The Best PEO Companies For Businesses

Pros

Excellent customer support
Varied employee benefits
Plans tailored to small business needs

Cons

Pricing not transparent
Five-employee minimum
Add-on features can be expensive

Paychex has built a reputation as a small business payroll provider. Paychex delivers an all-in-one payroll and HR platform for small businesses through its PEO services. On the customer end, the Paychex Flex software is relatively easy to use and has 24/7 customer support to help with setup and ongoing use. Paychex offers an extensive selection of employee benefits.

Paychex Pricing

Although Paychex pricing is not disclosed outright on its website, the company claims to calculate rates per employee. Reviews indicate that small business customers were quoted a flat rate per employee that’s charged each pay period. The type of features included in a PEO plan will also impact Paychex’s cost.

Paychex periodically offers free trials and other promotions, giving businesses a chance to give its PEO services a test run.

Paychex Features

In addition to payroll processing, Paychex customers can incorporate recruiting, learning management systems, risk management, time and attendance tracking, and employee performance management into a PEO package. Some of its top features include:

Group and individual health insurance
401(k) and retirement services
Health benefit accounts
Dental and vision insurance
Tax-saving plans

When To Use Paychex

Paychex is counted among the best PEO companies for tailoring its features and services to a business’s unique needs. Customers benefit from working directly with a designated HR professional to develop a customized plan. Businesses looking for a customizable and more personal approach should give Paychex a try.

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2. ADP TotalSource: Best For Deep Feature Set

ADP Payroll

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Pros

Specialized HR consultants
Robust features and integrations
Available in more than 180 countries
User-friendly mobile app

Cons

Five-employee minimum
Pricing not disclosed publicly
Pricey for small businesses

ADP is one of the biggest players in the workforce and HR management industry, with over two million small business employees supported by its services. This scale gives small businesses greater access to features, resources, and services. For starters, ADP TotalSource boasts Fortune 500-level healthcare plans and full-service payroll.

ADP also has a wide range of specialized benefits that small businesses can offer their employees, such as telehealth services, commuter benefits, and discounts on travel, retail, and entertainment. Switching to a PEO provider will require some adjustment for you and your employees. Fortunately, customer service is another reason ADP ranks as one of the best PEO companies for small businesses.

ADP TotalSource Pricing

Similar to Paychex, small businesses will need to contact an ADP sales representative for a custom price quote. ADP TotalSource cost is determined by location, number of employees, and selected features.

ADP TotalSource Features

With ADP’s extensive knowledge of payroll, it offers an incredibly deep set of features with its PEO services as well. ADP TotalSource claims that it provides Fortune 500-caliber benefits. It also does a very good job specializing its plans to fit your unique business. Here are some of its best features:

Competitive 401(k) plans
Experts in regulations and compliance
Career development feedback
Cost-effective insurance options
Commuter benefits

When To Use ADP TotalSource

If you have extensive administrative needs and are looking to outsource them to a professional and knowledgeable company, ADP TotalSource should be high on your list. They have one of the more impressive features sets around, offering everything you could want in terms of benefits and payroll and the strong customer service is another big plus.

3. Justworks: Best For Businesses With Fewer Than 5 Employees

Justworks

Pros

Transparent pricing
User-friendly interface
Excellent benefits packages and add-ons

Cons

Limited reporting
No mobile app

Since launching in 2012, Justworks has emerged as the fastest-growing PEO for small businesses. Justworks provides full-service benefits administration, payroll processing, HR, and compliance support within its two PEO plans: Basic and Plus.

Small businesses that opt for the Plus Plan can access Justworks’ full suite of corporate-level employee benefits. These include health insurance plans from Aetna, Kaiser, and United; dental and vision insurance; HSA and FSA accounts; and wellness perks. Justworks can also assist with COBRA administration. Another noteworthy feature is Justworks’ time and attendance program, Justworks Hours, which integrates across the platform to automate payroll and other HR tasks.

Justworks Pricing

Basic Plan

<25 Employees: $49 per employee
25-99 Employees: $44 per employee
100-174 Employees: $39 per employee
175+ Employees: Contact Justworks for a quote

Plus Plan

<25 Employees: $99 per employee
25-99 Employees: $89 per employee
100-174 Employees: $79 per employee
175+ Employees: Contact Justworks for a quote

JustWorks Features

JustWorks is a solid fit for businesses of all shapes and sizes, giving your employees the benefits that fit your budget and their needs. It offers a full suite of health insurance options along with 24/7 customer support. Here are some of its other best features:

COBRA administration
Payroll for salaried and hourly employees
Vendor payments
Liability insurance
Online employee onboarding
Accounting integrations

When To Use JustWorks

Perhaps the biggest benefit to JustWorks is that there is no minimum number of employees. So while it has the feature set and the tiered plans that can fit larger businesses, if you’re looking to outsource some of your administration for your smaller company, JustWorks has you covered and with upfront pricing.

4. TriNet: Best For Industry-Specific Expertise

TriNet

Pros

A dedicated team of experts
Numerous employee benefits options
Strong payroll features

Cons

Five-employee minimum
Unclear security measures

TriNet delivers full-service payroll processing, HR, benefits administration, compliance support, and risk mitigation services to small and mid-size businesses. Tailoring services and assistance to different industry sectors is where TriNet stands out among the best PEOs. Depending on a small business’s needs and sector, TriNet provides a personal team of consultants with relevant experience and expertise.

TriNet employee management demo

TriNet Pricing

TriNet’s pricing structure is based on the number of employees, industry, and chosen services. Interested small businesses will have to request a personalized quote. TriNet will break down the monthly rate into line items so that business owners know what they’re paying for and how to craft a plan that works for their budget.

With TriNet, small businesses can step back from benefits administration and choose from a range of plans for their employees. These include health insurance, auto insurance, home insurance, commuter benefits, and marketplace discounts on national brands, such as Verizon, AT&T, Hyatt, and Restaurant.com.

TriNet Features

Beyond the services mentioned above, some of TriNet’s other features include:

Worker’s compensation
Talent retention
ACA solutions
Workforce analytics
Compensation benchmarking
Document management

When To Use TriNet

TriNet offers specific services to a wide range of specific industries. The chances are high that its umbrella would cover your small business. If you’ve had a difficult time looking for niche HR or payroll services specific to your industry, you may want to give TriNet a try.

5. Oasis Outsourcing: Best For Startups

Oasis Outsourcing

Pros

Experts in a variety of sectors
Easy to customize and scale plans
Multiple options for employee benefits

Cons

Must sign a one-year contract
Five-employee minimum

Oasis Outsourcing is owned and operated by Paychex, but it offers a range of services that make this our pick for the best PEO for startups with more rapidly evolving needs. Oasis is a comprehensive PEO, offering assistance with HR, benefits administration, risk management, payroll processing, and other tech solutions.

Small businesses and startups can select the services they need through customized plans while cutting out unnecessary features to save on cost. What’s more, businesses can add or revise services later to scale with growth or downturns.

Oasis Outsourcing Pricing

Small businesses will need to request a custom quote from Oasis Outsourcing. Contracts are issued for one year, though customers can give 30 days’ notice to cancel.

Oasis Outsourcing Features

Oasis will assign HR, payroll, and employee management specialists based on a customer’s unique needs. Oasis can bundle a variety of benefits plans, including health, vision, and dental insurance, as well as wellness coaching, commuter benefits, retirement plans, and HSA and FSA accounts. Here are some of its other excellent features:

Compliance services
Risk management
Intuitive technology
Comprehensive onboarding
Compliance expertise

When To Use Oasis Outsourcing

If you looked at Paychex and liked what it has to offer, but your administrative needs are more geared to a new business that’s just getting started, Oasis is probably a better option. Oasis specializes in helping smaller to mid-sized businesses get off the ground by freeing up some of those responsibilities.

6. Rippling PEO: Best For Remote Employee Management

Rippling

Pros

Deep integration options
Easy-to-use interface
Multistate employee management

Cons

Lacks IRS and ESAC accreditation
Phone support is an add-on

Rippling PEO covers the bases in terms of payroll, benefits administration, compliance support, and risk management. Each solution is organized in its own module that can be accessed from the main Rippling interface. Other business software can be integrated here as well. Rippling offers more than 400 integrations, including applications related to collaboration, customer support, design, finances, HR, marketing, and sales.

As remote work becomes increasingly common, small businesses will have to manage employees and technology in dispersed locations. In terms of tech, Rippling PEO provides remote device management for employees via an auto-installing app. This allows small business owners and the PEO team to make changes to any employee’s laptop from the Rippling platform. Businesses with employees in multiple states can receive assistance on local tax registration and meeting minimum wage levels across locations.

Rippling PEO Pricing

Rippling PEO pricing is not entirely transparent. Plans start at a monthly rate of $8 per employee. Costs will increase as additional services are tacked on.

Rippling PEO Features

Rippling prides itself on its breadth of integrations, but it has a strong overall feature set. It also allows you to add just the features you wish to use, making it ideal for rapidly growing businesses. Here are some of its best features:

Time and attendance
Talent management
Learning management
Simple app
Health insurance options

When To Use Rippling

If you have a small business that’s still in its early days, Rippling is a solid low-cost option that allows you to choose only the features and benefits you wish to provide. It’s ideal for a company that may be expanding in the near future, as Rippling makes it easy to add additional benefits and take on more HR tasks as you need them.

7. CoAdvantage 360: Best For Analytics

CoAdvantage

Pros

Solid reporting and analytics
Recruiting and employee screening support
Strong payroll features

Cons

Pricing is not transparent
Lacks industry specialists
Fewer benefits options than other top PEO companies

CoAdvantage 360 is a comprehensive PEO with a knack for payroll, benefits administration, risk and compliance support, and HR services. Growing businesses can use employee recruitment services to find the best candidates. CoAdvantage’s recruiting team can help tailor job descriptions, post jobs to appropriate recruitment websites, schedule interviews, and conduct pre-employment assessments.

The CoAdQuantum online portal allows businesses to manage HR duties, such as PTO tracking and employee training. Additionally, the portal lets users generate over 70 types of reports and analyze various metrics in real-time. This is a major asset for business owners looking to maximize productivity to further growth. And CoAdvantage’s compensation management tools make it easy to reward high-performing employees with bonuses and merit pay.

CoAdvantage 360 Pricing

CoAdvantage 360 does not have set plans or pricing. Instead, businesses can request a custom quote.

CoAdvantage 360 Features

CoAdvantage 360 covers all of the bases with its features set and a comprehensive reporting package. Along with a wide variety of health insurance providers and strong all-around HR services, here are some of its tops features:

Employee assistance program
Employee deductions
PTO accrual tracking
Detailed job costing
Employee handouts
Performance management

When To Use CoAdvantage 360

It’s tough to go wrong with a company like CoAdvantage 360, which offers everything you could need from HR, payroll, and benefits services. It partners with such a wide variety of companies that, if you’re looking for a specific health plan or other types of benefits, CoAdvantage 360 should be one of your first calls.