PDS Vista vs. TriNet HR Platform

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
PDS Vista
Score 6.2 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Vista® is a human resource, benefits, payroll, recruiting, and self-service software. Functional elements include recruitment, staffing, position and training management, compliance, and performance and compensation.N/A
TriNet HR Platform
Score 6.8 out of 10
N/A
Zenefits is a free, cloud-based core-HR platform. It primarily services small to mid-sized businesses and provides time management and benefits administration capabilities.
$10
per month
Pricing
PDS VistaTriNet HR Platform
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Essentials
$10
per month per employee
Growth
$20
per month per employee
Zen
$33
per month per employee
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
PDS VistaTriNet HR Platform
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsLicense pricing is based on the number of full and part-time active employees within bands (e.g. 751-1,000). SaaS pricing is based on PEPM.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
PDS VistaTriNet HR Platform
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
PDS VistaTriNet HR Platform
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
7.7
18 Ratings
2% below category average
TriNet HR Platform
2.3
132 Ratings
109% below category average
Employee demographic data9.017 Ratings2.6108 Ratings
Employment history9.018 Ratings2.4103 Ratings
Job profiles and administration9.014 Ratings2.6102 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.012 Ratings2.6107 Ratings
Organizational charting7.013 Ratings1.9117 Ratings
Organization and location management7.016 Ratings1.8119 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)6.011 Ratings2.3105 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
8.0
18 Ratings
0% below category average
TriNet HR Platform
2.2
117 Ratings
114% below category average
Pay calculation8.216 Ratings2.3100 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.39 Ratings1.550 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.216 Ratings2.6105 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.217 Ratings2.3101 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.213 Ratings2.193 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.25 Ratings2.465 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings2.463 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
8.2
13 Ratings
2% above category average
TriNet HR Platform
1.8
115 Ratings
127% below category average
Approval workflow8.27 Ratings2.1113 Ratings
Balance details8.213 Ratings1.7111 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.212 Ratings1.692 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
7.1
17 Ratings
13% below category average
TriNet HR Platform
1.9
131 Ratings
124% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information8.216 Ratings2.1125 Ratings
Update personal information7.314 Ratings2.3131 Ratings
View company policy documentation7.38 Ratings1.5118 Ratings
Employee recognition7.25 Ratings1.363 Ratings
View job history5.84 Ratings2.2101 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
7.3
7 Ratings
6% below category average
TriNet HR Platform
1.1
22 Ratings
150% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets7.37 Ratings1.122 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
8.0
16 Ratings
5% above category average
TriNet HR Platform
1.4
104 Ratings
138% below category average
Report builder8.014 Ratings1.4100 Ratings
Pre-built reports8.016 Ratings1.4102 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data8.013 Ratings1.364 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
7.3
1 Ratings
9% below category average
TriNet HR Platform
4.6
111 Ratings
54% below category average
New hire portal7.31 Ratings5.0110 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings4.290 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
5.8
2 Ratings
34% below category average
TriNet HR Platform
8.4
41 Ratings
3% above category average
Corporate goal setting5.52 Ratings8.437 Ratings
Individual goal setting5.52 Ratings8.440 Ratings
Performance tracking6.42 Ratings8.437 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings8.335 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
7.3
4 Ratings
8% below category average
TriNet HR Platform
1.5
57 Ratings
136% below category average
Performance plans7.32 Ratings1.354 Ratings
Performance improvement plans7.31 Ratings1.351 Ratings
Review status tracking7.32 Ratings2.252 Ratings
Review reminders7.23 Ratings1.352 Ratings
Multiple review frequency7.32 Ratings1.348 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
3.6
1 Ratings
75% below category average
TriNet HR Platform
7.5
23 Ratings
5% below category average
Create succession plans/pools3.61 Ratings7.520 Ratings
Candidate ranking3.61 Ratings7.521 Ratings
Candidate search3.61 Ratings7.523 Ratings
Candidate development3.61 Ratings7.622 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
PDS Vista
2.5
3 Ratings
102% below category average
TriNet HR Platform
7.5
25 Ratings
3% below category average
Job Requisition Management3.13 Ratings7.420 Ratings
Company Website Posting3.13 Ratings7.415 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention1.92 Ratings7.518 Ratings
Applicant Tracking2.33 Ratings7.417 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts2.02 Ratings7.622 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings7.514 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings7.616 Ratings
Best Alternatives
PDS VistaTriNet HR Platform
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
PDS VistaTriNet HR Platform
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(23 ratings)
1.7
(141 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(7 ratings)
8.5
(11 ratings)
Usability
8.2
(2 ratings)
8.9
(32 ratings)
Availability
9.5
(2 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(1 ratings)
8.5
(4 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(3 ratings)
8.8
(42 ratings)
Online Training
9.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.3
(1 ratings)
9.1
(4 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.8
(4 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(4 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(4 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(4 ratings)
User Testimonials
PDS VistaTriNet HR Platform
Likelihood to Recommend
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
As Vista HRMS is fully customizable to suit your needs, a company should determine if they have a current employee who can do the work themselves otherwise they will need to consider the additional cost of asking PDS to do the customizations for them. There are additional modules that we aren't currently making use of, but each company should learn about the functionality of each of them as some may be more beneficial than others. When gathering your questions, ask all potential users of the system what they would want to see in an HRMS. We did so before selecting Vista HRMS and we got pages and pages of questions and comments and made sure that each item was addressed beforehand and was something that we would be able to incorporate into the system. You have the option of taking the system in house or being a hosted client. Make sure you figure out what resources your IT department has available. If you have a dedicated administrator who will do all the upgrades and enhancements great, otherwise you may need PDS to help out and having PDS host may be a better option
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TriNet
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
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Pros
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Vista HRMS is very flexible, it does everything we need for HR, benefits and payroll. It’s user-friendly and intuitive to use, when we roll out new self-service items our employees have no problems and require minimal training or documentation.
  • PDS has excellent customer service and support. We get answers to the majority of our questions and problems quickly, within the day that we call. More complex issues that may require PDS’ technical support are usually addressed within a few days. We were upgrading our production servers to Windows 2012 over a weekend and a key person in our organization was on leave. When we checked with PDS to see what cost would be involved if we needed their help, they said it was included in our regular maintenance, no extra cost.
  • The PDS User’s Conference is an excellent learning opportunity for training on everything Vista does, including using Crystal Reports for custom reporting. You also get to meet and talk to the executive and development staff and have direct input into the future product development.
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TriNet
  • Payroll services in all 50 states, including payroll tax filings
  • Integrations with tools like QuickBooks, Google Workspace, Slack, and Human Interest (401(k))
  • Simple yet powerful mobile app for employees to access information including paystubs, benefits, and time off requests
  • Streamlined admin portal for People Ops professionals
Read full review
Cons
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Typical of any system built for the unknown requirements of hundreds or thousands of customers with varying needs, PDS sometimes doesn't fit our processes precisely out of the box. However, this con is far outweighed by the ability to configure and customize the system.
  • The most significant pet peeve of our users is the necessity for so many clicks to navigate between different areas or the system or to review applicants. These items are being addressed based on feedback from the user community in an upcoming release.
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TriNet
  • Support doesn't exist once you are a customer
  • Tax team has a 3-6 month response time
  • Poor Menu/Navigation structure
  • Fails to pay taxes on time, results in delinquency notices and fees
  • Glitchy UI, sometimes you need to wait a day or two for a section to work again
  • Feels like a perpetual beta product, nothing polished about it
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Likelihood to Renew
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
I feel so invested in Vista HRMS that I don't really want to try other options. I know we as an organization are not using this product to it's full potential and that is just due to us lacking the resources to be able to invest the time into breaking it apart and making it work to the best ability for us. The system works great as is, but there are a lot of implementations we can put into place to help us out even more. For example, we would love to start using Workflow to create more efficiencies. I personally have a very good relationship with our hosted vendor who supports Vista HRMS and can help me with any issues and concerns, this is a big part of the reason that I would renew with this product and continue to be an advocate for Vista HRMS.
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TriNet
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.
Read full review
Usability
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
The interface is intuitive, even if it does require some extra clicks to get to where you are going. The screens are consistently designed and formatted. There is a logical flow and organization to the application layout and menuing systems.
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TriNet
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.
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Reliability and Availability
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
TriNet
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
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Performance
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
TriNet
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
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Support Rating
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
PDS has excellent customer service and support. We get answers to the
majority of our questions and problems quickly, within the day that we
call. More complex issues that may require PDS’ technical support are
usually addressed within a few days
Read full review
TriNet
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
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In-Person Training
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
TriNet
Can't really say just because I would not know.
Read full review
Online Training
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
The resources and online tools that PDS provide are extremely thorough and helpful in our training and learning.
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TriNet
It went through successfully.
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Implementation Rating
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
Ask lots of questions, ensure you fully understand the functionality (particularly history records) and train, train, train the users for correct and complete utilization of the system.
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TriNet
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
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Alternatives Considered
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
I've used Peoplesoft HCM in the past. The products have some similarities, but they are marketed to different sized companies, so it's a bit of apples to oranges. Peoplesoft was very complex and challenging to manage and support. Vista HRMS should require fewer technical resources and still provide robust features for HR and Payroll. We selected Vista HRMS because it met the majority of our requirements and was priced to enable us to purchase and implement it within our budget. Also, it's an integrated system (although not truly one system when you count Vista Time) which is an improvement over our current state.
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TriNet
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
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Scalability
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
No answers on this topic
TriNet
It is very easy to use and does not require the end user to go to multiple sites to obtain many facets of HR/ Payroll information that the app offers
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Return on Investment
Personnel Data Systems (PDS)
  • Positive impact would definitely be self-service for both employees and managers to view and update selected data.
  • Through some analytics our managers are able to track turnover for their site/department by many criteria (length of service, reason, etc) and can view a number of other analytical reports such as headcount and demographics which help them to make informed decisions about their department.
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TriNet
  • 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.
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ScreenShots

TriNet HR Platform Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of HR ManagementScreenshot of HR ManagementScreenshot of HR Management