Top 10 Best Professional Employer Organizations
Learn more about our top PEO Choices
So maybe you've learned a little bit about PEOs...
...and have decided using one might be a good choice for your company. In terms of saving money on benefits as well as implementing a versatile HR infrastructure that doesn't involve a steep investment in an HR Department or more overtime from you, it's a smart decision.
But there are hundreds of PEOs – and you don't have endless hours to research them all.
So where's the list? Unfortunately, doing a "Top 10 Best PEOs" could be misleading — PEOs can be as unique as their clients, some in startups and small businesses, some international organizations spanning the world. There's no one-size-fits-all.
For us, the best way to highlight PEOs is to divide them by the size of their clientele — international, national, regional, and niche. All ten of these PEOs provide a good core service of HR infrastructure and solid benefits, but one may be better depending on your company's size or business style. And if one sounds like a good match?
Let us know — we'll gladly negotiate better rates than you'll get on the open market.
Best International PEO
Each country has its brand of red tape. Providing benefits and HR services magnifies those difficulties exponentially — but international PEOs specialize in cutting the complexity and giving you one go-to partner across continents.
Atlas
Year founded: 2012
Health carrier: BUPA /Blue Cross Blue Shield
Best known for solid global coverage across nearly every country in the world.
Atlas is an excellent partner for any company in the middle of international expansion and wanting to stay ahead of the ever-changing legal landscapes of individual countries. Named the 28th fastest-growing US business in 2018 by the INC 500, Atlas offers a full-sized service while offering the responsibility of a younger company. Their energetic approach guarantees the resources you need when doing business abroad: from legal teams to HR managers and benefits administrators to the benefits themselves. All are tailored for whichever of their 135 covered countries you find yourself in.
Top National PEOs
In the US, national PEOs provide solid HR services and benefits across US states' widely varying political landscapes. The ones we've selected have excellent reputations for interacting well with the most "worker-friendly" states, giving you legal compliance while delivering efficient and affordable HR services, all from one easy-to-work-with resource. If only Congress could do that.
ADP Total Source
Year founded: 1949
Health carriers: Aetna, BCBS, UHC, and Kaiser
Best known for more than six decades of HR experience.
Mostly known now for its payroll software, ADP has also developed a robust PEO that services large, national clients. Integrating decades of payroll and HR experience into a one-stop PEO solution, ADPTS is a publicly traded firm that provides consistently good service and prices made possible by its size. ADP offers Aetna, BCBS, UHC, and Kaiser national medical plans.
TriNet
Year founded: 1988
Health carriers: Aetna, BCBS, UHC, and Kaiser
Top pick for those looking for a PEO partner that potential employees/investors will have heard about and trust.
If there's one PEO you've heard of, it'll probably be TriNet. Publicly traded and one of the first organizations to bring the practice of using PEOs into the public spotlight, TriNet also offers a solid, well-rounded experience that gives employers a single access point for all their HR needs. Their widespread usage means familiarity with just about every industry. TriNet offers national plans from Aetna, BCBS, UHC, and Kaiser.
Insperity
Year founded: 1986
Health carrier: UHC and Kaiser
Top choice for a straightforward solution that gets the job done without unnecessary frills.
Insperity is publicly traded and has been a pioneer in the PEO industry. Their clients range from white to blue-collar companies, and they offer national plans from UHC and Kaiser. With great software and service to match - Insperity is a great choice for a quality PEO. Insperity offers national health plans from UHC and Kaiser.
Justworks
Year founded: 2012
Health carriers: Aetna, UHC, and Kaiser
Best known for its modern platform, intuitive software, and pricing.
As its more modern name would suggest, Justworks is a fresh newcomer to the field, but don't let their age fool you. In addition to the expected services and benefits programs, Justworks offers a versatile proprietary software solution for managing employees and HR details that is refreshing and modern. Thanks to their software, their approach to HR is a bit more hands-off than other full-service PEOs, but the savings and increased control are preferable for some entrepreneurs. And they'll gladly step in and provide support if you need it. Justworks offers national medical plans from Aetna, UHC, and Kaiser.
Top Regional PEOs
If your company operates only in a small area (from multi-county to multi-state), you might not need to pay for all the brawn of a national PEO. Choosing a PEOs with a more local focus won't just save you money but can also help you have an HR partner that's able to focus locally, just like you.
G&A Partners
Year founded: 1995
Health carrier: Cigna, UHC, and BCBS
Top choice for companies who value service and want the benefits of a large PEO without the cost.
G&A has built a culture that puts people first, and just as they value and care for our own team, G&A, in turn, extends that same care to you and your employees. G&A’s commitment to accountability, reliability, deep and evolving expertise, and open, honest communication, allows them to provide you with best-in-class service, a robust HR infrastructure, and the ability to scale our services as your business grows.
ExtensisHR
Year founded: 1997
Health carrier: Aetna and BCBS
Best known for being among the first PEOs to reach out to small businesses specifically.
Founded by a small business owner after he grew frustrated by how difficult it was for non-heavyweights to get quality HR and benefits, Extensis has grown into a national group with plenty of resources. Despite their success, they've never forgotten their roots. Clients enjoy personalized service invested in their unique situation while accessing a "Fortune 500" level of benefits and resources. Extensis offers national medical plans from Aetna and BCBS.
Top Niche PEOs
For us, niche companies are firms with small teams with highly specialized employees. This includes architectural, consulting, financial and law firms, but more recently applies to startups. Niche companies require specialized PEOs to deliver the most value for their smaller teams, accommodate unique needs and make any growth plans pain-free and effortless. And getting top talent is easier to find when your firm is offering the benefits used by Fortune 500 companies to scoop up valuable employees. Here are a few of the Niche PEOs we work with.
Modern Business Associates
Year founded: 1997
Health carrier: Aetna
Top choice for blue and gray collar companies.
MBA offers professional yet highly tailored HR solutions to their clients, focusing on relieving business owners from the compliance activities and paperwork that drain from their business or firm's revenue-generating activities (known in PEO circles as "what you actually like doing"). Privately held and servicing over 30,000 employees, MBA caters to firms, small businesses, and even franchises across numerous industries.
Southeast Personnel Leasing
Year founded: 1986
Health carrier: Aetna
Best choice for established businesses operating in higher-risk workers’ compensation.
One of the largest privately-owned businesses in Florida and an early arrival in the PEO industry, SouthEast is an established authority offering its clients substantial HR and benefits resources. Owned and run by the same officers for over 20 years, SPL understands the value of employee commitment and how to facilitate it through quality benefits and programs.
Dinsmore Steele saves you the hassle of asking for your information just once and getting competitive quotes from over 400 of the world's best PEOs. On top of the added convenience, PEOs give us better rates because they know there's competition for the quality of the clients Dinsmore/Steele brings them.