TriNet’s fast factsStarting price: Call for a quote. Key features:
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There is a surprising amount of variety in the SaaS HR and payroll market. Some are basically supercharged spreadsheets. Others are expansive suites of tools and functions, perhaps even covering other areas of concern like project management, sales enablement or IT.
For TriNet, it’s not just about providing software that enables compensation and benefits management. It’s about helping smaller teams leverage the advantages of larger organizations. Combined with their PEO services, TriNet’s HR software can make enterprise-grade benefits and offerings available to the staff of nearly any team.
Jump to:
- TriNet’s pricing
- TriNet’s key features
- TriNet pros
- TriNet cons
- Alternatives to TriNet
- Review methodology
TriNet’s pricing
TriNet’s pricing is less transparent than some, relying on a “call for quote” approach on its website. Subscriptions charge a flat monthly fee for each employee, and prices vary by region, industry, company size, scope of services and other factors. In fact, TriNet’s fees are reduced under a number of circumstances — such as if an employee maxes out Social Security deductions.
To get an accurate quote, contact a TriNet sales representative by filling out a form on the pricing page.
TriNet’s key features
End-to-end HR software
HR has a lot of moving parts, so to speak, and many of those tasks or responsibilities slip through the cracks of digital tools. TriNet offers a platform that can minimize the need for handling HR tasks manually or for using a separate app in the tech stack just for that particular thing.
Designed to handle everything from talent retention to worker’s comp to document management, TriNet does a good deal more than just run payroll. You’d be hard pressed to find a solution that better covers the needs of HR pros working at up-and-coming brands.
PEO services
Professional employer organizations, or PEOs, allow businesses to hire staff while minimizing their exposure to risk. The PEO assumes the role of “employer of record” (though there are some nuances in the differences between those two terms). PEOs work alongside companies and are able to run payroll and handle HR tasks on the organization’s behalf.
With this setup, smaller businesses don’t have to shoulder the burden of onboarding talent, managing their pay and benefits and so forth. The PEO handles all of that instead, leaving the business to focus on the work itself.
Payroll and benefits
TriNet is, ostensibly, payroll and benefits software. But it doesn’t just cut paychecks or build an employee directory. TriNet can facilitate expense management, time and attendance tracking (Figure A), worker’s compensation compliance and 401(k) and insurance management, among other things. It even has tools for workforce analytics (Figure B) and compensation benchmarking, helping you maintain transparency and equity as your team grows.
Figure A
Figure B
Risk mitigation
Perhaps the biggest way TriNet can help teams achieve some peace of mind is in how it alleviates concerns regarding risk, compliance, loss and so on. By shouldering the responsibility of managing staff and paying their checks, TriNet is the one that will deal with issues should they arise.
TriNet pros
- Industry-leading PEO services.
- Easy-to-use payroll and benefits software.
- Intuitive experience for end-user employees.
- Advanced HR functions like expense management, time tracking, etc.
- Provides access to higher-tier benefits usually out of reach for smaller teams.
TriNet cons
- Pricing is highly situational, so it’s less transparent during initial research phase.
- Does not handle 1099 contractors.
If TriNet isn’t ideal for you, check out these alternatives
Paylocity
If you like what TriNet brings to the table but need a solution that supports global payroll, Paylocity may be a better choice. With many of the same tools on offer as TriNet, plus some additional features like a learning management system, Paylocity is no slouch when it comes to digital HR providers.
Pricing
- Contact Paylocity for pricing.
ADP
For organizations with complex payroll needs, ADP is worth considering. The company is one of the largest payroll and HR outsourcing companies in the world, and it offers payroll services for both small businesses (1–49 employees) and large businesses (over 1,000 employees). ADP doesn’t advertise its rates online, so you’ll have to contact its sales team for custom quotes.
Pricing
- Contact ADP for pricing.
Rippling
Rippling offers an alternative for any team that needs more than just payroll or HR functions. With a platform built to support HR, finance teams and even IT staff, larger organizations can potentially overhaul a major portion of their tech stack by switching to Rippling and consolidating into a single admin suite for all of them.
Pricing
- $8 per month per user. Though, with each additional module package you sign up for, the cost can quickly climb to “enterprise-grade” levels.
Review methodology
While writing this article, we researched the vendors and their websites, as well as customer reviews and ratings, to gain a full understanding of where each solution fits into the market landscape — and who they serve most effectively.