Zenefits Competitors & Alternatives
Zenefits is one of the most popular human resource solutions on the market today. That market, however, is competitive. Therefore, we recommend comparing Zenefits against its top competitors before purchasing.
There are many excellent competitors in the human resource space that are worth considering. Most of Zenefits’s top competitors offer similar or less robust features at less affordable prices.
| Software Company | Analyst Rating | Features | Usability | Pricing | Customer Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zenefits | 95 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Justworks | 93 | 9.5 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
| Gusto | 92 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 7.5 |
| Zoho People | 90 | 8.5 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
| BambooHR | 89 | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 9 |
| Sage HR | 89 | 9 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 9.5 |
| ADP RUN | 83 | 8 | 8.5 | 8 | 8.5 |
Throughout this article, we’ll provide an overview of the main Zenefits competitors and alternatives, which are:
In this guide, we examine Zenefits’s features and pricing, and compare these factors against competitors. To gain a better understanding of Zenefits as a solution, you can read our in-depth Zenefits review.
All of the information in this article is based upon research, discussions with small business owners, and dozens of hours spent hand-testing the leader human resource software platforms. To learn more about our research and reviews, read about our unbiased review process.
Table of Contents
- Zenefits Features
- Zenefits Competitor Overview: Features
- Zenefits Competitor Overview: Pricing
- Top Zenefits Competitors
- Bottom Line
Zenefits Features
Before we compare Zenefits against its competitors, it’s important to understand the features included in Zenefits. Zenefits offers features geared more towards human resource management and payroll rather than applicant tracking.
The seven most important features that Zenefits offers are described in the table below. Zenefits’ employee onboarding and time tracking are its strongest features.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Employee Onboarding | Zenefits’ employee onboarding is advanced compared to alternatives. You can send onboarding documents, perform background checks, and automatically create software accounts for your new hires. |
| Payroll | Zenefits’ payroll is similar to Gusto and Justworks. You can run a number of off-cycle payments for hourly, salaried, and other contingent workers. Zenefits can also calculate, remit, and file taxes for your business. |
| Time Tracking | Time tracking in Zenefits is helpful for salaried and hourly employees. Employees can use Zenefits’ mobile and desktop apps to clock in and out of work. Newer businesses will also find Zenefits’ paid-time-off (PTO) policy creator helpful. |
| Compliance Support | Compliance support in Zenefits is decent. You are notified of required documents and changing compliance laws much like Justworks and Gusto. Zenefits also automates certain compliance support features such as creating W-2s. |
| Benefits | Benefits management is easy to set up in Zenefits but not supported in Hawaii. Zenefits supports a number of medical, dental, and vision plans. |
| Performance Management | Zenefits’s performance management is easy to manage and use. You can run performance reviews, track employee goals, and send surveys for employee feedback. |
| Analytics and Reporting | Zenefits’s analytics and custom report creation are limited. You cannot preview your custom reports before you export them. However, you’re provided a number of helpful pre-made reports to gain analysis from. |
Zenefits Competitor Overview: Features
Below is a chart that compares each platform’s features and affordability. They differ primarily based on how affordable each platform is and how wide their breadth of features is.
For example, solutions like ADP RUN are built more for payroll rather than human resource management. This is limiting for businesses interested in recruiting features or performance management. This contrasts with Zenefits, which is the strongest all-in-one human resource software solution we’ve analyzed.
Zenefits Competitor Overview: Pricing
Zenefits’ pricing starts at $10 per user per month. Payroll, advisory services, and onboarding your own broker to the platform cost an additional $6, $10, and $5 respectively. Compared to its competitors’ pricing, Zenefits is one of the most affordable solutions.
Here are the prices of Zenefits and its top competitors with additional pricing details:
| Software Vendor | Starting Monthly Price | Free Trial | Pricing Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zenefits | $10 per user | Yes |
|
| Justworks | $49 | Yes |
|
| Gusto | $39 | No |
|
| Zoho People | Free | No |
|
| BambooHR | $99 | Yes |
|
| Sage HR | $5.50 per user | Yes |
|
| ADP RUN | Custom | No |
|
Top Zenefits Competitors
Below are one-to-one comparisons between Zenefits and its top alternatives. Zenefits is best for customers interested primarily in running affordable payroll for their employees as well as automating important onboarding processes for new hires. We’ve ranked Zenefits’s top six competitors based on their features, pricing, and usability.
#1: Justworks
Justworks is the closest alternative to Zenefits in regards to features. Because both solutions are similar in features, we recommend Zenefits over Justworks due to its affordability. However, Justworks offers stronger compliance assistance features such as complimentary training videos.
For more details, read our in-depth analysis of Justworks vs. Zenefits.
- Zenefits supports benefits in your state
- You are in need of an affordable human resource solution
- You want to automatically onboard new employees onto your software systems
- Zenefits does not support benefits in your state
- You want to offer free training courses for your employees
- You are a newer business in need of a user-friendly HR product
#2: Gusto
Gusto is one of Zenefits’ closest competitors centered around payroll. Zenefits is similarly priced, especially if you have 10 employees or less. We highly recommend Zenefits over Gusto if this is the case for your business.
Still, Gusto is a viable option for businesses in need of affordable payroll. Also note that Zenefits supports benefits management in 49 states while Gusto only supports 39.
For more details, read our in-depth analysis of Zenefits vs. Gusto.
- You leverage HR software for onboarding and performance management
- You want to automate creating new software accounts for new hires
- You want to perform background checks on new hires
- Gusto can offer benefits management in your state
- You have 10 employees or more and are in need of affordable payroll
- You want to easily create customizable reports
#3: Zoho People
Zoho People is an alternative to Zenefits designed around recruiting. Zoho People is more similar to BambooHR and Sage HR rather than Zenefits.
Still, we analyzed that it is the best software solution for businesses interested in affordable recruiting features such as job post distribution and interview pipelines.
- You do not require recruiting features in your HR software
- You want to automatically onboard new employees onto your software systems
- You are a newer business in need of a user-friendly HR product
- You leverage HR software mainly for recruiting features
- You want a more affordable HR software solution
- You do not require robust performance management features
#4: BambooHR
BambooHR is more similar to Zoho People and Sage HR than Zenefits in regards to its features. We recommend Zenefits over BambooHR for its wider and more robust set of features.
BambooHR could work as an alternative to Zenefits if recruiting features are important for your business. However, consider the more affordable Zoho People before making any further purchase decisions.
For more details, read our in-depth analysis of Zenefits vs. BambooHR.
- You need HR software for payroll, benefits, and onboarding assistance
- You want to automatically onboard new employees onto your software systems
- You want to perform background checks on new hires
- You require a solution to create and distribute job posts
- You only need to track benefits for your company instead of selecting them
- You do not need a robust custom report creator
#5: Sage HR
Sage HR is a less user-friendly and more limited alternative to Zenefits. Its strong points are its workflow automations and its performance management. Sage HR is closer to BambooHR and Zoho People than Zenefits.
We highly recommend selecting Zenefits over Sage HR due to its accessibility and affordability.
- You do not require recruiting features in your HR software
- You’re in need of user-friendly payroll, benefits, and onboarding assistance
- You are a newer business in need of a user-friendly HR product
- You leverage HR software mainly for recruiting features
- You want a more affordable HR software solution
- You are in need of robust performance management features
#6: ADP RUN
ADP RUN is a direct alternative to Zenefits also centered around payroll. Zenefits’ features and accessibility all help small businesses carry out essential human resource tasks far more effectively than ADP RUN.
For more details, read our in-depth analysis of Zenefits vs. ADP RUN.
- Zenefits supports benefits management in your state
- You want a more affordable payroll solution
- You require compliance assistance and performance management features
- You want to create customizable reports for employee and company analysis
- You require onboarding assistance for new hires and payroll
- You want to purchase business coverage services such as general liability insurance
Bottom Line
Zenefits is simultaneously affordable and robust human resource software solution that can run unlimited payroll, automate important onboarding processes, and manage your company’s benefits. Zenefits received the highest rating in the HR category.
Before you make your purchase, we also suggest comparing Zenefits to other highly rated platforms:
- Justworks is best for businesses in need of software similar to Zenefits that want stronger compliance support.
- Zoho People is ideal for businesses that need greater expense management features than Zenefits offers.
- Gusto is best for businesses with more than 10 employees in need of more affordable payroll.