year.

As for employees, they only need to submit their requests and let SimplyHRA handle the rest.

zizzl health

With the company's background in payroll, zizzl health puts emphasis on making the reimbursement process "feel" like a traditional group plan to employees.

The platform handles ICHRA funds directly through the payroll system. Once the employee is enrolled in their insurance plan through zizzl health, all pre-tax payroll deductions will be automated for amounts that exceed the employer's contribution.

As for employers, most of their involvement in the reimbursement workflow is done once they set allowances for each employee class. This is consistent with the service side of zizzl health's "human-led service" value proposition.  

5. Document Management & Analytics

As far as compliance is concerned, keeping the employer's involvement as minimal as possible is the standard in the ICHRA space. But that doesn't mean they should be barred from accessing essential compliance documents and reports.

SimplyHRA

With SimplyHRA, visual data is baked into key areas of the dashboard. You can track the current state of your ICHRA plan based on the amount of pending reimbursements, overall monthly costs, employee pre-tax deductions, and more.

It's also easy for employers and plan administrators to view, copy, and share their plan documents. Everything they need, including their file inbox, is consolidated in the 'Documents' tab.

zizzl health

zizzl health offers deep compliance monitoring, which is meant for mid-sized businesses that contend with more complex reporting requirements.

However, their reporting style isn't about visual fidelity or general accessibility. The data made available are primarily for HR directors and insurance brokers who are in charge of conducting year-over-year performance reviews.

This is an entirely different approach to analytics and reporting than what SimplyHRA offers. But that doesn't mean it is inherently worse or better.

If you prefer more control and ownership over your ICHRA performance data, SimplyHRA's integrated analytics is preferable. But if you'd rather focus on other aspects of your business while leaving ICHRA data analysis to your success team, zizzl health might be a better fit.

6. Miscellaneous Features

Before we wrap up this comparison, here's a quick look at each platform's extra features:

SimplyHRA

• Integrated AI Assistant — Employers and employees can rely on the SimplyHRA AI chatbot to get 24/7 assistance.
• Visual-First Onboarding — Creating employee classes, onboarding employees, and setting class-based reimbursement allowances can all be done through the self-service interface.
• Immediate Configuration Updates — Changes made to reimbursements, employee classes, and business bank accounts take effect once saved through the app.
• Payroll and HRIS Integrations — Manage and streamline payroll deductions directly through third-party integrations (e.g., Rippling, BambooHR, and ADP).

zizzl health

• Custom Cost Analysis — zizzl health offers a free cost analysis tool that utilizes real market data to highlight your potential savings with ICHRA.
• Success Advocate Network — Every business that uses zizzl health has access to Success Advocates who can help with employee ICHRA education through presentations and one-on-one consultations.
• Marketplace Decision Support — Finally, zizzl health makes tailored plan recommendations to employees based on their preferred deductible amounts, doctors, and HSA usage.

SimplyHRA vs zizzl health: Verdict

Both SimplyHRA and zizzl health are strong choices for companies looking to break into the world of ICHRA.

While these platforms have a software-driven foundation, there are two very different philosophies at play.

zizzl health is a good option for mid-sized businesses that prefer human guidance and active assistance in managing their ICHRA plan.

On the other hand, choose SimplyHRA if you value control, transparency, scalability, and maximum savings in your ICHRA strategy. The lean software, flat-rate pricing, and strong suite of learning tools (i.e., AI assistant) is a perfect bundle for startups and small businesses looking to stay at the helm of their employee healthcare.

Click here to schedule a private consultation to learn more about SimplyHRA's features.