What return did a non-stock 401k get, as compared to the stock-based 401k ?
Your question indicates that you are not an investor, so I will give you a serious answer.
A 401(k) plan usually give participants a choice of how to allocate their investments. Typically there will be stock mutual funds, bond mutual funds, possibly target date retirement funds, etc. The particular investments will vary from plan to plan.
In general, most plans will allow a participant to allocate any percentage of their investments to any of the funds in the plan. Depending on the time period one looks at, bond funds have either done about as well as stocks, or miserably. Bond performance during the Obama years was miserable. Many people mistakenly believe that bond funds, or "stable value" funds are somehow more safe than stock investments. The reality is that they are guaranteed to lose out to inflation.
BUT this is not excuse for personal poor performance. Every single one of us should take personal responsibility for our own retirement. Do you think the government will take care of you in your old age? Maybe Santa will bring income -- just as probable.
It is highly likely that the final 1/4 to 1/3 of your life will be spent in retirement. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves about this time of our lives and prepare for it while we are in our earning years.
Some of us have. I had no secret training, I read commonly available magazines 30 years ago and switched to the internet when it became widespread. I once spent $300 on an investing course, but only after I had been a 401(k) participant for over a decade. It was money well spent. Other than that my investing education has been free.
Specific answer to you question is: "It depends on the particular non-stock 401(k), but probably performance was very poor." OTOH, every single 401(k) plan I have ever seen includes an option to invest in something like the S&P 500, or maybe the total stock market (the difference is very small).
If you have not chosen that in the past, the fault does not like with the government. But, it is a correctable problem. Change your 401(k) election to at least 80% stocks, and maximize your contribution. Even if you have to give up a little lifestyle now. You want retirement to be the golden years, not the Alpo years.
A 401K that invested just in U.S. Treasury bonds would keep up with inflation or a little bit higher.
A 401K that invested in corporate or municipal bonds would pay a couple points higher, but they have default risk, too, which could impact your total return.
Stocks have the most risk, so their return is usually the highest.
But, timing is everything.
If your stocks have the misfortune to encounter a deep Bear Market (2000-01 and 2008-09) at the end of your working career, which is what happened to many, many of us oldsters at Free Republic, there is really no way to recover all your retirement savings, unless you are willing to take significant financial risks in your old age.