Gusto vs Zenefits (now TriNet Zenefits): Which Is Best for You?
Charlette has over 10 years of experience in accounting and finance and 2 years of partnering with HR leaders on freelance projects. She uses this extensive experience to answer your questions about payroll.
Juvy has over 10 years of content writing experience and was a licensed teacher. She has evaluated and written about dozens of payroll and HR software solutions for small business to provide the best answers to your software questions.
This article is part of a larger series on Payroll Services.
Gusto and TriNet Zenefits are both cloud-based HR software that manage employee data, run payroll, and provide employer-sponsored benefits. Gusto includes payroll in its based plans and has hiring tools that work well for scaling steadily. Meanwhile, TriNet Zenefits’ payroll is only included as a paid add-on, but it offers more robust HR features, including performance and compensation management.
Comparing the strengths of these two providers, we’ve determined their best case uses:
- Gusto: Best for new small businesses with fewer than 100 employees looking to run basic HR processes and payroll and comply with basic payroll regulations
- TriNet Zenefits: Best for growing businesses needing HR management tools on top of payroll
TriNet Zenefits vs Gusto at a Glance
Features |  |  |
|---|---|---|
Pricing ($/Month) | $40–$80 plus $6–$12 per employee | $10–$27 per employee (all plans and add-ons have a minimum five employee requirement) |
Contractor Payroll Pricing ($/Month) | $6 per contractor; no base monthly fee | $6 per contractor plus the base monthly fee of your chosen TriNet Zenefits plan |
Unlimited Pay Runs | ✔ | ✔ |
Employee Payment Options | Direct deposits, pay cards, and manual checks | Direct deposits and manual checks |
Direct Deposit Timelines | Two days; Next-day available with premium tiers; Four-day is optional | Four days |
Time Tracking | Upgrade to at least a Gusto Complete plan | Available in all plans |
Employee Scheduling | Via third-party integration | Available in all plans |
Employee Benefits | Health insurance, dental, vision, life and disability, health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), commuter benefits, 401(k), college savings plans, and free access to Gusto Wallet (a financial wellness app) | Health insurance, dental, vision, 401(k), HSA, FSA, commuter benefits, life and disability, and supplemental benefits |
Health Insurance Coverage | 39 states | All US states |
Benefits Administration | ✔ | With the option to use your own benefits broker (paid add-on; costs $5 per employee monthly) |
Workers’ Compensation and COBRA Compliance | ✔ | ✔ |
Access to HR Experts | Available only for Premium subscribers; Plus subscribers can get this as an add-on for $8 | Paid add-on; costs $10 per employee monthly |
Customer Support | Phone, chat, and email support; limited phone support hours for lowest plan; extended support hours available for higher tiers | Email and chat (via ZenBot) support; also offers phone support but you have to schedule a call through the TriNet Zenefits dashboard |
Expert Reviews |
Both Gusto and TriNet Zenefits have:
- Automatic payroll tax calculations, payments, and filings
- Time tracking
- Multiple pay rates and schedules
- Tip reporting
- Garnishments support
- Paid-time-off (PTO) requests and approvals
- Document management and electronic signatures
- Onboarding tools and digital offer letters
- Employee surveys
- Employee self-service
- New hire reporting
When To Choose an Alternative
There are instances that neither Gusto nor TriNet Zenefits is the best option. If you’re looking for a more personalized service that can handle your HR and payroll needs (or think you may want to transition to one in the future), consider partnering with Rippling. It will serve as a co-employer, advise you on compliance issues, including what needs to go in your policies, and give you access to competitive benefit rates that neither Gusto nor TriNet Zenefits can offer.
- Rippling: Best for businesses with plans to grow in the future that want the option to easily turn their PEO off and still have access to the HR and payroll software they’re familiar with.
If you want more information about which options to look for when choosing a payroll service, check our guide on finding the right payroll service for your business. If you’ve already made your decision and need to end the relationship with your current provider, read our how to switch payroll solutions guide to help you manage the transition better.
When To Choose Gusto vs Zenefits
Still unsure whether Gusto or TriNet Zenefits is a good fit?
See how both providers compare with our top recommended HR software for small businesses.
Pricing: Gusto Wins
Add-ons:
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Add-ons:
Note: All TriNet Zenefits plans and add-ons require a minimum of five employees. The provider also offers discounted pricing for annual subscriptions (billed in a lump sum). |
Would you like to compare costs? Use our online calculator to compute the monthly and annual fees for TriNet Zenefits’ and Gusto’s most affordable plans.
For companies with fewer than 100 employees, Gusto provides the best value, as you’ll receive HR functions, an employee database, payroll processing, and benefits administration for a reasonable price (monthly fees start at $40 plus $6 per employee). TriNet Zenefits does not charge a monthly base fee, but its per-employee pricing is more expensive than Gusto’s and its five-employee minimum and extra cost for payroll also play a part.
Let’s calculate:
If you need to process the payroll of three employees, subscribing to TriNet Zenefits’ basic Essentials plan ($10 per employee monthly) with a payroll add-on ($6 per employee monthly) will cost you $80 per month (remember, there’s a five-employee minimum, so you’ll be charged even if you don’t have the minimum employees). With Gusto, you only have to pay $58 monthly for three employees.
However, if you only need starter HR, time tracking, and scheduling features, consider TriNet Zenefits, since its Essentials plan has all of these features and is affordable. Besides that, if your business is growing fast past 100 employees, and you want an HR tool that includes compensation and performance management, TriNet Zenefits is a good option and may save you from having to upgrade or purchase additional software later (Gusto doesn’t have these features).
Payroll Features: Gusto Wins
Unlimited, automatic pay runs | ✔ | ✔ |
Calculate, file, and pay taxes (federal, state, local) | ✔ | ✔ |
Tax penalty free guarantee (for mistakes provider makes) | ✔ | ✔ |
Year-end reporting (W-2s and 1099) | ✔ | Costs extra |
Multistate payroll (pay employees in different states) | Upgrade to at least the Plus plan | ✔ |
Pay options | Paper check, pay card, direct deposit, manual check | Paper check, direct deposit, manual check |
Direct deposit timelines | Two days; Next-day available with premium tiers; Four-day is optional | Four days |
On-demand pay | ✔ | ✕ |
Expert reviews |
Payroll is the feature where Gusto really shines. In addition to unlimited and automatic pay runs, Gusto can manage payroll in all 50 states and includes automatic tax filings and year-end W-2/1099 reporting in its payroll services. While TriNet Zenefits has pay processing tools similar to Gusto’s, its payroll module is a paid add-on. TriNet Zenefits also doesn’t let you pay employees through pay cards as Gusto does, nor does it have on-demand pay that allows employees to access their paychecks before payday.
If you’re looking for something else, then check out our best payroll services guide to find more options.
HR Features: TriNet Zenefits Wins
Time tracking | Available in higher paid tier (Complete) | ✔ |
Scheduling | Via integration | ✔ |
Access to HR experts | Costs extra | Costs extra |
Employee benefits | Health insurance, dental, vision, life and disability, health savings accounts (HSAs), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), commuter benefits, 401(k), college savings plans, and free access to Gusto Wallet (a financial wellness app) | Health insurance, dental, vision, 401(k), HSA, FSA, commuter benefits, life and disability, and supplemental benefits |
Health insurance coverage | 39 states | All US states |
Expert reviews |
Although Gusto and TriNet Zenefits have similar HR features, TriNet Zenefits is a better choice, especially if you need time tracking and scheduling. It includes the two features in all of its plans; Gusto only offers time tracking in its higher tiers and lacks employee scheduling capabilities. You can, however, opt to integrate Gusto with Homebase, which lets you create schedules and track employee attendance for free.
Another reason TriNet Zenefits offers better HR tools than Gusto is because of its extensive health benefits coverage, which covers all states versus Gusto’s 39 states. In addition, only TriNet Zenefits offers HR-centric tools, like performance management and compensation planning.
Reporting Tools: Tie
Both Gusto and TriNet Zenefits have efficient reporting capabilities that include standard reports and customization options. You can even create new reports directly from their systems. You can run basic reports with details about each employee and create your own using special fields or parameters.
Ease of Use: Gusto Wins
Easy to learn and use | ✔ | ✔ |
How-to guides and help resources | ✔ | ✔ |
Customer support | Phone, chat, and email support; limited phone support hours for lowest plan; extended support hours available for higher tiers | Email and chat (via ZenBot) support; also offers phone support but you have to schedule a call through the TriNet Zenefits dashboard |
Third-party integration partners | 100+ | 40+ |
Expert reviews |
Gusto and TriNet Zenefits both have intuitive interfaces with online tools that are easy to learn and use. They also have how-to guides and FAQ resources that you can access online. Where Gusto wins in this criteria is through its robust integration options with more than 100 solutions (TriNet Zenefits has only 40+ integration partners) and its email, chat, and phone support.
Upgrading to Gusto’s Concierge option even comes with an exclusive number to contact if you have questions or require assistance accessing its features. TriNet Zenefits doesn’t offer a dedicated phone line to contact support for its Zen plan subscribers, plus you have to schedule a call back from its customer team through the TriNet Zenefits dashboard.
What Users Say About Gusto & TriNet Zenefits
While Gusto and TriNet Zenefits both scored an average rating of 4 or higher in third-party review sites like G2 and Capterra, Gusto’s score is higher than TriNet Zenefits’ as of this writing (4.5 vs 4). Reviewers like how user-friendly and intuitive both software are. The common complaint that both Gusto and TriNet Zenefits received is the slow response times of their support teams.
At the time of publication, the two providers earned the following scores on popular user review sites:
How We Evaluated Gusto vs Zenefits
We evaluated Gusto vs Zenefits using a 5-star scale with six criteria that include payroll and HR functionalities in addition to pricing, ease of use, and reporting tools. We also considered user reviews from third-party sites like G2 and Capterra.
In our evaluation, Gusto scored higher with an overall rating of 4.66 out of 5, whereas TriNet Zenefits earned a 4.13 out of 5. To view our full evaluation criteria, click through the tabs in the box below.
25%
Pricing
25%
Payroll features
25%
Ease of use
10%
HR features
10%
Popularity
5%
Reporting
25% of Overall Score
Software with transparent pricing, multiple plan options, unlimited pay runs, and zero setup fees were rated favorably. Those that offer a plan that costs less than $50 per employee monthly were also given extra points. Both Gusto and TriNet Zenefits met all of our requirements for this category, but the former is more affordable (costing $40 plus $6 per employee monthly). Plus, you don’t have to pay extra for payroll like TriNet Zenefits.
25% of Overall Score
Automatic payroll runs, payroll tax filing, 1099 form preparation, multiple pay options, and two-day direct deposits are just some of the features that we looked for. Providers also get points if they offer both employee and contractor payroll services, including a penalty-free guarantee. While both Gusto and TriNet Zenefits have efficient pay processing tools, Gusto scored higher here because it offers multiple payment options—from direct deposits and manual paychecks to pay cards. TriNet Zenefits only supports paycheck and direct deposit payments.
25% of Overall Score
Aside from having a user-friendly, intuitive, and customizable platform, payroll software that integrates with common third-party systems (like QuickBooks, Homebase, and TSheets) are awarded extra points. We also prioritized providers that offer quick problem resolutions and live phone support. Gusto, again, posted high scores here, given its wide selection of third-party software integrations and multiple customer support options that include live phone support (TriNet Zenefits doesn’t offer this).
10% of Overall Score
Having access to a professional who can provide expert advice on compliance issues is one of the criteria we looked for, including new hire state reporting and time tracking. Following closely behind these is the capability to provide online onboarding and employee benefits (like health insurance and workers’ compensation) that are available in all 50 states. TriNet Zenefits posted higher marks here because its time tracking solution is already included in its base plan, and the medical insurance options via its partner broker cover 49 states. With Gusto, you have to upgrade to at least its Complete tier to get time tracking, and its health insurance options are available only in 38 states and one territory as of this writing.
10% of Overall Score
We looked at reviews that users left on popular third-party sites like G2 and Capterra. Providers with an average score of 4+ stars and 1,000+ reviews are ideal. Gusto received a perfect score in this criteria; its average user rating and the number of online reviews are above 4 stars and 1,000, respectively.
5% of Overall Score
In addition to having basic payroll reports, providers with customizable reporting and allowing new ones to be built within their payroll systems are rated favorably. Gusto and TriNet Zenefits met all of the requirements for this criteria, both scoring 5 out of 5.
*Percentages of overall score
Bottom Line
Gusto and TriNet Zenefits are both solid small business software products that can provide HR, payroll, and employee benefits in a self-service, cloud-based software. TriNet Zenefits is a good choice if you’re looking for an HRIS option that can grow with your business. But if you want an affordable way to pay employees while providing your workers with full benefits, onboarding tools, and basic time tracking, Gusto is the HR and payroll software we recommend.
