TriNet vs Gusto

TriNet5.0/10

Gusto6.8/10

Scored in Payroll Services

The short answer

TriNet is an IRS-certified PEO: a flat per-employee monthly fee, by quote, covers payroll and payroll tax administration, HR expertise, benefits administration, workers' comp administration and EPLI. Gusto is payroll, benefits and HR software from $49 a month plus $6 per person, month to month.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Oct 19, 2026Based on 16 sources, most recently checked Nov 13, 2026

TriNet

Best for: Small and mid-size businesses that want a full-service PEO

Choose TriNet if

You want workers' comp administration and EPLI inside one PEO fee.
You work in healthcare, technology or finance, TriNet’s industry focus.
You want HR experts on call, or HR Plus (ASO) support without a PEO.
Your security review asks for SOC 2 Type II; TriNet also states HIPAA.

TriNet plans and prices TriNet competitors

Gusto

Starting price: $49/mo + $6/employee/mo1
Best for: US small businesses that want payroll tax filing on every plan

Choose Gusto if

You want to see the price first: $49 a month plus $6 per person on Simple.
You run extra payrolls: every Gusto plan includes unlimited payroll runs.
You use many apps: 153 integrations with a REST API and webhooks.
You pay only yourself: the Solo plan covers S corp owners.

Gusto pricing Gusto alternatives

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

TriNet wins 2Gusto wins 11 tie

TriNet vs Gusto by dimension
Dimension	TriNet	Gusto
PricingGusto lists Simple at $49 a month plus $6 per person, Plus at $80 plus $12 and Premium at $180 plus $22. TriNet quotes a flat per-employee monthly fee and bills benefit premiums and payroll taxes separately.	Quote only	Published
CapabilitiesBoth run payroll with tax filing and offer medical, dental and vision benefits. TriNet adds workers' comp and claims support, ACA and COBRA administration and access to HR experts; Gusto adds time tracking, hiring and onboarding and contractor payments. Payroll processing and payroll tax administration (calculation, withholding, remittance, filing), W-2 and year-end document preparation, Benefits administration including medical, dental, vision and life insurance, Workers' compensation and claims management support, ACA and COBRA administration support, Access to HR experts, Online HR platform for time, pay and benefits information2	7 of 10 core capabilities	9 of 10 core capabilities
Fit and supportTriNet serves small and mid-size companies and includes HR expertise in the PEO fee, with advisory or dedicated support on HR Plus. Gusto is built for small businesses, with weekday support from 6am to 6pm MST and a dedicated account partner on Premium. Small businesses, mid-market companies3	Small businesses, mid-market companies	Small businesses
SecurityTriNet states SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA and supports sign-on through Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Okta and OneLogin. Gusto states HIPAA compliance and supports single sign-on. Yes (per its 2023 white paper)4	SOC 2	SOC 2 (type not stated)

Key differences

Where TriNet and Gusto differ (9)
Attribute	TriNet	Gusto
Pricing model	Per employee2	Base fee + per employee1
Price transparency	Quote only2	Published1
Best for	Small businesses, mid-market companies3	Small businesses5
Mobile apps	TriNet mobile app (pay stubs, time off)6	iOS (Gusto Mobile), Android (Gusto Mobile)7
Native integrations	128	1549
Support channels	Phone, Online, Advisory support (HR Plus), Dedicated support (HR Plus)2	Phone, email, chat, online help center, dedicated account partner (Premium)10
Founded	19883	20125
Headquarters	Dublin, California11	San Francisco, California, US12
Ownership	Publicly traded3	Private5

Show 3 attributes where they are the same

Where they are the same (3)
Attribute	TriNet	Gusto
API	8	13
Single sign-on	Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Okta, OneLogin8	14
Automatic tax filing	2	1

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. Gusto lists Simple at $49 a month plus $6 per person, Plus at $80 plus $12 and Premium at $180 plus $22. TriNet quotes a flat per-employee monthly fee and bills benefit premiums and payroll taxes separately.

Capabilities. Both run payroll with tax filing and offer medical, dental and vision benefits. TriNet adds workers' comp and claims support, ACA and COBRA administration and access to HR experts; Gusto adds time tracking, hiring and onboarding and contractor payments.

Integrations. Gusto lists 153 integrations, including QuickBooks, Xero, Slack and Salesforce. TriNet lists 12, including QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, Greenhouse and BambooHR, and offers an API.

Fit and support. TriNet serves small and mid-size companies and includes HR expertise in the PEO fee, with advisory or dedicated support on HR Plus. Gusto is built for small businesses, with weekday support from 6am to 6pm MST and a dedicated account partner on Premium.

Security. TriNet states SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA and supports sign-on through Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Okta and OneLogin. Gusto states HIPAA compliance and supports single sign-on.

More TriNet comparisons

More Gusto comparisons

Frequently asked questions

How much does TriNet cost compared with Gusto?

TriNet does not publish a price: its PEO is a flat per-employee monthly fee by quote, with benefit premiums and payroll taxes billed on top. Gusto publishes its plans: Simple costs $49 a month plus $6 per person, or $109 a month for 10 employees. Compare a TriNet quote with Gusto plus the workers' comp you would buy separately, which Gusto sells from $14 a month.

Can TriNet handle HR without a PEO?

Yes. HR Plus is TriNet’s administrative services organization (ASO): payroll, benefits administration, HR and compliance tools with advisory or dedicated support, priced per employee per month by quote. Gusto offers HR guidance and tools on its Premium plan, at $180 a month plus $22 per person.

Is TriNet an IRS-certified PEO?

Yes. TriNet HR III-B, Inc. has been on the IRS list of certified professional employer organizations since July 1, 2018. Its PEO fee covers payroll tax administration, workers' compensation administration and EPLI coverage and claims management.

Do TriNet and Gusto include workers' compensation?

TriNet includes workers' compensation administration and claims management support in its PEO. Gusto does not include it; it offers workers' compensation as an extra, starting at $14 a month.

Which benefits can employees get through TriNet or Gusto?

TriNet offers medical, dental, vision and life insurance, with ACA and COBRA administration support. Gusto offers health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance plus 401(k), HSA, FSA, dependent care FSA and commuter benefits.

Which accounting software do TriNet and Gusto connect to?

TriNet connects to QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, Xero and Sage Intacct, as well as Carta, Greenhouse, BambooHR and Lattice. Gusto connects to QuickBooks and Xero among its 153 integrations, along with Google Workspace, Slack, Salesforce and Expensify.

Which has more integrations, TriNet or Gusto?

TriNet lists 12 integrations; Gusto lists 154 integrations. Both connect to QuickBooks Online and Xero.

Is TriNet or Gusto more secure?

Both TriNet and Gusto state HIPAA. TriNet states SOC 2 Type II (unverified for Gusto).

How this page was made

What it is built from
37 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 13, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested either product hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

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Sources

The 16 pages this page's facts come from. The date beside each is our last check of the facts taken from it (the oldest, when they differ). The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources

Gusto gusto.com/product/pricing“Simple Run basic payroll in one state. $49/mo + $6/mo per person” “Simple, transparent pricing Payroll, benefits, and HR all in one place. No hidden fees. Cancel any time.”
TriNet trinet.com/peo/pricing“TriNet administers payroll taxes for wages processed through the TriNet platform, including calculation, withholding, remittance, and filing.” “PEPM stands for "Per Employee Per Month" and is the pricing method TriNet uses to determine your administrative cost.”
TriNet trinet.com/about-us“Power the success of small and medium-size businesses by supporting their growth and enabling their people.” “30+ in business, founded in 1988”
TriNet assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt9ccc5b591c9e2640/blt2147f424591a508f/657239817631d147b77ffb80/TriNet_Security_and_Privacy_White_Paper_2023.pdf“a SOC 2 Type 2 report for the TriNet platform. Current copies and corresponding bridge letters (issued each calendar quarter) are available upon request and are reserved for existing customers.” “TriNet maintains a HIPAA compliance framework that monitors and tracks our compliance to the requirements of HIPAA.”
Gusto gusto.com/about“Our small business platform helps businesses take care of their hardworking teams.” “Launched in 2012 as ZenPayroll, Gusto serves more than 500,000 businesses nationwide.”
TriNet trinet.com/peo“Our platform also lets your employees view pay stubs and request time off conveniently from our mobile app.”
Gusto Payroll (Gusto)“Yes, you can run payroll, check payroll status, add and view team members and manage your team all from the Gusto mobile app. Download the iOS app here and the Google Play app here.”
TriNet trinet.com/customer-resource-center/technology/integration-center“TriNet integrates with many systems:” “For more complex needs, TriNet APIs give developers the freedom to build upon integration from the TriNet platform and other applications for easy data flow.”
Gusto gusto.com/product/integrations“Showing 1–20 of 154”
Gusto gusto.com/about/contact“Our sales and support teams at Gusto are available to help you via phone, email, and chat Monday through Friday 6am – 6pm MST. For expedited support, sign in to your Gusto account.”
TriNet trinet.com/locations“Headquarters One Park Place Suite 600 Dublin, CA 94568”
Gusto gusto.com/about/privacy“Gusto, Inc. Attn: Legal Privacy 525 20th Street San Francisco, CA 94107”
Gusto docs.gusto.com“Leverage Gusto's API to build your own in-app payroll solution, customized for your users' needs, with Gusto Embedded.”
Gusto gusto.com/product/payroll/security“Multi-factor authentication and single sign-on functions are also available to make sure only the right people see the most sensitive data.”
Gusto gusto.com/security“We follow HIPAA guidelines to safeguard our customers’ protected health information (PHI). Additionally, we maintain business associate agreements (BAAs) between employers and Gusto, along with any third parties, like insurance companies.”
Gusto gusto.com/product