Gusto is an HR platform, TriNet is a professional employer organization (PEO), and an independent broker is a benefits specialist. With Gusto, you stay the only employer. With TriNet’s PEO, you share employer duties and your team joins plans TriNet sponsors. A broker compares carriers for you. A PEO fits some teams best.

If you’re deciding how to handle payroll, HR, and health benefits together, these three names come up in the same breath. They’re three different structures, and the structure shapes what you pay, what you control, and what happens when you want to change. The question Is Gusto a PEO? is the best place to start if the platform-versus-PEO line is new to you.

The three models in one table

Facts about TriNet and Gusto are as of October 2026 and come from each company’s own pages.123

Gusto (HR platform) TriNet (PEO) Independent broker
What it is HR and payroll software Co-employer (PEO), plus HR Plus, a product without co-employment Benefits advisor
Legal employer You Shared through co-employment in the PEO You
Payroll Under your tax ID Generally under TriNet’s tax ID in the PEO Pairs with any payroll provider
Health benefits Group plans and health allowances, 9,000+ plans and 30+ carriers, in all 50 states and D.C.3 TriNet-sponsored large-group plans in the PEO, or your own plans with HR Plus2 The carriers the broker is appointed with, in the states where the broker is licensed
Existing broker Gusto says it can integrate an existing broker for $6 per eligible employee per month3 TriNet says you can keep your existing broker2 You work with the broker directly
Fees Platform plans from $49 a month plus $6 per person; Gusto lists no administration fee on health insurance and says you pay premiums3 Per-employee-per-month fee, with benefits, workers’ comp, and payroll taxes priced separately1 Paid by the carriers in most cases, with the amount built into the premium; some brokers charge employers a fee
Switching away Change vendors Move between PEO-sponsored and company-sponsored benefits, which TriNet says its processes make faster2 Change brokers; your policies stay

What each one is

Gusto is payroll and HR software with a benefits offering. It isn’t a PEO: your company stays the sole legal employer, and the group health policy belongs to your company. Gusto says it acts as your broker on plans bought through it.3 See Gusto health insurance vs. a PEO vs. a broker plan for how the benefits side compares.

TriNet is a PEO. Its PEO has a co-employment relationship where the business keeps control of daily operations and shares certain employer duties with TriNet.1 TriNet describes access to large-group health plans as part of the PEO, and says TriNet is the single-employer sponsor of its benefit plans.2 TriNet also sells HR Plus, where you build and administer your own company-sponsored offering, and says you can keep your existing broker with either product.2

An independent broker doesn’t process payroll or co-employ anyone. A broker’s job is to design, place, and manage your health benefits: comparing the carriers the broker is appointed with, presenting structures such as level-funded plans, and supporting you at renewal. A broker pairs with Gusto, with TriNet, with in-house payroll, or with anything else.

Where the comparison gets decided

Teams often start with payroll features and end up deciding on benefits, because health benefits tend to be a much larger line item than a software subscription as the team grows. Three differences matter:

Who owns the plan. With Gusto or a broker, the health plan belongs to your company and follows it. In TriNet’s PEO, TriNet sponsors the plan, which is part of why leaving a PEO takes planning.

How wide the market is. Gusto lists 30+ carriers and operates in all 50 states and D.C. A PEO offers its own plans. A broker’s market depends on the carrier appointments the broker holds and the states where it’s licensed, so ask which carriers a broker can quote in your state. Brokers can also present alternative funding structures, such as level-funded plans.

How each is paid. Gusto says it earns commissions from insurance sales and as your ongoing broker, and charges no administration fee on health insurance. TriNet says its PEO has a per-employee-per-month fee with benefits priced separately. Most brokers are paid commissions by carriers, built into the premium, and some work for an employer-paid fee. Kingsfoil Health is paid by commission from carriers and partners. Brokers must disclose their expected compensation in writing under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Ask any option how it’s compensated.

The real question is “which relationship do I want for payroll, and which do I want for benefits,” rather than “which of these three is best?” Those are two decisions, and nothing forces them to have the same answer.

When each one fits

Gusto’s benefits fit when you’re small, your needs are standard, and administrative simplicity matters most.

TriNet (or another PEO) fits when you’re small or growing fast, want HR taken off your plate, value bundled workers’ comp, and want to price the PEO’s pooled plans. Read the costs a bundle can hide first so you compare totals. The PEO sweet spot is 10 to 100+ employees.4 We partner with PEOs instead of fighting them. If a PEO is best for you, we recommend it.

An independent broker fits when you want to compare carriers, plan structures, and claims data beyond a platform menu or PEO pool. The full PEO vs. independent broker breakdown goes deeper on this fork. If you’re also weighing a PEO against a platform, see Gusto vs. Justworks, which compares Gusto with a PEO.

The hybrid (platform for payroll, broker for benefits) is a common setup for growing companies. Payroll is a software job, and benefits is a market-comparison job.

How to run the comparison for your company

  1. Price all three configurations: TriNet’s full bundle; Gusto with Gusto benefits; Gusto (or your current payroll) with broker-placed benefits.
  2. Compare totals and line items together. PEO pricing bundles administration into one number; unbundled setups show their parts. Sum each configuration completely.
  3. Ask each option the same three questions. What plan structures can you offer me? What claims data will I see? How are you compensated?
  4. Weigh the exit. Ask what leaving looks like in year three.

The bottom line

Gusto, TriNet, and an independent broker are three structures with different owners, different markets, and different pay models. Platforms handle payroll well. PEOs are a real option for teams that want HR handled for them. Once benefits become your second-largest expense after payroll, comparing the carriers a broker can quote in your state is worth a look.

Weighing a PEO renewal or an HR platform’s benefits offer? We’ll compare the unbundled alternative for your company so you can see all three configurations side by side. Compare your options.

Footnotes

  1. TriNet, What is a PEO?. Describes co-employment, payroll generally processed under the PEO’s tax ID, and a per-employee-per-month fee with benefits, workers’ compensation, payroll taxes, and add-ons priced separately. As of October 2026. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. TriNet, Benefits. Describes large-group plans in the PEO, TriNet as single-employer sponsor of its benefit plans, HR Plus, keeping an existing broker, and moving between PEO-sponsored and company-sponsored benefits. As of October 2026. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  3. Gusto, Health benefits, pricing, and broker disclosure. Source for the 9,000+ plans, 30+ carriers, 50 states and D.C., existing-broker fee, plan prices, no administration fee on health insurance, and Gusto’s commissions as your ongoing broker. As of October 2026; Gusto can change prices and terms. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. Kingsfoil Health, Rate Shock Survival Guide. States that the PEO sweet spot is 10 to 100 employees, a range where PEOs often work well rather than a limit. ↩