Dayforce is a people platform that simplifies HR operations. As a unified HCMS, it delivers HR, payroll, benefits, workforce management, talent, and analytics—helping organizations boost productivity, stay compliant, and make smarter decisions with embedded intelligence and personalized experiences.
N/A
Gusto
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Gusto offers payroll, benefits and compliance capabilities. Gusto is scaled for small to mid-sized businesses, and emphasizes an easy to use interface.
$49
per month
TriNet HR Plus
Score 5.2 out of 10
N/A
HR Plus (formerly Zenefits) is TriNet’s administrative services organization (ASO) solution, combining expert support and administration with a technology platform for HR, payroll, and benefits.
$10
per month
Pricing
Dayforce
Gusto
TriNet HR Plus
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Simple: A streamlined set of automatic payroll features and benefits integrations
$49/month + $6/mo per person
per month
Plus: Comprehensive payroll, benefits, and HR tools for employers building a great place to work
$80/month + $12/mo per person
per month
Premium: Scalable payroll and benefits, expert HR, and dedicated support for the complex needs of growing teams
$180/month + $22/mo per person
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Dayforce
Gusto
TriNet HR Plus
Free Trial
No
Yes
No
Free/Freemium Version
No
No
No
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Yes
Yes
No
Entry-level Setup Fee
Optional
No setup fee
Optional
Additional Details
—
Gusto offers three pricing plans for payroll, benefits, and HR.
While again, the user experience isn't perfect, the fact that employees and HR can manage all HR-related tasks in one spot, not having to switch between applications, is huge. It keeps our operations streamlined and ensures that no one is confused when it comes to payroll, PTO, …
Dayforce was a little glitchy, it had more functions that I rarely used/didn't need. It also was harder to navigate. I was always a little unsure if my inputs when.
Gusto is the easiest to use out of all the payroll programs that I have tried out at various companies. Manually entering time is less complicated and requires less time on gusto than on the others.
We left Zenefits for Gusto after Zenefits bungled tax payments to multiple states and had terrible customer service when we were working to get this corrected. So far we have not had similar issues with Gusto. Also, the customer service reps from Gusto are based in the US so I …
While Dayforce is more robust than Gusto in some ways, Gusto is a nicer overall experience. We all enjoy using the product. It was thoughtfully designed and that shows in the way the information is organized. It gives our employees a central place to find the data they need, …
Even with Intuit Full Service Payroll the difference that Gusto provides is night and day. I went from constantly filing on time or being fearful that I was not properly taking care of the taxes and paperwork to knowing Gusto has my back. Employees have a portal to login and …
When compared to Zenefits, Gusto is easier to use and set up. Zenefits only had benefit information and I still had to go to Gusto for pay stubs, taxes, etc.
I love Xero, but the payroll product offered a couple of years ago was woefully inadequate. Xero has made great strides in improving their payroll product but I still prefer Gusto for small business payroll processing.
The other payroll products I have worked with, like ADP and …
Zenefits isn't the same but they are trying to compete with each other. Zenefits is terrible. We've moved healthcare over to Gusto because Gusto was already doing a good job and Zenefits had very slow and poor service. I'd get off Zenefits entirely but Gusto doesn't support …
I really liked Gusto, and they offer most of the same features. I actually preferred Gusto because their HelpDesk seemed to be better. However, my current company already had Zenefits. It has worked well for us so far.
Overall, we picked Zenefits since they still fit our small business needs but have the capability and technology to seamlessly hire and retain talent. I love the fact that Zenefits is easy for administrators and users to use. Compared to Gusto, their reporting and compliance …
Verified User
Employee
Chose TriNet HR Plus
Zenefits and Gusto used to work really well together and I think they're a sort of similar product, but since they have become less integrated it's been really difficult linking my payroll and having to deal with deductions separately. I wish they would find a better way to …
Zenefits is my favorite payroll provider. I have used them all (ADP, Zenefits, Gusto, Intuit Payroll etc etc) and none compare in terms of features and price.
I personally run two businesses and have had no problems receiving support from Gusto. In my opinion, it has been an absolute delight in comparison to Zenefits.
Verified User
Director
Chose TriNet HR Plus
I have only used Gusto as an employee, not an administrator. I found both Zenefits and Gusto to be user-friendly and easy from the employee perspective. Ultimately, as an administrator, I went with Zenefits because they offer a discount for nonprofit organizations.
Love the UX of Zenefits, and the pricing was very fair.
Verified User
Administrator
Chose TriNet HR Plus
Zenefits had more features with HR management beyond just payroll. Our payroll situation is not complex so this was better for us.
Verified User
C-Level Executive
Chose TriNet HR Plus
Zenefits low-cost all in one solution was an ideal option for our HR, benefits, and payroll needs. Rather than managing different vendors for these services, Zenefits made an easy to use interface, built around simplicity an easy choice. Our payroll and benefits administrators …
I selected Zenefits because it had more, easier to use features than the rest. The sales process was pleasant and not pushy at all! The cost was better/the same as others with a friendly interface and more reporting.
Zenefits works really well for small businesses. Implementation was quick and we were able to integrate easily with other products in our HR tech stack. While the other products also have similar functionality, Zenefits has an ease of use and a fair pricing model that worked …
A large company with 15k employees acquired the small startup I was working for. Overnight we went from using Zenefits to Workday. The difference in the ease of use between Zenefits and workday was very apparent. Our joke was never to use WorkDay on a rooftop because you would …
I like Zenefits 2nd best only behind Paycom. Too many things in Zenefits are interconnected. As an example in Paycom I can assign different admins for different aspects of 1 employee profile (Manager A can approve their timecard, Manager B is responsible for approve …
Verified User
Partner
Chose TriNet HR Plus
pretty good and can serve as the whole hr hub, but pricey
We looked at a lot of different systems (Gusto, PEOs, Paylocity, etc.) we chose Zenefits for their all in one system. We needed one place that employees could go to that had all employee benefits in one place. Going paperless was also a big factor for us when switching vendors.
I think Dayforce is a great option for a large and/or Global organization. I do not think it would be the best fit for a very small company or business. It really shines for enterprise organizations with multi-locations. While a small business could use it, I would say it has too many bells and whistles that might feel overwhelming to a smaller organization.
Gusto is well-suited for small businesses looking for a one-stop platform for payroll, tax-related tasks, and onboarding. It has many automated features that make tasks related to running a business/running an S-Corp simpler. I have not tried any other similar platforms, so I am unsure how it compares, but the pricing Gusto offers feels reasonable compared to other providers.
I think as a small business owner, this system gives peace of mind. When I'm onboarding an employee I can automatically integrate the process with Gmail and Quickbooks. I feel like they are always doing work in the background and I don't have to keep checking up on them or verifying the work that's been done
There have been a few instances of users being locked out of Ceridian due to recent upgrades. Not ideal when an employee wants to see their paystub and is suddenly have login issues.
Not the best for when an employee is transferred to another country as their employee number is locked to their SIN or SSN. And, we are required to create a new user record with a new employee number for the new country.
Gusto upsold us labor law posters, but I later found them available for free online. Since we’re a fully remote team, I had to manually download and distribute them digitally. It would be much more efficient if Gusto offered free, auto-distributed digital posters tailored to remote compliance.
Benefits setup is unintuitive for startups
While our rep was helpful, navigating the benefits system felt complex and not tailored to early-stage companies. More guided flows or simplified options for small, remote startups would be a big help.
Limited dashboard customization for remote workflows
As a fully online company, we’d benefit from dashboard options that highlight relevant tools for remote operations—like compliance tracking, digital communications, or onboarding checklists.
We are highly invested in Ceridian's Dayforce product. It give us the flexibility and scaling that our growing company needs. Its potential reaches beyond the basic HR functions to the decision making that our Management Team needs. Ceridian is always innovating the employee and employee experiences to offer cutting edge options.
Unless they break it, I'm never leaving. It's just too easy. Gusto is also really affordable, and for what I pay, it's worth having the historical record within the system. I like that I can go back and pull up W2's for year's past. This sort of easy access reporting, has been helpful especially when getting reports for PPP loans.
We've already renewed after our first year with Zenefits due to the cost savings, ease of administration, reduction in overhead required to perform HR functions, and the employees happily embracing and liking the software. I've found employees generally hate anything new, but we've had no complaints about Zenefits outside the first few weeks of getting used to it.
I think it's very usable for the employee. I don't think it is as easy for the HR/PR admins - especially if there is an issue. There are so many setup screens that need to be looked at to try to figure out why payroll isn't calculating properly, hours aren't feeding over correctly, or benefits are not calculating properly. For the most part, they can't do their own troubleshooting. The same is true for the managers. Our managers find it cumbersome to go into make any schedule changes after the schedules have been generated.
Wonderful overall usability – especially for the new business owner. The user interface is clean and intuitive, so it's easy to find what you're looking for. They also have great explanation pages ingrained into the process, so if you get stuck knowing what to do next, there's a link right there to walk you through the process!
It's extremely user friendly and customer service is super helpful. The app needed help a while back but it has greatly improved. There were issues with files being cut off, and when I was onboarded, it actually cut my offer letter off hiding important information. Since then, it's been fixed so they are continually improving.
Dayforce's high availability ensures that our HR processes are supported around the clock, which is critical for a global organization like ours. The platform is cloud-based, offering reliable access from any location at any time, allowing our employees, managers, and HR teams to stay connected regardless of time zones or geographic locations. This level of availability ensures that payroll processing, employee self-service, and real-time data access continue uninterrupted, even during peak periods or unforeseen disruptions. The system’s robust infrastructure minimizes downtime, which is vital for operations that span multiple regions. Additionally, having a centralized platform that’s always available helps keep our teams aligned, ensures compliance, and facilitates timely decision-making across all our locations.
We have not experienced any application errors or unplanned outages in the two years I have been using this app. Sometimes there is a lag in the time keeping/ confirming your location, however, it quickly resolves itself within seconds and more often than not is an internet connection error
We haven't noticed any slow-down due to the integration of Dayforce WFM with our Ceridian HPL products (HRIS and Payroll). The new HTML view of the timesheets don't load as quickly as the old Silverlight view - however, we have gotten used to the change.
This app always loads extremely quickly and in a reasonable time frame. Like I said, when we do experience lags from this app, it is more often than not an internet connection error
Most of the time the support is great; it's not always super efficient but I always get the help I need. Occasionally it takes a lot longer than we had hoped or get conflicting responses. We had one ticket recently where we were told we would have to pay the service team to support us on the project and then another person called the next day with the solution to our query and was able to find a solution easily. Generally, though, the response is great and they either walk me though how to do something via a Zoom Meeting or they email step-by-step instructions on how to do it and say if I have questions we can set up a meeting to discuss further.
Gusto's customer service has really deteriorated lately and they seem to have really changed their focus. It used to be when you called you were routed to an individual who knew about payroll, benefits, reporting, etc. but now you get someone who seems to have not received the correct training. My last call about a dismissal payroll took me over an hour of my time and the person still could not help me and finally transferred me to someone else.
Not good at all. Basically I typically feel like they can solve the issue at hand. However, they take forever and it never feels like they really care. It can be frustrating that the agent will never speak with you on the phone or just give you their direct contact info so that you can continue to follow up on the same issue. Once they "close" the issue - you have to go back to the main customer service email or line again, even though it may be related to something you've contacted them about in the past
The courses are very interactive and informative. There are classes for every topic, which allows you to make the most of the system. There are also some "go at your own pace" course which is a great option for a busy schedule.
Have a strong internal team. Communicate with your implementation team - they are there to make it work for you. Take the time to really think about how you want the system to work for you - in some cases, you may need to rethink your own business practices to see if you are working harder when the system could do it for you
Reach out to support immediately if you are having trouble setting up Gusto. Rather than being confused and trying to figure it out yourself, it's much better to talk to someone who knows what they are doing. Save yourself time and frustration and reach out to support
Unfortunately I do not have any insights on the implementation of Zenefits as I was not employed with this company when Zenefits was introduced. Based on how effortless it is to use Zenefits, I wouldn't image there would be many issues with the implementation of Zenefits
I can't speak much to how it would be if we had all of these features separately since I started with Dayforce all being integrated and have no other experience, but having it all in one place has made the completion of all of these HR tasks seamless. We can direct all of our energies into the same system, and it makes it easier to field employee inquiries and to troubleshoot when we need to
It's been a while since I used QuickBooks for payroll, but it doesn't even come close to it. Gusto is infinitely easier, allowing for employee time tracking, handling calculations and payments of payroll and payroll taxes, managing regulatory compliance in the background, and more. I had a lot of moments using QuickBooks Payroll where I thought, "Am I even doing this right?" — it felt like you had to have additional knowledge of HR regulations in your state to do everything correctly. Gusto has it ALL handled so you can focus your time on higher-impact tasks in your business.
Zenefits has been a better tool for our purposes than Paychex Flex. While Zenefits is a fairly rigid tool without a lot of options for customization, Paychex has even fewer options for customization and their customer services is even more difficult to deal with
Overall, we are extremely happy with the Dayforce WFM module. Our biggest pain point is concerning the twice annual software upgrades - which is the only reason I haven't rated them as a '10'. Because every customer is configured differently, the upgrades can sometimes have adverse effects on our current configured policies/rules. And although they roll-out the upgraded version in a test environment several weeks before go-live, not all testing is accurate in that environment. Some issues do not present themselves until you are working with live punches.
Performance Reviews/Comp used to be handled via paper and tracking/reporting was a nightmare - having all of that in the system is so much more efficient and provides huge ROI
Our organization used to have big problems with hiring managers going rogue and hiring positions that aren't approved by Finance - we built an approval workflow in the system that triggers before any req is approved which has completely solved this problem
Dayforce Wallet has been a huge perk for our employees - it's heavily used and our crew love it
I am not involved enough to know well, but I would say that Gusto has saved me about 1-2 hours in my onboarding process with my new company compared to my past experiences trying to onboard with ADP. I have also finished the process and am not frustrated like usual.
California Meal Break Violations cost a full hour of each employees pay rate. If an employee clocks in 1 minute early it costs us at least 10.50 (minimum wage Ca, 15.00 in Los Angeles) which adds up quickly. We had 37 meal break violations when we first rolled it out. They need to add a feature that disallows them to clock in ahead of 30 minutes, or add a feature that shows them how long they've been on break.
