Comparison
CalSavers and state auto-IRAs, compared honestly
Fifteen states run retirement programs that gig workers can often join with no employer — and most gig workers have never heard of them. If one is the right answer for you, we'd rather tell you than sell you. Here's what they cost, what they don't do, and where we differ.
They're real, and they're big
State auto-IRAs are run by state treasurers, not startups. CalSavers alone holds 701,671 contributing accounts and about $1.55 billion. OregonSaves and Illinois Secure Choice each hold hundreds of millions more. This is not a fringe option.
15 states are fully open
As of June 2026, 15 auto-IRA programs are fully open to eligible workers, plus Massachusetts and Washington running different models. If you drive in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona or most of the South and Mountain West, there is no state program for you at all.
You can often join with no employer
This is the part almost nobody knows. CalSavers says plainly that if you don't work for a participating employer but want to save, you can set up recurring contributions yourself. Self-employed and gig workers sign up directly with an SSN, date of birth and address. Not every state allows this — check yours.
It's a Roth IRA, and it's cheap
CalSavers accounts are Roth IRAs, with an option to recharacterize to a Traditional IRA if you exceed the Roth income limits. Fees came down on May 1, 2026 to $3.50 per quarter ($14/year) plus 0.225%–0.39% of your balance depending on the fund.
When a state program is the better choice
If you live in a participating state, you're comfortable handling your own taxes, and what you want is simply a low-cost retirement account backed by a state government — enroll and get on with it. A funded state auto-IRA beats an unfunded anything. The worst outcome on this page is that you compare options for a month and save nothing.
Side by side
State column uses CalSavers, the largest program. Other states differ — check yours.
| State auto-IRA | Gigaverse | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Your state treasurer | Gigaverse AI, Inc., with custody at a FINRA/SIPC-member broker-dealer |
| Account type | Roth IRA (Traditional by recharacterization) | Roth IRA (PRActicle™) |
| Cost of the account | CalSavers: $14/yr + 0.225%–0.39% of balance | $0 — PRActicle™ is on the free tier |
| Available where | 15 states, and only some let you self-enroll | All 50 states |
| Mileage tracking | No | Yes, on the free tier |
| Quarterly estimated taxes | No | Yes |
| Deduction finding | No | Yes |
| AI money coach | No | Yes (limited on free, fuller on paid) |
| Languages | English and Spanish | 11 languages |
| Investment menu | Target-date fund by age, or pick your own | Diversified low-cost index funds |
The gap isn't the account. It's everything around it.
A state auto-IRA does one thing well: it holds retirement savings cheaply. That's a real service and roughly a million Americans are using it.
But ask a driver what actually costs them money, and almost nobody says asset allocation. They say the quarterly payment they didn't know they owed, the mileage they never logged, the deductions they left on the table, and the fact that nobody has ever explained any of it in a language they read comfortably. A retirement account doesn't solve any of those, and it was never meant to.
That's the part we build. The PRActicle™ Roth IRA sits inside it at no cost, in all 50 states, alongside mileage tracking, quarterly estimates and deduction finding — in 11 languages.
One thing to know before 2027, whichever you pick
State auto-IRAs are Roth IRAs. So is our PRActicle™. Under IRS Notice 2026-48, the federal Saver's Match starting in 2027 cannot be deposited directly into a Roth account — your contributions can earn it, but the money has to land in a pre-tax account. If a Roth is all you have, you may need a second account to collect up to $1,000 a year. We wrote the full explainer here.
States with a fully open auto-IRA program
Massachusetts and Washington run different models, and more states have passed programs that aren't live yet. Whether the self-employed can enroll on their own varies — check your state's program directly. Accurate as of June 2026.
Common questions
Can a gig worker join CalSavers without an employer?
Yes. CalSavers states that if you don't work for a participating employer but want to save through the program, you can set up recurring contributions yourself. You enroll directly with your Social Security number or ITIN, date of birth and address. This is one of the least-known facts about the program, and if you live in California it is a genuinely good option.
What does CalSavers cost in 2026?
Fees dropped on May 1, 2026. You pay a fixed account fee of $3.50 per quarter ($14 a year) plus a total annualized asset-based fee between 0.225% and 0.39% depending on which funds you hold. Paper statements add $10 a year and paper checks cost $5 each, both avoidable by going electronic.
Which states have an auto-IRA program?
As of June 2026, 15 states are fully open: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. Massachusetts and Washington run different models. Several more states have passed programs that are not yet live. Whether the self-employed can enroll on their own varies by state, so check your program's rules directly.
Is CalSavers better than a Gigaverse PRActicle™?
For some people, honestly, yes. If you live in a participating state, you already handle your own taxes, and all you want is a cheap retirement account run by a state government, a state auto-IRA is a solid choice and we would rather you save there than not save at all. Where Gigaverse differs is that retirement is one part of a wider product: mileage tracking, quarterly estimates, deduction finding and an AI coach, in 11 languages, in all 50 states, with the PRActicle™ itself at no cost. Compare on what you actually need.
Can I have both a state auto-IRA and another IRA?
You can hold more than one IRA, but the annual contribution limit applies across all of them combined — $7,500 for 2026, or $8,600 if you're 50 or older. Contributing the maximum to a state program and the maximum again somewhere else would be an excess contribution. Track the total, not the accounts.
Does the 2027 Saver's Match work with a state auto-IRA?
Partly, and this catches people out. State auto-IRAs like CalSavers are Roth IRAs, and under IRS Notice 2026-48 the Saver's Match cannot be deposited directly into a Roth account — your Roth contributions can earn the match, but the payment itself has to land in a pre-tax account such as a Traditional IRA. This applies to any Roth, including ours. We wrote a full explainer on it.
What happens to my state auto-IRA if I move or change jobs?
It's an IRA in your name, so it stays yours. You can keep it, stop contributing, or roll it into another IRA. That portability is the whole point of an IRA and it's the same reason a portable account suits gig work better than an employer plan.
Wherever you save, save something
If your state runs a program and it fits, use it. If you want the tax side handled too, or you're in one of the 35 states without one, that's what we built.
Get early accessEducational information only, not tax or investment advice. Gigaverse AI, Inc. is not a bank and is not a registered investment adviser. Brokerage services are provided by a FINRA/SIPC-member broker-dealer. We are not affiliated with CalSavers or any state retirement program; program details and fees are set by those programs and can change — verify current terms with the program directly. CalSavers figures accurate as of the May 1, 2026 fee schedule. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.