401(k) providers · October 2026 Edition
ADP Retirement Services vs Vanguard
Two of fourteen models named ADP Retirement Services first on the direct prompt; zero named Vanguard. Both were named by all fourteen models and ADP Retirement Services carries 41 labels and Vanguard 46, so the shares are not directly comparable.
ADP Retirement Services
accepted challengerNamed in one category this edition.
Named in three categories this edition.
First-choice share16%5%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate12%4%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#3#7A position in a field of 12; printed, not drawn.
Labels4146A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, ADP Retirement Services reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Human Interest was named alongside these two in eight of the fourteen direct answers. Human Interest vs ADP Retirement Services · Human Interest vs Vanguard · Guideline vs ADP Retirement Services
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the 401(k) providers page.
By framing
How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
ADP Retirement ServicesFirst choices, of fourteen modelsVanguard
Direct20
Paraphrase512 against ADP Retirement Services
Comparative01
Budget-constrained121 against ADP Retirement Services
Scale-constrained10
Negative042 against ADP Retirement Services · 2 against Vanguard
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.
Across every category in the October 2026 Edition, ADP Retirement Services and Vanguard were named in the same answer sixty-eight times, of the 128 answers naming ADP Retirement Services and the 122 naming Vanguard. In those answers Vanguard took the first choice eight times and ADP Retirement Services eight.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where ADP Retirement Services and Vanguard stood in it.
| Model | DirectAR | ParaphraseAR | ComparativeAR | Budget-constrainedAR | Scale-constrainedAR | NegativeAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | AR | AR | |||
| GPT-5.4 mini | AR | AR | | |||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | AR | AR | AR | |||
| Perplexity Sonar | AR | AR | AR | |||
| Grok 4.1 Fast | AR | AR | AR | | AR | |
| Mistral Small | AR | AR | AR | | ||
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | AR | AR | | |||
| Llama 4 Maverick | ||||||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | | | | AR | | |
| Kimi K2 | AR | AR | | | ||
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | AR | AR | AR | AR | AR | |
| MiniMax M2.5 | | | ||||
| GPT-6 Luna | AR | |||||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | AR | AR | |
AR ADP Retirement Services VanguardAR first choiceAR named as an alternativeAR argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, ADP Retirement Services on the left and Vanguard on the right.
VanguardAR first choiceAR named as an alternativeAR argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, ADP Retirement Services on the left and Vanguard on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where ADP Retirement Services and Vanguard stood in it.
ADP Retirement Services first, Vanguard not the choice
2 of 14 modelsVanguard was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.GPT-5.4 miniADP Retirement Services alternatives: Empower Retirement, Gusto, ShareBuilder 401k
Perplexity SonarADP Retirement Services, Human Interest alternatives: Empower Retirement, Fidelity Advantage 401, John Hancock, Securian Financial
Neither was the first choice, one was named
9 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Claude Haiku 4.5Human Interest alternatives: Fidelity Investments, Principal, Vanguard
Gemini 3.5 FlashHuman Interest alternatives: ADP Retirement Services, Fidelity Investments, Principal Financial Group
Grok 4.1 FastGuideline, Human Interest alternatives: ADP Retirement Services, Charles Schwab, Fidelity Advantage 401, Principal, Vanguard
Mistral SmallFidelity Advantage 401 alternatives: ADP Retirement Services, Empower Retirement
DeepSeek V4 FlashFidelity Investments, Guideline, Human Interest alternatives: ADP Retirement Services, Empower Retirement, T. Rowe Price
Qwen 3.7 FlashFidelity Investments, Guideline, Lighthouse Group alternatives: Charles Schwab, Vanguard
Kimi K2Fidelity Investments alternatives: ADP Retirement Services, Empower Retirement, T. Rowe Price, Vanguard
GLM 4.7 FlashXHuman Interest alternatives: ADP Retirement Services, Fidelity Investments, Vanguard
Muse Glimmer 30BEmpower Retirement, Fidelity Investments alternatives: ADP Retirement Services, Employee Fiduciary, Guideline, Human Interest, Nationwide, Vanguard
Neither was named
3 of 14 modelsThe answer made no first choice from these two in this category.Llama 4 Maverickno first choice
MiniMax M2.5Human Interest alternatives: Empower Retirement, T. Rowe Price
GPT-6 LunaADP 401(k) Premier alternatives: Empower Retirement, Fidelity Workplace, Principal
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
ADP Retirement Services leads by six points.
ADP Retirement Services8%#4 of 9
Vanguard2%#7 of 9Mid-marketThe figures above
ADP Retirement Services leads by eleven points.
ADP Retirement Services16%#3 of 12
Vanguard5%#7 of 12Enterprise
ADP Retirement Services leads by four points.
ADP Retirement Services9%#3 of 11
Vanguard4%#6 of 11What the models said about ADP Retirement Services
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Six of eight in this category shown.
“ADP's fee structures can sometimes be less transparent than modern digital-first providers ... their underlying fund options may feature slightly higher expense ratios.” Gemini 3.5 Flash · paraphrase prompt · soft negative
“Large, Bundled Payroll Providers Common Examples: *ADP Retirement Services and Paychex*... historically carry high administrative and recordkeeping costs” Gemini 3.5 Flash · negative prompt · soft negative
“Concerns about "bundled" packages that may inflate total costs and obscure fee structures.” GLM 4.7 FlashX · negative prompt · soft negative
“This is widely considered the best option for very small teams because its pricing structure is designed to minimize costs” Qwen 3.7 Flash · budget prompt · first choice
“Shortlist: ADP Enhanced (mid-sized focus), Fidelity, Vanguard, Schwab, or Human Interest/ForUsAll for tech-forward.” Grok 4.1 Fast · scale prompt · first choice
“ADP and Fidelity are often the top recommendations due to their flexibility, strong service, and tailored solutions” Mistral Small · paraphrase prompt · first choice
What the models said about Vanguard
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Five of six in this category shown.
“Vanguard is excellent for investing but not recommended for 401(k) administration” GLM 4.7 FlashX · negative prompt · hard negative
“their 401(k) administration has drawn criticism... recommended using Vanguard funds through another provider instead” DeepSeek V4 Flash · negative prompt · soft negative
“For Large/Midsize Businesses: Vanguard, Fidelity Investments, and Charles Schwab are renowned for offering excellent low-cost institutional index funds.” Gemini 3.5 Flash · negative prompt · first choice
“consider providers like Vanguard or Fidelity, which are known for lower fees and better investment options” Mistral Small · negative prompt · first choice
“Want lowest-cost investing and a very large, established provider? Look at Vanguard.” GPT-5.4 mini · comparative prompt · first choice
Also compared
Human Interest vs ADP Retirement ServicesHuman Interest vs VanguardGuideline vs ADP Retirement ServicesGuideline vs VanguardADP Retirement Services vs Fidelity InvestmentsADP Retirement Services vs Fidelity Advantage 401ADP Retirement Services vs Empower RetirementADP Retirement Services vs PrincipalFidelity Investments vs VanguardFidelity Advantage 401 vs VanguardEmpower Retirement vs VanguardVanguard vs PrincipalAll twenty-eight head-to-head pages and the full 401(k) providers standing
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.