---
{"title": "HealthCare.gov vs Single Stop in 2026", "description": "Compare HealthCare.gov and Single Stop for a household: what each says it does, what it costs, and what to check before you choose.", "url": "https://cleverdings.com/healthcare-gov-vs-policylink-benefit-finder/", "date": "2026-10-26"}
---
Compare HealthCare.gov and Single Stop for a household: what each says it does, what it costs, and what to check before you choose.

HealthCare.gov offers help to check whether a person qualifies for savings on Marketplace plan costs, with a phone number for questions. [^1] [^1] Single Stop supports self-service and staff-assisted use, and its screening does not require a Social Security number. [^2] [^2] Benefit Buddy asks about your household and says whether you qualify for each benefit. [^3]

| Option | Own price | What its source says it is |
|---|---|---|
| HealthCare.gov | not published | Offers help to check whether a person qualifies for savings on Marketplace plan costs [^1] |
| Single Stop | Customers license the platform and provide it free of charge to the people they serve [^2] | A nonprofit that helps people identify public benefits and local resources to improve financial stability [^2] |
| Benefit Buddy | Finding benefits is free; Plus costs $4.99 a month [^3] | Asks about your household and says whether you qualify for each benefit [^3] |

## The short answer

HealthCare.gov offers help to check whether a person qualifies for savings on Marketplace plan costs. [^1] Questions can be directed to the phone number 1-800-318-2596. [^1]

Single Stop supports both self-service and staff-assisted use, and its screening does not require a Social Security number. [^2] [^2]

HealthCare.gov is about savings on a Marketplace health plan, while Single Stop is a screening you can do on your own or with staff. If you want the savings check, HealthCare.gov says it offers that help. [^1] If you want a screening without giving a Social Security number, Single Stop says its screening works that way. [^2] Both sources are short, so check each site for the parts they do not state.

## What HealthCare.gov, Single Stop is built for

The facts available for HealthCare.gov and Single Stop are short. HealthCare.gov says it offers help to check whether a person qualifies for savings on Marketplace plan costs. [^1] The site also gives a phone number, 1-800-318-2596, for questions. [^1]

Single Stop says it supports both self-service and staff-assisted use. [^2] Its screening does not require a Social Security number. [^2] Authorized staff can view screening activity, potential eligibility, trends, referrals, application activity, case status, and reported outcomes. [^2]

These sources do not say which programs HealthCare.gov checks beyond savings on plan costs, what questions Single Stop asks, or any price. Check each site for those details before relying on it.

## What Benefit Buddy is built for

Benefit Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. It checks government help, your state's own programs, and perks in your health plan, insurance, cards and job against your household. [^3] You tell it about your household in a few sentences and answer a few questions. [^3]

It covers programs like SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, plus your state's versions under their own names. [^3] For each benefit it says whether you qualify, what one step stands in the way, or which question would settle it. [^3] You can tick benefits off as you use them or dismiss ones you don't want. [^3]

You can name your Medicare Advantage plan to see its extras, with dollar amounts the plan states. [^3] It lists FEMA disaster declarations with Individual Assistance by county, with each one's sign-up deadline, daily. [^3] You can add a document such as a tax return, W-2, 1099, IRS transcript or DD-214 instead of writing. [^3]

## Pricing and fees

HealthCare.gov: the help it offers is about savings on Marketplace plan costs, and its sources here do not publish a price for the site itself. [^1] Check the site for how those savings work and whether anything costs before applying.

Single Stop: its sources here do not state a price for a household. [^2] Check with the organization that offers Single Stop whether using it is free to you and what, if anything, it costs.

Benefit Buddy: finding benefits is free; Plus costs $4.99 a month. [^3] Finding benefits is free for everyone, signed in or not. [^3] Benefit Buddy does not say what Plus adds, so check that before paying.

## Getting started

For Benefit Buddy, you can try a shared demo account without signing in; it resets every day. [^3] Finding benefits is free for everyone, signed in or not. [^3] The app is made for the web and phones. [^3] Your AI assistant, such as Claude, can use Benefit Buddy to walk through your questions. [^3]

For HealthCare.gov, its sources here give no sign-up or setup steps. The site offers help to check whether a person qualifies for savings on Marketplace plan costs, and gives a phone number for questions. [^1] [^1] Visit the site to see what it asks and when you can apply.

For Single Stop, its screening does not require a Social Security number, which can make starting simpler. [^2] It supports both self-service and staff-assisted use, so you can start on your own or with help. [^2] Its sources give no sign-up steps, so check with the organization that offers it how to get access.

## Things to check before you choose

Ask these of either tool:

- Which programs does it cover, and does it show your state's own versions?
- If you use HealthCare.gov, what does it ask for, and when can you apply for your state's Marketplace?
- If you use Single Stop, how do you get access, and who provides it to you?
- Does it tell you why you do or do not qualify, and what step is missing?
- What information does it ask for, and can you skip what you would rather not share?
- Can you save your progress or mark what you have already used?
- Does it cover perks outside government programs, such as those from insurance or your job?
- What does it cost, and what does a paid plan add?

## How to choose

If you want a check on whether you save on a Marketplace plan, HealthCare.gov says it offers that help. [^1]

If you want a screening you can do without giving a Social Security number, Single Stop says its screening does not require one. [^2]

If you want to describe your household in a few sentences and get a status per benefit, Benefit Buddy says it does that. [^3] [^3]

If you want to see perks from your health plan, insurance, cards and job beside government programs, Benefit Buddy says it lists those. [^3]

If you want a way to start without signing in, Benefit Buddy offers a shared demo account. [^3]

## Frequently asked questions

### Does HealthCare.gov help check for savings on Marketplace plans?

HealthCare.gov says it offers help to check whether a person qualifies for savings on Marketplace plan costs. [^1] Its sources here do not publish a price or say which other programs it covers, so check the site for those details before relying on it. Questions about the site can go to its phone number 1-800-318-2596. [^1]

### Does Single Stop need a Social Security number?

Single Stop says its screening does not require a Social Security number. [^2] It supports both self-service and staff-assisted use, so it can be done alone or with help. [^2] The screening's other questions and any price are not stated in the sources here, so check with the organization that offers it.

### Is Benefit Buddy free?

Finding benefits is free for everyone, signed in or not. [^3] Plus costs $4.99 a month. [^3] Benefit Buddy does not say what Plus adds, so check that before you pay for it. The demo account also lets you try it without signing in. [^3]

### Does Benefit Buddy cover SNAP and Medicaid?

It covers programs like SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, plus your state's versions under their own names. [^3] For each benefit it says whether you qualify, what step is in the way, or which question would settle it. [^3]

### Can Benefit Buddy be tried without an account?

You can try a shared demo account without signing in; it resets every day. [^3] Finding benefits is also free for everyone, signed in or not. [^3] The app is made for the web and phones, so it works wherever a household is comfortable. [^3]

Finding benefits is free; Plus costs $4.99 a month. [^3] - [Visit Benefit Buddy](/go/start)

## Sources

[^1]: HealthCare.gov, healthcare.gov, read 2026-10-09 (https://www.healthcare.gov)
[^2]: Single Stop, singlestop.org, read 2026-10-20 (https://singlestop.org)
[^3]: Benefit Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)