TriNet Zenefits

Compare TriNet Zenefits to QuickBooks, Gusto, and Justworks. Includes a detailed review of TriNet Zenefits, pricing, a Q&A, and FAQs.

Updated on August 1st, 2023

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TriNet Zenefits, formerly Zenefits, is an HR platform that helps businesses efficiently manage a variety of tasks, such as payroll, compliance, PTO, benefits, onboarding, stock options, and health insurance.

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Includes phone support.

Handles benefits, payroll, and HR.

Automatically assists with compliance.

At-a-Glance:

Feature

TriNet Zenefits

Price

From $10.00 /mo +$6.00 /employee /mo.

Automated taxes

Monthly runs

Flexible payment schedules

Multiple pay rates

Multistate payroll

Direct deposits

Built-in timesheet

Payroll reports

Review:

TriNet Zenefits is one of our top choices for payroll software because it has many useful and intuitive features. It includes various standard payroll software features, such as automated taxes, multi-state services, and direct deposit for paychecks. It also includes lifetime accounts so that former employees can access pay stubs and locate tax information.

Pros:

  • TriNet Zenefits's plans include year-round record keeping, banking information management, an activity dashboard, and data migration.
  • The software automates compliance tasks, saving employers time and preventing potential mistakes.
  • The automatic tax filing feature handles the most common forms for tax filings in the U.S.
  • Employers can use the software to run payroll in multiple states.
  • TriNet Zenefits integrates with a wide range of popular apps, allowing employers to create more efficient workflows.
  • Lifetime accounts allow former employees to access their documents.
  • Compared to some alternatives, the platform is affordable.

Cons:

  • TriNet Zenefits does not offer net-to-gross calculations or easy payroll cancellations, both of which are offered by QuickBooks.
  • The pricing structure does not make it optimal for businesses that are looking for a standalone payroll platform.

Reputation:

On TrustRadius, TriNet Zenefits has a 6.5-star rating based on more than 200 reviews. The majority of users praised its ease of use, automated payroll services, and convenient mobile app. However, several reviewers mentioned experiencing difficulties with setting up payroll and receiving subpar customer support.

On G2, the platform has a 4-star rating based on over 450 reviews. Many reviewers cited comprehensive onboarding, streamlined workflows, and user-friendly interface as highlights. However, some users were disappointed with its selection of third-party integrations and unresponsive technical support.

Pricing:

Plan

Monthly Pricing*

Annual Pricing

Essentials

$10.00 /employee.

$8.00 /employee /mo.

Growth

$20.00 /employee.

$16.00 /employee /mo.

Zen

$27.00 /employee.

$21.00 /employee /mo.

Add-On: Payroll

$6.00 /employee.

$6.00 /employee /mo.

Add-On: Benefits Admin Using Own Broker

$5.00 /employee.

$5.00 /employee /mo.

Add-On: Advisory Services

$10.00 /employee.

$8.00 /employee /mo.

Add-On: Recruiting

From $62.00

From $35.00 /mo.

*Minimum five employees. Those with smaller teams will still be charged this base fee.

Q&A with TriNet Zenefits:

We chatted with a representative from the TriNet Zenefits team to find out more about what makes their platform stand out.

Q: Some of your competitors offer payroll with their starting packages. You only offer it as an add-on. Why is that?

A: The correct question is actually the opposite: why do many — if not all — of our competitors require that their customers use their payroll services in order to have access to their HR offering? We start with core HR because we believe that the employee record is the rightful hub of the HR tech ecosystem and that other tools (time tracking, benefits tech, and especially payroll) serve solely to either input data into or export data from a core HR tool.

We’re extremely proud of our payroll product and we see roughly 70% of new customers using it. But in that same vein, if a customer is happy with their existing payroll provider but still wants to use TriNet Zenefits’s Core HR product as the foundation for their HR tech platform, we are happy to support them.

Q: Why should business owners choose TriNet Zenefits over Gusto?

A: Gusto is laser-focused on serving super small businesses and they do a good job of this. But as these businesses mature and their needs evolve, they can outgrow the feature set offered by Gusto. TriNet Zenefits not only understands and meets the needs of the super small business but also businesses with hundreds and even 1,000+ employees.

Offerings such as complex payroll features, robust Time Tracking tools, Scheduling, Performance Management, Compensation Management, Well-being, and HR support for international workers are natively-built, core parts of the TriNet Zenefits platform that are not offered by Gusto.

Q: Who is the ideal TriNet Zenefits customer?

A: TriNet Zenefits supports small and medium-sized businesses with anywhere from 2 to more than 1,000 employees. Our platform is priced and packaged to support our customers across this size range as they grow and their needs evolve. Built for ease of use by employees and administrators alike, we are the go-to tool for company founders, CEOs, and COOs/Heads of Finance. As companies mature beyond 50, and sometimes up to 150 employees, we start to see HR leaders join our customers’ businesses to manage people operations.

Q: Are there any industries/businesses where TriNet Zenefits may not be helpful?

A: As an HR tool for small and mid-sized businesses, we are applicable and heavily relied upon in nearly every vertical market sector.

Q: How are you working to improve your product?

We continually advance our unified People Platform and push out updates weekly, if not daily, to ensure that our customers’ and their employees’ experiences continue to set the bar in the industry. This includes feature enhancements across our mobile product along with new products.

Last year, for example, we introduced new products in Well-being and Compensation Management, as well as support for contingent workers and deeper payroll functionality.

Q: What happens when I request a product demo?

A: A sales development representative will reach out to you to schedule your demo. During this time, the sales development representative will ask you questions about your business in order to connect you with the best possible person to demo the product for you. This will also make sure that they demo the parts of the product that are the best fit for your business.

Q: What is the biggest change/benefit that your customers notice when they start using TriNet Zenefits?

A: This can depend on the previous state of the business, however, the beneficial change that is almost universal among new customers is the fact that when someone starts using TriNet Zenefits, they no longer need to update a bunch of different systems every time an employee is onboarded, terminated, or undergoes any other change that HR systems would need to reflect.

From both the administrative and employee perspective, it’s about having one place to go to make changes about yourself and see the most up-to-date company information. It’s eliminating a ton of redundant work and making sure that your business processes like payroll, performance reviews, etc, run automatically based on everything else going on.

Price Comparison:

TriNet Zenefits's plans start at $10.00 per employee per month or $8.00 per employee per month when billed annually. However, since TriNet Zenefits is primarily a human resources platform, any plan that you choose only offers payroll if you select it as an add-on, which costs $6.00 per employee per month.

TriNet Zenefits vs. QuickBooks
TriNet Zenefits vs. QuickBooks:

QuickBooks and TriNet Zenefits have many similar features, but TriNet Zenefits is primarily an HR tool, whereas QuickBooks is an accounting tool. The TriNet Zenefits payroll add-on costs $6.00 per employee per month, while QuickBooks' payroll pricing starts at $45.00 per month plus $5.00 per employee per month.

TriNet Zenefits vs. QuickBooks Comparison:

Feature

TriNet Zenefits

QuickBooks

Free trial

Live demo only.

30 days.

Starting price

$10.00 /employee /mo.

$45.00 /mo.

Payroll only

Only available as an add-on ($6.00 /employee /mo.)

$5.00 /employee /mo.

Payroll tax administration

Direct deposits

Lifetime accounts

x

TriNet Zenefits vs. Justworks
TriNet Zenefits vs. Justworks:

Like TriNet Zenefits, Justworks does not offer a standalone payroll product. However, Justworks has professional employer organization (PEO) plans starting at $59.00 per employee per month, both of which include payroll and HR tools. TriNet Zenefits, by comparison, offers a more flexible pricing structure and is more affordable.

TriNet Zenefits vs. Justworks Comparison:

Feature

TriNet Zenefits

Justworks

Free trial

Live demo only.

x

Starting price

$10.00 /employee /mo.

$59.00 /employee /mo.

Payroll only

Only available as an add-on ($6.00 /employee /mo.)

Not available as a standalone product; all plans include HR tools.

Payroll tax administration

Direct deposits

Lifetime accounts

x

TriNet Zenefits vs. Gusto
TriNet Zenefits vs. Gusto:

Gusto charges a monthly base fee of $40.00 plus $6.00 per employee per month. By comparison, TriNet Zenefits's pricing starts at $8.00 per employee per month billed annually or $10.00 per employee month-to-month. However, users must purchase the $6.00 per employee per month payroll add-on to use any of the payroll tools.

TriNet Zenefits vs. Gusto Comparison:

Feature

TriNet Zenefits

Gusto

Free trial

Live demo only.

30-day free trial.

Starting price

$10.00 /employee /mo.

$40.00 /mo.

Payroll only

Only available as an add-on ($6.00 /employee /mo.)

$6.00 /employee /mo.

Payroll tax administration

Direct deposits

Lifetime accounts

While TriNet Zenefits shares many features with QuickBooks and Gusto, each platform offers its services in different configurations. For example, Gusto users can access all of the features found in TriNet Zenefits's payroll add-on simply by purchasing Gusto's Simple plan. Likewise, QuickBooks offers the same payroll features in its own payroll add-on.

Where TriNet Zenefits is notably different is in its inclusion, even in the Essentials package, of useful onboarding tools like offer letters and background checks. Furthermore, the business intelligence tools in the Essentials plan allow business owners to track things like turnover, compensation, stock options, and more.

TriNet Zenefits offers some services that our top-rated software solution, Gusto, doesn't. These services include year-round record keeping, banking information management, an activity dashboard, and data migration. However, Gusto offers federal R&D tax credit and charitable donations — features missing from TriNet Zenefits.

TriNet Zenefits Packages:

Essentials.

The Essentials plan costs $8.00 per employee per month when billed annually or $10.00 per employee month-to-month. It includes time management tools, basic HR capabilities, and a mobile app. However, payroll functionality is treated as an add-on and costs an additional $6.00 per employee per month.

Growth.

With the Growth plan, users benefit from compensation and performance management in addition to everything that's included in the Essentials plan. The Growth plan costs $16.00 per employee per month billed annually or $20.00 per employee month-to-month. As with all other plans, payroll is an add-on option that costs $6.00 per employee per month.

Zen.

Zen is the most premium of TriNet Zenefits's packages. It includes all of the tools and features in the Essentials and the Growth packages, as well as their "well-being" tools, such as progress tracking reports, productivity recommendations, and integrated solutions from Thrive Global.

The Zen plan costs $21.00 per employee per month when billed annually or $27.00 per employee on a monthly basis. The payroll add-on costs $6.00 per employee per month.

Features:

Payroll (Add-On)

Time & Scheduling

Benefits Management

Integrations

Automatic salary changes

Time card fraud protection

Aggregated compensation data

Zapier

Time-off calculations

Built-in compliance

Medical, dental, and vision

Box

Task reminders

Clock-in by location

Plan enrolment through the dashboard

G-Suite

Detailed pay stubs

Track paid time off

Mobile app

Office 365

Contractor payments

Notifications

Supplemental benefits

QuickBooks

Direct deposit

Real-time activity monitoring

ACA compliance

Expensify

Timeline reporting

Clock in and out with the mobile app

Uber

Multiple pay rates

Carta

Automatic tax filing (state & federal)

Breezy HR

Garnishments

... and more

Key Information:

Legal Name

TriNet Group, Inc.

Founder

Parker Conrad

Founding Date

Feb 17, 2013

Address

50 Beale St., San Francisco, CA 94105

Number of Employees

100

Number of Customers

10000

Email

support@zenefits.com

Telephone

1 (888) 249-3263

Website

https://www.zenefits.com/

FAQs:

What is TriNet Zenefits?

TriNet Zenefits is a software as a service (SaaS) company that provides a cloud-based platform for businesses of all sizes. With the help of their features, users can manage multiple HR services including health insurance, payroll, compliance, paid time off, benefits, and employee onboarding.

Does TriNet Zenefits do payroll?

Yes, TriNet Zenefits's key payroll features include automatic pay runs and automatic tax filings.

What is TriNet Zenefits's price range?

TriNet Zenefits's pricing starts at $8.00 per employee per month billed annually or $10.00 per employee on a month-to-month basis. The payroll add-on costs $6.00 per employee per month regardless of billing frequency.

How much does TriNet Zenefits cost with add-on features?

TriNet Zenefits's base plans start at $8.00 per employee per month when billed annually or $10.00 per employee on a monthly basis. The total cost of each plan, including optional extras, depends on the add-ons that you select.

The TriNet Zenefits payroll add-on costs $6.00 per employee per month, whereas the option to use one's own broker to administer benefits costs $5.00 per employee per month. Advisory services cost $8.00 per employee per month billed annually or $10.00 per employee on a month-to-month basis.

What are the advantages of TriNet Zenefits vs. Gusto?

Many people compare Gusto with TriNet Zenefits, and they're similar in ways. Both offer easy setup, benefits administration, payroll management, and great security.

They differ a bit on pricing, though. TriNet Zenefits charges extra for payroll and benefits administration, whereas these features are part of Gusto's base price, which is comparable to TriNet Zenefits's features.

How do I get in contact with TriNet Zenefits customer service?

You can contact TriNet Zenefits by reaching out via the contact page on the platform's website to get direct assistance.

Is there a TriNet Zenefits app for my phone?

Yes, TriNet Zenefits has apps for both iOS and Android devices that you can download to use TriNet Zenefits from a phone or tablet.

Is there a TriNet Zenefits API we can use for integrations?

Yes, TriNet Zenefits offers an API you can use for custom integrations.

Where can I read TriNet Zenefits health insurance reviews?

Health insurance services and benefits administration is one of the key features TriNet Zenefits offers. Most reviews you'll find of TriNet Zenefits include a review of their insurance services. If you're looking for a TriNet Zenefits payroll review, you'll find that the same applies — most people review all of their services together.

Where is TriNet Zenefits located?

TriNet Zenefits headquarters is located in San Francisco.

What are some alternatives to TriNet Zenefits?