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TriNet vs Paylocity

The short answer

TriNet is an IRS-certified PEO: a flat per-employee fee by quote covers payroll and tax administration, benefits administration, workers' comp administration and EPLI. Paylocity is HR, payroll, time, benefits and finance software for US employers, also priced by quote, with nonrefundable implementation fees.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Based on 21 sources, most recently checked

TriNet

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

Choose TriNet if

  • You want workers' comp administration and EPLI in the fee.
  • You want HR experts on call rather than a larger in-house HR team.
  • You need HIPAA stated by the vendor, for example in healthcare.
  • You want ACA and COBRA administration support.

TriNet pricingAlternatives to TriNet

Paylocity

Not scored in Benefits Administration16 of 27 facts verified
Best for
US employers wanting payroll, HR, time, benefits and finance from one vendor

Choose Paylocity if

  • You have an HR team and want payroll, time, talent and benefits on one suite.
  • You want 30+ payroll audits with automatic alerts.
  • You want earned wage access through On Demand Payment.
  • You pay employees in other countries: global payroll covers 100+.

What Paylocity costsAlternatives to Paylocity

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

TriNet wins 1Paylocity wins 03 ties

TriNet vs Paylocity by dimension
DimensionTriNetPaylocity
PricingBoth quote. TriNet charges a flat per-employee monthly fee, with benefit premiums and payroll taxes billed separately. Paylocity charges a base fee plus per-employee fees that grow with the products used, plus nonrefundable implementation fees. Benefit premiums (medical, dental, vision) are separate from the PEPM fee, Payroll taxes themselves (employer FICA, FUTA, SUTA) are separate; tax administration is included, Add-ons such as background checks, drug screening and premium learning courses1Quote onlyQuote only
CapabilitiesIn benefits administration, TriNet runs medical, dental, vision and life insurance with ACA and COBRA administration support and workers' comp claims support. Paylocity covers benefits inside a wider suite of payroll, HR, time, talent and finance modules. Medical, Dental, Vision, Life insurance29 of 12 core capabilities6 of 12 core capabilities
Fit and supportTriNet serves small and mid-size businesses and includes HR expertise. Paylocity serves small businesses to enterprises, with phone and email support Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central Time. Small businesses, mid-market companies3Small businesses, mid-market companiesSmall businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises
SecurityBoth state SOC 2 Type II. Paylocity adds ISO 27001; TriNet adds HIPAA. Yes (per its 2023 white paper)4SOC 2SOC 2, ISO 27001

TriNet or Paylocity: what matters most to you?

We match on verified product facts for this need, never on who pays us.

Key differences

Where TriNet and Paylocity differ (9)
AttributeTriNetPaylocity
Pricing modelPer employee1Base fee + per employee5
Best forSmall businesses, mid-market companies3Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises6
Mobile appsTriNet mobile app (pay stubs, time off)7iOS, Android, Apple Watch8
Single sign-onMicrosoft Azure, Google Cloud, Okta, OneLogin9SAML (SP- and IdP-initiated)10
Native integrations129435 marketplace listings (our count, Oct 9, 2026)11
SOC 2 Type II412
Support channelsPhone, Online, Advisory support (HR Plus), Dedicated support (HR Plus)1Phone, Email, PEAK Knowledge Base (in-product)13
Founded19883199714
HeadquartersDublin, California15Schaumburg, Illinois, US5
Show 4 attributes where they are the same
Where they are the same (4)
AttributeTriNetPaylocity
Price transparencyQuote only1Quote only16
API917
Automatic tax filing118
OwnershipPublicly traded3Publicly traded5

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. Both quote. TriNet charges a flat per-employee monthly fee, with benefit premiums and payroll taxes billed separately. Paylocity charges a base fee plus per-employee fees that grow with the products used, plus nonrefundable implementation fees.

Capabilities. In benefits administration, TriNet runs medical, dental, vision and life insurance with ACA and COBRA administration support and workers' comp claims support. Paylocity covers benefits inside a wider suite of payroll, HR, time, talent and finance modules.

Integrations. Paylocity lists 435 integrations, including Greenhouse, Checkr and Indeed, with an OAuth2 API and webhooks. TriNet lists 12, including QuickBooks Online, NetSuite and BambooHR.

Fit and support. TriNet serves small and mid-size businesses and includes HR expertise. Paylocity serves small businesses to enterprises, with phone and email support Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central Time.

Security. Both state SOC 2 Type II. Paylocity adds ISO 27001; TriNet adds HIPAA.

Neither one?

Employee Navigator

Employee Navigator has the highest LeadChange Score in Benefits Administration after excluding these two (7.8/10).

Employee Navigator review

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between TriNet and Paylocity?

TriNet is a PEO: it administers payroll tax, benefits and workers' comp for you and adds HR experts and EPLI under one fee. Paylocity is software your own team runs, covering payroll, HR, time, talent, benefits and finance.

How much do TriNet and Paylocity cost?

Neither publishes a price. TriNet quotes a flat per-employee monthly fee and bills benefit premiums and payroll taxes on top. Paylocity’s recurring fee is a base fee plus per-employee fees that depend on headcount and products, and it charges nonrefundable implementation fees and extra for W-2 preparation and time clocks.

Do TriNet and Paylocity stand behind their payroll tax filings?

Paylocity assumes liability, penalty or interest charges that result from a Paylocity error. TriNet runs payroll tax calculation, withholding, remittance and filing as part of its fee.

Do TriNet and Paylocity use AI?

Paylocity’s Ignite AI adds purpose-built agents for pay, time and recruiting, an assistant for handbook questions and plain-language explanations of payroll variances before you submit. TriNet lists AI-powered tools that handle routine HR questions and tasks.

Which mobile apps do TriNet and Paylocity offer?

Paylocity has apps for iOS, Android and Apple Watch, and employees can clock in from a phone with geofencing. TriNet’s mobile app shows pay stubs and time off.

Can TriNet or Paylocity pay employees outside the US?

Paylocity’s global payroll lets US-based companies pay employees in 100+ countries. TriNet’s compliance guidance is for all 50 US states.

Which has more integrations, TriNet or Paylocity?

TriNet lists 12 integrations; Paylocity’s integration marketplace shows 435 listings (we counted them on Oct 9, 2026). Both connect to Sage Intacct, Greenhouse, and Okta.

Is TriNet or Paylocity more secure?

Both TriNet and Paylocity state SOC 2 Type II. TriNet states HIPAA (unverified for Paylocity). Paylocity states ISO 27001 (unverified for TriNet).

Who are TriNet’s biggest competitors?

TriNet ranks #5 of 6 in our benefits administration ranking. Besides Paylocity, the highest-scored are Employee Navigator, Gusto, and BambooHR. Every alternative, matched to the reason you might switch: TriNet alternatives.

How this page was made

  • What it is built from

    33 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

TriNet or Paylocity? Your answer in 3 questions

Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts.

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TriNet vs Paylocity

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Sources

The 21 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
  1. TriNet trinet.com/peo/pricing“No. Benefit costs such as medical, dental, and vision insurance are separate from the PEPM fee and depend on plan selection, carrier rates, and employee enrollment.” “PEPM stands for "Per Employee Per Month" and is the pricing method TriNet uses to determine your administrative cost.”
  2. TriNet TriNet HR Plus - TriNet“From core medical, dental and vision coverage to life insurance and more, our solution gives you the ability to deliver a comprehensive benefits program.”
  3. 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”
  4. 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.”
  5. U.S. SEC (Paylocity Form 10-K) Paylocity annual report, fiscal 2026 (SEC filing)“Recurring fees for each client generally include a base fee in addition to a fee based on the number of client employees and the number of products a client uses.” “As of June 30, 2026, our corporate headquarters occupied approximately 272,000 square feet in Schaumburg, Illinois under leases with final expiration in October 2032.”
  6. Paylocity paylocity.com“Small Business 1-99 employees Learn more Midsize Business 100-499 employees Learn more Enterprise 500+ employees”
  7. TriNet trinet.com/peo“Our platform also lets your employees view pay stubs and request time off conveniently from our mobile app.”
  8. Paylocity paylocity.com/products/capabilities/mobile“the Paylocity Mobile App connects you to our solutions wherever your job takes you … Conveniently clock in and out with a tap on your Apple Watch and access your most-used features, like timesheets, and schedules from anywhere.”
  9. TriNet trinet.com/customer-resource-center/technology/integration-center“Identity Providers and Single Sign-on – Microsoft® Azure, Google™ Cloud, Okta™, OneLogin™” “TriNet integrates with many systems:”
  10. Microsoft learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/saas-apps/paylocity-tutorial“Paylocity supports SP and IDP initiated SSO”
  11. Paylocity paylocity.com/products/capabilities/integrations“Yes, Paylocity offers hundreds of integrations across HR, payroll, benefits, accounting, time tracking, and other systems.”
  12. Paylocity paylocity.com/company/protecting-our-clients“We engage reputable audit firms who perform annual independent attestations for SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II, which cover controls related to financial reporting, security, confidentiality, and availability.” “We are ISO 27001:2022 certified.”
  13. Paylocity paylocity.com/contact/client-support/administrator-support
  14. Paylocity paylocity.com/company/about-us“Since 1997, we’ve been partnering with organizations to create workplaces where employees thrive, and businesses excel.”
  15. TriNet trinet.com/locations“Headquarters One Park Place Suite 600 Dublin, CA 94568”
  16. Paylocity paylocity.com/pricing“Want to Learn More About Paylocity's Pricing? Contact us and explore our flexible pricing plans that fit your needs. Request Pricing”
  17. Paylocity developer.paylocity.com/integrations/docs/getting-started“Paylocity offers access to APIs that allow customers and partners to access desired data quickly and securely for building integrations.”
  18. Paylocity paylocity.com/who-we-serve/multi-state-payroll“Automated federal, state, and local tax filings, ensuring accuracy and reducing administrative burden.”
  19. Paylocity paylocity.com/products/capabilities/integrations/marketplace/sage-intacct
  20. Paylocity paylocity.com/products/capabilities/integrations/marketplace/greenhouse
  21. Paylocity paylocity.com/products/capabilities/integrations/marketplace/okta

What the LeadChange Score means

A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.

Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.