VSP and EyeMed are the two names that cover most of the American vision benefits market, and most people comparing them start by lining up premiums. That is the wrong place to start, and the numbers below show why: the two carriers price within a dollar of each other at the tier that actually covers glasses.
What separates them is not money. It is which building you can walk into. Both companies are owned by eyewear businesses, and each network is shaped around its parent’s stores. Here is the September 6, 2026 comparison, using figures each carrier publishes itself.
Do This First
Before you read the table, call your eye doctor’s front desk and ask one question: do you bill VSP, EyeMed, or both?
If the answer is one of them, the comparison is over. Switching optometrists to save three dollars a month is a bad trade, and out-of-network vision benefits are weak on both sides. VSP reimburses out-of-network care on a fixed schedule of allowances, and its own example shows a $150 exam reimbursed at $45. EyeMed requires you to pay in full and file a claim, and states that in-network and out-of-network expenses do not cross-apply.
Everything below only matters if your provider takes both, or if you do not have one yet.
VSP vs EyeMed Side by Side
| VSP Individual Vision Plans | EyeMed Individual and Family | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry premium | $12/mo (EyewearOnly, no exam benefit) | $5.00/mo (Healthy, no materials coverage) |
| Premium for a plan that covers glasses | $17/mo (Standard) | $17.50/mo (Bold) |
| Top tier premium | $35/mo (Enhanced) | $30.00/mo (Bright) |
| Exam copay | $15 | $10 |
| Frame or contacts allowance | $150 on Standard and Enhanced, $120 on EyewearOnly, up to $230 on EasyOptions; plus $50 on featured frame brands | Not published; quote-dependent by ZIP code |
| Single-vision lens copay | $25 | Covered with copay, amount not published |
| Contact lens fitting | Not covered, 15% off | Not published |
| Network claim | Over 39,000 providers nationwide | 214,500 total provider access points |
| Retail chains | Visionworks, Eyemart Express, Eyeconic online | LensCrafters, Target Optical, Pearle Vision, Glasses.com, ContactsDirect, Ray-Ban.com |
| Owner | VSP Vision, a not-for-profit | EssilorLuxottica |
| Waiting period | None | None |
Two caveats belong with that table. VSP footnotes its pricing row “Pricing varies by state,” and EyeMed footnotes its premiums “In most states.” Neither set of premiums is a fixed national list price.
More importantly, the allowance row is not a fair fight, and not because EyeMed is worse. VSP publishes its allowance and EyeMed does not. EyeMed’s frame and contact allowances appear only after you enter a ZIP code in its quote tool, so the figure you would need for a true comparison is not public. Anyone presenting a national EyeMed allowance number is reporting something they could not have verified from EyeMed.
Why the Networks Barely Overlap
Both carriers are owned by companies that sell eyewear, and it shows.
VSP Vision describes itself as the first and only not-for-profit eye health company, founded in 1955 by a group of optometrists. It also owns Visionworks, Eyemart Express, Eye Doctor’s Optical Outlets, the Marchon and Altair frame brands, and the Eyeconic online store.
EyeMed is owned by EssilorLuxottica, whose 2025 annual report says it serves 85 million people globally through EyeMed Vision Care. EssilorLuxottica also owns LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Target Optical, Sunglass Hut, Ray-Ban and Oakley.
So each carrier’s retail network is largely its parent’s store list. The practical overlap between the two networks is independent optometry practices, and even there the weighting differs: VSP’s network is built primarily on independent doctors, while EyeMed’s is a deliberate blend of independents and chains.
The Retail Chain Reality, Honestly
This is where readers get burned, so here is what each carrier actually says.
Costco Optical: neither. VSP’s plans page states that most other retail chains, naming Costco and Cohen’s, are out of network for plans sold on vspdirect.com. EyeMed does not name Costco among its retail partners. If Costco Optical is your habit, understand that neither individual plan follows you there, and compare a plan premium against Costco’s cash eye exam price before buying either.
Walmart: contradictory on the VSP side, unlisted on the EyeMed side. VSP’s plans page FAQ says Walmart optical locations are in network and require no claim filing. A VSP blog post from June 2025 lists Walmart Vision Centers among retailers that may not offer in-network benefits. Both pages are VSP’s own. EyeMed does not name Walmart among its retail partners. Call the specific Walmart Vision Center before assuming either way.
LensCrafters, Target Optical and Pearle Vision: EyeMed. EyeMed names all three, plus their websites. VSP’s blog says LensCrafters and Target Optical are out of network in most cases, with some Pearle Vision locations accepting VSP.
Visionworks and Eyemart Express: VSP. VSP owns both, and its best allowance terms route there. Visionworks is where VSP’s PremierEdge upgrades apply.
America’s Best and MyEyeDr: mostly VSP. VSP says many America’s Best locations accept it, though participation varies by location and ownership.
Where the Cost Difference Actually Shows Up
At the glasses-covering tier the premiums are a wash: $17 for VSP Standard against $17.50 for EyeMed Bold, a $6 difference across a full year. EyeMed’s $10 exam copay beats VSP’s $15 by $5. These are rounding errors.
The real money is in lens add-ons, and this is the one place VSP’s published pricing lets you plan ahead. On VSP Standard, progressives cost up to $175, anti-glare up to $85 and scratch resistance up to $33. Step up to VSP Enhanced at $35 a month and progressives drop to $55, anti-glare to $15, and scratch and impact resistance to $0. If you wear progressive lenses, that $18 monthly premium difference buys back $120 on a single pair.
VSP EasyOptions at $30 takes a different approach: one covered upgrade of three, either free progressives, free light-to-dark tinting, or an extra $80 of frame allowance for a $230 total.
EyeMed’s equivalent lens copays are not published, so you cannot run the same math without a quote. Get one and write the numbers down.
Both carriers restrict you to glasses or contacts in a benefit period, not both. If you wear contacts, compare either premium against what contacts actually cost, and note that VSP does not cover the fitting at all, offering 15% off instead.
When Neither One Is the Answer
Vision insurance is a budgeting tool with a small ceiling, not catastrophic protection. If you get an exam and keep your frames, a $17 monthly premium is $204 a year against an exam that often costs less than that in cash. Check eye exam prices without insurance and glasses prices without insurance in your area before assuming a plan wins.
If you have an employer, look there first. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from March 2025 shows vision care benefits available to 44% of private industry workers at establishments with 500 or more employees, versus 21% at establishments with under 100. Group rates for either carrier beat the individual versions. Either way, an HSA or FSA covers exams, glasses and contacts, and a limited-purpose FSA exists specifically for dental and vision. If you are buying both, look at dental and vision together rather than separately.
The Bottom Line
The premiums are effectively tied, so do not decide on price. VSP publishes more of its numbers, which makes it easier to plan around, and it is the stronger choice if you see an independent optometrist or shop at Visionworks. EyeMed is the stronger choice if you buy eyewear at LensCrafters, Target Optical, Pearle Vision or their websites, though you will need to run a ZIP-code quote to learn the allowance you are actually buying.
Neither covers Costco. Both cover independent doctors, which is the only real overlap. Make the phone call to your eye doctor first, then read the full VSP breakdown or the full EyeMed breakdown for whichever one survives that call, and check what vision insurance covers so the allowance limits do not surprise you at the register.