Our analysts compared TriNet vs Dayforce based on data from our 400+ point analysis of HR Management Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.
Analyst Rating
User Sentiment
TriNet is a cloud-based HR solution that’s ideal for small and medium-sized businesses, focusing on payroll, benefits and compliance.
Acquired by TriNet in February 2022, Zenefits was previously recognized for its all-in-one approach to HR, emphasizing benefits administration and employee management. The platform supports onboarding new employees, tracking time and attendance, managing payroll and monitoring performance.
After running through the demo, I felt that navigation was particularly well-suited for beginners. Its simple layout streamlines administrative tasks without needing extensive HR expertise.
An issue a lot of workplaces face is handling employee burnout. Many users mention how easy it is to submit PTO, helping their employees take the time off they need without needing admin approval.
Another common HR challenge is benefits enrollment. With so many plan options, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. On top of that, employees often have limited time to make decisions, which can lead to rushed choices or forgetting to enroll at all. TriNet addresses these challenges by providing tools like automated notifications and detailed cost breakdowns to simplify the enrollment process.
Users appreciate the user-friendly interface and automated processes, which lessen the manual workload for HR teams. Some consider it basic, but most value its straightforward design. In contrast, opinions vary on customer support wait times.
There are three pricing plans: Essentials $8 annually or $10 monthly, Growth $16 annually or $20 monthly, and Zen $27 annually or $33 monthly, all charged per user. For exact pricing information, we recommend requesting a quote from their website.
Overall, TriNet helps manage payroll, benefits and employee performance with tools like time tracking, automated payroll and employee engagement surveys.
What else can it do? Let’s take a closer look.
Serves all industries, including but not limited to:
Feature/Functionality
Essentials
Growth
Zen
Price
$8 annually, $10 monthly
$16 annually, $20 monthly
$27 annually, $33 monthly
Core HR Included
Yes
Benefits
Recruiting
Time and Attendance
HR Advisory Desk
People Analytics
No
Real-time Comparison Salary Data
Custom Compensation Benchmark Options
Goal Management
Employee Engagement Surveys
People Hub
Included
Payroll Tax Filing
Add-On
General Ledger
Contractor payments
Dayforce is a cloud-based human capital management (HCM) platform that offers a full suite of tools for managing payroll, workforce management, career development, benefits and HR tasks.
It's a great pick for larger teams looking to streamline onboarding and training with performance management tools that support ongoing career development. Plus, its self-service portal gives employees more independence.
Ranked in the top five on our HR software list, Dayforce stands out as the Best for Reporting and Dashboards. It shines with features like employee engagement, succession management and compensation management.
With tools for workforce insights, personalized coaching, and mobile access, managers can enhance engagement and adapt more efficiently, which helps cut down on turnover and anticipate trends. Mobile time-tracking tablets and time clocks help minimize errors and ensure more accurate payroll.
The platform offers customizable dashboards, automated payroll calculations, centralized employee info and engagement tracking. Users love its intuitive, easy-to-use design and self-service options that lighten the admin load. However, some find the reporting feature a bit tricky; while reports are customizable, getting them set up can be complex.
Pricing varies based on the number of users and chosen modules, generally falling between $6 and $12 per employee per month, which is mid-range compared to other options out there.
among all HR Management Software
TriNet has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 82% when considering 1503 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.
Dayforce has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 3463 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.
SelectHub research analysts have evaluated TriNet and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Time and Attendance Management and Training.
SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Dayforce and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Employee Engagement, Reporting and Dashboard and Succession Management.
In HR, you're responsible for a lot of paperwork for core functions like recruiting, tax filing, payroll and performance management (just to name a few). Trying to keep every document organized and secure the old-fashioned way might feel like managing the Smithsonian.;TriNet can alleviate your document management woes by keeping everything in one place in the cloud.Its platform includes HR management and administration tools, recruiting, payroll and benefits. Overall, I found the design practical and simple. It didn't leave me guessing where to find things.;Manage access to folders and documents, create custom folders and specify which employees have access. In the upper right corner, you'll find your profile along with an arrow that reveals menu options. The top right also features your inbox, notifications, help and a handy search bar.It has separate tabs for worker and company documents. Creating folders to stay organized is easy with the bright orange "Create New Folder" option. Each document allows you to hover over it, where you can click the pencil icon to edit or the trash can icon to delete.Manage employees’ benefits eligibility, view benefit costs and change enrollment details. Scroll down and see everything covered under your plan, from dental and vision to life insurance. To get employees on board, set your open enrollment dates and automate notifications.;Customize email invites, preview the employee experience and ensure no one misses enrollment – once it’s open, they’ll see it as a task at the top of their dashboard.;There’s no guessing when it comes to employee costs, the company contribution and total because it’s laid out clearly in the monthly cost breakdown. Plus, when enrollment time rolls around, there’s a start renewal link, side-by-side plan comparisons and a quoting tool.;My favorite feature is the step-by-step guide because even if you’ve gone through the labyrinth of benefits enrollment seemingly a hundred times, there’s still a lot of ground to cover, which makes setting everything up less overwhelming. Make your enrollment setup unforgettable with benefits checklists that ensure employees don’t miss important options.The payroll module is reasonably straightforward. The layout is on the simple side, featuring main menu optionhs including Overviews, People, Timeline, Reports, Taxes, Forms and Settings.;Just like conveniently passing by a coffee shop on your way to work, essentially every payroll task you have to check off is connected and easy to find. Manage employee notifications, download payroll reports and approve payroll — all in one place.;The candidate landing page is simple. It shows the person’s name to the very left; on the right, you can view their contact info (there’s a phone icon and email icon), location, workflow status, source (like your career page) and the date they applied.So, what happens after clicking a candidate's name? You get directed to their profile and, from there, view their resume, scorecard, assessments, emails and documents. There are options at the top to reject or advance candidates. Once they move to hiring, you select their start date and press hire candidate, and ta-da — you’re greeted with virtual confetti.;I like that there are conveniently automated communication options like sending text messages. It's especially helpful if you’re hiring multiple people and don’t want to lose track of candidates or get anyone stuck in one of the hiring steps.;While everyone learns things at their own pace, from my perspective, I found TriNet a good fit for beginners.;
Dayforce, a popular AI-powered HCM solution, caters to businesses across various industries on a global scale. It’s perfect for large teams and companies needing a scalable and adaptable platform. Most of its features are user-friendly, making it relatively easy to learn and navigate.Dayforce stands out with its mobile time-off requests, smart benefit enrollment recommendations, TeamRelate, Dayforce Wallet and automated payroll calculations. It also offers robust support for day-to-day operations, including reports and dashboards, org charts, shift trades, and compliance.The mobile app and self-service platform give employees the freedom to handle tasks like accessing pay stubs, viewing schedules, and submitting time-off requests independently, which reduces the need for admin intervention.Dayforce tackles common HR challenges like managing varied payroll and compliance needs, dealing with tricky reporting, and making employee self-service easier. While users appreciate its mobile features and schedule management, they’ve mentioned that reporting can be a bit complex and time-consuming, sometimes leading to long waits for customer support.The demo reveals a comprehensive hub serving as a centralized dashboard, providing news updates, team objectives, pending tasks, and recommended applications like performance management and recruiting.Personally, I thought the scheduling module looked a little cluttered/complicated for beginners, but you can use filters to narrow down results and make it look less busy/cleaner.Payroll processing demands a hawk's eye when it comes to details. I thought Dayforce had a reasonably straightforward payroll design.Engagement surveys offer compact insights into employee sentiment and effectiveness, while customizable dashboards and scorecards display key metrics on workforce dynamics, such as availability, recruitment metrics, and turnover rates.Automated alerts and integration with job boards enhance recruiting, and self-service features support career development, HR and benefits enrollment.The chatbot provided a brief welcome and directed me to the Help Center after I chose support. The chat ended there, and I encountered the issue of the conversation not clearing when the page was reopened.Pricing is competitive, based on user numbers and selected modules (charged per month).Overall, Dayforce is a comprehensive HCM software that effectively supports managing people, pay and compliance.
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