Updated October 2026 · 6 PEOs
Insperity is the high-touch, premium option, and it raised prices in January 2026. These alternatives cost less or offer more self-serve tools.
The short answer for each situation, with price, certification and minimum headcount.
| Best for | PEO | Price | Pricing | Certified | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best lower-cost, self-serve alternative | Justworks | $79–$124/employee/mo | Published | CPEOESAC | None |
| Best industry-specific alternative | TriNet | ~$80–$150/employee/mo | Estimate | CPEOESAC | Not published |
| Best service-led alternative | ExtensisHR | ~$40–$200/employee/mo | Estimate | CPEOESAC | 10 employees |
| Best compliance-focused alternative | Engage PEO | ~$40–$160/employee/mo | Estimate | CPEOESAC | Not published |
| Best large-provider alternative | ADP TotalSource | ~$70–$200/employee/mo | Estimate | CPEOESAC | 5 employees |
| Best for Paychex payroll users | Paychex PEO | Quote only | Quote only | CPEOESAC | 5 employees |
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.
Not sure yet?
Question 1 of 6
The list
Who each PEO suits, who should skip it, and what we could verify about price and certification.
Best lower-cost, self-serve 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 industry-specific 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 service-led alternative
A service-led PEO from New Jersey, usually sold through benefits brokers, with a 93% reported renewal rate.
Who it's for: Companies of 10–250 that work with a benefits broker and value service.
Skip it if: Buyers who want to see pricing without a broker.
Best compliance-focused alternative
A boutique PEO whose HR consultants are all licensed employment attorneys.
Who it's for: Small and mid-size businesses that want attorney-level HR compliance help.
Skip it if: Buyers who want the scale of a national brand.
Best large-provider alternative
The PEO arm of ADP, the largest payroll brand, with annual benefits benchmarking.
Who it's for: Companies of 10–200 that want a large, established provider.
Skip it if: High-risk industries that may be declined at underwriting, and buyers who want short contracts.
Best for Paychex payroll users
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.
Most often cost: third-party estimates put it at $150–$210 per employee per month, and a price increase was reported in January 2026.
Changelog. Oct 27, 2026: list published; CPEO status checked against the IRS list dated Aug 7, 2026.