Justworks — A clear PEO price list — where the published $124 covers the platform, and health premiums making up 40-60% of your invoice sit on top of it.
Short answer: Justworks charges $8 per employee a month plus a $50 monthly base fee for its Payroll plan, $79 per employee for PEO Basic including payroll across all 50 states, tax filing, compliance, workers’ compensation and 401(k) administration, and $124 for PEO Plus adding health, dental and vision administration. A global EOR plan is $599 per employee. Those fees cover platform access only — health insurance premiums are reported to represent 40-60% of a typical PEO Plus invoice, so the real per-employee cost lands well above the published figure.
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Verdict at a glance
Overall rating: 3.5/5 ★★★☆☆
Standout: The Payroll plan at $8 per employee plus a $50 base is genuinely cheap for compliant US payroll across all 50 states.
Watch out: PEO Plus’s $124 is platform access. Health insurance premiums are reported to make up 40-60% of the actual invoice, and employer taxes sit on top of that again.
Justworks is a Professional Employer Organisation that publishes its prices, which in this category is worth saying out loud. The Payroll plan at $8 per employee a month plus a $50 base gives compliant payroll across all fifty states, and for a small US company that needs payroll and nothing else it is hard to fault. PEO Basic at $79 per employee adds payroll in all fifty states, tax filing, compliance tools, workers’ compensation insurance, 401(k) administration and 24/7 support — a coherent bundle at a legible price. PEO Plus at $124 adds health insurance administration through Aetna and UnitedHealthcare plus dental, vision and HSA/FSA. The critical qualification is that these are platform fees, not the invoice. Health insurance premiums are reported to make up 40 to 60 per cent of a typical PEO Plus bill, and employer taxes sit on top of both. None of that is dishonest — a PEO cannot know your premiums before you choose plans and your workforce is underwritten — but it does mean the published fee is a floor rather than an estimate. Ask for a modelled invoice against your real census before comparing Justworks with anything else, because that is the only number that can be compared.
Quick facts
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ideal team | US companies wanting payroll, benefits and compliance in one place |
| Learning curve | Low — designed for companies without an HR function |
| Setup time | Weeks, including benefits enrolment |
| Free trial | Demo-led; no free tier |
| Free tier | No |
| Payroll plan | ⭐ $8/employee/month plus a $50 monthly base fee |
| PEO | $79 Basic · $124 Plus per employee per month |
| Key limit | ⚠️ Health premiums are 40-60% of a PEO Plus invoice, on top |
| Global EOR | $599 per employee per month |
Overview
Justworks is a Professional Employer Organisation for US companies, meaning it co-employs your staff and takes on payroll, tax filing, benefits administration, workers’ compensation and compliance. For a company without an HR function, that removes a category of work and risk that would otherwise require specialist headcount. It also offers a standalone Payroll plan for companies that want the payroll machinery without the co-employment relationship.
The pricing is legible. The Payroll plan is $8 per employee a month plus a $50 monthly base fee. PEO Basic is $79 per employee a month and includes payroll across all fifty states, tax filing, compliance tools, workers’ compensation insurance, 401(k) administration and 24/7 support. PEO Plus is $124 per employee a month and adds health insurance administration through Aetna and UnitedHealthcare, plus dental, vision and HSA/FSA. Neither PEO tier carries a base fee. Part-time employees, defined as 29 or fewer expected hours a week, are $79 each on either PEO tier and are not eligible for benefits on them. A global EOR plan is $599 per employee.
What the published fees do not include is the part that dominates the bill. Health insurance premiums are reported to represent 40 to 60 per cent of a typical PEO Plus invoice, and employer taxes sit on top of both. A PEO genuinely cannot know your premium costs before you select plans and your workforce is underwritten, so the published figure is a platform fee rather than a forecast. Treat it as a floor, and ask for a modelled invoice using your real census before comparing Justworks against anything.
Key features
- Payroll across all 50 states — included from PEO Basic
- Tax filing — handled on your behalf
- Workers’ compensation insurance — PEO Basic and above
- 401(k) administration — PEO Basic and above
- 24/7 support — included from PEO Basic
- Health insurance administration — PEO Plus, via Aetna and UnitedHealthcare
- Dental, vision and HSA/FSA — PEO Plus
- Compliance tools — PEO Basic and above
- Standalone Payroll plan — ⭐ $8 per employee plus a $50 base fee
- Mobile apps — iOS and Android
Pricing (as of 2026-09-28)
Model: per-employee monthly fees for platform access; insurance premiums separate · Free tier: none · Entry paid: $8/employee/mo plus $50 base (Payroll)
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll | ⭐ $8 per employee per month plus a $50 monthly base fee | Payroll for all employees · HR tools · expert support · access to Time Tracking |
| PEO Basic | $79 per employee per month, no base fee | Payroll across all 50 states · compliance · HR consulting and tools · 24/7 support · 401(k) · access to Time Tracking |
| PEO Plus | $124 per employee per month, no base fee | Everything in PEO Basic plus medical, dental and vision administration · HSA/FSA · mental health and fertility benefits |
| EOR (global) | $599 per employee per month | Hiring globally · global HR and compliance support |
| Part-time employees | $79 per part-time employee on PEO Basic and PEO Plus | ⚠️ 29 or fewer expected hours a week · not eligible for benefits on Basic or Plus |
⚠️ These fees cover platform access only. Health insurance premiums are reported to represent 40 to 60 per cent of a typical PEO Plus invoice, and employer taxes sit on top of that again. Treat $124 as a floor, not an estimate — the only comparable number is a modelled invoice against your own census.
⚠️ Part-time employees, defined as 29 or fewer expected hours a week, are billed at $79 each on both PEO Basic and PEO Plus, and are not eligible for benefits on either.
Neither PEO tier carries a base fee; the $50 monthly base applies to the Payroll plan only.
Ratings breakdown
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ease Of Use | 4.5/5 | Built for companies without an HR function |
| Features | 4.0/5 | Complete US PEO bundle covering payroll, benefits and compliance |
| Value | 3.5/5 | ⚠️ Payroll plan is excellent; PEO headline understates real cost |
| Support | 4.5/5 | 24/7 support included from PEO Basic |
Pros
- Payroll plan at $8 per employee plus a $50 base is genuinely cheap
- PEO Basic at $79 bundles payroll, tax, compliance and workers’ comp
- 401(k) administration included from PEO Basic
- 24/7 support at every PEO tier
- Health, dental, vision and HSA/FSA administration on PEO Plus
- Access to Aetna and UnitedHealthcare networks through the PEO
- Payroll across all fifty states without state-by-state setup
- Removes the need for specialist HR and compliance headcount
Cons
- ⚠️ Published fees exclude health premiums, reported at 40-60% of a PEO Plus invoice
- ⚠️ Employer taxes sit on top of both platform fees and premiums
- ⚠️ Part-time employees cost $79 each and get no benefits on Basic or Plus
- No free tier, and a real number needs a modelled quote
- US-only — international hiring needs the separate $599 EOR plan
- Co-employment is a structural commitment, not just a vendor choice
Who it’s for
- US companies wanting payroll, benefits and compliance from one provider
- Businesses without an HR function who need workers’ comp and 401(k)
- Small companies suited by the standalone $8 Payroll plan
- Teams wanting access to Aetna and UnitedHealthcare networks
Who it’s not for
- Companies hiring internationally — Remote and Oyster handle that
- Anyone budgeting from the $124 headline without modelling premiums
- Businesses wanting an HRIS rather than a PEO — Personio or HiBob
- Teams unwilling to enter a co-employment relationship
Best use cases
- Running compliant US payroll for $8 an employee plus a $50 base
- Outsourcing tax filing, workers’ comp and 401(k) to a PEO
- Accessing Aetna and UnitedHealthcare plans through PEO Plus
- Removing the need for specialist HR and compliance headcount
- Modelling a real invoice from your census before committing
Integrations
Justworks connects to the common accounting and time-tracking systems, which matters for reconciling payroll into the ledger. The more consequential integration is structural rather than technical — as a PEO, Justworks becomes the co-employer of record, so the relationship touches tax filings, insurance policies and compliance obligations in ways that a software subscription does not. Exiting is correspondingly more involved than cancelling.
How it compares
| Justworks | Remote | Oyster HR | HiBob | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid | ⭐ $8/employee + $50 base | $29/contractor/mo | $29/contractor after 30 days free | Quote only |
| PEO | $79 Basic · $124 Plus | From $99/employee (US only) | Not offered | Not offered |
| Published price is full cost | ⚠️ No — premiums 40-60% extra | Yes, except payroll | Yes, plus a deposit | ⚠️ Quote only |
| Published fee is the whole bill | ⚠️ No — premiums reported at 40-60% | $699 EOR published | $699 EOR published | $6-$18/employee reported |
| International hiring | ⚠️ US only | ⭐ Global EOR | ⭐ Global EOR | HRIS only |
| Free access | No | None | ⭐ Free account | No |
| Best fit | US PEO and payroll | Global EOR, published pricing | Global EOR with social discounts | Mid-market HRIS |
Remote and Oyster prices are vendor-published and verified 2026-09-23. Justworks, Personio and HiBob figures are from published third-party reporting, and Personio and HiBob publish no public rates.
Alternatives
Remote offers a US PEO from $99 an employee alongside global EOR at $699, with everything published. Oyster HR covers international employment with explicit social discounts. HiBob and Personio are HRIS platforms for companies that already have employment infrastructure and need the software layer above it.
Recent changes
Justworks publishes its Payroll plan at $8 per employee a month plus a $50 monthly base fee. PEO Basic is $79 per employee a month, including payroll across all fifty states, tax filing, compliance tools, workers’ compensation insurance, 401(k) administration and 24/7 support. PEO Plus is $124 per employee a month, adding health insurance administration through Aetna and UnitedHealthcare alongside dental, vision and HSA/FSA. Neither PEO tier carries a base fee, part-time employees are $79 each on either, and a global EOR plan is $599 per employee. Health insurance premiums are reported to add 40 to 60 per cent of a typical PEO Plus invoice on top of the platform fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Justworks cost?
The Payroll plan is $8 per employee a month plus a $50 monthly base fee. PEO Basic is $79 per employee and PEO Plus $124, neither with a base fee. A global EOR plan is $599 per employee. Those cover platform access only — health premiums are reported to add 40 to 60 per cent of a PEO Plus invoice on top.
What does the $124 PEO Plus price actually include?
Platform access: payroll across all fifty states, tax filing, compliance, workers’ compensation, 401(k) administration, 24/7 support, and administration of medical, dental and vision benefits including HSA/FSA. It does not include the health insurance premiums themselves, which are reported to be the larger share of the invoice.
What is a PEO and how is it different from payroll software?
A Professional Employer Organisation co-employs your staff, taking on payroll, tax filing, benefits, workers’ compensation and compliance obligations under its own employer of record status. That is a structural relationship rather than a subscription — it touches tax filings and insurance policies, so exiting is more involved than cancelling software.
Why is PEO pricing so hard to compare?
Because benefits elections drive most of the cost and are specific to your workforce. Two companies on identical plans can see very different invoices depending on which health plans employees choose and how the group is underwritten. That is why published per-employee fees describe platform access rather than total cost, and why a modelled quote is the only meaningful comparison.
Does Justworks have a free plan or a trial?
No. Justworks is demo-led with no free tier, so the cheapest way to use it is the Payroll plan at $8 per employee a month plus a $50 monthly base fee. That plan avoids the premium question entirely, which makes it the sensible choice for a US company that needs compliant payroll and nothing else.
How much does Justworks charge for part-time employees?
$79 per part-time employee a month on both PEO Basic and PEO Plus, where part-time means 29 or fewer expected hours a week. Those employees are not eligible for benefits on either tier, so a business with a large part-time workforce pays the PEO Basic rate for people who cannot use the benefits that justify it.
Can Justworks employ people outside the US?
Only through its separate global EOR plan at $599 per employee a month. The PEO tiers are US-only, so companies hiring internationally should compare that $599 against Remote and Oyster HR, both of which publish EOR pricing at the same figure.
Sources
- Justworks — pricing (vendor)
- Which Payroll — Justworks pricing 2026: PEO, EOR and payroll costs explained
- eLearning Industry — Justworks pricing plans and costs 2026
- Remote — official pricing page
- Oyster HR — official pricing page
- eLearning Industry — HiBob pricing: how much should you expect to pay in 2026?
Compiled from public sources; last verified 2026-09-28. Pricing is subject to change — verify with the vendor. Ratings reflect editorial opinion based on documented capabilities, published pricing, and aggregated user reviews. DigiJaws does not accept payment for review placement or rating.
Justworks Review (3.5/5): Pricing & Verdict (2026). DigiJaws, 2026. https://digijaws.com/reviews/justworks-review/