Updated October 2026 · 6 PEOs
Startups use a PEO to offer big-company benefits from the first hire. These are the PEOs built for that, from month-to-month Justworks to venture-focused Sequoia One.
The short answer for each situation, with price, certification and minimum headcount.
| Best for | PEO | Price | Pricing | Certified | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall for startups | Justworks | $79–$124/employee/mo | Published | CPEOESAC | None |
| Best for venture-backed companies | Sequoia One | Quote only | Quote only | CPEOESAC: Not confirmed | 5 employees |
| Best tech-industry benefits | TriNet | ~$80–$150/employee/mo | Estimate | CPEOESAC | Not published |
| Best HR and IT platform | Rippling PEO | ~$85/employee/mo | Estimate | CPEO: NoESAC: No | Not published |
| Lowest published price | Remote PEO | $99/employee/mo | Published | CPEO: Check entityESAC: Not confirmed | Not published |
| Best for US and international hiring | Deel PEO | $125/employee/mo | Published | CPEO: Check entityESAC: Not confirmed | 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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The list
Who each PEO suits, who should skip it, and what we could verify about price and certification.
Best overall for startups
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 for venture-backed companies
A PEO for VC- and PE-backed tech companies, built around startup benefits and compensation.
Who it's for: Funded startups of 5–250 that compete for talent on benefits.
Skip it if: Companies outside the venture-backed tech world.
Best tech-industry benefits
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 HR and IT platform
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.
Lowest published price
Remote's US PEO, priced from $99 per employee per month, beside its global EOR.
Who it's for: Remote-first startups that want the lowest published PEO price.
Skip it if: Buyers who require an IRS-certified PEO.
Best for US and international hiring
Deel's US PEO, launched alongside its global employer-of-record platform, at a published $125 PEPM.
Who it's for: Remote-first companies hiring both in the US and internationally.
Skip it if: Buyers who require an IRS-certified PEO.
Usually from the first few US hires, when you want to offer health benefits and stay compliant without an HR team. Justworks has no employee minimum; most other PEOs start at 5.
Published prices start at $79 per employee per month (Justworks Basic), $99 (Remote PEO) and $125 (Deel PEO). Others are quote-only.
Changelog. Oct 27, 2026: list published; CPEO status checked against the IRS list dated Aug 7, 2026.