A few of our best picks aren’t accredited but still provide great service, so your decision depends on what you value as a business owner. The first step of any business purchase decision is to assess your business’s needs so you can find companies that can help you solve those problems. Once you compare your top choices’ pricing, features and contracts, you should be able to decide which one is best for your business. When it comes to paying workers, Papaya offers same-day payments in over 130 local currencies. For example, one of the biggest reasons why Steven Rothberg, founder of College Recruiter, chose to partner with Insperity was because he wanted to provide his small team with top-of-the-line benefits. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a set of questions that you can raise when consulting different advisors and representatives.

These advantages collectively enable businesses to operate more smoothly and make informed strategic decisions. Leveraging a PEO is particularly beneficial for small businesses lacking extensive best peo for small business internal HR resources. If you’re operating in the South, finding the best PEO in Alabama ensures access to specialized knowledge and cost-effective HR solutions. Building a successful partnership with your PEO requires regular communication, performance reviews, and adjustments as your business evolves.

Onboarding with a PEO: What to Expect

Others offer month-to-month contracts and are more easily adaptable as your HR needs change over time. On the other hand, some PEO companies only work with businesses that have a minimum number of employees. Most PEO companies charge on a per-employee basis or as a percentage of your overall payroll. So, whether you’re a small, midsize, large, or rapid-growth business, it’s adaptability and comprehensiveness make it a top consideration that’ll meet your needs today and in the future. Plus, ADP’s client-base is nothing to scoff at with 500,000+ small businesses and a wide range of midsize to large companies under its management. So, it’s an excellent choice for you and your HR team, but it’s also beneficial for your employees as well.

Plus, their payroll specialists will take care of all the typical payroll hassles, from your regular pay runs to paying bonuses, handling garnishments, or providing early wage access to employees who need it. Compared to other PEO and EOR offerings, Deel stands out with local country experts who provide consultative approaches for each location you hire from. They are also one of the largest payroll systems we’ve seen here, and report having 100,000+ active worker contracts. And if you’re looking for even more options, you’ll also find 16 additional providers listed below—giving you plenty of choices to explore.

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In this regard, XcelHR offers a good all-round PEO service that most small businesses might otherwise struggle to access. They also provide compliance on all issues of employment law, from ACA, COBRA, disability and state filings. As its name suggests, Papaya Global is primarily a service for growing companies who might be crossing that “small business” barrier into greater things.

How do PEO services help with compliance?

Many businesses have come to understand an employer of record (EOR) can be used to hire internationally when a business has no legal entity in the foreign country where their potential workers are located. Technically, when using an EOR provider, foreign workers are hired by the EOR and not your parent organization. Instead, the EOR becomes the full legal employer and manages all aspects of their employment while they perform work on behalf of your company. For users, this means increased confidence in Mercans’ ability to manage compliance, reduce risk, and protect sensitive data. The new QRM framework reinforces Mercans’ position as a trusted partner for organizations managing international HR and payroll.

The team leverages data directly from your business to identify trends and qualified candidates. Once they’re hired, the ADP team handles onboarding and ongoing training to establish a growth-driven company culture. Deel includes a time tracking and attendance feature, where employees can use a time clock to mark the hours they are working. You can be certain your remote workers are following the company guidelines for working the appropriate number of hours, too. Deel has numerous features aimed at helping your small HR department manage your remote workers operating in many different countries.

Best for Small Businesses

Simplify salary decisions with the Salary Calculator – a smart tool for determining fair, competitive compensation based on industry, location, and experience. Increase savings, automate busy work, and make better decisions by managing payroll, HR, IT, and spend in one place. Being aware of these factors before you start seeking out custom quotes from providers helps you get a sense of what to expect, so you can compare and contrast quotes more effectively. This focus on regional expertise helps your team navigate complex regulations effortlessly. If you’re building remote teams and speed matters more than anything, Skuad keeps the process moving without adding extra overhead. The PEO industry has experienced a high level of growth in recent years, and it does not appear to be slowing down in 2024.

PEOs typically offer medical, dental, vision, life, and long- and short-term disability insurance. Some offer additional plans, like flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs). Paychex’s cloud-based platform can integrate with more than 130 third-party applications, making workforce management even more efficient.

Top PEO Providers in 2025: Which One Is Right For You?

As your business changes or expands across states, we love that you can add or remove services accordingly. Paychex is also one of the few HR vendors that provides both PEO and non-PEO solutions, allowing you to seamlessly scale between HR options as your company evolves. Many HR leaders find the PEO market overwhelming, with providers offering varied services and pricing. To get practical guidance, some companies turn to PEO brokers who help identify and compare providers based on your business size, industry and needs.

Top 5 Best Email Hosting Providers in 2025

• Since every small business is unique, a PEO should be able to customize its HR features to fit your needs.
• However, it doesn’t have payroll minimums, long term contracts, and only requires small business owners to have one employee.
• Deel provides PEO services focusing on payroll management, compliance, and employee benefits.
• If you’re short on time or need extra help, you can also enlist the help of a PEO broker to compare options on your behalf.
• Rippling’s PEO services are backed by their modern software that automates your HR and IT busywork—from automated onboarding to remote IT management.

They offer personalized custom-fit packages to suit the needs of businesses of all shapes and sizes. Furthermore, their commitment to the best in HR technology and strategy means your company and its employees will get the best experience they can from a PEO provider. Papaya Global eliminates the need for you to source local providers in every country where you have employees. There’s no minimum number of employees for you to qualify for benefits administration in a specific area.

• Businesses that use PEOs will have a higher chance of long-term success and they can start improving themselves by exploring the best PEOs from this list.
• On top of that, they offer full-service HR administration, so you can offload tasks like employee onboarding, benefits tracking, and HR documentation.
• The biggest thing is that the PEO is fully handling HR, so you can focus on the core offerings of your business.
• They also offer additional specialty services including HR management and advisory services, global mobility and talent management, incorporation and local compliance services, and business process outsourcing.
• It allows you to outsource tasks such as payroll processing, benefits management, and risk management, freeing up time and resources to focus on core business operations.

It offers self-service employee onboarding and support to simplify and unify the process for every employee around the world. Justworks offers simple, straightforward HR and PEO services for small businesses wanting to provide generous benefits like health and dental insurance and retirement plans. It’s especially easy for companies with fewer than 100 employees, thanks to its intuitive tools and seamless integration with employee benefits such as fitness programs and insurance. Justworks is a solid choice for businesses looking to grow while offering competitive benefits.

From employee benefits and payroll administration to taxes and compliance with dynamic HR regulations, you have a lot to think about. PEO services take a lot of the burden of HR, employee and benefits administration, and more off of your organization’s plate. We looked into many providers of PEO and came away from our research knowing that Rippling is the best PEO company for most businesses. Their customizable suite of offerings and commitment to technology will not only cover a lot of your HR bases but improve them.

Operating out of Portland, Oregon, Xenium HR distinguishes itself in the PEO space with a strong emphasis on aligning its services with the values and culture of its client businesses. This approach is particularly evident in their commitment to understanding and integrating into the unique ecosystems of their partners. Xenium HR’s dedication to fostering environments that value people and culture resonates well with businesses that hold these elements at the core of their operational philosophy. Syndeo’s dedication to delivering customized HR services makes them a valuable partner for businesses looking to optimize their HR functions.