Implementing an employee wellness program can be transformative for small businesses, enhancing employee satisfaction, improving productivity, and reducing long-term healthcare costs. However, selecting the right wellness vendor is no simple task. Wellness programs vary widely in their features, pricing, and areas of focus, and small business owners often face the challenge of finding a solution that is both effective and scalable without overwhelming their budget.
This guide provides a detailed overview of the top wellness vendors tailored to small businesses, explaining their services, use cases, and considerations for making the best choice. Whether you’re just starting out or enhancing an existing wellness initiative, this guide equips you with the insights needed to confidently select the right solution.
Introduction to Wellness Vendors
For small businesses, wellness vendors offer an opportunity to provide benefits that were once exclusive to large enterprises. These vendors specialize in programs that promote employee health and happiness, ranging from fitness challenges and mental health support to financial education and preventive healthcare. Modern wellness vendors leverage digital platforms and apps, making it easier for small businesses to access and implement their services.
When selecting a wellness vendor, it’s essential to understand the specific needs of your workforce. Are employees looking for physical fitness programs, mental health support, or financial planning tools? Understanding these needs helps narrow your options and ensures your chosen solution resonates with your team.
Top Vendors in the Category
Finding a wellness vendor can feel like navigating a crowded marketplace. To simplify the process, we’ve curated a list of the top 10 wellness vendors for small businesses, chosen for their affordability, flexibility, and comprehensive features. These vendors cover diverse areas of well-being, from physical and mental health to financial literacy and work-life balance.
Below is a quick overview of the top vendors and their offerings. Use this as a starting point for evaluating which solution best aligns with your business needs.
Wellness Vendors
Our Criteria for Choosing the Best Vendors
Choosing a wellness vendor is not a one-size-fits-all process. Small businesses must balance affordability with impact, ensuring their investment benefits employees while aligning with organizational goals. Our selection is based on these criteria:
- Comprehensive Coverage: Vendors that address multiple dimensions of well-being—physical, mental, financial, and social.
- Ease of Use: Platforms that are intuitive and accessible for employees with varying tech-savviness.
- Flexibility: Programs that accommodate different work setups, including remote and hybrid teams.
- Employee Engagement: Solutions with gamification, rewards, or social features to sustain interest.
- Scalability: Vendors capable of growing alongside your business.
- Potential ROI: Demonstrable benefits like healthcare cost reduction, improved employee retention, or increased engagement.
These criteria ensure the vendors deliver measurable value to small and scaling businesses while addressing unique workforce needs.
Detailed Vendor Overviews
In this section, we provide detailed overviews of the top 10 wellness vendors, highlighting their key features, best use cases, pricing structures, and in-person service availability. This breakdown will help you understand not only what each vendor offers but also how their solutions align with your business goals and workforce needs. Whether you’re looking for a tech-driven platform, preventive health programs, or a gamified approach to engagement, these vendor profiles are designed to guide your decision-making process.
1. Wellable
Wellable is a versatile wellness platform that addresses eight key dimensions of well-being, including physical, mental, financial, and emotional health. Designed for small businesses, Wellable offers affordability and flexibility, making it easy to implement wellness programs tailored to your team’s needs.
Key Features
- Customizable Wellness Challenges: Design challenges that encourage employees to adopt healthier habits.
- Device Integration: Sync with wearable devices like Fitbit, Garmin, and Apple Watch to track fitness progress.
- Mental and Financial Well-Being Resources: Provide tools to reduce stress, improve productivity, and build financial literacy.
- No In-Person Services: A fully digital platform ideal for distributed teams.
Best For
Small businesses needing a cost-effective, flexible, and comprehensive wellness solution.
Pricing
Wellable’s pricing is scalable based on team size and customizations.
2. Personify Health (formerly Virgin Pulse)
Personify Health delivers a robust wellness platform with features ranging from biometric screenings to personalized fitness and nutrition programs. With a strong focus on engagement, it offers scalable, holistic wellness solutions for businesses.
Key Features
- Biometric Screenings: Nationwide in-person services to evaluate employee health metrics like cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Personalized Nutrition and Fitness Programs: Tailored plans to help employees improve their physical health.
- Engagement Tools: Interactive challenges and gamification to boost participation.
- Stress Management Resources: Provide techniques and programs to reduce workplace stress.
Best For
Businesses seeking a comprehensive, engaging wellness program with in-person and digital options.
Pricing
Pricing is customized based on the business’s size and feature requirements.
3. Headspace for Work
Headspace for Work specializes in mindfulness and meditation, offering science-backed tools to help employees improve focus, reduce stress, and cultivate resilience. It is an excellent choice for organizations prioritizing mental well-being.
Key Features
- Guided Meditation Programs: Provide employees with accessible, on-demand tools to manage daily stress.
- Burnout and Stress Management: Programs specifically designed to address workplace challenges.
- Science-Backed Mindfulness Exercises: Improve emotional balance and focus through proven techniques.
- Digital-Only Platform: Focused entirely on virtual delivery without in-person services.
Best For
Small businesses prioritizing mental health and mindfulness initiatives.
Pricing
Subscription pricing is based on team size, with discounts available for annual plans.
4. WebMD Health Services
WebMD Health Services is a trusted name in employee wellness, offering personalized coaching, engagement analytics, and nationwide in-person health services. It combines digital tools with preventive care to address holistic well-being.
Key Features
- Biometric Screenings and Health Fairs: Available across the U.S. to assess employee health risks.
- One-on-One Coaching: Certified professionals help employees set and achieve wellness goals.
- Engagement Analytics: Monitor participation rates and track program effectiveness.
- Comprehensive Health Assessments: Identify risks and offer actionable recommendations for improvement.
Best For
Businesses looking for a mix of digital tools and in-person wellness services.
Pricing
Custom pricing is based on the selected services and workforce size.
5. TotalWellness Health
TotalWellness Health focuses on preventive care, offering nationwide biometric screenings and flu shot clinics to help businesses improve employee health and reduce healthcare costs.
Key Features
- Nationwide Biometric Screenings: Assess key health metrics such as cholesterol, glucose, and BMI.
- On-Site Flu Shot Clinics: Reduce absenteeism with convenient vaccination services.
- Health Education Programs: Provide resources to help employees take control of their well-being.
- Comprehensive Reporting Tools: Employers receive insights into workforce health trends.
Best For
Small employers focused on reducing healthcare costs through preventive care.
Pricing
Flexible pricing is determined by team size and the services selected.
6. Grokker
Grokker provides an on-demand wellness platform offering video content for fitness, yoga, mindfulness, and more. Ideal for remote or hybrid teams, it creates an engaging digital wellness experience.
Key Features
- Video-Based Wellness Programs: Employees can access fitness, yoga, and mindfulness videos anytime.
- Team Challenges: Build community through collaborative wellness goals.
- Stress Management Tools: Focused mindfulness exercises to promote mental health.
- Digital-Only Platform: Does not include in-person services.
Best For
Businesses with remote or hybrid teams looking for engaging on-demand wellness solutions.
Pricing
Subscription pricing is based on the number of users.
7. IncentFit
IncentFit uses gamification to encourage healthy behaviors, combining wellness programs with rewards to keep employees motivated and engaged.
Key Features
- Rewards for Healthy Habits: Employees earn incentives for achieving wellness goals.
- Customizable Challenges: Create unique challenges tailored to your organization’s goals.
- Gamification Tools: Interactive leaderboards and competitions make wellness fun.
- Digital Platform: Fully virtual with no in-person services.
Best For
Small businesses that want to motivate employees through rewards and gamification.
Pricing
Flexible pricing depends on team size and features.
8. Burnalong (Tivity Health)
Burnalong offers a mix of live and on-demand virtual wellness classes, making it ideal for businesses with distributed teams. Its wide range of programs ensures inclusivity for employees with diverse needs.
Key Features
- Live and On-Demand Fitness Classes: Employees can access classes anytime or join live sessions for real-time interaction.
- Diverse Program Options: Covers fitness, mental health, and lifestyle coaching.
- Community Engagement Features: Employees can connect with peers through group challenges.
- Digital-Only Platform: Fully virtual with no in-person services.
Best For
Small businesses with remote teams looking for flexible, inclusive wellness solutions.
Pricing
Pricing is customized based on team size and program features.
9. Navigate
Navigate combines physical, mental, and financial wellness into one platform, helping businesses create a seamless and engaging wellness experience for their employees.
Key Features
- Integrated Rewards Ecosystem: Motivate participation with incentives and recognition programs.
- Employee Engagement Tools: Drive participation with gamification and social components.
- Comprehensive Wellness Programs: Address multiple dimensions of well-being in a single solution.
- Digital-Only Platform: Navigate does not offer in-person services.
Best For
Businesses seeking an integrated and highly engaging digital wellness platform.
Pricing
Custom pricing based on business size and selected features.
10. Wellness360
Wellness360 is a SaaS platform offering innovative tools for habit-building, health risk assessments, and employee engagement, making it an excellent choice for small businesses prioritizing technology-driven wellness.
Key Features
- Habit-Building Challenges: Encourage lasting behavior change with interactive wellness programs.
- Risk Assessments and Analytics: Identify health trends and provide actionable insights.
- Social Engagement Tools: Foster community through collaborative wellness activities.
- Digital-Only Platform: Fully virtual with no in-person services.
Best For
Small businesses looking for a tech-driven, data-rich wellness platform.
Pricing
Pricing is flexible and depends on the features selected.
Key Features of Vendors in This Category
Understanding what each vendor brings to the table can help you identify the right fit for your business. Here are the key features that differentiate these vendors:
- Personalization: Vendors like Wellable and Navigate allow you to customize wellness programs to fit your workforce’s needs.
- On-Demand Content: Platforms such as Grokker and Burnalong cater to remote or flexible teams with video-based fitness and mindfulness programs.
- Gamification: IncentFit stands out for its rewards-driven approach, motivating employees through healthy competition.
- Preventive Care: TotalWellness Health emphasizes screenings and vaccinations to promote long-term health savings.
How to Choose the Best Wellness Vendor
Choosing the right wellness vendor for your small business involves more than ticking boxes. Follow these steps for a thoughtful selection process:
- Survey Your Team: Gather input from employees to understand their priorities. For example, do they prefer mental health support (e.g., Headspace for Work) or fitness programs (e.g., Burnalong)?
- Identify Business Goals: Determine if your focus is on reducing healthcare costs, improving engagement, or supporting remote employees.
- Review Vendor Features: Compare features against your goals. Incentive-driven platforms like IncentFit may work well for boosting engagement, while Virgin Pulse is better for comprehensive solutions.
- Request a Demo: Many vendors offer free trials or demos. Use this opportunity to evaluate ease of use and engagement potential.
- Assess Reporting Tools: Look for platforms with analytics dashboards, like Navigate, that provide insights into participation rates and program outcomes.
