TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Paychex

    Score5.1 out of 10
    N/APaychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.

    $59

    per month/+$4 per employee

    TriNet

    Score4.5 out of 10
    N/ATriNet provides small and medium size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR and payroll solutions tailored by industry. TriNet also offers specialized services through client access to HR representatives for advice and notifications on impactful regulatory changes.N/A
    Pricing
    PaychexTriNet
    Editions & Modules
    Paychex Go
    $59
    per month/+$4 per employee
    Paychex Flex Service
    Contact sales team
    Paychex Flex Enterprise
    Contact sales team
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    PaychexTriNet
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    PaychexTriNet
    Considered Both Products
    Paychex Inc.
    Chose Paychex
    Payroll entry is easier on Paychex Flex. It is easier to see each employee's earnings and deductions to review before submitting. TriNet has better customizable reporting with their Workforce Analytics tool. TriNet has a lot more offerings and better customer service, but it …
    Incentivized
    Chose Paychex
    This is a lot more user friendly than TriNet.
    Incentivized
    Chose Paychex
    Paychex flex was selected prior to my client contracting me. However, I have had the opportunity with other clients to evaluate, implement and administrate other payroll providers. Out of the products I've used, Paychex flex is most like Justworks. Paychex Flex is …
    Incentivized
    TriNet
    Chose TriNet
    TriNet outperforms ADP, Paycom, and paychex is support and compliance for sure. The only other system I've tried that has anything on TriNet's capabilites and interface is BambooHR... If I could mash the 2 systems together, I would!
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    Ease of use and a better UX/UI.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    TriNet's support team is the best team I have ever worked with. SAP and ADP are good platforms. Paychex support is poor.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    I didn't select TriNet, it was at my organization when I got here. No one at TriNet gave my company information on how hard it is to move companies in the middle of the quarter. Even UKG did that. I think that every other system works better.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    Trinet was selected because they have a robust platform and many services that they provide. In addition, the first year discount provides piece of mind when changing providers.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    Better pricing negotiation through pooling of TriNet.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    It's been too long ago to be able to compare.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    They were not very good at responding to emails and connecting with us
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    Paychex did not handle state tax, was not user friendly, and missed payroll more than once (they simply didn't process it for no reason).
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    They were about the same. We went with TriNet because of a bad experience I had with Paychex. However, TriNet started off strong and then the service went downhill. Finally, as I wrote, the state setup/final tax filings not being done makes me say I will not go back to Trinet.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    We had to use five products to equal 1 TriNet. It's so nice to have all our HR needs covered by one company we trust.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    TriNet - its the best - combines the ease of use of Paychex/Paylocity, the intuit feel of Workday, and offers amazing benefits options!
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    Out of all of the platforms, I still think that Gusto is the most user friendly for employers and employees. However, they did not provide the support that I get with TriNet. In just a year, I feel that TriNet is listening to it clients and have already made changes to improve …
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    I found cheaper options but was confident in TriNet as a company. Your core business seemed like an "add-on" for others.

    Ardelle Stoute did a great sales job as did Hope Webber as our customer service interface.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    We felt a better rapport with the TriNet people and the portal and ease of use seem superior. Pricing was good too!
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    TriNet has the best support and reporting available compared to ADP TotalSource.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    Cost and healthcare
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    TriNet is site and payroll submission is more intuitive as well as their reporting system. Paychex seemed archaic. Required an app and was not web based. App difficult to use and get information out was only in PDF with no Excel option.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    Before we signed on with TriNet, we were using Paychex for payroll and a separate small business broker for benefits. We evaluated Paychex PEO. TriNet had higher administration fees, but the benefits savings more than made up for it. TriNet also allowed us to keep the carrier …
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    We evaluated a few products for payroll and for benefits and at the time TriNet was the only one we found which offered a wide range of health care plans. We are considering evaluating other options again to see if there are cost savings or if down the line a product emerges …
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    TriNet is a much stronger product with very good customer service. Ability to rely on information and payroll is essential to success. There are a lot of features in TriNet we are not utilizing but could choose from to support our business. These other products do not have …
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    The TriNet offering was more comprehensive.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    Trinet provides a more holistic approach for foreign companies rather than just payroll which is what the other company I checked does. They walk you through all necessary steps in order to be fully compliant in a country which is not your native one
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    With ADP and Paychex, at the time, it was a big sell and very little action. It has been a long time since we've used either of those companies, but we have been happy with the progression of our relationship with TriNet and don't intend on changing that any time soon.
    Incentivized
    Chose TriNet
    They're very similar but TriNet was an easier onboarding process.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    83%
    Would buy again
    166 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    84%
    Delivers good value for the price
    143 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    87%
    Happy with the feature set
    175 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    77%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    102 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    90%
    Implementation went as expected
    118 Answers
    Features
    PaychexTriNet
    Human Resource Management
    Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.3
    257 Ratings
    7% below category average
    TriNet
    2.8
    674 Ratings
    95% below category average
    Employee demographic data7.2206 Ratings2.4472 Ratings
    Employment history9.4230 Ratings2.4508 Ratings
    Job profiles and administration9.0164 Ratings3.6478 Ratings
    Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.8.6161 Ratings4.0565 Ratings
    Organizational charting1.01 Ratings1.7391 Ratings
    Organization and location management9.2146 Ratings1.7415 Ratings
    Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)6.5137 Ratings3.7529 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    9.3
    299 Ratings
    15% above category average
    TriNet
    4.0
    731 Ratings
    66% below category average
    Pay calculation9.7282 Ratings2.5705 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.4142 Ratings3.0227 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration9.0164 Ratings3.2716 Ratings
    Direct deposit files9.7281 Ratings4.9665 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management9.2200 Ratings3.8586 Ratings
    Reimbursement management9.6111 Ratings2.6361 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings8.05 Ratings
    Leave and Attendance Management
    Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    8.7
    151 Ratings
    8% above category average
    TriNet
    1.8
    470 Ratings
    127% below category average
    Approval workflow8.6107 Ratings2.4387 Ratings
    Balance details8.8143 Ratings1.6449 Ratings
    Annual carry-forward and encashment8.6117 Ratings1.6365 Ratings
    Employee Self Service
    Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    8.7
    258 Ratings
    8% above category average
    TriNet
    2.6
    714 Ratings
    102% below category average
    View and generate pay and benefit information9.1236 Ratings3.8692 Ratings
    Update personal information8.3248 Ratings3.8706 Ratings
    View company policy documentation9.8114 Ratings2.4601 Ratings
    View job history7.4175 Ratings1.6527 Ratings
    Employee recognition00 Ratings1.2211 Ratings
    Asset Management
    Comparison of Asset Management features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.5
    41 Ratings
    7% below category average
    TriNet
    1.0
    1 Ratings
    156% below category average
    Tracking of all physical assets7.541 Ratings1.01 Ratings
    HR Reporting
    Comparison of HR Reporting features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.0
    169 Ratings
    7% below category average
    TriNet
    3.0
    599 Ratings
    86% below category average
    Report builder7.9139 Ratings3.7512 Ratings
    Pre-built reports8.1159 Ratings3.7566 Ratings
    Ability to combine HR data with external data5.086 Ratings1.5284 Ratings
    Onboarding
    Comparison of Onboarding features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    6.9
    165 Ratings
    13% below category average
    TriNet
    3.2
    588 Ratings
    85% below category average
    New hire portal7.5158 Ratings3.7587 Ratings
    Manager tracking tools6.3101 Ratings2.7363 Ratings
    Recruiting / ATS
    Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.9
    61 Ratings
    2% above category average
    TriNet
    3.5
    111 Ratings
    75% below category average
    Job Requisition Management7.733 Ratings1.283 Ratings
    Company Website Posting9.331 Ratings5.51 Ratings
    Publish to Social Media7.224 Ratings1.267 Ratings
    Job Search Site Posting7.231 Ratings2.484 Ratings
    Duplicate Candidate Prevention8.030 Ratings9.11 Ratings
    Applicant Tracking8.035 Ratings2.590 Ratings
    Notifications and Alerts8.155 Ratings2.497 Ratings
    Performance and Goals
    Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    -
    Ratings
    TriNet
    1.5
    98 Ratings
    136% below category average
    Corporate goal setting00 Ratings1.285 Ratings
    Individual goal setting00 Ratings1.295 Ratings
    Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings1.284 Ratings
    Performance tracking00 Ratings2.494 Ratings
    Performance Management
    Comparison of Performance Management features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    -
    Ratings
    TriNet
    2.9
    174 Ratings
    92% below category average
    Performance plans00 Ratings2.5151 Ratings
    Performance improvement plans00 Ratings2.4142 Ratings
    Review status tracking00 Ratings1.3138 Ratings
    Review reminders00 Ratings1.3147 Ratings
    Multiple review frequency00 Ratings7.23 Ratings
    Succession Planning
    Comparison of Succession Planning features of Paychex and TriNet
    Feature
    Paychex
    -
    Ratings
    TriNet
    3.9
    74 Ratings
    67% below category average
    Candidate ranking00 Ratings8.21 Ratings
    Candidate search00 Ratings2.469 Ratings
    Candidate development00 Ratings1.264 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    PaychexTriNet
    Small Businesses
    Zoho People
    Score8.4 out of 10
    Zoho People
    Score8.4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho People
    Score8.4 out of 10
    Zoho People
    Score8.4 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    PaychexTriNet
    Likelihood to Recommend
    5.2
    (309 ratings)
    2.4
    (748 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (42 ratings)
    4.0
    (52 ratings)
    Usability
    8.2
    (251 ratings)
    3.0
    (643 ratings)
    Availability
    7.3
    (11 ratings)
    6.6
    (19 ratings)
    Performance
    7.3
    (11 ratings)
    6.8
    (19 ratings)
    Support Rating
    7.1
    (256 ratings)
    2.7
    (729 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    4.5
    (1 ratings)
    8.7
    (6 ratings)
    Online Training
    8.3
    (4 ratings)
    8.7
    (8 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    6.5
    (12 ratings)
    7.5
    (28 ratings)
    Configurability
    7.4
    (8 ratings)
    7.6
    (11 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.2
    (3 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    7.8
    (7 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (11 ratings)
    8.4
    (18 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (5 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    8.9
    (31 ratings)
    7.7
    (15 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.2
    (32 ratings)
    7.9
    (15 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    PaychexTriNet
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Paychex Inc.
    For the most part, Paychex Flex is a very good payroll system and is well suited for a small business. Most basic features are simple and user friendly. For businesses that have hourly employees, its timeclock system is a good feature. For businesses that have a large number of employees and more complicated rules and policies, it might not be as appropriate because of the difficulty to set up for these rules and policies
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    TriNet is a great option as a PEO and EOR and is able to provide excellent benefit options, especially for smaller businesses that would not be able to get the same plans by themselves. It makes management of our US and Canadian workforce very straightforward and provides customer service if any questions are raised by the employee or employer.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Paychex Inc.
    • It provides a well account of Retirement Plan Account Information.
    • Alerts are sent to email when there is new information to access.
    • Employee access both online and thru app.
    • Paperless options.
    • Easy and quick access to paystubs and tax forms.
    • Easy employee retirement management.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    • Extensive variety of benefit program plan designs and partners. Something for everyone.
    • One stop shopping for all health and wellness benefits.
    • Continue to add new offerings, such as access to Salary.com at a discount and access to Carta at a discount to manage employee stock programs.
    • On top of compliance by state.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Paychex Inc.
    • When it comes to audit reports, Paychex Flex could improve on helping clients locate the correct reports for audit purposes more easily
    • When a client receives a discount, it would be helpful if the discount were automatically provided each year, or if the Paychex rep proactively reached out to the client first, versus the client having to call and request that the discount continue.
    • It would be helpful if the invoice was emailed to the client versus the client logging in to access invoices.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    • Time Clock More User Friendly
    • On Staff Admin ability to assist employees is slightly less than I'd like. I don't like being told to have the employee contact for platform issues. I'd like to advocate more for my employees.
    • Expense Reimbursement better integrated with the payroll functionality.
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Paychex Inc.
    Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    This is one stop shopping perse. They provide tools for Benefits and 401k. There reports are easy to read and the support given from Trinet support is awesome. Having everything in one place is best then having multiple places for things. Why change if things are working well? All the information is all there when needed.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Paychex Inc.
    Some things could be streamlined. For example, we could do custom options for the "add items" tab which has so many options that we never use. "Medical Pay" could be something that the system remembers for the applicable employees. Salaried employees' salaries should definitely be auto-filled. Overall the system works well but I think it could be improved to be easier to use and read.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    Being only 8 months into using the product there are still some things I need to learn, but I am sure as we start to use the product to it's full potential the usability score will go up. The expense interface is a little clunky to what we have used in the past, but the employees are happier that they can have their expenses direct deposited instead of getting an expense check.
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Paychex Inc.
    We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    We had an issue with application errors - took TriNet 5 months to fix it, mean while we had someone manually tracking and keeping up with many requests and questions about the application error which affected time off. When we were all registering for Benefits during open enrollment there were lots of bugs that caused issues with registering for benefits or being able to see what benefits were available
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Paychex Inc.
    Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    For the most part pages load quickly. Working for a software company we understand performance is everything, even a few seconds delay can feel like a lifetime, that being said, we ran into a few times where pages didn't load, information didn't load correctly, and an influx in users (like open enrollment) cause things to slow down
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Paychex Inc.
    Our dedicated representative is one of the main reasons we are sticking with Paychex Flex. If it were not for this person, other platforms could provide the same/similar functionality. It is the ability to speak with someone that understands our business and is willing to get questions answered in a timely fashion that keeps us with Paychex Flex.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    again tough to say. Our account manager - 10 most others - 6 Benefits - 5 HR support - 2 (the joke in my team is "why ask, he's just going to say "do this and then check with your legal dept.") If we have to do our own research why do we need you. Like I said, great for smaller companies that don't have an HR team. There is almost an attitude of "we are TriNet, this is how we do it, deal with it. You're in our platform now". Every client may have different needs and TriNet needs to be able to adapt to them. The new role of strong HR teams is business partners - TriNet struggles with this and seems to be stuck in old "tell you what to do", plan the Christmas party and buy cake once a month for birthdays. Its timer to move forward!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Paychex Inc.
    We did online training only
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    it's been awhile, but I recall them being helpful. I got through a lot of it and when I needed help, they can walk me through it over the phone. It's also pretty user friendly in general at a platform. I don't really know what else to type, but they came and helped me in person and also when there was something new, they came and talked to me. They have not done that since with the new model that I hate
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Paychex Inc.
    It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    Since this was already implemented. I have another employee briefly train me. Then Trinet rep gave me some training as needed for things that came up. For one payroll preview report I figured it could be done, but I had asked the rep to be sure. One important training was when there was an employee leaving the company.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Paychex Inc.
    Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    not applicable as I implementation was done 5 years ago and have no recollection of the details of the process. Above it says to skip question if not involved in the process but it will not allow me to skip it as it states explanation requitred thus making this process extremely frustrating.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Paychex Inc.
    We still use QB Desktop Pro to maintain a Check Register / Overall Balance for the company, but once having tried QB Payroll Online for about 3 months prior to finding Paychex Flex I can tell you that there's just no comparison. QB online is VERY EXPENSIVE and not so user-friendly. I hated every minute of those 6 payrolls we ran through QB online.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    I liked Rippling's software better than TriNet. However, the pricing on employee benefits was through the roof, and they don't offer many selections/options. If it was a software only decision, I would go with Rippling (the 2.0 version of Zenefits which TriNet offers). However, the software isn't a major need, compared to smooth payroll and benefits that I get from TriNet (and great service). I'm happy at TriNet long term as long as the health insurance rates aren't exhorbinant.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Paychex Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    TriNet
    I was not part of the process
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Paychex Inc.
    I generally do payroll at the office, however I have had to go remote due to internet issues and also had to take payroll on vacation with me. Very easy to log in wherever you are and manage your TAA and payroll
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    We are a small company, do we use it across departments and sites? Yes, we are all remote working, so there are as many sites as there are people. We also have our entire staff using TriNet, so every department from Accounting, Admin, HR, Development, QA, and Management are all using this. Can't say for sure how great the scalability is as we are only about 30 employees
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Professional Services
    Paychex Inc.
    No answers on this topic
    TriNet
    Not sure it was used or not as the implementation was completed before I started working for the company
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Paychex Inc.
    • I do not believe we have saved anything additionally. The time we've had to spend to get things to hopefully work is sad. This is the reason we've had to turn off all extra "products" of Paychex Flex. Time and Attendance is horrible. Benefits management is horrible. The user experience is horrible.
    • One thing I do not understand is why are updates for states, cities, counties, school districts, etc. not automatically updated? Should we not get a big red flag if we have an employee living/working, being paid in CA, but they aren't set up for CA sick time? If it is required to be on the paycheck stub to show the balance of the sick time, why would we not be notified that we are out of compliance?
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    TriNet
    • We have saved money on benefits and been able to broaden benefit options
    • It has improved our expense tracking processes
    • It has made tracking time off so much easier for both employees and management
    • It has kept us in compliance
    • It has made employee reimbursement much easier
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Paychex Screenshots

    Product screenshotProduct screenshotProduct screenshot