Our Full Review
Justworks launched in 2012 as "the PEO for startups." Their pitch: all the benefits of traditional PEOs (co-employment, better health insurance, compliance support) without the clunky legacy tech and opaque pricing.
They've delivered. Justworks is genuinely pleasant to use, has transparent pricing listed on their website, and provides fast onboarding. If you're a tech-savvy founder tired of enterprise software from the '90s, Justworks feels like a breath of fresh air.
The PEO Model at Justworks
Justworks is a full-service PEO. They become your co-employer:
- You manage: Day-to-day operations, culture, performance, business strategy
- Justworks manages: Payroll, benefits, HR compliance, tax administration
Your employees are added to Justworks' master insurance policies. This pooling gives you access to Fortune 500-level health plans at rates small businesses can't negotiate alone.
Who Should Use Justworks?
- Startups & tech companies (5-100 employees) who want modern software
- Remote-first teams — great for distributed workforces across multiple states
- Companies hiring fast — onboarding new employees is quick and smooth
- Businesses prioritizing employee experience — your team will actually enjoy using it
- Companies with international contractors — built-in global contractor payments
Who Should Look Elsewhere?
- Companies needing heavy HR consulting — Justworks is more self-service, consider Insperity
- Businesses with complex benefits needs — less customization than traditional PEOs
- Very small teams (<5 employees) — PEO model might be overkill, try Gusto
- Large enterprises (200+) — Justworks is built for SMBs, not enterprise scale
Payroll & Tax Administration
Payroll is seamless and automated:
- Automated payroll runs — set schedule, runs automatically
- Direct deposit — fast, reliable payments
- Tax filing — federal, state, and local tax compliance handled
- Multi-state support — employees in different states? No problem.
- Year-end tax forms — W-2s, 1099s, ACA reporting
- Garnishments — automatic processing
Since Justworks is the employer of record, they file payroll taxes under their EIN. This massively simplifies multi-state compliance.
Benefits Administration
This is where PEOs shine, and Justworks delivers:
- Medical insurance — multiple carriers (Aetna, Oxford, UnitedHealthcare), various plan levels
- Dental & vision — comprehensive coverage options
- 401(k) retirement plans — administered through Guideline or Betterment, auto-enrollment available
- Life insurance — employer-paid basic coverage, voluntary supplemental options
- Disability insurance — short-term and long-term options
- Commuter benefits — pre-tax parking and transit
- FSA/HSA — flexible spending and health savings accounts
The health insurance rates are legitimately competitive. Justworks pools thousands of employees to negotiate better premiums.
HR Compliance & Support
Justworks provides compliance infrastructure:
- Employment law compliance — federal, state, and local regulations
- HR specialists available — phone and email support for questions
- Employee handbook templates — customizable policies
- New hire reporting — automatic state reporting
- Termination support — guidance on compliant offboarding
- Document storage — I-9s, tax forms, signed policies
You don't get a dedicated advisor like with Insperity, but support is responsive. It's more self-service with expert backup when needed.
Workers' Compensation Insurance
Workers' comp is included on the Plus plan (not Basic):
- Coverage through Justworks' master policy
- Pay-as-you-go pricing (no large upfront premium)
- Claims management support
- Online access to certificates of insurance
Note: Not all states are supported yet. Check if your state is covered before committing.
International Contractor Payments
A standout feature for remote-first companies:
- Pay contractors in 100+ countries
- Automatic currency conversion
- Compliance documentation (W-8 forms, tax IDs)
- Single platform for US employees and global contractors
This saves the hassle of separate services like Deel or Remote for contractor payments.
Technology & User Experience
This is where Justworks truly shines:
- Clean, modern UI — finally, PEO software that doesn't look like 1998
- Employee self-service — paystubs, benefits, PTO requests, profile updates
- Manager dashboard — team overview, approvals, reports
- Mobile app — iOS and Android, actually works well
- Integrations — Slack, QuickBooks, Xero, expense tools
- Time tracking — built-in clock in/out with GPS verification
The onboarding experience is excellent. New employees get a welcome email, complete paperwork digitally, and are added to benefits within days.
Pricing (Finally, Transparency!)
Justworks publishes their pricing, which is refreshing:
- Basic Plan: $59/employee/month
- Payroll and tax administration
- Benefits administration (health, dental, vision, 401k)
- HR compliance support
- Employee self-service portal
- Plus Plan: $99/employee/month
- Everything in Basic
- Workers' compensation insurance
- HR consulting services
- Commuter benefits
- 24/7 customer support
These prices are in addition to the actual cost of benefits (health insurance premiums, 401k contributions, etc.). But the PEPM fees are fixed and transparent.
For a 20-person company on the Basic plan: $1,180/month ($59 × 20) plus actual benefit costs.
Customer Support
Support is solid but not white-glove:
- Email and phone support — HR specialists available during business hours
- Help center — comprehensive articles and guides
- 24/7 support on Plus plan — urgent payroll issues covered
- Implementation team — guided onboarding (usually 5-7 days)
User reviews are generally positive. Response times are fast, and the team is knowledgeable. You're not getting a dedicated advisor, but support is accessible when needed.
What's Missing
Justworks is great at core HR and benefits, but lacks:
- Performance management — no reviews, goals, or 360 feedback
- Applicant tracking — no built-in ATS for recruiting
- Learning management — no training or onboarding content hosting
- Advanced reporting — basic reports only, no people analytics
If you need these, you'll integrate separate tools or look at more comprehensive platforms like BambooHR or Rippling.
The Bottom Line
Justworks is the best modern PEO for tech-savvy companies. You get excellent benefits, transparent pricing, and software that doesn't make you want to throw your laptop.
It's not as hand-holdy as Insperity or TriNet—you're expected to be somewhat self-sufficient. But if you want a clean, efficient PEO experience without legacy software baggage, Justworks is hard to beat.
The $59/employee/month base price is competitive. For startups and growing companies (5-100 employees) that want great benefits and modern tech, Justworks is a top choice.