You run a business and have a sizable team of employees.
To manage those employees, you’ll need a good human resources (HR) platform that can help you with onboarding, storing employee data, running payroll, and managing compensation and performance.
Zenefits offers an all-in-one platform that can handle all these and other tasks. While businesses find it useful, it’s not cut out for everyone. For example, if you need payroll support and not the HR component, you may end up spending a lot more than required.
Zenefits also offers email-based support, which could make running payroll a lot harder compared to a platform with live phone support
The company has also had issues before with its lax office culture, freemium model, valuation, and reliability. Plus, Zenefits lacks a free trial, is higher priced for some users, and may not be as intuitive to use for some. Their customer service can also be a hit or miss, and some users note a lengthy onboarding process.
Fortunately, Zenefits isn’t the only option for HR software. There are many other great Zenefits alternatives that excel in certain areas including offering better customer service, features, ease of use, price, and more.
Ultimately, your best option will be the platform that works best for your unique needs.
Without further ado, here are the best Zenefits alternatives you should consider.
Best Zenefits Alternatives
1. Gusto
Gusto is a great alternative to Zenefits, especially for small businesses. The software primarily focuses on payroll and can process checks for contractors or workers located in any state in the US.
The software provides staff with dental, medical, flexible spending account, disability, life, vision, and health savings account plans for 39 states in the US. One of the areas that Gusto outshines Zenefits is in its customer service options, which are email, phone, or live chat, while Zenefits most offers email-based support.
Gusto also doesn’t make you pay extra fees for health insurance administration or full-service payroll. It bundles both in its base plan.
Plus, you get an intuitive experience that’s well designed and easy to use, seamless management of checks, tax filings, and direct deposits, and integration with common business accounting software platforms including FreshBooks, Xero, and QuickBooks.
The software also comes with project tracking, workforce costing, 529 college savings plans, next-day and two-day direct deposit options, and access to Gusto Wallet that saves workers money and gives them access to cash between paydays.
Gusto is also well designed for easy onboarding with ways to manage retirement plans, commuter benefits, and e-signing among others. Plus, you get a 30-day free trial, unlike Zenefits, which doesn’t offer trials for its software.
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2. Sage HR
Sage HR is designed for small to mid-sized businesses. The cloud-based HR platform helps you quickly onboard your workers and automate the HR process.
Among its features include modules for leave management, timesheets, performance, expense, and recruitment management, and shift scheduling. But you can add the specific modules you need.
With Sage HR, you get an interface you can use easily and onboard new employees, create schedules, handle time-off approvals, gather insights, and approve expenses.
Plus, the software gives you end-to-end recruitment capabilities like a drag and drop interface, which allows you to streamline the recruitment process.
Added features include document storage, employee directory, workflow builder, third-party integrations, custom reports, and onboarding templates plus more.
Unlike Zenefits’ tiered pricing structure, Sage HR offers specific modules you can select based on what you need. This is more beneficial than going with Zenefits’ all-in-one platform, which forces you to pay for features you may not need.
Plus, Sage HR offers a free trial, which Zenefits lacks, an intuitive platform with an easy setup process, and a mobile app for managing your team on the go.
3. Justworks
Justworks is a HR platform that helps employers who want robust wellness perks and employee benefits. The platform provides various reasonably-priced payroll services, full-service customer care through chat, phone, email, SMS, and Slack, compared to Zenefits, which offers support mainly via email.
You also get health insurance options nationwide, where Zenefits offers in up to 50 states, but it’s not a professional employer organization, so it doesn’t enjoy the benefit of numbers.
The professional employer organization also provides payroll management, HR tools like PTO monitoring, employee information management, and online onboarding along with compliance support.
Justworks includes HR consulting in all its plans and offers access to include training and harassment prevention. You also get fitness memberships, FSA/HSA accounts, COBRA administration, 401(k) retirement plans, online calendar and company director, and integrates with accounting tools like Xero, QuickBooks, and QuickBooks Online.
4. Rippling
If you’re looking for an HR platform you can customize and that offers both HR and IT management features, Rippling is worth considering. The platform comes with IT management of employee devices and apps, an applicant tracking add-on, and integrates with over 500 apps.
You can manage your staff data and electronic files. But perhaps the main thing Rippling beats Zenefits at is international reach when you need to process your workers’ salaries.
Rippling is ideal for businesses whose staff or contractors are distributed globally. Plus, you can monitor and track the time your employees work using its job codes tool, and the cost of that time per task, client, or on a per-location basis.
You also get payroll management tools, flexible HSA/FSA benefits, and HR help desk compared to Zenefits’ mainly email-based support approach, device and app management.
Rippling also provides federal, state, and local tax filing options, full-service payroll for all US states and other countries globally, and check and direct deposit options.
You can access more than 4,000 insurance plans from Human, Aetna, and BlueCross Blue Shield among other leading carriers, and over 500 integrations that include QuickBooks Online, Asana, Xero, Slack, and more.
On top of that, you get a library of pre-built reports, IT management module for employee device and app setup or monitoring, new hire, multiple pay rates, and W-2/W-4/1099 filings.
5. HR Cloud
HR Cloud is an HR platform based in the cloud that helps you streamline your onboarding process while making it easy for your HR team to manage employee data.
The platform offers an intuitive employee onboarding module, compared to Zenefits’, which may not be as intuitive to use. Plus, HR Cloud eliminates time-consuming tasks and provides personalized employee portals, automated introduction emails, easy-to-fill forms, customized checklists and much more.
It also offers Workmates, which Zenefits lacks. This is an employee experience platform that lets you reward workers’ achievements and share important milestones across the company.
Plus, the software integrates with many other third-party apps for payroll processing, tracking applicants, performance management, and more. It also provides a social hub, which Zenefits doesn’t, employee directory, mobile app, time tracking, organizational chart, document management, and enterprise-level security.
Its pricing is based on your HR needs, so you’d have to fill out a form to request a quote or contact sales for more details. You also get top-notch customer support compared to what Zenefits offers via its email-based system.
6. Workday
Workday is a popular enterprise resource planning and management software that combines HR, finance, and IT capabilities in one platform.
The web-based software is built for enterprises and mid-sized companies, and allows them to manage the entire employee life cycle from onboarding to career growth and payroll processing among other functions.
You get a robust platform that also offers features like talent management, big data integration, time tracking, learning management, benefits administration, workforce analytics, and more.
It also comes with a HCM module, which Zenefits lacks, and that helps you manage your employees’ time with your company. You can also use the analytics to assess your workforce and get actionable insights to improve your organization.
A financial module is included that has tools for internal controls, accounting, revenue management, financial planning, reporting, and more.
7. Paychex
Paychex is an all-in-one HR platform that works best for companies that need everything under one roof and dedicated support.
The software offers an intuitive interface, compared to Zenefits’, which may not be as intuitive to use, multiple payment features like direct deposits, paper checks, pay cards, and pay on-demand, and 24/7 customer servoce.
You can manage all your payroll, benefits, and HR under one roof thanks to Paychex’s online onboarding, payroll, tax administration, time tracker and attendance feature, and workers’ compensation tools.
Their service team is also available 24/7, unlike Zenefits’ team, who are mostly available via email so you don’t get multiple support options. In fact, Paychex provides experts who will help you with your payroll and related tax needs. They also provide more ways to help you pay employees, unlike Zenefits, whose options are limited.
Paychex also has a learning management module that gives it a leg up over Zenefits as it gives access to an online course library, and you can add your own training programs into Paychex and still create reminders, custom videos, and quizzes.
Paychex also has the Flex product, which is a scalable service with a reputable customer care team. This version offers powerful payroll management that’s better than Zenefits and has a strong track record of delivering great benefits to different companies.
With Flex, you can manage your payroll, do a few HR tasks like benefits administration, and expand the HR services you run through it.
Paychex also has the Go option for small business payroll, but you’ll need to reach out to their sales team to get a customized plan that fits the payroll and HR needs of your business.
You also get features like background screening, new hire reporting, employee self-service portal, add-on solutions for hiring services, and liability insurance plus more. Paychex integrates with Xero, QuickBooks Online, Hubworks, Indeed, BambooHR, and more.
8. ADP Run
ADP Run is a popular HR platform that’s best for employers looking for flexible plans that scale with their businesses. The platform offers strong HR tools like tax filing and payments, flexible product plans, and beats Zenefits at its support game by offering 24/7 customer support.
The platform also provides compensation, performance, and attendance management options like Zenefits. However, there’s an added feature called ADP DataCloud, which offers a way to benchmark compensation, analyze employee turnover, get current market insights, pay data, and overtime from millions of anonymized employers.
This way, you can assess if your compensation package is at par with current rates in the market or not.
ADP Run also provides flexible product options designed to support you as you scale your business depending on its size. You can grow from five to over 1,000 workers, and also manage benefits, onboarding for new hires, and recruitment easily – besides full-service payroll.
You also get an employee self-service portal, access to health, vision, dental, retirement, life and disability plans, direct deposits, tax and payroll processing, designated help desk support, and PTO management.
ADP Run integrates with QuickBooks, SAP Success Factors, Xero, Wave, Workday, Slack and other popular apps to make your work easier.
9. TriNet
If you want affordable yet comprehensive employee health insurance for your business, TriNet is worth considering.
The turnkey professional employer organization platform offers a robust platter of HR features and services, which is easy to install and provides comprehensive benefits.
If you plan to outsource human resources responsibilities like managing and paying benefits for contractors and employees or hiring new staff, TriNet can do that for you. It pools all its customers and other small businesses so you can get quality health insurance options affordably.
Unlike Zenefits, TriNet offers access to health insurance in your locality so your employees can access premier health cover no matter where they’re located.
Plus, TriNet offers full-service payroll and HR solutions like performance management, attendance monitoring, applicant tracking, preparing and delivering Form W-2s, and tax processing for local, federal, and state taxes.
Like Zenefits, TriNet also has a learning management module, which lets employees access over 500 courses in business like business writing, accounting, computer skills, compliance training, and workplace ethics among others.
Other features include workforce analytics, expense management, ACA compliance, online self-service, and open benefits enrollment tools, and voluntary benefits like pet insurance, accident coverage, and critical illness.
TriNet integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, Google Cloud, Okta, Greenhouse, and BambooHR.
10. BambooHR
When it comes to HR platforms, you’ve probably already heard of BambooHR before. The software matches Zenefits for an easy to navigate and natural user experience with basic features like payroll and performance reviews, time-off tracking and reporting.
However, it beats Zenefits by going beyond with features like powerful mobile apps, native AT system, and an open API to integrate with other HR platforms.
BambooHR is built to provide SMBs with tools to handle benefits administration and performance reviews better than most. It’s also people-focused, has an excellent platform for streamlining HR operations like offboarding and onboarding, paperwork, vacation management and more.
One of its biggest strengths is its hiring focus. You can post vacancies, track applicants, and customize the hiring procedures directly in BambooHR.
Add-ons are included to help you handle small business payroll. These add-ons export data to a third-party payroll system though.
Overall, BambooHR is a great tool thanks to its ease of use both on the employee-facing side and back end.
11. Kronos Workforce Ready
Kronos is a HR platform that provides businesses with features to help you manage your HR and benefits. Its Workforce Ready tier is designed with small businesses in mind and offers a slew of features and customization options.
You can incorporate talent acquisition and performance management among other add-ons, which makes Kronos one of the most flexible and powerful HR platforms compared to Zenefits.
You also get a strong mobile app from a company that’s known for staying on top of HR industry trends. A free demo is available if you want to know how the software works and get familiar before committing to a paid plan.
The software is also rated higher than Zenefits in terms of the features it provides its users. These features include things like appraisal performance, HR management, payroll, learning management system, and benefits administration, which support your processes, workflows, and other needs that matter to your team.
12. Paylocity
Paylocity is an all-in-one HR software platform that offers a way for you to easily manage daily tasks in payroll, talent, benefits, and workforce management. The technology is backed by a culture that cares for your success, compared to providers who just want to sell products.
The company has dedicated people who get to know you and understand your business needs so they can identify the solutions that will benefit your business today and beyond.
They free you from today’s tasks in an easy to use system. You can handle your large workload because Paylocity has your back and you can go with it anywhere.
It offers integrations between systems from posting jobs and recruitment to onboarding, payroll, time and labor management. All these features work seamlessly in Paylocity.
It’s easy to use and more intuitive than Zenefits, and has excellent features, especially their customer service. You can call and get a live person to help you with your issue promptly.
You also get other services like data surveys and performance management.
13. GoCo
GoCo is an all-in-one HR software that’s known for its ease of use, straightforwardness, and features that pack a big punch. It also provides competitive pricing compared to Zenefits.
You can customize the software to use it your way, without getting confused. It’s also useful for employee paperwork, benefits administration, and time management.
GoCo’s unique benefits advisors are at hand to help with the support you need to go through the benefits administration process. Plus, it syncs with your payroll software.
Unlike Zenith, which lacks a free trial or plan, GoCo offers a free, relatively robust version with features that can save you time.
14. CezanneHR
CezanneHR is ideal for businesses with internationally distributed workforces compared to Zenefits, which is available for 50 US states. The HR platform helps you through the varying international laws and compliance regulations regardless of where your employees are created.
You can pick the platform modularly and select the kind of functionality you want to use. For example, you can opt into performance management, recruitment, payroll management and more.
Plus, CezanneHR gives you more scalability than Zenefits as it can handle up to 5,000 employees. This is a great thing to keep in mind if you’re growth focused.
15. Zoho People
Zoho is a popular company known for its accounting software, but its HR platform is just as effective and excels in people management to help you manage your workforce.
The software tracks employee paperwork and record, schedules shifts, tracks time, and manages attendance.
If you work with many contractors, this employee-centric tool can help you handle everything with ease because it’s not just tailored to an HR manager. A self-service portal is included for your workers to enter their information on their own.
If you want to administer employee benefits instead of tracking their information, Zoho People is worth considering. It’s also less expensive compared to using Zenefits, and has a free option for up to five users.
Wrapping Up
If you want an integrated platform with HR, benefits, and payroll tools, Zenefits is a worthy choice.
However, these 15 Zenefits alternatives offer even more functionalities and free trials or plans that allow you to use their platforms and enjoy an intuitive, customizable, and easy to use experience.
