Justworks pricing in 2024: Is it worth the cost?

What is Justworks?

Justworks is a cloud-based professional employer organization (PEO) designed to provide businesses with human resources tools to handle payroll, benefits, compliance and other HR-related tasks.

Justworks simplifies HR for small and medium-sized businesses through its online platform. It is a good fit for startup or small business owners looking for a simple, well-rounded, budget-friendly payroll option. It is also a solid choice for organizations with 30+ employees seeking a comprehensive payroll and PEO solution. 

Primary services offered by Justworks

Justworks offers the following services on its online platform: 

• Payroll management, including automatic tax calculations, payments and year-end reporting.
• Employee benefits with access to health insurance, dental, vision, 401(k) plans and additional benefits like commuter benefits. 
• Compliance assistance that helps businesses navigate complex employment regulations and stay compliant with federal, state and local laws.
• HR tools for onboarding, offboarding and managing employees, such as PTO tracking and employee self-service portals.
• Employee support with a dedicated support team for employee queries about benefits, payroll and HR processes.

Businesses that partner with a PEO like Justworks can also benefit from co-employment, where both the PEO and the business share certain employment responsibilities. This model often allows businesses to offer a wider array of benefits to their employees at a more affordable rate due to the pooled purchasing power of the PEO.

Other advantages to this model include a level playing field in talent competition, increased rates of employee retention as opposed to those without a PEO and freedom for the business owner to focus on business growth rather than HR and payroll management. 

Featured payroll software offers

OnPay

Learn More

Via OnPay’s website

Monthly fee

$40 per month plus $6 per employee

Direct deposit

Yes

SurePayroll

Learn More

Via SurePayroll’s website

Monthly fee

$29.99 per month plus $5 per employee

Direct deposit

Yes

Gusto

Learn More

Via Gusto’s website

Monthly fee

Starting at $40 plus $6 per month per employee

Direct deposit

Yes

Rippling

Learn More

Via Rippling’s website

Monthly fee

$35 per month + $8 per user

Direct deposit

Yes

Overview of Justworks pricing and plans

	JUSTWORKS PAYROLL	JUSTWORKS BASIC PEO	JUSTWORKS PLUS PEO
Price	*$10 per month plus $5 per employee in select states	$59 per month per employee	$99 per month per employee ($89 per month for the 50th employee onwards)
Free trial	X	X	X
Direct deposit	ACH only	ACH only	ACH only
Time tracking	Add-on via Justworks Hours at $4 per user per month	Add-on via Justworks Hours at $8 per user per month	Add-on via Justworks Hours at $8 per user per month
Benefits administration	Coming soon	✓	✓
Tax compliance	✓	✓	✓
Automated tax calculations, deposits and filing	✓	✓	✓
Software integrations	QuickBooks Online & Justworks Hours	QuickBooks Online & Desktop, Xero, Greenhouse Recruiting & Justworks Hours	QuickBooks Online & Desktop, Xero, Greenhouse Recruiting & Justworks Hours
Employee self-service	✓	✓	✓
401k tracking	✓	✓	✓

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*Justworks Payroll is currently only available in New York, California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia, Arizona, Ohio, Maine, Colorado and D.C. with more states coming soon.

Justworks Basic PEO

For those in search of a comprehensive PEO plan, Justworks’ PEO prices begin at $59 per employee each month and include payroll, benefits, HR and compliance services.

Justworks Basic PEO features include: 

• Payroll for employees and contractors.
• Off-cycle payments.
• Vendor and contractor payments.
• Employer payroll tax filings. 
• W2, 1099 and unemployment insurance filings.
• Employment practices liability insurance.
• 24/7 support and HR consulting.
• Harassment prevention and inclusion training.
• Online employee onboarding and PTO Management.
• Calendar, doc center, directory and reporting.
• Accounting software integrations.
• Commuter benefits.
• Mobile app for employees and expense management tool. 

In addition to these included features, users also have access to workers’ compensation (required), life and disability Insurance, health and wellness perks, fitness memberships, 401(k) and international contractor payments. Pricing for these additional options is based on the number of employees that sign up. 

Justworks Plus PEO

Priced at $99 per employee per month, the Plus PEO plan includes everything in the Basic plan with the addition of the following: 

• COBRA administration.
• Health advocacy services.
• Discounted rates for One Medical (in available locations).
• Medical insurance.*
• Dental & vision insurance.*
• HSA / FSA accounts.*

*Pricing based on the number of employees that sign up. 

Justworks plans encompass support for compliance with state and federal taxes, workers’ compensation, employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) and mandatory training.
Justworks also aids users in navigating the constantly evolving regulations through its help center, resource hub and monthly updates.

Justworks Payroll

If you’re looking for a straightforward payroll solution without any frills, Justworks offers a simple and affordable solution with its Justworks Payroll plan. Priced at $10 monthly plus $5 per employee, this plan is tailored as a streamlined option for those seeking only the fundamental features of a payroll software solution.

With this plan, you can manage payroll for both employees and contractors, generate W2 and 1099 forms, choose from flexible pay cycles, receive quarterly and annual state and federal tax return support, streamline employee onboarding and more.

Justworks Payroll plan features include: 

• Payroll for employees and contractors.
• Flexible pay and off-cycle payments.
• Benefits deductions. 
• Multiple pay rates.
• Generated W2 and 1099 documents.
• Quarterly and annual state and federal tax returns.
• Employee onboarding, off boarding and job history summaries.
• PTO management.
• Calendar, doc center, directory and reporting.
• QuickBooks Online integration.
• Access to time tracking, state tax account setup and benefits (coming soon). 

It’s important to note that Justworks Payroll is currently only available in New York, California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia, Ohio, Arizona, Maine, Colorado and D.C. and only serves up to 30 people. 

Justworks Hours time tracking

Additionally, all Justworks plans can integrate with Justworks Hours, a time-tracking tool that integrates seamlessly with PEO and payroll plans for payroll and time-off tracking. It comes with functionalities such as geo-location, a unified clock-in system and a shift audit and approval feature (good for companies needing to stay compliant with DCAA contracts). Justworks Hours can also be used to remind employees about meal and rest periods or to oversee budgets with overtime notifications and comprehensive reports.

Justworks Hours pricing for the PEO plans is $8 per month per employee, while the Payroll add-on plan is currently priced at $4 per month per employee. 

Prices for part-timers

Justworks offers payroll support for part-time employees as well. If your part-time employees are categorized as benefits-eligible, indicating they work an average of 30 or more hours per week, they will be treated as full-time. This means your company will be billed at the full-time rate. If you are on the Plus plan, it means the Plus plan per-person pricing. 

However, if your part-time employees are not benefits-eligible, signifying they work less than 30 hours per week on average, your company will be invoiced at the Basic plan per-person rate for those employees.

How does Justworks’ price compare to competitors?

Justworks is known for its transparent pricing, with clear per-employee, per-month rates based on the plan and the size of the company. Some solution providers only offer custom quotes, which may lack the same level of upfront pricing transparency. Justworks also targets small to medium-sized businesses, while some competitors might cater more towards larger businesses or specific industries.

This table is an overview of how Justworks’ pricing stacks up against a few competitors on our best payroll providers list. 

	JUSTWORKS	RIPPLING	GUSTO	ONPAY
Base plan	Justworks Payroll is $10 per month plus $5 per employee	$8 per month per user. No additional pricing details about its base software platform	The Simple plan is $40 monthly, plus $6 per employee	$40 per month plus $6 per employee. *One inclusive plan
Mid-Tier plan	Basic PEO is $59 per month per employee	Not available online. Contact sales for a quote	The plus plan starts at $80 per month, plus $12 per month per person	N/A
Highest Tier plan	Justworks Plus plan is $99 per month per employee ($89 per month for the 50th employee onwards)	Not available online. Contact sales for a quote	Not available online. Contact sales for a quote	N/A

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Justworks vs. Rippling

Justworks primarily operates as a PEO offering payroll, compliance, HR tools and benefits administration, while Rippling offers HR and payroll solutions. However, Rippling has a broader spectrum of services than Justworks, including IT management tools like device management, software provisioning and a business finance solution.

The pricing structure between the two differs with Justworks offering a per-employee, per-month pricing model, which varies based on the specific plan and number of employees. Rippling’s pricing can include services such as payroll, compliance, benefits, finance, IT, time tracking and workforce management tools, depending on the tier and modules you choose. Total costs depend on the combination of services chosen, providing more of a modular pricing structure tailored to business owners’ specific needs. 

Justworks vs. Gusto 

Gusto initially started as a payroll solution but expanded to offer HR tools, benefits administration and some PEO-like features. Gusto offers multiple pricing tiers, starting with basic payroll services and progressing to more comprehensive HR and benefits solutions.

Beyond payroll and compliance, Justworks emphasizes benefits administration, especially in their higher-tier plans, and offers tools for things like employee onboarding and offboarding.

In contrast, Gusto provides a broader set of tools even in its basic plans, like health benefits, automations and team management, and its higher-tier plan provides access to certified HR professionals and advanced onboarding, recruiting and employee development tools.

Gusto’s Simple plan costs $40 monthly, plus $6 per employee, providing a comprehensive payroll solution that incorporates health insurance, while the Plus plan, priced at $80 monthly, plus $12 per employee, introduces features like time and project tracking, PTO guidelines and management. Gusto’s Premium plan cost is customized based on individual business needs.

Learn more: Read our detailed Gusto vs. Justworks comparison.

Justworks vs. OnPay 

OnPay is a cloud-based payroll service provider offering payroll, HR and benefits services primarily targeted at small businesses for one flat fee. It provides straightforward pricing for payroll services with some added HR and benefits functionalities. Unlike Justworks, its advanced support features include end-to-end customer support complete with free account migrations. Priced at $40 per month plus $6 per employee, the cost covers payroll in all 50 states plus tax filings and other associated services.

However, Justworks provides a broader scope of services, especially when it comes to benefits administration, compliance and HR tools, and while OnPay offers HR tools and benefits administration, its suite is not quite as extensive as what Justworks offers as a PEO. OnPay may be a better fit for companies looking to pay one fee for comprehensive payroll services or new businesses that may need extra support.

Does Justworks have additional costs and fees?

While Justworks does not specify the cost of set-up fees, it does claim transparency with its fee structure and avoids incorporating small hidden fees. Initial fees to expect include insurance fees, administrative fees, one-time annual fees and any applicable payroll taxes. Administrative fees can be paid monthly or pre-paid for the entire year. 

Featured payroll software offers

OnPay

Learn More

Via OnPay’s website

Monthly fee

$40 per month plus $6 per employee

Direct deposit

Yes

SurePayroll

Learn More

Via SurePayroll’s website

Monthly fee

$29.99 per month plus $5 per employee

Direct deposit

Yes

Gusto

Learn More

Via Gusto’s website

Monthly fee

Starting at $40 plus $6 per month per employee

Direct deposit

Yes

Rippling

Learn More

Via Rippling’s website

Monthly fee

$35 per month + $8 per user

Direct deposit

Yes

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)