Human resources (HR) software has become essential for organizations seeking to modernize their workforce management. Today’s businesses expect smart, integrated platforms that bring clarity to HR processes, maintain compliance, and offer centralized control over everything from payroll to benefits. In fact, the market is projected to grow by over $15 billion between 2023 and 2028, driven by rising adoption of digital HR solutions and increased tech investment.

This growth means more advanced, user-friendly tools are becoming accessible to businesses of all sizes. Employee Navigator and TriNet (formerly known as Zenefits) are two leading HR platforms built to fulfill these requirements. Each offers secure data management and a comprehensive set of features to automate key HR processes.

In this comparison of Employee Navigator vs Zenefits, we’ll evaluate their core strengths—including payroll, benefits administration, and integrations—to help you determine which solution best fits your organization’s goals and structure.

Employee Navigator Vs Zenefits: At A Glance

Feature

Employee Navigator

Zenefits

Benefit Administration

Self-service enrollment, automated compliance tracking

Various wellness programs and retirement plans

Payroll

SSO access, payroll integration

Built-in payroll with tax filing and calculations

Reporting And Analytics

ACA eligibility tracking and filings

Custom workforce reports and metrics

Time Tracking

Automated accrual tracking and real-time balance updates

Custom tracking rules and labor law compliance

Integrations

Real-time sync with 400+ partners

API access, ATS, and accounting tools

Pricing

Starting from $630/month

Customized pricing based on business requirements

What Is Employee Navigator?

Employee Navigator is an HR platform that simplifies benefits administration, time management, and compliance for insurance brokers, employers, and employees. It is built to ease administrative tasks and strengthen compliance efforts, offering a flexible solution well-suited for small to mid-sized businesses aiming to streamline their HR processes.

Since its launch, it has supported over 5,000 brokers, partnered with more than 400 integrated providers, and served 170,000+ companies nationwide.

 Standout Features

  • New Hire Onboarding: Streamlines the onboarding experience with customizable checklists and a centralized portal, allowing new hires to complete required documentation, enroll in benefits, and access essential company resources efficiently
  • Data Security: With enterprise-level security protocols, including encryption and adherence to standards like SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and CCPA, it ensures safe handling and storage of sensitive employee data
  • Employee Self-Service: Employees can take control of their information through an intuitive portal that enables them to update personal details, enroll in benefits, view pay stubs, and retrieve key documents
  • HR Management: Consolidates employee records and documentation in one place. It also provides self-service capabilities that allow employees to update personal details, submit time-off requests, and access company resources

Pros And Cons

Pros

  • The software streamlines benefits enrollment for all users
  • Strong integration with carriers and smooth handling of multiple payrolls
  • High-quality on-demand training resources for quick reference and new builds

Cons

  • Navigational challenges for specific benefits
  • Difficulty in setting up employer contributions

What Is Zenefits?

Zenefits, now known as TriNet, is a professional employer organization (PEO) offering comprehensive HR solutions tailored for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The software provides a wide range of services, including payroll processing, benefits administration, risk management, and compliance support, all through a unified platform.

TriNet is designed to streamline administrative tasks, enhance compliance, and provide businesses with the necessary tools to manage their workforce effectively.

Standout Features

  • Performance Management: Offers features for tracking employee goals, gathering real-time feedback, and conducting performance reviews. Customizable templates and real-time data syncing improve the performance evaluation process
  • Compliance: Helps businesses stay compliant with employment laws and regulations by automating compliance tasks. The platform provides tools for managing documents, monitoring compliance metrics, and reducing employment-related risks
  • Expense Management: Zenefits provides expense management services that help businesses track and manage employee expenses, reducing manual data entry and streamlining approval workflows
  • Talent And Organizational Consulting: Offers tools and strategic insights for organizational development, helping businesses align their HR practices with industry trends to build strong, high-performing teams

Pros And Cons

Pros

  • Intuitive platform with simple navigation
  • Saves time by simplifying essential HR tasks
  • Convenient access to paychecks and tax forms

Cons

  • Vacation request process is not intuitive
  • Inconvenient login requirements reduce user efficiency

Employee Navigator Vs Zenefits: Key Feature Comparison

Benefit Administration

Employee Navigator offers a robust benefit administration feature designed specifically for employers to manage employee benefits efficiently. The system supports the administration of medical, dental, and life insurance plans, with key features including self-service enrollment and automated compliance tracking. Employers also benefit from tools that help track enrollment progress, manage deadlines, and store important plan documents, accessible through a clean, user-friendly interface.

Users appreciate its user-friendly benefits administration system, which can be customized to create an informative and engaging experience for employees. However, careful attention is required during the setup of certain plans, such as short-term and long-term disability and life insurance, to ensure accuracy and proper configuration.

Zenefits provides a comprehensive benefits administration solution as part of its broader PEO services. The platform gives employees access to a variety of benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans, and wellness programs, all managed through a guided enrollment process and mobile app. Employers can manage benefits on their own, with a current broker, or through a TriNet-recommended broker, offering flexibility to fit a range of business models.

Winner: This section ends with a draw, as both platforms deliver powerful benefits administration tools tailored to simplify HR workflows.

Payroll

Employee Navigator provides a powerful payroll integration solution, including ADP, Paychex, and Paylocity. This assists businesses in improving data accuracy and eliminating the manual data entry process. The platform also supports single sign-on (SSO), enabling employees to easily access both payroll and benefits information from one place.

Zenefits offers a comprehensive payroll solution that manages every aspect of payroll, from direct deposits to contractor payments and compensation statements. The platform also handles payroll tax calculations and filings across federal, state, and local levels, while providing electronic W-2 preparation and distribution. Employees can view pay stubs and request time off through a mobile app, enhancing usability and convenience.

Winner: Zenefits takes the lead with its fully managed payroll solution that handles complex payroll tasks.

Reporting And Analytics

Employee Navigator delivers a full-featured ACA reporting solution tailored to help businesses stay compliant with ease. The platform includes tools for tracking employee eligibility using the Look-Back Measurement Method, setting up measurement and stability periods, and importing hours effortlessly. Additionally, it supports the creation and electronic submission of 1094-C and 1095-C forms, using either existing enrollment data or imported files.

Zenefits ‘Workforce Analytics’ tool offers businesses a deeper understanding of their HR data through both standard and customizable reports. It covers key workforce metrics such as turnover rates, compensation trends, and headcount fluctuations.

Winner: When it comes to ACA compliance and reporting, Employee Navigator clearly leads. Its specialized features for eligibility tracking, form generation, and electronic filing provide businesses with a reliable, streamlined approach to meeting ACA requirements.

Time Tracking

Employee Navigator offers a user-friendly time off tracking system designed to streamline the leave management process for HR teams, managers, and employees. The software’s centralized dashboard allows users to view schedules, request time off, and manage approvals with ease. Key features include configurable company policies, automated accrual tracking, and real-time balance updates.

Zenefits delivers a full-featured time and attendance platform as part of its integrated HR suite. Employees can clock in and out through multiple channels, including desktop and mobile devices. With built-in compliance tools and flexible settings, the system provides real-time attendance data, customizable time entry rules, and alignment with state and local labor laws. Managers can apply custom tracking rules and monitor activity with IP-based oversight.

Winner: Zenefits emerges as the winner due to its comprehensive time-tracking features.

Integrations

Employee Navigator features a robust integration designed to simplify HR and benefits administration through real-time connectivity with over 400 partners, such as isolved HCM and Paylocity HR & Payroll. This wide range of integrations enables businesses to automate benefits enrollment, synchronize payroll deductions, and eliminate manual data entry.

Zenefits offers businesses various integrations with widely used accounting platforms like QuickBooks and Xero Accounting Solution, as well as applicant tracking tools like Lever ATS and identity providers like Okta. For more specialized needs, businesses can leverage TriNet’s API to create custom integrations.

Winner: Employee Navigator wins this section due to its wide range of integrations.

Aligning Your Business Needs With The Right HR Solution

After reviewing both workforce management software in detail, it’s clear that Employee Navigator and TriNet each offer advanced HR capabilities tailored to different business needs. While both streamline key functions like payroll, benefits, and compliance, selecting the right platform depends on factors such as your organization's size, integration needs, and level of administrative support required.

Employee Navigator is a strong choice for companies seeking extensive benefits administration and integration flexibility. Meanwhile, Zenefits stands out for its time tracking, payroll, and benefit administration, making it particularly valuable for growing businesses that prefer to offload HR complexities to a trusted partner.