Gusto vs. TriNet: Payroll & feature comparison 2024
Managing payroll and human resources is a complex yet critical function for any business. As companies grow, they often turn to comprehensive payroll and HR solutions to streamline processes, ensure compliance, and provide employee support.
Two popular platforms in this space are Gusto and TriNet. In this article, we'll compare these providers head-to-head to help HR managers and business leaders determine the best fit for their organization. You’ll also learn about a compelling alternative that unifies payroll, HR, IT, and more in a single platform.
What is Gusto?
Gusto is a cloud-based payroll, benefits, and HR platform designed to simplify back-office tasks for small to medium-sized businesses. The company, founded in 2011 (as ZenPayroll), has quickly gained popularity due to its user-friendly interface and straightforward pricing model.
Key features
- Automated payroll: Gusto automates payroll calculations, tax filings, and direct deposits, saving businesses time and reducing the risk of errors. It supports multiple pay schedules and provides notifications when payroll is submitted and processed.
- Health benefits administration: Gusto integrates with top medical, dental, and vision insurance providers nationwide, allowing employees to easily compare plans and enroll online. The platform also syncs benefits data with payroll, streamlining deductions and additions.
- Employee self-service: Gusto's employee portal enables team members to onboard themselves, access pay stubs, request time off, and update personal information. This self-service approach empowers employees and reduces administrative burden on HR teams.
- Time tracking: Gusto's built-in time tracking tool allows employees to clock in and out, submit timesheets, and request time off. Managers can approve timesheets and see labor costs in real-time.
- Hiring and onboarding: Gusto streamlines the hiring process with customizable job descriptions, offer letters, and onboarding checklists. New hires can self-onboard and sign documents electronically.
What is TriNet?
TriNet is a professional employer organization (PEO) that offers a comprehensive suite of HR services to small and medium-sized businesses. It focuses on providing strategic HR guidance and mitigating employer-related risks, allowing companies to outsource many of their HR functions. Founded in 1988, TriNet has a long history of serving clients across a range of industries.
Key features
- Full-service HR: In addition to payroll and benefits, TriNet offers a wide range of HR services, including recruiting support, performance management tools, and expert HR guidance. This allows smaller companies to access premium HR capabilities without building an in-house team.
- Risk mitigation: As a PEO, TriNet assumes many employer-related liabilities, such as workers' compensation claims and certain employment disputes. This added layer of protection can be particularly valuable for businesses in high-risk industries or those with complex compliance requirements.
- Premium benefits: By leveraging its scale, TriNet can secure rich benefits packages that may otherwise be out of reach for smaller organizations. This can be a significant advantage in attracting and retaining top talent in competitive markets.
- Performance management: TriNet's performance management tools help businesses set goals, conduct reviews, and provide continuous feedback to employees.
- Global workforce and contractor management: TriNet provides integrated solutions for managing both international workers and independent contractors. This includes streamlined payments, collaboration with global HR partners, and the ability to view all workforce data in one unified system.
Integrations and capabilities
Gusto and TriNet both offer integrations with popular accounting, time tracking, and expense management systems, allowing payroll data to flow seamlessly between platforms. However, there are differences in the breadth and depth of these integrations.
Gusto integrates with 160+ small business tools, including QuickBooks, Xero, Asana, HubSpot, and BreezyHR. Its focus is on providing turnkey connections that are reliable and easy to set up, making it an attractive choice for businesses with simple integration needs.
TriNet, on the other hand, is designed to accommodate more complex business structures and integrate with enterprise-grade systems. It offers 40+ pre-built integrations across categories like accounting, applicant tracking, health, finance, legal, travel, identity providers, HR and more. Examples include Okta, OneLogin, Ramp, Uber, Salesforce, and Lattice.
Customer support
Both Gusto and TriNet are known for providing excellent customer support, but they approach it in different ways.
Gusto provides phone, email, and live chat support through trained representatives during business hours (Monday-Friday). Premium plan subscribers receive priority queue access. The platform features an intuitive interface and detailed self-service resources that help users resolve common issues outside of support hours.
TriNet customer service takes a more personalized approach, assigning dedicated HR professionals to each account. These experts act as an extension of the client's HR team, offering tailored guidance on strategy, compliance, and risk management. TriNet also provides 24/7 live support for urgent issues, although some users have reported that reaching an account manager who fully understands their unique situation can sometimes require extra effort.
Payroll
As payroll is the core function of both platforms, it's essential to examine how Gusto and TriNet compare in this area.
- Gusto handles the full payroll process, from onboarding employees to processing payments to filing taxes. It supports multiple pay schedules and methods (direct deposit, check, etc.). Gusto also offers payroll on AutoPilot, which automatically runs payroll each period.
- TriNet's payroll is part of its comprehensive PEO service. As a co-employer, TriNet files payroll taxes under its own tax IDs. It also offers same-day direct deposit. TriNet's payroll integrates with time and attendance, benefits, and other HR functions.
While both ensure payroll compliance, TriNet is better equipped to handle complex payroll scenarios often faced by larger companies, like multi-state tax filings, garnishments, and job costing. Gusto can handle these to an extent but is not built for the most complicated payroll needs. However, it does offer some unique payroll features for small businesses like flexible payroll syncing with popular accounting software.
Use case scenarios
The choice between Gusto and TriNet often depends on factors such as company size, growth plans, and the level of HR support needed. Here’s a better description below.
Gusto
Trinet
Gusto is an excellent fit for small businesses with straightforward payroll needs and a preference for maintaining control over day-to-day HR and payroll tasks. Its affordable pricing and user-friendly design make it an attractive choice for companies with limited HR resources.
For example, a small marketing agency with a stable headcount and minimal HR requirements beyond payroll and basic benefits would likely find Gusto's streamlined feature set sufficient. The platform's self-service approach can also work well for businesses with a tech-savvy workforce and a culture that values autonomy.
As businesses grow, Gusto can accommodate increasing headcount and geographic expansion, particularly if the company prioritizes automation and employee self-service. However, the DIY approach may become challenging once a company requires more strategic HR support and multi-state compliance expertise.
TriNet, on the other hand, is well-suited for businesses that view HR as a critical function and are willing to invest in comprehensive support. Industries with complex compliance requirements, such as financial services and healthcare, can benefit greatly from TriNet's robust infrastructure and industry-specific expertise.
For instance, a rapidly growing technology startup may find TriNet's scalable HR services invaluable as it navigates hiring, onboarding, and performance management challenges. The ability to offload employer-related risks and tap into a deep bench of HR professionals can be a game-changer for businesses in high-growth mode.
However, the cost and potential loss of control associated with TriNet's full-service model may not be suitable for every business. Companies with a solid understanding of HR fundamentals and a preference for hands-on management may find the price tag and co-employment arrangement less appealing.
Gusto vs. TriNet: Pros and cons
To summarize, here are the key advantages and disadvantages of Gusto and TriNet:
Gusto pros and cons
Gusto pros:
• User-friendly interface and intuitive workflows
• Transparent and affordable pricing
• Robust payroll functionality with automatic tax filing
• Extensive integration options for small business needs
• Responsive and knowledgeable customer support
Gusto cons:
• Limited customization options for complex payroll scenarios
• Lack of support for international payroll
• Fewer enterprise-grade features and integrations
• Potential challenges scaling HR support as the business grows
TriNet pros and cons
TriNet pros:
• Comprehensive HR services, including strategic guidance
• Scalable and flexible platform for growing businesses
• Deep industry-specific expertise and compliance support
• Powerful payroll engine capable of handling complex needs
• Risk mitigation and liability sharing through PEO model
TriNet cons:
• Higher costs and less transparent pricing structure
• Steeper learning curve for platform administrators
• Longer sales and implementation process
• Some businesses may be hesitant to embrace co-employment arrangement
The best alternative to Gusto and TriNet
While Gusto and TriNet are both excellent choices for outsourcing payroll and HR, there's a new player on the field that's innovating the space: Rippling.
When comparing Rippling vs TriNet and Rippling vs Gusto, businesses will find that Rippling offers unique advantages as the first unified workforce platform that combines payroll, HR, IT, and more in a single solution. It's a compelling alternative for businesses wanting a modern, holistic people system.
Some of Rippling's standout features and benefits include:
- Integrated platform: Rippling unifies employee data across HR, payroll, benefits, IT, and more. All modules work together seamlessly.
- Time savings: Rippling automates a huge amount of manual work, from onboarding/offboarding to app provisioning. Customizable workflows eliminate busywork.
- Full-service payroll: Rippling provides global payroll, automated taxes, and flexible pay schedules to fit any business.
- Modular and flexible: Businesses can start with just payroll and turn on additional products as needed. The system scales with your changing needs.
- Global workforce ready: Rippling makes it easy to compliantly hire, pay, and manage global teams. It supports international payroll, benefits, time tracking, and more.
- PEO: For businesses ready to outsource HR functions, Rippling offers a full suite of PEO services, including access to certified HR experts for strategic guidance and compliance support.
- Intuitive UX: Despite its power, Rippling is user-friendly for admins and employees. The UI is modern, streamlined, and easy to navigate.
- Robust integrations: Rippling connects with 600+ business apps, from Slack to NetSuite. Deep integrations automate data syncing across systems.
- Cost-effective: Flexible pricing lets you pay for only what you need. Rippling is often more affordable than piecing together multiple point solutions.
Rippling is designed to scale with businesses as they grow, from a single employee to thousands across the globe. The platform evolves with your changing needs over time.
Case in point: For a small marketing agency, Rippling could fully automate employee onboarding—from payroll setup to benefits enrollment to software provisioning—saving hours per hire. When the agency is ready to expand internationally, Rippling makes it simple to compliantly pay global employees and contractors. The agency can manage its whole workforce with just one intuitive platform.
In essence, Rippling represents the best of both worlds, combining Gusto's user-friendliness with TriNet's depth and flexibility. It's an excellent choice for companies looking to streamline back-office operations without compromising on functionality as they grow.
This blog is based on information available to Rippling as of November 12, 2024.
Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
