The short answer
TriNet is a PEO with an ASO option, HR Plus, for small and midsize businesses, priced by quote per employee per month. Workday HCM is HR, talent, workforce, payroll and service-delivery software for midsize to enterprise employers, sold by quote with separate fixed-fee deployment packages.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
TriNet wins 0Workday HCM wins 12 ties
| Dimension | TriNet | Workday HCM |
|---|---|---|
| PricingBoth quote. Benefit premiums and payroll taxes come on top of TriNet’s fee; Workday’s deployment is sold as fixed-fee Launch packages. Quote only | Quote only | Quote only |
| Fit and supportTriNet serves small and midsize businesses, with advisory or dedicated support on HR Plus. Workday HCM targets midsize and enterprise employers. Small businesses, mid-market companies | Small businesses, mid-market companies | Mid-market companies, enterprises |
| SecurityWorkday holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 and states GDPR compliance. TriNet holds SOC 2 Type II and states HIPAA compliance. Yes | SOC 2 | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR |
| Attribute | TriNet | Workday HCM |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per employee | Quote only |
| Best for | Small businesses, mid-market companies | Mid-market companies, enterprises |
| Founded | 1988 | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Dublin, California | Pleasanton, California, US |
| Attribute | TriNet | Workday HCM |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency | Quote only | Quote only |
| Mobile apps | TriNet mobile app (pay stubs, time off) | |
| Single sign-on | Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Okta, OneLogin | |
| SOC 2 Type II | ||
| Ownership | Publicly traded | Publicly traded |
Pricing. Both quote. Benefit premiums and payroll taxes come on top of TriNet’s fee; Workday’s deployment is sold as fixed-fee Launch packages.
Capabilities. A PEO and an HCM suite sit in different categories, so we do not score their capabilities side by side.
Integrations. TriNet lists 12 integrations; Workday publishes no count on the pages we reviewed, so we make no call.
Fit and support. TriNet serves small and midsize businesses, with advisory or dedicated support on HR Plus. Workday HCM targets midsize and enterprise employers.
Security. Workday holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 and states GDPR compliance. TriNet holds SOC 2 Type II and states HIPAA compliance.
TriNet administers medical, dental, vision and life insurance, with ACA and COBRA support; premiums are billed on top of its per-employee fee. Workday HCM is software for HR, talent, workforce and payroll, with no benefits plans of its own listed.
For small and midsize businesses, yes: TriNet provides payroll, benefits and HR experts as a PEO, while Workday HCM targets midsize and enterprise employers that run HR in-house.
Its documented strengths are over 5,000 prebuilt reports, real-time payroll recalculation, payroll across 180+ countries and AI agents in pay runs. It is less suited to small businesses, which it does not target.
Both quote. TriNet charges a flat per-employee monthly fee for its PEO; Workday adds fixed-fee Launch deployment packages to its subscription.
Yes, through Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Okta and OneLogin. TriNet holds SOC 2 Type II; Workday holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001.
TriNet offers AI-powered tools for routine HR questions and tasks. Workday HCM lists agents orchestrated by Sana, including a Payroll Agent that validates and explains pay runs.
Both TriNet and Workday HCM state SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA (BAA). Only Workday HCM states ISO 27001 and GDPR.
Share your headcount and needs once and see how both fit your team. If a provider works with us, you can ask to hear from it.
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