Justworks is worth its $79 to $124 per-employee PEO price for a small US team that wants group health plans and outsourced employer filings. If you only need payroll, Justworks Payroll at $8 per employee plus a $50 base fee a month is the better buy.
This Justworks review explains how a PEO differs from payroll software and prices every plan at 5, 10 and 25 employees.
Quick verdict
- Worth it for: Justworks PEO Plus suits US teams of 2 or more W-2 employees that want group medical, dental and vision and employer compliance handled.
- Skip it if: you were weighing the PEO but only run payroll (take Justworks Payroll instead), or most of your staff is part-time or seasonal.
- Main strength: printed per-employee PEO prices with no base fee and no implementation fee.
- Biggest limit: the PEO bills every part-timer at $79 and keeps billing seasonal staff who are not terminated.
- Price basis: per employee per month, billed monthly; Justworks prints no insurance premiums.
In This Article (13 sections)
Justworks at a Glance
Justworks is known for its small-business PEO, and it also sells payroll-only software and an international employer of record service.
- Category: IRS-certified PEO, payroll software and EOR
- Best for: US teams of 2 or more W-2 employees that want group benefits
- Starting price: Payroll $8 per employee per month plus a $50 base fee; PEO Basic $79 per employee per month
- Free plan or trial: Not listed on the pricing page
- Billing: monthly; the PEO bills on the 5th, Payroll on the 15th of the following month
- Main limitation: the PEO bills part-timers, employees on leave and unterminated seasonal staff
Justworks Pros and Cons
Pros
- PEO prices are printed per employee with no base or implementation fee, so a small team can budget before a sales call
- PEO Plus opens medical, dental and vision through large group or small group plans
- The IRS-certified, ESAC-accredited PEO status matters when Justworks files payroll taxes as your co-employer
- Payroll customers can add health insurance and COBRA admin without joining the PEO
- Switching between Payroll, PEO Basic and PEO Plus is allowed, so a team can start small
Cons
- Ten employees cost $79 x 10 = $790 a month on PEO Basic, against $50 + $8 x 10 = $130 on Payroll
- Part-timers cost $79 each on the PEO and get no benefits on Basic or Plus
- Employees on leave and unterminated seasonal staff stay on the PEO bill
- PEO Basic has no medical, dental or vision access
- The PEO needs 2 or more W-2 employees and workers’ comp approval
- Justworks does not publish health or workers’ comp premiums
PEO or Payroll Software: What Justworks Actually Sells
On Justworks PEO, Justworks becomes your co-employer and shares employer duties with you by contract. On Justworks Payroll, or payroll software such as Gusto, you buy a tool that pays people and files employer taxes, with no co-employment contract.
| What changes | Justworks Payroll | Justworks PEO |
|---|---|---|
| Co-employment | Not a PEO plan | Employer duties shared by contract |
| Medical, dental, vision | $8 per benefits-eligible employee add-on | PEO Plus, large group or small group plans |
| Workers’ comp | Pay as you go through NEXT | Master policy, required |
| EPLI | Not included | Included |
| Unemployment insurance | State unemployment insurance add-on | UI filings, appeals and hearings support |
| ACA filings (1094-C, 1095-C) | Not listed for Payroll | Included |
| Support | Phone, chat, 24/7 help center | Adds 24/7 support and HR consulting |
| Pricing model | $8 per employee + $50 base fee | $79 or $124 per employee, no base fee |
| Minimum size | Any size | 2 W-2 employees |
Sources: Justworks pricing page, Justworks compliance page and Justworks’ PEO explainer, checked October 2026.
Both columns pay people and file W-2, 1099 and employer payroll tax forms. The extra PEO fee buys EPLI, health plan access on PEO Plus and compliance cover such as ACA filings, with no premiums printed for those plans.
Co-employment and who files as the employer
Under Justworks PEO, Justworks is the employer of record for payroll administration, related tax filing, HR support and benefits access. Your company keeps day-to-day operations and the management of its employees.
Large-group benefits access
A PEO can open better health plans because co-employees are grouped “to form one large group”, in Justworks’ words. Of the two Justworks PEO plans, only PEO Plus adds medical, dental and vision coverage “through large group or small group plans”.
Benefits vary by location and carrier, and Justworks prints no premiums, so compare the group quote for your state with the plans you can buy alone.
Base fee plus per person vs all-in per employee
Payroll software charges a base fee plus a fee per person: Justworks Payroll is $50 plus $8 per employee, Gusto Simple $49 plus $6 per person. Justworks PEO charges one fee per employee and no base fee.
On a 2-person team the base fee matters; at 10 or more, the per-employee rate drives the bill.
When a PEO is the right call
Pick the PEO when you want group health plans, want EPLI and a workers’ comp master policy handled, or have no HR person.
Stay on payroll software when your team is mostly part-time or seasonal, has one W-2 employee, or only needs pay runs and tax filings. If you only need payroll software, compare Gusto and ADP in my Gusto vs ADP comparison.
Justworks Features
Six features decide the purchase, and most differ by plan or price. Payroll runs on every plan, and health plans need PEO Plus or a Payroll add-on. EPLI, the workers’ comp master policy, 24/7 support and HR consulting need the PEO; time tracking and global hiring cost extra.
Payroll and employer tax filings
Yes, every plan runs payroll and files employer taxes: multi-state payroll, off-cycle payments, tips processing, employer payroll tax filings, and W-2 and 1099 filings. Vendor payments are PEO-only.
Accounting software integrations come on every plan; the Justworks integrations directory shows 30 integrations and partner offers.
Health benefits, 401(k) and CHOICE
Health insurance comes through PEO Plus, or through Payroll + Health Insurance at $8 per benefits-eligible employee per month. PEO Basic includes 401(k), commuter benefits and life and disability insurance, but no medical, dental, vision or COBRA administration.
Payroll + Health Insurance gives medical, dental, vision and COBRA admin while you stay on the Payroll plan, for $50 + $8 x 10 + $8 x 10 = $210 a month at 10 employees. PEO Plus, $124 x 10 = $1,240 a month at 10 employees, adds large group or small group plans, EPLI, the workers’ comp master policy and the wellness perks.
I would take Payroll + Health Insurance when health cover is the only gap, and PEO Plus when you also want employer compliance handed off.
CHOICE, formerly ICHRA, reimburses employees tax-free for plans they choose, through Justworks’ partner Thatch, at $25 per enrolled employee per month on any plan.
PEO Plus adds health advocacy, on-demand patient care, talk therapy and fertility services at no additional charge. The Justworks benefits page also says pre-tax premiums cut your payroll tax bill by 7.65% and that Justworks passes that money back.
Compliance coverage on the PEO
The compliance page lists these jobs under the PEO, not Payroll: EPLI coverage, a workers’ comp master policy, and unemployment filings with in-house appeals support. ACA filings (1094-C and 1095-C) and harassment prevention and DEIB training are PEO-only too.
Payroll customers still get W-2, W-3, 1099, 940 and 941 filings, with an unemployment insurance add-on and pay-as-you-go workers’ comp through NEXT. For a 10-person company with no HR hire, EPLI and appeals support are what I would pay the PEO for.
HR support and hiring tools
Yes on the PEO: 24/7 support, standard HR consulting and the Applicant Tracking System come with PEO Basic and PEO Plus. Payroll customers get phone, chat and a 24/7 help center, with no HR consultant.
Dedicated HR consulting costs $30 per employee per month on Basic or Plus, which is $30 x 10 = $300 a month at 10 employees.
Time tracking for hourly teams
Yes, for $8 per employee per month on any plan. Employees clock in from the mobile app, the web, Slack, or Justworks Terminal, a shared tablet with a PIN for each person.
Basic timecards are included on every plan, so a salaried team can skip the add-on.
Global hiring: EOR and international contractors
Yes. Justworks EOR employs people abroad for $599 per employee per month, as an add-on on PEO Basic or PEO Plus, with local currency payroll and localized benefits.
International contractors in 60+ countries cost $39 per paid contractor per month plus exchange rate fees. For a first overseas hire, a contractor is the cheaper start.
Justworks Ease of Use: Setup and Day-to-Day Management
Getting started takes a plan choice and, for the PEO, a workers’ comp approval: enrollment completes once the company is approved.
Switching from another PEO or payroll provider comes with dedicated onboarding support, and Justworks asks for a month or more of notice, where possible, before a plan change. Justworks’ explainer says certified PEO customers do not restart federal payroll tax wage bases when they join or leave mid-year.
Employees get a mobile app on every plan, and Justworks’ benefits and EOR pages link interactive demos you can try before you sign up.
Justworks Pricing: What Each Plan Costs
Justworks Payroll costs $8 per employee per month plus a $50 base fee. PEO Basic costs $79 and PEO Plus $124 per employee per month, with no base fee. EOR is $599 per employee per month.
| Plan | Price | Billing | Key limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll | $8 per employee + $50 base fee | Monthly | No EPLI, 24/7 support or HR consulting |
| PEO Basic | $79 per employee | Monthly, no base fee | No medical, dental or vision access |
| PEO Plus | $124 per employee | Monthly, no base fee | Premiums not published; part-timers not benefits-eligible |
| EOR | $599 per employee | Monthly, no base fee | Add-on on PEO Basic or PEO Plus |
Sources: Justworks pricing page, US view in US dollars, checked October 2026.
Payroll fits pay runs only, PEO Basic adds EPLI and HR help, and PEO Plus adds group health plans. Justworks prints no annual price. Add-ons decide the bill for hourly, contractor-heavy or global teams:
| Add-on | Price | Available on |
|---|---|---|
| Justworks Time Tracking | $8 per employee per month | Payroll, PEO Basic, PEO Plus |
| Payroll + Health Insurance | $8 per benefits-eligible employee per month | Payroll |
| CHOICE health reimbursements | $25 per enrolled employee per month | Payroll, PEO Basic, PEO Plus |
| Dedicated HR Consulting | $30 per employee per month | PEO Basic, PEO Plus |
| US-based contractors | $8 per paid contractor per month, only in months you pay | Payroll, PEO Basic, PEO Plus |
| International contractors | $39 per paid contractor per month plus exchange rate fees | Payroll, PEO Basic, PEO Plus |
Sources: Justworks pricing page, add-ons and FAQ, checked October 2026.
Part-time staff
On PEO Basic and PEO Plus, each part-time employee (29 or fewer expected hours a week) costs $79 and is not eligible for benefits. On Justworks Payroll, a part-timer costs $8 a month.
What Justworks costs at 5, 10 and 25 employees
The table prices four setups at three team sizes, with every employee full-time and benefits-eligible.
| Team | Payroll | Payroll + Health Insurance | PEO Basic | PEO Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 employees | $50 + $8 x 5 = $90 | $50 + $8 x 5 + $8 x 5 = $130 | $79 x 5 = $395 | $124 x 5 = $620 |
| 10 employees | $50 + $8 x 10 = $130 | $50 + $8 x 10 + $8 x 10 = $210 | $79 x 10 = $790 | $124 x 10 = $1,240 |
| 25 employees | $50 + $8 x 25 = $250 | $50 + $8 x 25 + $8 x 25 = $450 | $79 x 25 = $1,975 | $124 x 25 = $3,100 |
Sources: monthly fees from the Justworks pricing page, checked October 2026; premiums, workers’ comp, add-ons and taxes excluded.
Over a year, PEO Plus for 10 employees is $124 x 10 x 12 = $14,880 in fees, against $50 x 12 + $8 x 10 x 12 = $1,560 on Payroll. That gap pays off only if group premiums, EPLI and HR consulting replace costs you would carry anyway.
What the per-employee price leaves out
Justworks prints no health or workers’ comp premiums, and add-ons and international exchange rate fees cost extra. Workers’ comp coverage is required on the PEO.
The PEO also bills part-timers, employees on leave and seasonal employees who are not working but not terminated. Ten working staff plus 6 off-season employees still on the books cost $79 x 16 = $1,264 a month on PEO Basic.
When to move up, or back to Payroll
Justworks lets you switch between any plans or products, so watch for the trigger:
- Payroll to PEO Basic: you want EPLI, 24/7 support and HR consulting without an HR hire.
- Payroll to Payroll + Health Insurance: you want health plans while staying on the Payroll plan.
- PEO Basic to PEO Plus: you want group medical, dental and vision alongside the PEO’s compliance cover.
- PEO back to Payroll: part-timers or seasonal staff make $79 a head expensive, or you drop below 2 W-2 employees.
Customer Service, Security and Credentials
Justworks PEO is IRS-certified and ESAC-accredited, which holds it to strict operational and financial standards; the IRS does not endorse any particular certified PEO.
Justworks PEO adds round-the-clock help by phone, email and chat to what Payroll customers get.
The Justworks security page lists encryption in transit and at rest, multi-factor authentication, penetration testing, a bug bounty and SIEM monitoring. It describes controls, not an audit report, and lists no uptime figure.
Who Should Use Justworks?
Justworks PEO fits a US team of mostly full-time W-2 employees with no HR staff; Justworks Payroll fits a multi-state team that only needs pay runs and filings.
Best for
- A team of 2 or more full-time W-2 employees that wants medical, dental and vision through PEO Plus
- An owner without an HR person who wants EPLI and a workers’ comp master policy handled
- A company hiring abroad without an entity, through EOR at $599 per employee per month on top of PEO Basic or PEO Plus, which needs 2 W-2 employees
- A small team that wants printed prices before a sales call
Not ideal for
- A one-person company that wants a PEO, since the PEO needs 2 W-2 employees
- A team heavy in part-timers, each billed $79 on the PEO with no benefits
- A seasonal business that keeps off-season staff on the books
- A one-state team that needs payroll only, which pays less on Gusto Simple
Justworks vs Competitors
Of these options, Justworks prints a PEO price; Gusto prints payroll plan prices, and Rippling asks for a custom quote. If Rippling is still on your shortlist, read my Rippling review.
| Software | Best for | Starting price | Key difference | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justworks PEO | Teams wanting group benefits and outsourced compliance | $79 per employee per month | Co-employment with EPLI | Part-timers and unterminated staff billed |
| Justworks Payroll | Multi-state teams needing payroll only | $8 per employee + $50 base fee a month | Multi-state payroll on the entry plan | No EPLI or HR consulting |
| Gusto | One-state teams needing payroll only | $49 a month + $6 per person (Simple) | No Gusto administration fees on health insurance | Multi-state payroll is on Plus |
| Rippling | Buyers wanting HR products quoted together | From $8 per employee per month plus a base fee | Modular per-employee pricing | No total until a custom quote |
Sources: Justworks pricing page, Gusto pricing page and Rippling pricing page, checked October 2026.
For 10 people in one state, Gusto Simple costs $49 + $6 x 10 = $109 a month, less than Justworks Payroll. Across states the order flips: Gusto puts multi-state payroll on Plus at $80 + $12 x 10 = $200. My Gusto pricing breakdown prices every Gusto plan by team size.
My Gusto review judges Gusto beyond price.
Best Justworks Alternatives
If payroll is enough, my ranking of the best payroll software for small businesses compares base and per-person fees.
If you want an HR system rather than a co-employer, see my list of HR software picked by job and headcount cost.
For a priced HR system without co-employment, BambooHR’s pricing shows the per-employee bill.
If you are pricing Rippling as the alternative, see my Rippling pricing guide.
How I Evaluated Justworks
I read Justworks’ pricing page with every FAQ answer expanded, its PEO, Payroll, EOR, benefits, compliance, time tracking, integrations and security pages, and its PEO explainer on October 29, 2026. Gusto’s and Rippling’s pricing pages supplied the competitor figures.
The cost tables and plan fit calls are my analysis. Justworks does not publish health or workers’ comp premiums, a price for the unemployment insurance add-on or annual pricing, and the pages I read list no uptime figure.
Justworks FAQ
Is Justworks reputable?
Yes, on the record it publishes. Beyond its IRS certification, the Justworks homepage says it processed over $31 billion in payroll and $8.9 billion in taxes in 2025.
Does Justworks charge a setup fee?
No. The pricing page lists “No Implementation Fee”, so your first cost is the monthly plan fee.
Justworks Review: Final Verdict
Choose PEO Plus if group health plans and handing off employer compliance are why you are shopping: that is what its fee pays for. PEO Basic suits teams that want EPLI, 24/7 support and HR consulting but no medical plans.
If health cover is the only gap, add Payroll + Health Insurance to Justworks Payroll instead.
If you only need pay runs and filings, take Justworks Payroll for staff in several states, or Gusto Simple for a one-state team.
Before you sign, get your health premium and workers’ comp quote, count part-time and seasonal staff, and confirm you have 2 or more W-2 employees.
