Zenefits Alternatives for Small Business: Why Teams Choose Updoot
If you are searching for Zenefits alternatives, there is a good chance you already know the reason: Zenefits, as a standalone product, does not really exist to buy anymore. TriNet acquired Zenefits in 2021, and as of 2025 the self-serve HRIS plan has been discontinued. New customers cannot sign up for Zenefits directly, and existing customers are being migrated to a tier called TriNet HR Plus, sometimes with steep renewal increases.
This guide covers what actually happened to Zenefits, what TriNet HR Plus costs compared to what Zenefits used to cost, and why small businesses evaluating a replacement are increasingly landing on Updoot instead.
Quick Answer
Zenefits has been discontinued as a standalone product. It was acquired by TriNet and folded into "TriNet HR Plus," which has no published pricing and requires a sales quote. Updoot is a flat $5 per user per month with transparent, published pricing and includes HR, payroll, time tracking, and project management in one login, no forced migration and no sales call required to see the price.
Key Takeaways
- Zenefits was acquired by TriNet in 2021 and the standalone HRIS-only plan was discontinued starting January 2025.
- New customers cannot sign up for Zenefits directly; the product is now sold as TriNet HR Plus.
- TriNet HR Plus pricing is not published; it requires contacting sales, and some existing Zenefits customers report renewal increases of 200 percent to 1000 percent.
- Historical Zenefits pricing (Essentials, Growth, Zen tiers) ran roughly $8 to $21 per employee per month, but that rate card no longer applies.
- Updoot is a flat, published $5 per user per month with no quote required and no forced tier migration.
Table of Contents
What Actually Happened to Zenefits
Zenefits was one of the original cloud HR platforms, known for a simple, self-serve HRIS with benefits administration built in. TriNet acquired the company in late 2021. Through 2024, TriNet gradually restructured the product, and by January 2025 it discontinued the standalone Zenefits HRIS-only plan entirely, replacing the familiar Essentials, Growth, and Zen tiers with a service called TriNet HR Plus. Reporting on the transition described significant internal layoffs on the Zenefits sales team and a sunset timeline for existing standalone customers that moved faster than typical for a product wind-down.
Practically, this means two things for anyone searching for Zenefits today. First, you cannot sign up for the product you may have researched or used before; new customers go through TriNet's HR Plus sales process instead. Second, current Zenefits customers are being pushed toward HR Plus or a full TriNet PEO, and multiple sources report those renewals coming in far above legacy Zenefits pricing.
Common Complaints From Affected Customers
No published pricing anymore
Legacy Zenefits pricing was refreshingly transparent for HR software: three tiers, clearly listed. TriNet HR Plus pricing is not published anywhere and requires a direct sales conversation, which removes the ability to comparison shop before committing time to a sales process.
Reported renewal increases
Multiple review sites and forum reports describe existing Zenefits customers facing renewal quotes substantially higher than what they were paying, with some accounts describing increases in the range of 200 percent to 1000 percent as they are moved onto HR Plus or PEO pricing.
A forced timeline, not a choice
Customers on the standalone HRIS plan are not being offered an indefinite grandfathered rate. Reports describe a sunset timeline pushing existing customers toward a decision faster than a typical multi-year product wind-down would allow.
Zenefits (Legacy) vs Updoot: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Zenefits / TriNet HR Plus | Updoot |
|---|---|---|
| Can new customers sign up directly? | No, standalone plan discontinued | Yes |
| Published pricing | No, quote only | Yes, $5/user/mo flat |
| HRIS / employee records | Included | Included |
| Time tracking | Included | Included |
| Payroll | Add-on / higher tier | Included |
| Project management | Not offered | Included |
| SOPs / process documentation | Not offered | Included |
| Performance reviews | Growth tier and up (legacy) | Included |
| Migration risk | Existing customers being forced onto new pricing | Not applicable |
Pricing Snapshot
Legacy Zenefits pricing, before the 2025 restructuring, ran three tiers: Essentials at roughly $8 per employee per month, Growth at roughly $16, and Zen at roughly $21, with payroll typically an additional add-on around $6 per employee per month. That rate card no longer applies. As of 2026, TriNet HR Plus pricing is not published on any official page; the FAQ confirms it bills per employee per month with no stated employee minimum, but the actual rate requires a sales conversation, and G2 data suggests roughly a 14 percent average negotiated discount off whatever quote is given, with no visible starting point to negotiate against.
Updoot is a flat $5 per user per month, published on the pricing page with no sales call required, and that price includes HR records, time tracking, payroll, project management, SOPs, and performance reviews.
Other Zenefits Alternatives Worth Knowing
Gusto is a common pick for very small, single-location businesses that want simple self-service payroll, though multi-state payroll and deeper reporting push into higher tiers. BambooHR and Netchex are also frequently shortlisted, particularly for hourly or multi-location workforces that need native time and attendance built in. None of these bundle project management or SOPs the way Updoot does, which matters if HR and operations are being run by the same small team.
How to Switch Before Your Forced Migration
1. Export your employee records now
If you are a current Zenefits customer, export employee records, benefits elections, and historical payroll data before any forced migration deadline, since the transition timeline has reportedly moved faster than typical for other HR platform sunsets.
2. Get your TriNet quote in writing before deciding
Since HR Plus pricing is not published, get the actual quoted number in writing and compare it directly against what you were paying on legacy Zenefits before agreeing to anything.
3. Set up Updoot in parallel
Because Updoot's pricing is flat and published, you can model your exact cost before switching, then move employee records and time tracking over without waiting on a sales negotiation.
Who Updoot Fits Best
Updoot fits small businesses, particularly those currently on legacy Zenefits facing a forced migration, that want transparent, published pricing and do not want to negotiate blind against an unknown starting quote. It also fits teams that want project management, SOPs, and performance reviews alongside HR and payroll rather than as a separate purchase. If a business genuinely needs full PEO co-employment services, Updoot is not a PEO and that is a different category of product entirely.
See pricing without a sales call
Updoot's $5-per-user price is published, flat, and includes HR, payroll, time tracking, and project management.
Start Free TodayFrequently Asked Questions
No, not as a standalone product. TriNet acquired Zenefits in 2021 and discontinued the self-serve HRIS-only plan starting January 2025. New customers now go through TriNet's HR Plus sales process instead of signing up for Zenefits directly.
Existing Zenefits customers are being migrated to TriNet HR Plus or a full TriNet PEO plan. Multiple sources report renewal quotes substantially above legacy Zenefits pricing, with some accounts describing increases in the range of 200 percent to 1000 percent.
TriNet HR Plus pricing is not published. It bills per employee per month with no stated employee minimum according to TriNet's FAQ, but the actual rate requires contacting TriNet's sales team directly for a quote.
Updoot is a flat, published $5 per user per month with no sales call required. Legacy Zenefits pricing ran roughly $8 to $21 per employee per month depending on tier, but that rate card no longer applies since the product was discontinued and folded into unpublished TriNet HR Plus pricing.
Most searches for Zenefits alternatives in 2026 come from existing customers facing a forced migration to TriNet HR Plus, or people who researched Zenefits previously and discovered new signups are no longer available. Both situations create urgency to find a platform with transparent, published pricing.