TriNet Review

Pros

• Strong payroll features
• Excellent HR features
• Easy setup
• Scalable pricing with full PEO option available

Cons

• Inconsistent customer support
• Can be pricier than other payroll software
• Limited integrations

What Is TriNet?

TriNet is a scalable payroll solution with a big focus on HR. TriNet is an all-inclusive professional employment organization (PEO) with solutions designed to handle hiring and training, paying and managing benefits, and exploring performance management over time.

Since our last update of this review, TriNet acquired Zenefits, a popular HR software. This acquisition allowed TriNet to expand its software offerings for small businesses that want to use TriNet without having a full PEO, making TriNet a good fit for a larger audience.

TriNet’s PEO services are used by popular brands like Moleskin, Perfect Snacks, and Talkspace.

TriNet Pricing

TriNet does not publish its pricing online. TriNet uses a custom pricing model under which businesses pay a flat per employee per month fee.

TriNet offers three scalable plans:

• HR Platform Plan: TriNet’s self-service software plan
• HR Plus Plan: TriNet’s basic PEO plan
• TriNet PEO Plan: TiNet’s full-service PEO plan

While TriNet creates a custom quote for each customer, that quote will be a consistent monthly cost that won’t change, unlike other PEOs that charge a percentage of your payroll each month. TriNet allows prospective customers to watch a fairly in-depth demo video after providing your information for a sales call.

TriNet’s pricing depends on how many employees you have, where the business is located, where employees are located, state tax requirements, what health/retirement benefits are available, and how much you’ll contribute under the PEO model, plus a variety of other small factors. (Note that you must contribute a minimum of 70% of the least expensive benefits option available.)

There is an online savings calculator where you can see how much money you’d save by switching to TriNet.

HR Platform

The HR Platform plan is a self-service payroll and HR software plan that has custom pricing and includes:

• Payroll processing
• Payroll deductions
• Garnishments
• Reports
• Onboarding & off-boarding
• PTO tracking
• Document management
• Time tracking
• Org charts
• Compliance
• Mobile app
• HR management

You can request an interactive demo to try this plan before you purchase TriNet.

HR Plus

The HR Plus plan is a hybrid HR and payroll solution that gives business owners access to the HR Platform software while outsourcing HR services. This plan is a good fit for businesses that want to be in control of their HR but need help with administrative HR tasks for less than paying an in-house HR manager.

There are three levels of HR service available with the HR Plus plan:

• HR Manager: For businesses that want to outsource “most — if not all — of their HR operations”
• Payroll Manager: For businesses that want to outsource payroll processing, payroll taxes, and compliance
• Payroll Tax Compliance Manager: For businesses that want to outsource payroll compliance only, including compensation changes, employee address changes, etc.

TriNet PEO

The TriNet PEO plan is a full-service PEO with advanced HR, benefits, payroll, and compliance management. With this option, business owners don’t have to worry about managing their payroll or HR as TriNet takes care of all of it.

TriNet has over 22,000 businesses that use this service and processed over $53B in payroll for these businesses in 2022 alone.

Because the TriNet PEO service is tailored specifically for your business, there’s no one-size-fits-all list of features, but you can expect that TriNet PEO will cover:

• HR
• Compliance & risk mitigation
• Benefits Administration
• Payroll
• Contractors & global workforce

Extra TriNet Costs & Fees

If your business needs insurance, you can expect to pay additional premiums. However, this is standard practice for all payroll and HR service providers. On the upside, using a PEO provides improved access to discounted insurance rates that are usually reserved for larger businesses.

So, while you’ll pay for workers’ compensation and health insurance premiums, your business may save money on those costs, solely by using a PEO. If you choose TriNet or any other PEO model, there is a minimum contribution requirement toward health insurance. You won’t pay for a vendor program, but you will need to pay a minimum of 70% of the lowest-priced benefits package.

TriNet also offers an R&D tax service to help eligible businesses take advantage of this tax cut. Learn more about the R&D tax credit or see how TriNet compares to our top picks for the best R&D tax services.

Is TriNet Easy To Use?

The user interface for TriNet is intuitive and straightforward to navigate. Interactions within the site are easy, and the graphics are modern. Helpful graphs and access to a bevy of reports make the system valuable and interactive.

The program is constantly updating and staying current on compliance issues and ahead of PEO trends. True to this, TriNet has updated the design of its software since our last review. It looks more modern, clean, and is just as easy — if not easier — to use than before.

TriNet is cloud-based, with no downloads or installation required. TriNet also offers mobile apps available for both Apple and Android products.

TriNet Features

TriNet offers all the basics you’d expect with a payroll solution, but also a few more bells and whistles for companies in need of more robust solutions.

Beyond payroll, TriNet offers a full suite of HR and employee management solutions, including time tracking, hiring and onboarding support, benefits administration, and access to an extensive reporting center.

In short, if your business needs a payroll solution that is flexible and highly functional, TriNet is a solid option.

Here’s a quick look at some of the features available with TriNet. Feature availability may vary depending on if you opt for a self-service, hybrid, or full-service PEO TriNet plan.

Payroll Processing

TriNet makes it easy for both employees and employers to manage their payroll options, especially if you go with the TriNet PEO plan, which manages all of your payroll processing for you.

Here’s a look at TriNet’s payroll features:

• Pay by direct deposit or check
• Multiple pay rates and schedules
• Garnishments
• Time off tracking
• Payroll reports
• Time tracking integration
• Automate time tracking for salaried employees
• Employee pay stub access
• Check printing
• Deductions
• Multistate payroll
• Supplemental pay
• W-2 management
• PTO management

Employee Management & PTO

TriNet’s employee management features are extensive and include everything from tracking vacation days to employee tee-shirt sizes (seriously). The platform’s employee self-service portal makes it easy for employees to manage their information and preferences. Those with admin permissions can track and manage employee information in one place.

TriNet’s employee management and PTO features include:

• PTO request management
• Employee self-service portal
• Time-off accrument
• Tax form access
• Employee management
• Talent recruitment tools
• Talent retention tools
• DocuSign integration

Time Tracking

TriNet offers a time tracking and attendance solution through its mobile app and web portal. However, it’s decidedly less robust than other time-tracking solutions on the market, including those with physical time clock hardware, but we appreciate that it’s a built-in solution rather than an add-on cost.

Here’s a look at TriNet’s time and attendance features:

• Employee clocking via mobile app or web portal
• Project tracking
• Employee scheduling
• Overtime management
• Auto-track salaried employee hours
• Manage time-off requests
• Time and attendance reports

Payroll Tax Support

As you’ll be handing over payroll responsibilities to TriNet, you’ll also be able to hand over payroll tax filing responsibilities. TriNet handles everything from local-level tax filing and payment to federal unemployment insurance. TriNet will also ensure that W-2 forms are sent out to your employees.

TriNet’s tax support features include:

• Payroll tax calculation, filing, and payment at all levels
• Employee access to W-2s
• Form 940 and Form 941 filing
• Employee TurboTax integration option
• Expense management

Reporting

TriNet allows for custom reports and many variations of similar reports. Reporting features are extensive and very intuitive.

The software includes a number of built-in reports across major categories like payroll and HR, plus a comprehensive reports library that allows businesses to create custom reports on the fly.

HR & Onboarding

HR is one of the areas where TriNet stands above the competition. The platform boasts stand-out features like 24/7 HR support, a robust learning management platform, and solid compliance support. Moreover, new employees have access to a comprehensive self-service onboarding process that makes it easy to get all the onboarding essentials sorted.

Here’s a breakdown of TriNet’s most notable HR and onboarding features.

• Learning management (500+ built-in courses)
• Secure document storage
• New-hire reporting
• New-hire self-service onboarding
• Employee performance reviews
• Connect 360 provides 24/7 expert HR support
• Risk mitigation services
• Compliance support
• Unemployment benefits management
• EPLI coverage
• COBRA administration
• ACA compliance
• Workers’ compensation

Benefits Administration

TriNet offers a comprehensive range of benefits options that range from commuter benefits to health insurance coverage. Businesses can build custom benefits packages that best suit their employees’ needs. TriNet’s benefits administration options include:

• Health, vision, and dental benefits options
• Workers’ compensation
• Employee self-service enrollment portal
• New-hire enrollment
• 401(k) retirement plans
• Commuter plans
• Custom employee benefits plans

TriNet Integrations

Since our last review, TriNet went from a meager 12 integrations to over 50 integrations. While this number is still fairly low for a software company, we are happy to see this number improved.

Luckily, the integrations offered are popular, high-quality options, and there’s a Zapier integration as well.

TriNet Customer Service & Support

If you need help, TriNet offers lengthy phone support hours from 6 AM to Midnight ET, Monday through Friday. Otherwise, you can reach the company via email or live chat at any time.

Despite the company offering a plethora of ways to connect with customer service representatives, there are many complaints about how long customer response times take. There are some positive reviews about the level of customer care as well, so overall, the customer support experience is a mixed bag.

TriNet Reviews

Customer reviews of TriNet are a mixed bag. Three popular customer review sites land TriNet between the 3.7 to 4.0 star mark, but the company only gets 1.4/5 stars on TrustPilot. TriNet gets an A+ rating on the BBB but is not accredited.

Not only is there a mixed bag of negative and positive reviews, customers have mixed opinions on the same points — some say TriNet has poor customer support, while others think the support level is great. Some find the software easy to use, while others think it is difficult.

We’ve compiled a list of the most common customer review below, but when a company has such a mixed reputation amongst customers, we highly recommend trying the software out for yourself by requesting TriNet’s online interactive demo.

Negative TriNet Complaints

• Nontransparent pricing and fees
• Complaints of poor customer support with long wait times
• Poor integrations
• Expensive
• Disorganized onboarding process

Positive TriNet Reviews

• Easy to use
• Great features
• Benefits administration
• Helpful customer support
• Constantly updating and improving the product

Is TriNet Secure?

TriNet is certified by the Department of Commerce and says that it uses Privacy Shield Principles. While TriNet has transparent privacy policies, TriNet, unfortunately, doesn’t mention any specific security practices.

If you’re interested in learning more about TriNet’s security features, you’ll need to reach out to TriNet directly.

The Final Verdict: Is TriNet Worth It?

TriNet’s expansive features and scalable pricing plans make it a good option for small to large businesses looking for a hybrid software/PEO service or who want to be able to scale up to a full PEO.

From a pricing standpoint, TriNet is a bit more expensive than other PEOs specifically designed for small businesses (such as JustWorks, which is designed for companies with fewer than 100 people). However, the prices aren’t based on a percentage of payroll like other PEO structures, and TriNet’s HR suite is extensive, earning TriNet a spot on our list of the best PEO software for businesses.

Previously, TriNet didn’t have a software-only plan, so it wasn’t a good fit for small businesses that need a standalone payroll and HR software. Now, TriNet does have a capable, easy-to-use payroll software option, though it’s a bit more expensive than other payroll options.

For small businesses that just want a basic payroll software solution with HR features and aren’t worrying about switching companies if they grow, it’s worth comparing TriNet to our list of the top payroll software options instead.

Payroll Software Review Methodology

We research, evaluate, and test each payroll software app that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on key characteristics to generate granular ratings.

Our exhaustive, 76-point rubric guides the star rating of each payroll provider we review, examining pricing, ease of use, features, customer service, and user reviews. Each section is weighted differently.

• Pricing (10% of the overall rating)
• Ease of Use (20% of the overall rating)
• Features (40% of the overall rating)
• Customer Service (20% of the overall rating)
• User Reviews (10% of the overall rating)

When rating payroll software, we are looking for very specific qualities. The speed and cost of payroll runs and the availability of tax filing services are given high weight, as are the quality and availability of accounting, time-tracking, HR integrations, and user onboarding services. We also look for the presence of client and employee portals, benefits administration, PTO and time management tools, and many more vital features.

Learn more about how we rate payroll software providers.