# Vanguard alternatives: what AI models name instead, October 2026

HR AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition. 182 of the 252 answers in the 1 category where Vanguard holds a standing named it neither first nor as an alternative; these are the first choices those answers made. Page: https://hr-ai-index.com/vendors/vanguard/alternatives/

## Named instead, most often (every category and segment added)

- Guideline: 31
- Human Interest: 19
- Fidelity Advantage 401: 15
- ADP Retirement Services: 10
- Fidelity Investments: 9
- Empower Retirement: 5

## 401(k) providers

**Small business**: 68 of 84 answers did not name Vanguard (Vanguard is #7 of 9 at 2%).

- Guideline: first choice in 25 of those 68
- Human Interest: first choice in 9 of those 68
- Fidelity Advantage 401: first choice in 5 of those 68
- ADP Retirement Services: first choice in 3 of those 68
- ADP Starter-k Complete: first choice in 2 of those 68
- ADP Starter 401(k) Complete: first choice in 1 of those 68
- Betterment at Work: first choice in 1 of those 68
- Betterment for Business: first choice in 1 of those 68

**Mid-market**: 58 of 84 answers did not name Vanguard (Vanguard is #7 of 12 at 5%).

- Human Interest: first choice in 8 of those 58
- Guideline: first choice in 6 of those 58
- ADP Retirement Services: first choice in 5 of those 58
- Fidelity Advantage 401: first choice in 5 of those 58
- Empower Retirement: first choice in 3 of those 58
- Fidelity Investments: first choice in 2 of those 58
- ADP 401(k) Premier: first choice in 1 of those 58
- Employee Fiduciary: first choice in 1 of those 58

**Enterprise**: 56 of 84 answers did not name Vanguard (Vanguard is #6 of 11 at 4%).

- Fidelity Investments: first choice in 7 of those 56
- Fidelity Advantage 401: first choice in 5 of those 56
- ADP Retirement Services: first choice in 2 of those 56
- Empower Retirement: first choice in 2 of those 56
- Human Interest: first choice in 2 of those 56
- T. Rowe Price: first choice in 2 of those 56
- 401GO: first choice in 1 of those 56
- ADP 401(k) Enhanced: first choice in 1 of those 56

Published under CC BY 4.0. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.