Managed Payroll · Compared
Both are PEOs first. This is the payroll-specific angle: what each one includes for payroll, what a non-PEO option looks like at each company, and where a flat-rate managed alternative fits.
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Contender One
Justworks runs two different offers side by side. Its PEO plans put Justworks in a co-employment arrangement: Justworks' own pricing page lists PEO Basic at $79 per employee per month and PEO Plus at $124 per employee per month, both including access to Justworks-sponsored health plans. Separately, Justworks sells a standalone Payroll plan with no co-employment at all, a $50 monthly base fee plus $8 per employee per month, for companies that want Justworks processing payroll without becoming a PEO client.
Either way, running the payroll itself stays with your team: entering hours, reviewing runs, approving pay. The PEO plans add benefits access and HR support on top of that; the payroll-only plan does not.
Contender Two
TriNet is built around its PEO: co-employment, organized by industry vertical, with benefits and compliance support bundled into a per-employee-per-month administrative fee. TriNet's own pricing page does not publish a rate; it collects company details through a three-step form and returns a custom PEPM quote after a sales conversation. TriNet also sells HR Plus, a smaller outsourced HR and payroll processing offer without co-employment, positioned as a lighter-weight option than the full PEO.
As with Justworks, the payroll processing itself, whether inside the PEO or inside HR Plus, remains something your team operates: data entry, review, approval, on TriNet's platform.
Side by Side
| Factor | Justworks | TriNet |
|---|---|---|
| Co-employment (PEO plans) | Yes, PEO Basic and PEO Plus | Yes, TriNet PEO |
| Non-PEO payroll option | Yes, standalone Payroll plan, no co-employment | Yes, HR Plus, no co-employment |
| Pricing visibility | Published: PEO Basic $79/employee/mo, PEO Plus $124/employee/mo, Payroll $50/mo + $8/employee/mo | Quote-gated PEPM, no published rate |
| Who runs payroll | You: enter hours, review, approve each cycle | You: enter hours, review, approve each cycle |
| Ideal company size | Small teams and first-time PEO or payroll buyers | Venture-backed and enterprise-leaning teams in a covered vertical |
| Benefits approach (PEO plans) | Justworks-sponsored plans, simple menu | TriNet-sponsored plans, framed per industry vertical |
Based on each company's published model, checked Sept 25, 2026. TriNet requires a sales quote for exact PEPM pricing.
How to Actually Decide
Lean Justworks, whichever tier fits: PEO Basic, PEO Plus, or the standalone Payroll plan. All three prices are posted on its own site.
Lean TriNet's PEO. Its vertical packaging and enterprise-leaning benefits are the point, and that depth is why the pricing stays behind a quote.
Neither company's PEO plan is really the answer. Compare Justworks Payroll or TriNet HR Plus, since neither creates a co-employer relationship, but only one option below is a flat rate with the work fully off your desk.
Comparing other platforms too? See ADP vs Rippling or Paychex vs Paylocity.
Weighing the full PEO decision, not just payroll? That comparison covers benefits, industry fit, and company size in depth. See TriNet vs Justworks, the HR outsourcing angle.
The Referee's Close
Justworks and TriNet both sell a non-PEO path now, which is worth knowing before assuming a PEO is the only way to get payroll handled. But even the non-PEO options, Justworks Payroll and TriNet HR Plus, are still software your team operates: hours entry, run review, approval.
If instead you want payroll run for you, inside your existing system, at a flat rate you can see before you talk to anyone, that is BEG managed payroll: $25-$45 PEPM, all-inclusive, every filing and every W-2 handled. No co-employment, no software login for your team, no quote gate.
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Questions
Both offer a PEO plan, where the company becomes a co-employer for tax and benefits purposes. Both also sell a smaller non-PEO option, Justworks Payroll and TriNet HR Plus, neither of which involves co-employment.
Yes. Justworks lists PEO Basic at $79 per employee per month and PEO Plus at $124 per employee per month on its own pricing page, plus a standalone Payroll plan at $50 per month base plus $8 per employee per month. TriNet does not publish a rate for its PEO or for HR Plus.
The PEO plans put Justworks or TriNet in a co-employment relationship and bundle in access to their sponsored benefits plans. The non-PEO options, Justworks Payroll and TriNet HR Plus, process payroll and handle HR administration without co-employment, and do not include the PEO's bundled benefits access.
In every plan at both companies, your team still enters hours, reviews each run, and approves it. Co-employment and bundled benefits do not change who operates the payroll cycle.
BEG is not a PEO and not a party to either company. If what you want is payroll actually run for you, without co-employment and without a new software login for your team, BEG managed payroll is the alternative: $25-$45 PEPM, all-inclusive, inside your existing system.
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