Justworks vs TriNet Zenefits (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Justworks if

• Fits if you want health plans and 401(k) through a PEO and accept co-employment
• Works for a team that clocks in on a shared iPad and sends expenses from phones

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you need time tracking, at $8 a person on top of every plan
• Skip it if your overseas people are employees, since they go on the $599-a-person EOR plan
• Not for you if you want to try it first, as there's no trial on record
• Watch out: on the Payroll plan, health insurance is an $8-a-month add-on per eligible employee, and HR consulting $30 a person
• Tight if you want links to other software, as the listing names no integrations

Pick TriNet Zenefits if

• Fits if you are a US small or mid-size business that wants payroll and HR handled for you
• Works for companies that want a named payroll or HR specialist

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you want a published price, since pricing is by quote
• Skip it if you hire outside the US, as the pages describe HR Plus for the United States
• Watch out: HR Plus is separate from TriNet's PEO, the full co-employment product
• Tight if you want software only, because the better support levels sit on Payroll Pro and People Pro

Justworks

• Payroll and the PEO plans are for US teams. Staff abroad go on the $599 employer-of-record plan, or are paid as contractors in 60+ countries at $39 each a month.
• Health insurance through the PEO plans needs the co-employer arrangement; on the Payroll plan it is an $8-a-month add-on per benefits-eligible employee.
• Time tracking is $8 a month per employee on every plan, and dedicated HR consulting is $30 per employee.
• The employee app needs an account set up through an employer that uses Justworks.

TriNet Zenefits

• No prices are published; TriNet says pricing depends on company size and services, charged as a flat fee per employee per month.
• HR Plus is an administrative services arrangement, separate from TriNet's PEO, which is the full-service co-employment product.
• TriNet's pages describe HR Plus as serving the United States.

Justworks

Pay stubs and earnings

Employees review payments, share pay stubs and see year-to-date earnings in the app.

Benefits at hand

Insurance details are available and shareable from the app, so staff do not need to carry a card.

Time off requests

Employees request time off in the app, and managers review and approve requests there.

Expense reimbursements

Staff upload receipts when they spend and submit reimbursement requests under the company's rules.

Time tracking and Terminal Mode

Clock in and out, manage breaks and shifts and submit timecards; Terminal Mode turns a shared iPad into a PIN-based time clock.

Company calendar and directory

A shared calendar of pay dates, holidays, time off and birthdays, and a directory of colleagues grouped by department.

TriNet Zenefits

Payroll processing and tax compliance

HR Plus includes payroll processing and payroll tax compliance, with a dedicated payroll and payroll tax expert on the higher Payroll Pro level.

Benefits administration

HR Plus covers benefits administration alongside payroll, managed through TriNet's technology platform.

HR advisory support

Buyers choose advisory support with on-demand access to HR professionals, or dedicated support with an assigned HR or payroll specialist.

Service levels

Payroll Pro adds payroll specialists and People Pro adds a dedicated HR manager with SHRM or HRCI certification.

Justworks

• Payroll$50

  per month, plus $8 per employee

  Payroll for US employees with HR tools, expert support and access to time tracking. US-based contractors are $8 a month each.

• PEO Basic$79

  per employee / month

  Justworks becomes the co-employer: payroll, compliance, HR consulting, 24/7 support and 401(k). No base fee.

• PEO Plus$124

  per employee / month

  Everything in PEO Basic plus medical, dental and vision administration, HSA and FSA accounts. Marked popular. No base fee.

• EOR$599

  per employee / month

  Employer of record for hiring full-time staff abroad, with global HR and compliance support. No base fee.

TriNet Zenefits

Pricing could not be confirmed. See trinet.com.