Thatch vs PeopleKeep

Company Overview

PeopleKeep

• What they are: Self-service HRA administration platform for QSEHRA and ICHRA. Owned by Remodel Health (acquired and operates as a subsidiary).

• Founded: Originally as Zane Benefits, rebranded to PeopleKeep

• Target market: Small employers (2–50 employees) looking for low-cost, DIY benefits administration

• Product model: Software-only — employers set up HRA plans, employees submit reimbursement claims through the platform

• Key limitation: No built-in marketplace. Employees must find and purchase their own insurance independently. PeopleKeep cross-sells Remodel Health's ICHRA+ product at peoplekeep.com/ichra-plus for employers who want enrollment support — effectively upselling to the parent company.

• Support model: Email-only post-sale support. No dedicated account manager. No phone support.

Thatch

• What we are: Full-stack health benefits platform — HRA administration, built-in insurance marketplace (Thatch Market), and employee shopping experience in one product

• Target market: Companies of all sizes looking for modern, flexible health benefits

• Product model: End-to-end — employers configure benefits, employees shop and enroll through Thatch Market, and Thatch handles compliance, COBRA, and payroll integration automatically

• Key advantage: Employees never leave the platform. They browse plans, compare costs, and enroll — all inside Thatch. No HealthSherpa redirect. No external broker needed.

Feature Comparison

Pricing

PeopleKeep Pricing

• QSEHRA: $35/mo base + $15/employee/mo

• ICHRA: $35/mo base + $19/employee/mo

• WorkPerks (stipends): $5/employee/mo add-on

• No setup fee listed

• Annual billing available (discount not published)

What to know

• At $19/EE/mo for ICHRA, PeopleKeep is lower-cost than its parent company Remodel Health ($85 PEPM) — but you get significantly less. No marketplace, no enrollment support, no compliance automation.

• If you need more than DIY administration, PeopleKeep upsells you to Remodel Health's ICHRA+ product — the parent company. This is the quiet funnel: start cheap with PeopleKeep, upgrade to Remodel when you realize self-service isn't enough.

Thatch Pricing

• Custom pricing based on company size and benefits configuration

• Includes marketplace, compliance, COBRA, and support — no hidden add-ons

• Talk to sales for a quote →

Third-Party Infrastructure

PeopleKeep's Dependencies

• No built-in marketplace: Employees are on their own to find and purchase health insurance. PeopleKeep provides some educational content but no plan comparison or enrollment tools.

• HealthSherpa dependency: For ICHRA enrollment support, PeopleKeep directs users to HealthSherpa — same third-party dependency as Take Command.

• Remodel Health parent: PeopleKeep is a subsidiary of Remodel Health. The "self-service" product feeds into Remodel's upsell funnel. This isn't necessarily bad, but employers should know the relationship exists.

Why This Matters

When employees have to leave PeopleKeep to find insurance, shop on their own, and come back to submit reimbursements — that's friction. Every extra step is a support ticket, a confused employee, or an enrollment delay.

Thatch eliminates the gap. Thatch Market is built into the platform. Employees browse plans, see their employer's allowance applied in real time, compare out-of-pocket costs, and enroll — without ever leaving Thatch.

Billing & Payroll Simplicity

PeopleKeep's billing model requires employers to manually reconcile reimbursements with payroll. There's no automated payroll integration for most providers.

Thatch runs two clean monthly debits:

• Premium debit — covers employee insurance premiums

• Reimbursement debit — covers HRA reimbursements

Both integrate directly with payroll systems. Section 125 pre-tax treatment is built in, saving employees money on every paycheck. No manual reconciliation. No spreadsheet tracking.

What PeopleKeep Does Well

We're not here to trash competitors — if PeopleKeep works for a company, that's fine. Here's where they're genuinely strong:

• Low starting price: At $15-19/EE/mo, PeopleKeep is one of the most affordable HRA platforms for very small teams who just need basic reimbursement.

• QSEHRA expertise: PeopleKeep (as Zane Benefits) was one of the earliest QSEHRA platforms. They know the product well.

• Content library: Strong educational content on HRAs, which helps with employer awareness (they've been publishing for years).

• Simple setup: For employers who truly want DIY and don't need hand-holding, the self-service model is fast.

• WorkPerks: Their stipend product is a reasonable add-on for lifestyle benefits.

Customer Experience — What We're Hearing

Review Scores

PeopleKeep's 2.4 Trustpilot is the lowest score of any competitor in the ICHRA space. That's not a cherry-picked stat — it's a pattern.

Common Complaints (from reviews and VoC data)

• Lost reimbursement data: Multiple reports of submitted reimbursement claims disappearing from the platform, requiring employees to resubmit documentation

• W-2 reporting errors: Employers have reported incorrect W-2 data from PeopleKeep, creating tax filing issues and IRS exposure

• Broken QLE (Qualifying Life Event) handling: Life events like marriage, new baby, or job changes not processed correctly, leaving employees without coverage during critical windows

• Email-only support: No phone support. When something goes wrong with reimbursements or reporting, employers are stuck waiting for email responses

• Self-service gaps: The DIY model works until it doesn't. When employers hit compliance questions or edge cases, there's no one to call

What Thatch customers say

• "The employee experience is night and day compared to what we had before"

• "Our team actually understands their benefits now — they can see what they're getting in real time"

• "Setup was fast and the compliance piece just works — we don't think about it"

Frequently asked questions

Is PeopleKeep owned by Remodel Health?

Yes. Remodel Health acquired PeopleKeep and operates it as a subsidiary. PeopleKeep is the self-service, lower-cost product; Remodel Health is the full-service, higher-cost product. PeopleKeep's website cross-sells Remodel's ICHRA+ product for employers who need more support.

Does PeopleKeep have a marketplace for employees?

No. PeopleKeep administers HRA reimbursements, but employees must find and purchase health insurance on their own — through healthcare.gov, a broker, or another marketplace. Thatch includes Thatch Market, where employees browse, compare, and enroll in plans without leaving the platform.

Why is PeopleKeep's Trustpilot score so low?

PeopleKeep has a 2.4/5 on Trustpilot — the lowest of any major ICHRA vendor. Common complaints include lost reimbursement data, W-2 errors, and limited support options. Their G2 score (~4.5) is stronger, which may reflect different user segments.

Can PeopleKeep handle COBRA?

No. COBRA administration is not included in PeopleKeep's product. Employers need a separate COBRA provider. Thatch includes automated COBRA administration at no extra cost.

What's the difference between PeopleKeep and Remodel Health?

PeopleKeep = DIY, low-cost HRA administration ($19/EE/mo). Remodel Health = full-service ICHRA with enrollment support ($85 PEPM). Same parent company, different products. If you outgrow PeopleKeep, the natural upgrade path is Remodel — which is by design.

Does Thatch support QSEHRA like PeopleKeep does?

Yes. Thatch supports both QSEHRA and ICHRA administration, plus stipends and lifestyle benefits through Thatch Card.

Compare Thatch to other ICHRA platforms

• Thatch vs Remodel Health — PeopleKeep's parent company. See how the full-service product compares.

• Thatch vs Take Command

• What is ICHRA?

• QSEHRA vs ICHRA