Is Justworks still working for you, or just working against you?
Many small business owners turn to Justworks for comprehensive, all-in-one HR solutions. But dig a little deeper, and cracks start to show.
If you’ve ever considered using this tool or wondered if there’s a better way to manage your team, this article's for you.
What is the Justworks PEO & HR software?
Justworks is a New York City-based professional employer organization (PEO) founded in 2012 by Isaac Oates.
The company provides HR infrastructure for small to mid-sized businesses, bundling services such as:
- payroll,
- benefits administration,
- compliance support,
- and employee onboarding into a single software platform.
What sets Justworks apart is its PEO model combined with IRS-certified status, which allows it to legally co-employ client teams - a structure that lets small businesses offer corporate-level benefits (like health insurance, disability insurance, and commuter benefits) usually reserved for larger enterprises.
In addition to its U.S. services, Justworks has expanded to offer Global EOR (Employer of Record) solutions for hiring international employees without setting up local entities.
Justworks HR tools & features overview
We researched Justworks’ offering deeper, and here’s what we found on their website:
All-in-one HR platform
Justworks offers an integrated dashboard that supports payroll processing, benefits access, expense management, and employee onboarding in one place. This is pitched as a scalable solution for small business owners managing both in-office and remote teams.
Process payroll & contractor payments
The platform supports both employee and contractor payroll. Features include automated direct deposits, tax filing, W-2 and 1099 generation, and support for over 2,000 tax localities. In 2023, Justworks processed $25.6 billion in payroll and issued over 240,000 W-2s.
Employee benefits administration, e.g. health insurance
Through its PEO model, Justworks gives companies access to large-group health insurance, vision insurance, disability insurance, retirement plans, and commuter benefits. These benefits are typically harder for smaller businesses to negotiate independently.
Payroll compliance support & risk mitigation
The tool helps businesses stay compliant with federal, state, and even local employment laws. This includes multi-state compliance, built-in HR templates, and features aimed at simplifying labor law updates, wage notices, and leave policies.
Time tracking & expense management
Justworks includes integrated time tracking, so employees can clock in/out, record hours, and track paid time off. Expense management tools are also available, with add-ons to manage reimbursements and categorize spend for accounting.
Human support & customer service
The company promotes 24/7 expert support, emphasizing access to a real human - not just automated help. Support includes guidance on onboarding new hires, navigating benefits questions, and resolving payroll issues. Customer reviews frequently highlight excellent customer service as a key strength.
Justworks pricing analysis
Justworks offers a tiered pricing model designed for small to mid-sized businesses looking to process payroll, manage HR tasks, and access employee benefits.
The plans scale based on the services included, with a separate base fee for basic payroll and options for more comprehensive HR and benefits packages.
Pricing tiers:
Payroll plan
- $8/month per employee
- $50/month base fee
- Offers basic payroll processing, HR tools, and access to time tracking (additional fee).
- Intended for businesses that only need payroll and light HR support.
PEO Basic
- $79/month per employee
- Includes payroll, HR consulting, compliance support, 401(k) access, and 24/7 human support.
- Designed to simplify compliance while offering foundational benefits administration.
PEO Plus (most popular)
- $109/month per employee
- Adds health insurance administration, HSA/FSA accounts, mental health and fertility benefits, and expanded HR tools to the Basic tier.
- Aimed at small teams that want a more complete HR infrastructure.
EOR (Employer of Record)
- $599/month per international employee
- For companies hiring full-time staff outside the U.S.
- Includes global compliance, hiring, and HR support without needing to establish a local entity.
Add-ons:
Justworks also offers optional add-ons including:
- Time tracking: $8/month per employee
- International contractor payments: $39/month per paid contractor
- Payroll + health insurance: $8/month per benefits-eligible employee
Our observations
Potential advantage:
Justworks’ pricing is transparent and fixed per employee, which can give entrepreneurs and small business owners more predictability when budgeting for HR and payroll costs. There are no implementation fees, which may be helpful for newer teams trying to level the playing field.
Potential drawback:
At $79–$109/month per employee, the PEO plans may represent a high ongoing cost for early-stage businesses or startups that don’t yet need full-service HR or performance management tools. It may only make sense financially once teams grow past a certain threshold.
Another potential drawback:
The base Payroll plan requires additional fees for health insurance access and time tracking, which could be frustrating for teams who want more out-of-the-box functionality. If you're looking to focus on simplicity, you may need to evaluate if layering add-ons fits your operational needs or adds unnecessary complexity.
Do users recommend Justworks? Pros and cons
As of June 2025, Justworks has over 1,100 verified reviews on G2, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Here’s a breakdown of the most commonly cited pros and cons based on real user feedback:
Pro: user-friendly interface
Many users praise Justworks for its intuitive platform, especially when compared to other PEO tools.
“Of all the online tools I use… none has a simpler, more obvious interface than Justworks.” - David A., President, E-Learning
“The portal and the customer service – both rock solid. I love the automated payroll and zero paper submissions.” - Verified User, Government Administration
Pro: transparent and predictable pricing
Justworks’ flat per-employee pricing model earns points for clarity, especially among users managing payroll systems and budgets.
“The simple pricing is also a huge plus. No guessing, no gimmicks.” - Francesca L., CFO & COO
“Pricing is much more transparent than most PEO providers.” - Kate N., Director of People Ops
Pro: strong customer support during onboarding
While experiences vary, several users noted receiving responsive help from the Justworks team, especially during early setup.
“The team is amazing - we have gotten amazing support during the setup.” - Felicia G., Small Business User
“We got a payroll problem fixed late one night after hours too.” - Verified User, Government Administration
Con: limited HRIS functionality
Multiple reviewers mention that performance management, onboarding, and reporting tools are basic or lacking.
“There is very little onboarding and reporting functionality.” - Kate N., Director of People Ops
“Justworks is basically a filing cabinet… There are no real guardrails for HR admins.” - Francesca L., CFO & COO
Con: support lacks direct access to specialists
Though support is available 24/7, users report difficulty getting help from actual experts in areas like compliance or tax.
“Your representatives are service/sales people, not experts in payroll, tax, benefits, or compliance.” - Kate N., Director of People Ops
“You cannot directly connect with relevant experts when you need help… I have no confidence that Justworks has staff with deep expertise.” - Same reviewer
Con: missing or underdelivered features
Some users pointed out that certain capabilities are either unavailable or don’t work as promised, causing manual workarounds.
“Employees can’t really e-sign compliance documents like handbooks… You’ll need hard copies or DocuSign.” - Ben C., Co-Founder/COO
“We selected the system because it said it could sync with Outlook calendars. After many support calls, they admitted it’s a known issue.” - Francesca L., CFO & COO
The best Justworks alternative: Unrubble
If you’ve found Justworks helpful in theory but frustrating in practice, you're not alone.
That’s where Unrubble stands out as a fantastic alternative, especially for small business owners focused on speed and usability.
Let’s break it down.
Unrubble is a lightweight, intuitive platform for businesses that want to manage:
- employee time,
- schedules,
- leave,
- and travel (minus the complexity, naturally).
With face-recognition mobile time clocks and timesheets with AI-assisted scheduling, it’s particularly useful for distributed teams or field-based staff.
- No lock-in PEO contracts
- Customizable per-user pricing
- Highly visual, real-time UX
- Made to “fit to your needs, not the other way around”
And best of all?
“It’s the easiest system I’ve ever used… our staff had no problems switching over.” - Verified Reviewer, CEO
Tackling Justworks’ weak spots...
... A.K.A. how Unrubble does that:
Justworks con: limited HRIS features & onboarding tools
Many G2 reviewers point out that Justworks lacks core HR functionality like smooth onboarding and real HR process automation.
Unrubble is purpose-built around essential HR workflow automation - not as a bolt-on, but as the core offering. It includes:
- Real-time timesheets
- Customizable PTO trackers
- Streamlined Employee Self-Service App
- On-the-fly scheduling tools with drag-and-drop functionality.
All designed to reduce admin overhead without sacrificing control.
“Scheduling is a breeze and our office is so much more peaceful without the chaos of paper timesheets.” - Michał K., Marketplace Specialist
Justworks con: surface-level customer support
Several users flagged the inability to access compliance experts or get guided support when navigating complex issues like terminations or benefits transitions.
Our users consistently report responsive and friendly help.
“Customer support is awesome… happy to help even with most trivial things.” - Verified Reviewer, COO
“The support team fixed bugs quickly and stayed communicative the whole time.” - Mateusz P., HR user
While support is currently offered via live chat and email, users feel confident in the speed and quality of answers, a key trust factor for lean teams.
Justworks con: benefits and compliance lapses
Some reviewers described surprises during open enrollment or termination processing, including manual workarounds or unaddressed platform bugs.
We don't promise to be an all-in-one PEO or benefits broker. Instead, we focus on doing fewer things better: time tracking, scheduling, PTO management, and trip logging - all with built-in notifications and visibility for admins and employees alike. Our tool also integrates with popular payroll systems, avoiding the “closed ecosystem” frustration many users face.
“Helps streamline time management and increases staff productivity… made a huge difference to the efficiency of our office.” - Amy T., Faculty Admin Officer
Over to you
Justworks offers an appealing all-in-one HR solution, but its high cost and missing functionality can be limiting for smaller, fast-moving teams.
If your team needs simplicity over complexity and precision over packaging, it might be time to look elsewhere.
Unrubble focuses on getting the core workflows right. It’s intuitive and built to adapt to your team’s pace.
If Justworks feels like more than you need, Unrubble could be exactly right. Try it for free now.
