Updated October 2026 · 6 PEOs
Teams leave ADP TotalSource over payroll-based fees that rise with raises and long contract terms. These alternatives offer flat fees or shorter commitments.
The short answer for each situation, with price, certification and minimum headcount.
| Best for | PEO | Price | Pricing | Certified | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best month-to-month alternative | Justworks | $79–$124/employee/mo | Published | CPEOESAC | None |
| Best flat-fee alternative | TriNet | ~$80–$150/employee/mo | Estimate | CPEOESAC | Not published |
| Best higher-touch alternative | Insperity | ~$150–$210/employee/mo | Estimate | CPEOESAC | 5 employees |
| Best no-long-term-contract alternative | G&A Partners | Quote only | Quote only | CPEO: Check entityESAC: Not confirmed | 10 employees |
| Best large-provider alternative | Paychex PEO | Quote only | Quote only | CPEOESAC | 5 employees |
| Best software-first alternative | Rippling PEO | ~$85/employee/mo | Estimate | CPEO: NoESAC: No | Not published |
Compare prices
Filter by certification, headcount and contract terms. Tick up to three to compare them in columns.
PEO admin fee, per employee per month
Bars span the low-to-high range; a dot is a single published price. Admin fees only: benefits, workers' comp and state taxes are extra. Click a row to compare.
Rippling PEO adds a platform fee (about $35 plus $8 per user). Insperity reports an onboarding fee of about $500–$2,000.
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Question 1 of 6
The list
Who each PEO suits, who should skip it, and what we could verify about price and certification.
Best month-to-month alternative
A self-serve PEO with published prices and month-to-month terms.
Who it's for: Startups and small teams that want a known monthly price and no long contract.
Skip it if: Companies over about 100 employees: the per-employee price never drops as you grow.
Best flat-fee alternative
A PEO organized around industry verticals: tech, life sciences, financial services, nonprofits and more.
Who it's for: Companies of 10–500 that want benefits and compliance built for their industry.
Skip it if: Buyers who need a price before a sales call.
Best higher-touch alternative
A high-touch, consultative PEO with a dedicated HR team and a new Workday-based tier, HRScale.
Who it's for: Companies of 20–200 that want an HR team they can call, not just software.
Skip it if: Cost-first buyers: Insperity is priced as a premium service.
Best no-long-term-contract alternative
Sells both PEO and ASO plans, with training, safety and workers' comp support and no long-term contract.
Who it's for: Companies of 10+ that want workers' comp and safety help and the option of an ASO plan.
Skip it if: Teams under 10, and anyone who needs a mobile app.
Best large-provider alternative
Paychex's PEO, which absorbed Oasis in 2018; Paychex also closed its Paycor acquisition in 2025.
Who it's for: Businesses already on Paychex Flex that want to move into a PEO without switching systems.
Skip it if: Buyers who want transparent pricing or a modern interface.
Best software-first alternative
A PEO layered on Rippling's HR, IT and finance platform, which you keep if you leave the PEO.
Who it's for: Tech-forward companies of 10–500 that want one system for HR, devices and apps.
Skip it if: Buyers who require IRS CPEO certification or ESAC accreditation.
Third-party sources report 2–12% of payroll or about $70–$200 per employee per month. Payroll-based fees rise as wages rise.
Changelog. Oct 27, 2026: list published; CPEO status checked against the IRS list dated Aug 7, 2026.