Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Paychex Flex
Score 6.7 out of 10
N/A
Paychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
TriNet
Score 7.1 out of 10
N/A
TriNet provides small and medium size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR and payroll solutions tailored by industry. TriNet also offers specialized services through client access to HR representatives for advice and notifications on impactful regulatory changes.N/A
Pricing
Paychex FlexTriNet
Editions & Modules
Paychex Go
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Paychex Flex Service
Contact sales team
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Contact sales team
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Paychex FlexTriNet
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Paychex FlexTriNet
Considered Both Products
Paychex Flex
Chose Paychex Flex
Payroll entry is easier on Paychex Flex. It is easier to see each employee's earnings and deductions to review before submitting. TriNet has better customizable reporting with their Workforce Analytics tool. TriNet has a lot more offerings and better customer service, but it …
Chose Paychex Flex
Paychex flex was selected prior to my client contracting me. However, I have had the opportunity with other clients to evaluate, implement and administrate other payroll providers. Out of the products I've used, Paychex flex is most like Justworks. Paychex Flex is …
TriNet
Chose TriNet
They were not very good at responding to emails and connecting with us
Chose TriNet
TriNet outperforms ADP, Paycom, and paychex is support and compliance for sure. The only other system I've tried that has anything on TriNet's capabilites and interface is BambooHR... If I could mash the 2 systems together, I would!
Chose TriNet
Paychex did not handle state tax, was not user friendly, and missed payroll more than once (they simply didn't process it for no reason).
Chose TriNet
They were about the same. We went with TriNet because of a bad experience I had with Paychex. However, TriNet started off strong and then the service went downhill. Finally, as I wrote, the state setup/final tax filings not being done makes me say I will not go back to Trinet.
Chose TriNet
We had to use five products to equal 1 TriNet. It's so nice to have all our HR needs covered by one company we trust.
Chose TriNet
Out of all of the platforms, I still think that Gusto is the most user friendly for employers and employees. However, they did not provide the support that I get with TriNet. In just a year, I feel that TriNet is listening to it clients and have already made changes to improve …
Chose TriNet
I found cheaper options but was confident in TriNet as a company. Your core business seemed like an "add-on" for others.

Ardelle Stoute did a great sales job as did Hope Webber as our customer service interface.
Chose TriNet
We felt a better rapport with the TriNet people and the portal and ease of use seem superior. Pricing was good too!
Chose TriNet
TriNet is site and payroll submission is more intuitive as well as their reporting system. Paychex seemed archaic. Required an app and was not web based. App difficult to use and get information out was only in PDF with no Excel option.
Chose TriNet
Before we signed on with TriNet, we were using Paychex for payroll and a separate small business broker for benefits. We evaluated Paychex PEO. TriNet had higher administration fees, but the benefits savings more than made up for it. TriNet also allowed us to keep the carrier …
Chose TriNet
We evaluated a few products for payroll and for benefits and at the time TriNet was the only one we found which offered a wide range of health care plans. We are considering evaluating other options again to see if there are cost savings or if down the line a product emerges …
Chose TriNet
TriNet is a much stronger product with very good customer service. Ability to rely on information and payroll is essential to success. There are a lot of features in TriNet we are not utilizing but could choose from to support our business. These other products do not have …
Chose TriNet
Trinet provides a more holistic approach for foreign companies rather than just payroll which is what the other company I checked does. They walk you through all necessary steps in order to be fully compliant in a country which is not your native one
Chose TriNet
With ADP and Paychex, at the time, it was a big sell and very little action. It has been a long time since we've used either of those companies, but we have been happy with the progression of our relationship with TriNet and don't intend on changing that any time soon.
Chose TriNet
They're very similar but TriNet was an easier onboarding process.
Chose TriNet
TriNet has better systems and customer service. We switched because Paychex was making routine errors and I did not have the time to monitor them. The customer service was not good, and management was very unresponsive. They even made the transitioning process difficult, …
Chose TriNet
It is difficult to compare companies and services, but I really appreciate the personal attention and care my clients get from TriNet.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Paychex FlexTriNet
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
6.7
247 Ratings
16% below category average
TriNet
7.0
620 Ratings
11% below category average
Employee demographic data8.0197 Ratings7.1420 Ratings
Employment history8.0220 Ratings7.0460 Ratings
Job profiles and administration6.8155 Ratings6.7429 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.4154 Ratings7.2517 Ratings
Organizational charting1.01 Ratings6.5353 Ratings
Organization and location management7.9138 Ratings6.9370 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.5132 Ratings7.7480 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
8.5
288 Ratings
6% above category average
TriNet
8.1
677 Ratings
1% above category average
Pay calculation9.0271 Ratings8.2651 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.1136 Ratings8.1176 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.3156 Ratings7.9662 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.3270 Ratings8.8614 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.5193 Ratings8.0537 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.9105 Ratings7.5329 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings8.05 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
7.0
144 Ratings
14% below category average
TriNet
7.0
425 Ratings
14% below category average
Approval workflow6.3102 Ratings6.9343 Ratings
Balance details7.5136 Ratings7.2405 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.3110 Ratings7.0326 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
8.5
249 Ratings
5% above category average
TriNet
8.1
660 Ratings
0% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information8.6228 Ratings9.1638 Ratings
Update personal information9.0239 Ratings8.4652 Ratings
View company policy documentation7.7111 Ratings8.5549 Ratings
View job history8.7168 Ratings8.6478 Ratings
Employee recognition00 Ratings5.9185 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
7.8
40 Ratings
1% above category average
TriNet
1.0
1 Ratings
154% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets7.840 Ratings1.01 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
6.1
164 Ratings
22% below category average
TriNet
7.4
546 Ratings
3% below category average
Report builder5.8134 Ratings7.2462 Ratings
Pre-built reports6.9154 Ratings7.5515 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data5.783 Ratings7.5251 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
8.0
158 Ratings
0% below category average
TriNet
8.0
540 Ratings
0% below category average
New hire portal8.1151 Ratings8.3539 Ratings
Manager tracking tools7.9100 Ratings7.7325 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
8.5
59 Ratings
9% above category average
TriNet
6.5
92 Ratings
17% below category average
Job Requisition Management9.632 Ratings6.570 Ratings
Company Website Posting9.730 Ratings5.51 Ratings
Publish to Social Media6.923 Ratings5.056 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting6.830 Ratings6.470 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention6.928 Ratings9.11 Ratings
Applicant Tracking9.633 Ratings6.674 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts9.753 Ratings6.782 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
TriNet
6.5
81 Ratings
23% below category average
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings6.572 Ratings
Individual goal setting00 Ratings6.380 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings6.670 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings6.578 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
TriNet
7.3
148 Ratings
8% below category average
Performance plans00 Ratings7.0127 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings7.2124 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings7.1119 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings8.0126 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings7.23 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Paychex Flex
-
Ratings
TriNet
7.2
60 Ratings
9% below category average
Candidate ranking00 Ratings8.21 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings6.957 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings6.453 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Paychex FlexTriNet
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Paychex FlexTriNet
Likelihood to Recommend
7.7
(298 ratings)
7.1
(693 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.9
(42 ratings)
9.1
(44 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(240 ratings)
7.4
(588 ratings)
Availability
9.3
(10 ratings)
8.4
(10 ratings)
Performance
9.1
(10 ratings)
7.9
(10 ratings)
Support Rating
7.8
(245 ratings)
7.1
(674 ratings)
In-Person Training
4.5
(1 ratings)
8.0
(5 ratings)
Online Training
7.0
(4 ratings)
8.9
(5 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.4
(11 ratings)
3.7
(25 ratings)
Configurability
7.6
(8 ratings)
8.4
(9 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.0
(3 ratings)
9.0
(6 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.3
(10 ratings)
8.4
(10 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.9
(31 ratings)
9.0
(10 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.2
(32 ratings)
7.9
(10 ratings)
User Testimonials
Paychex FlexTriNet
Likelihood to Recommend
Paychex, Inc.
In my experience, Paychex Flex is well suited for small to medium sized businesses. It has been helpful in streamlining the onboarding process and it is easy to update and maintain employee profiles and records. It has worked will in a non-profit environment where there is clergy pay and housing, which can get quite complicated. I cannot think of a scenario where it would be less appropriate.
Read full review
TriNet
The level of benefits and cost is very attractive for smaller companies, who normally would not be able to offer "big company benefits" if they had to manage each of these benefits directly with a broker or other. Has been a very position employee acquisition and retention feature for our small company of 50 employees. TriNet is not for you if you prefer to customize all of your employee benefits programs and other offerings. TriNet is one approach, and either you can make it work, or it may not be for you.
Read full review
Pros
Paychex, Inc.
  • I like I can enter payroll and if I need to leave the program, I can resume at a later time and my information is saved.
  • I like the analytics & reports features.
  • I like how all my employees have easy access to their portal.
Read full review
TriNet
  • state final pay compliance - we have employees in every state and it is nice to be able to rely on the fact that we are always compliant when people leave
  • Leave administration - I love not having to manage employees leaves
  • VOE - I love that we could give away VOE's. Simply scan and send to TriNet
Read full review
Cons
Paychex, Inc.
  • Reporting writing is difficult to figure out
  • Employee turnover inside Paychex was a problem, until we were assigned to Neil Williams - since that time it has settled down
  • Pressure to convert personal connection with payroll advisor to using automated service
Read full review
TriNet
  • System can be challenging to navigate for employees with multiple nav options on left and upper areas or subjects are not easily related to what is in their mind; multiple handbooks and similar
  • Customer service has improved in the last year but there is still room for improvement. Some tickets/cases simply take way too long with little communication while open. Best improvement is putting more power in the hands of the front line.
  • Managing unusual circumstances with payroll
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Paychex, Inc.
Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
Read full review
TriNet
This is one stop shopping perse. They provide tools for Benefits and 401k. There reports are easy to read and the support given from Trinet support is awesome. Having everything in one place is best then having multiple places for things. Why change if things are working well? All the information is all there when needed.
Read full review
Usability
Paychex, Inc.
Some things could be streamlined. For example, we could do custom options for the "add items" tab which has so many options that we never use. "Medical Pay" could be something that the system remembers for the applicable employees. Salaried employees' salaries should definitely be auto-filled. Overall the system works well but I think it could be improved to be easier to use and read.
Read full review
TriNet
Compared to other PEOs we have used, the TriNet platform is both powerful and user friendly. Both the employee and admin views are extremely easy to navigate and, with the exception of time off tracking, we only hear positive feedback from employees. Overall, it is a solid and versatile platform.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Paychex, Inc.
We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
Read full review
TriNet
They used to be really good at this when I had a dedicated person. Now that it's a general customer service account, it's really gone downhill and I don't get responses at all sometimes
Read full review
Performance
Paychex, Inc.
Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
Read full review
TriNet
Pages load at a speed that isn't too fast or too slow. I never have to wait long, but it's not instantaneous
Read full review
Support Rating
Paychex, Inc.
Our dedicated representative is one of the main reasons we are sticking with Paychex Flex. If it were not for this person, other platforms could provide the same/similar functionality. It is the ability to speak with someone that understands our business and is willing to get questions answered in a timely fashion that keeps us with Paychex Flex.
Read full review
TriNet
We don't need to use the Customer Service features often, but when we do, the team is quick to respond and very knowledgeable about our needs. Once again, making our time in the system minimal allows us to focus on growing our business.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Paychex, Inc.
We did online training only
Read full review
TriNet
it's been awhile, but I recall them being helpful. I got through a lot of it and when I needed help, they can walk me through it over the phone. It's also pretty user friendly in general at a platform. I don't really know what else to type, but they came and helped me in person and also when there was something new, they came and talked to me. They have not done that since with the new model that I hate
Read full review
Online Training
Paychex, Inc.
It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
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TriNet
Since this was already implemented. I have another employee briefly train me. Then Trinet rep gave me some training as needed for things that came up. For one payroll preview report I figured it could be done, but I had asked the rep to be sure. One important training was when there was an employee leaving the company.
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Implementation Rating
Paychex, Inc.
Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
Read full review
TriNet
not applicable as I implementation was done 5 years ago and have no recollection of the details of the process. Above it says to skip question if not involved in the process but it will not allow me to skip it as it states explanation requitred thus making this process extremely frustrating.
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Alternatives Considered
Paychex, Inc.
We still use QB Desktop Pro to maintain a Check Register / Overall Balance for the company, but once having tried QB Payroll Online for about 3 months prior to finding Paychex Flex I can tell you that there's just no comparison. QB online is VERY EXPENSIVE and not so user-friendly. I hated every minute of those 6 payrolls we ran through QB online.
Read full review
TriNet
TriNet worked with our smaller employee headcount and offered coverage for both the US and Canada. And we switched from Insperity because of the cost savings which were significant. I liked Insperity but TriNet has been an excellent firm to work with as well.
Read full review
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Paychex, Inc.
No answers on this topic
TriNet
I was not part of the process
Read full review
Scalability
Paychex, Inc.
Employees can log in at home and get up to date information on their FSA balance and any medical bill reimbursements they may have uploaded. At renewal time they have the ability to make changes to their FSA or for new employees star the enrollment.
Read full review
TriNet
Cause it can be used as mentioned for sites and departments. Or even if employees work out of state and not at the HQ the the employer. Trinet makes is easy to do for payroll in other states as well.
Read full review
Professional Services
Paychex, Inc.
No answers on this topic
TriNet
Not sure it was used or not as the implementation was completed before I started working for the company
Read full review
Return on Investment
Paychex, Inc.
  • I do not believe we have saved anything additionally. The time we've had to spend to get things to hopefully work is sad. This is the reason we've had to turn off all extra "products" of Paychex Flex. Time and Attendance is horrible. Benefits management is horrible. The user experience is horrible.
  • One thing I do not understand is why are updates for states, cities, counties, school districts, etc. not automatically updated? Should we not get a big red flag if we have an employee living/working, being paid in CA, but they aren't set up for CA sick time? If it is required to be on the paycheck stub to show the balance of the sick time, why would we not be notified that we are out of compliance?
Read full review
TriNet
  • I mainly used the ATS and I had to do a lot of extra work than other ATS's I have used in the past.
  • When hiring a candidate, transferring the information from the ATS to the HRIS is nil, there is a lot you have to manually put in, which can be very frustrating.
  • I like the way how I can upload a candidates resume seamlessly.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Paychex Flex Screenshots

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