Is TriNet an Employer of Record?

TriNet is primarily a US PEO, not a native global EOR. Its international EOR (TriNet Global) is delivered through third-party partners, G-P and Multiplier, per TriNet's own site. For international hires the legal employer is the partner, not TriNet.

What does TriNet Global cost?

TriNet does not publish list pricing for PEO or global EOR. All pricing is custom-quoted via a three-step process. Add-on services are billed separately. Ask for a written quote and FX terms before signing.

Does Teamed do US payroll or US PEO?

Teamed is a global EOR, not a US PEO. It can employ US workers via EOR but does not offer US co-employment, group benefits buying power, or the US PEO credentials TriNet holds. If your primary need is US PEO, TriNet is the stronger fit.

Is Teamed cheaper than TriNet?

We can't compare directly because TriNet doesn't publish list pricing. Teamed publishes $599 flat with FX absorbed at zero markup. We don't claim to be cheapest. Teamed's $599 is the full cost of the employment relationship on the fee line.

How does Teamed handle in-country legal compliance?

In three published layers: Teamed's own entities in 57 countries, DLA Piper as global counsel for cross-border consistency, and the best in-country partners on top where needed. Teamed shows which model stands behind each country.

Can I switch from TriNet Global to Teamed?

Yes. Most EOR contracts are month-to-month or 30 to 90-day notice. The main change is a direct contract with your EOR: Teamed's own entity employs in 57 countries, with Teamed-managed partners elsewhere, instead of TriNet reselling a third-party EOR. Teamed runs phased cutovers. Most complete in four to six weeks.

When should I set up my own entity instead of using an EOR?

Below roughly 10 to 15 full-time employees in most markets, EOR stays simpler. Above that the per-seat fee approaches fixed entity costs. The crossover is country-specific. Teamed models it per country and helps you set up your own entity via GEMO in 100+ countries with no re-onboarding.

Teamed vs TriNet

Teamed vs TriNet, scored on the dimensions a buyer weighs

These are different products. TriNet is a mature US PEO and HRIS: it co-employs US workers and bundles payroll and large-group benefits. Its international EOR is a bolt-on delivered by third-party partners, G-P and Multiplier, not TriNet-owned entities. Teamed is a native global EOR: contractor to EOR to your own entity on one system, at $599 flat with FX absorbed at zero markup, real HR and legal experts on every plan, and a path to your own managed entity. Choose on whether your hiring is mainly US-based or genuinely global.

Talk to an expert

1,000+ growing companies advised

$599
Teamed flat fee per employee per month, FX absorbed at zero markup. TriNet does not publish EOR list pricing.: 4.8
Teamed G2 rating for service. Real HR and legal experts on every plan.: 100+
Your own entity via Global Entity and Employment Operations (GEMO), on the same system with no re-onboarding.

Last reviewed 22 July 2026By Tom Price-Daniel, Co-founder, Teamed

Disclosure

Teamed produced this comparison and is one of the two providers in it. We score what a buyer actually weighs, and we name where TriNet leads: US PEO depth, large-group benefits buying power, US-market scale, and certifications in hand. If your business is primarily US-based and needs a mature US PEO, TriNet is the stronger answer, and we say so. We don't claim to be the cheapest, and we don't claim to win every column.

Teamed vs TriNet: which is right for a company hiring internationally?

The short version

Compare the all-in cost, not a sticker. TriNet doesn't publish list pricing for PEO or global EOR, and bills add-ons separately. Teamed publishes a flat $599 and itemises every line.
Teamed is a native global EOR: contractor to EOR to your own entity on one system, connecting to the HRIS you already run. TriNet is a US PEO whose international EOR is delivered by third-party partners.
You reach a real HR or legal expert when it matters. Not a chatbot, not a ticket queue.
Whatever you start with, contractor, EOR or your own entity, Teamed advises you on the model that fits, and tells you when to change.

At a glance

Teamed

Rated 4.8 on G2

Best for: fast-growing companies with an international footprint that want transparent pricing, a real HR or legal expert on every plan, a native global EOR, and a path to their own managed entity.

TriNet

Rated 4.0 on G2 (seller aggregate across TriNet products)

Best for: US-headquartered companies that are primarily US-based and want a single PEO vendor for US benefits, payroll and compliance, with optional international coverage through a partner.

Shared by both: mixed owned-entity and partner networks for international coverage · contractor and employee support · human support positioning

Where it matters	Who leads	Why
Cost clarity	Teamed	Teamed publishes $599 flat per employee per month, with FX absorbed at zero markup and the applied rate shown against the mid-market reference. TriNet publishes no list pricing for PEO or global EOR, quotes everything through a three-step process with a minimum worksite-employee count, and bills add-on services separately. You see Teamed's whole number before a sales call.
Support	Teamed	Teamed puts real HR and legal experts on every plan, with no support tier to unlock and no queue as the default first response. For TriNet international, frontline delivery runs through its third-party EOR partner, which adds a coordination layer between your question and the person responsible for the answer.
Platform and HRIS fit	Draw	Two products, two buyers. TriNet is a full HRIS built around US co-employment, which suits a US-centric team wanting one system. Teamed is a focused global employment platform that connects to the HRIS and payroll you already run. The better fit depends on where your complexity sits.
Employment intelligence	Teamed	Teamed runs Ted, an AI layer inside the platform. It handles the routine, so you're seen fast. It learns from patterns across customers, so a problem solved once is solved for everyone. It flags law changes and the crossover point before they reach you. Real people approve every outcome. TriNet doesn't frame this as a capability.
Compliance and in-country coverage	Teamed	Teamed is the legal employer through its own entities in 57 countries, with DLA Piper as global counsel and the best in-country partners on top, and it publishes which countries are owned versus partner. TriNet's international EOR is delivered by third-party partners, its own site names G-P and Multiplier, so for international hires the legal employer is the partner, not TriNet.
Coverage breadth	Draw	Teamed reaches 187+ countries via 57 owned entities plus vetted in-country partners. TriNet Global markets 150-plus, delivered through its EOR partners. The totals are close enough that they shouldn't decide it. What matters is the delivery model behind the countries you actually hire in.
Security and certifications	TriNet	TriNet is a large, established provider that holds security certifications today. Teamed is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 aligned, with accreditation in progress, so the certificate isn't issued yet. If your review needs the badge in hand, TriNet leads here. Ask both for current reports and dates.
Onboarding speed	Teamed	Teamed publishes 24 to 48 hours to first payroll in straightforward markets. TriNet is quote-led, with onboarding through a three-step process and no published time to first payroll. Ask both for time to first payroll in your countries. It varies by jurisdiction more than by vendor.
Path to your own entity	Teamed	Teamed advises you on the right model wherever you start, models the crossover per country, then builds and runs your own entity via GEMO in 100+ countries on the same system with no re-onboarding. TriNet does not publish an entity-establishment service for international markets.
US PEO depth and benefits buying power	TriNet	TriNet is a mature US PEO for US worksite employees, with established co-employment credentials and large-group benefits buying power that a pure EOR cannot match. Teamed does not offer a US PEO model.
US brand, scale and market maturity	TriNet	TriNet is a large, well-recognised US PEO with a long track record and a substantial US customer base. Teamed is focused on global EOR rather than US PEO scale.

Teamed on G2

Who Teamed is for

Teamed is built for fast-growing companies with an international footprint that want a native EOR relationship, a readable invoice, a real HR or legal expert on every plan, and an EOR that plays nicely with the HRIS they already run. If you're mainly a US employer adding a handful of international hires, TriNet's bundled US-plus-international model may suit you. If international hiring is a material part of your growth plan, a native global EOR purpose-built for that is the stronger starting point.

Not the right fit if

Teams that are primarily US-based and need US co-employment. Look at TriNet itself. Its US PEO gives small and mid-sized US employers large-group benefits buying power and mature US payroll and compliance that a pure EOR cannot match.
Large enterprises scaling globally at 1,000-plus seats. G-P or Papaya Global have the widest owned-entity footprint and enterprise governance at that scale. Ask each for their owned-versus-partner split in your key markets.
Teams that want one system for all of US HR, payroll and benefits. TriNet's full HRIS consolidates US co-employment in one place. Teamed connects to the HRIS you already run rather than replacing it, so it fits better when your complexity is international.

Find your pick in 20 seconds

If you are…	Start with	Why
A US-headquartered company primarily hiring US workers with a few international exceptions	TriNet	Deep US PEO capabilities with large-group benefits and compliance, international covered via partner.
A 1,000-plus seat enterprise scaling internationally	G-P or Papaya Global	Widest owned-entity footprint and enterprise governance at scale.
Chasing the lowest possible price above all else	Native Teams	Lowest published base rate. Verify service and compliance depth, and the deposit and exit terms, before signing.
Fast-growing internationally, want transparency, a human, and an entity path	Teamed	Readable invoice, real experts on every plan, your own managed entity when you are ready.

What is the Teamed vs TriNet comparison?

An Employer of Record (EOR) legally employs your people in a country through its own entity or a vetted local partner. It issues the contract, runs payroll, remits income tax and statutory contributions, and carries the obligations of the local employer while you direct the day-to-day work. You can hire compliantly in a market before you have a legal entity there.

TriNet is primarily a US Professional Employer Organisation (PEO) and HRIS: it co-employs US worksite employees and bundles payroll, benefits administration, workers' comp and HR compliance on one platform. Its international EOR capability is a bolt-on delivered through third-party partners. TriNet's own site names leading EORs, G-P and Multiplier, and the TriNet Global product carries 'Powered by Multiplier', so for international hires the legal employer is the partner, not TriNet, and TriNet owns few or no foreign entities.

Teamed is a native global EOR, purpose-built for international hiring, with its own legal entities in 57 countries and a vetted in-country partner network reaching 187+ countries. Teamed publishes which of those countries are served by an owned entity versus a vetted local partner, so you can check your specific markets. It is a focused global employment platform, contractor to EOR to your own entity on one stack, connecting to the tools you already run rather than replacing them.

The two are built for different buyers. The comparison turns on three questions: whether your hiring is mainly US-based or genuinely global, whether you can see the pricing and FX terms before a sales call, and whether international employment edge cases are handled by your provider's own HR and legal experts or mediated through a partner. If your core need is US co-employment, TriNet is the stronger answer. If it is global employment run properly by people you can reach, that is what Teamed is for.

Cost clarity: can you see the number before you sign?

Teamed publishes $599 per employee per month on its pricing page: a flat fee with FX absorbed at zero markup and the applied rate shown against the mid-market reference. TriNet publishes no list pricing for PEO or global EOR. The TriNet pricing page describes a three-step quote process, an annual agreement, and a minimum worksite-employee count, and add-on services are billed separately. The point isn't a lower price. It's that you can see the whole number before a sales conversation.

Detail	Teamed	TriNet
EOR list price	$599 USD / £479 GBP per employee per month, flat. Published on teamed.global/pricing.	Not published. TriNet does not disclose list pricing for PEO or global EOR. A three-step quote process is required.
FX on salary conversions	Zero markup. Applied rate shown against the mid-market reference on every invoice.	Not published. TriNet states it pays in 120+ currencies but discloses no FX rate or markup. Delivery is via its EOR partners.
What sits around the fee	Every line itemised. No onboarding or offboarding fees. A refundable deposit of one month of salary applies, standard for EOR. No annual commitment, though an early-exit fee may apply within the first three months.	Add-on services billed separately, per the TriNet pricing page. Background checks, training and certain compliance services are listed as extra-cost items, so the full cost is only visible after a quote.

See the whole number

Model both on the same basis before you decide. On a cross-currency hire, the currency-conversion spread is a real cost that may not appear as a named line on the invoice. Ask any provider to show the applied FX rate in writing, against the mid-market reference, before you sign.

Support when it matters

Both TriNet and Teamed market human-led support. The difference is the accountability chain for international cases. With Teamed you reach a real HR or legal expert directly on every plan, with no support tier to unlock. TriNet's international support runs through its EOR partner relationship, which adds a coordination layer between your question and the person responsible for the answer. Behind the people sits Ted, Teamed's AI layer: it handles the routine so you're seen fast and flags issues before they land, and a real person approves every outcome.

Detail	Teamed	TriNet
Who handles an international case	Teamed's own HR and legal experts, directly, in countries where Teamed operates an owned entity, and its managed in-country partner elsewhere.	Coordinated through the third-party EOR partner. TriNet markets '24/7 human support' for global, but frontline delivery depends on its partner.
Support model on every plan	Direct access to real HR and legal experts on all plans. No support tier to unlock. A real person, not a queue.	TriNet markets 'dedicated support teams' globally. Plan-level tiers are not published for international EOR.
What the system does for you	Ted handles the routine, learns from patterns across customers, and flags law changes and the crossover point early. People approve every outcome.	Responsive support marketed, but reactive by design and partner-mediated for international matters.
Service rating	Rated 4.8 on G2 for service.	Rated 4.0 on G2 as a seller aggregate across all TriNet products. This is not a dedicated EOR product score.

On a hard case

The test isn't the average ticket. It's the contested exit or the audit. Ask both whether that goes to a real HR or legal expert who owns your account, or into a partner-mediated ticket.

Platform and HRIS fit

This is a draw because the two products serve different buyers. TriNet is a full HRIS built around US co-employment: payroll, benefits admin, onboarding, compliance and HR tech in one place. If you want US-plus-international from one vendor and your complexity sits mainly in the US, that consolidated view is genuinely useful. Teamed is a focused global employment platform, contractor to EOR to your own entity on one system, and it connects to the tools you already run rather than asking you to move into a new one. Focused is the design, not a gap.

Detail	Teamed	TriNet
Shape	Focused global employment platform. Connects to the HRIS and payroll you already run rather than replacing them.	Full HRIS platform. Positions as the single system for US co-employed workers and manages international alongside it.
Best fit	When you want global employment run properly alongside the stack you already run.	When you want one system for a US-centric team, with international handled through a partner.
Self-serve and onboarding	Advisory-led. Lighter self-serve, built to support your team rather than replace your tools.	Sales and quote-led. No self-serve pricing. Onboarding via a three-step quote process.

Name the systems you run

Teamed integrates with the tools you already use rather than replacing them. Tell both your stack, and ask what connects today, not what is on a roadmap.

Compliance and in-country coverage

Every EOR runs on a mix of owned entities and in-country partners. What differs is whether you can see the structure, and who is the legal employer. Teamed is the legal employer through its own entities in 57 countries, with DLA Piper as global counsel holding a consistent standard across borders, and the best in-country partners on top where a jurisdiction needs them. It publishes which countries are owned versus partner. TriNet's international EOR is delivered by third-party partners, its own site names G-P and Multiplier, so for international hires the legal employer is the partner, not TriNet, and TriNet does not publish an owned-versus-partner country split.

Detail	Teamed	TriNet
Who is the legal employer internationally	Teamed, via its own entity in 57 countries or a vetted in-country partner elsewhere.	A third-party EOR partner (G-P and/or Multiplier), not TriNet. TriNet's own pages label the global service 'Powered by Multiplier'.
How compliance is delivered	Own entities in 57 countries, DLA Piper as global counsel, best in-country partners on top. The structure is published per country.	Delivered wholesale through its EOR partners. The owned-versus-partner structure is not published.
Depth on the hard cases	Real HR and legal experts with local employment-law experience handle contested terminations, consultations and audits directly.	Country-specific compliance runs through the partner relationship. Ask who stands behind a contested case in your key markets.

Ask what's behind the flag

A coverage map is a list of countries. For each one you hire in, ask whether the employer is an entity the provider owns or an in-country partner, and who tells you when the law changes. When India's Labour Codes redefined what counts as wages, Teamed identified every affected client and quantified the take-home impact before the first affected payroll ran.

Read the India case file

US PEO: where TriNet clearly leads

TriNet's core product is US co-employment, and it is strong at it. It is an established, credentialed US PEO that gives small and mid-sized US companies access to large-group benefit plans a pure EOR cannot match. If your company is mostly US-based and you want one vendor for US payroll, benefits administration, workers' comp and HR compliance, TriNet is the established name in that space. Teamed does not compete in the US PEO market, and we say so.

Detail	Teamed	TriNet
US co-employment model	Teamed is not a US PEO. US workers can be employed through Teamed via EOR, but Teamed does not offer the co-employment or benefits buying power of a US PEO.	Core product. Established US co-employment credentials (ESAC-accredited, IRS-certified CPEO). Mature US payroll, benefits admin, workers' comp and HR compliance.
US benefits buying power	Not applicable to Teamed. Teamed arranges local statutory plus supplementary benefits per country.	Access to large-group benefit plans for small and mid-sized US employers. A real advantage for US-centric companies.
US compliance track record	Not a US PEO. Teamed operates a US entity and offers US EOR, but US co-employment at scale is TriNet territory.	Deep US employment-law expertise, state-by-state coverage, and a long track record.

The honest call

If you are a 100-person US company with two hires in one European market and one in Canada, TriNet's model, US PEO plus international partner coverage, may give you one vendor relationship rather than two. Ask whether the partner coverage in your international markets is adequate for your hiring complexity before committing.

The path to your own entity

EOR is a stage, not the destination. When your headcount in a country grows, the per-seat EOR fee can approach the fixed cost of running your own legal entity there. Teamed advises you on the right model wherever you start, models the crossover month per country, then sets up your own entity via Global Entity and Employment Operations (GEMO) in 100+ countries on the same system with no re-onboarding, and can keep managing it for you. TriNet's global pages describe hiring models, but entity establishment is not described as a TriNet service for international markets.

Detail	Teamed	TriNet
When to move	Teamed models the crossover month per country and tells you when your own entity beats EOR.	Not a published feature for TriNet Global. Managing workers in a client's existing entity is listed as a model, but setup guidance is not published.
Making the move	GEMO sets up your own legal entity in 100+ countries and runs ongoing employment operations on the same platform.	Not a published international service. TriNet may manage workers in a client's existing entity, but entity formation is not stated as a TriNet offering.
Continuity	Employees move from EOR to GEMO on the same system. No re-onboarding, no gap in payroll or benefits coverage.	Transition path not documented for international workers moving from partner EOR to a client-owned entity.

Ask before you sign

Ask whether your provider will tell you when to move to your own entity, and whether it can build and run it on the same system. Advice you get before you need it beats a guide you find afterward.

Why the comparison matters

Behind every line item is a real person, in a real place.

The fee, the FX and the support model are not abstractions. They decide whether the person you hired in Barcelona or Rome is paid right, on time, by someone who knows their employment law. That is the comparison worth running.

What each stakeholder evaluates

Criterion	Legal	Finance	People Ops	Security
Who is the legal employer for your international hires?	This is the structural question before any agreement. With Teamed, Teamed is the legal employer via its own entity or a vetted in-country partner. With TriNet Global, the legal employer is a third-party EOR partner ('Powered by Multiplier', with G-P also named on TriNet's site), not TriNet. Liability, indemnities and recourse follow from who holds the employment relationship. Clarify this before you sign.	A partner-delivered EOR means your employment costs flow through two commercial relationships: your contract with TriNet, and TriNet's contract with its EOR partner. In a dispute, the settlement and recourse path involves both. Understand both before you budget for international hiring risk.	Your international employees receive contracts issued by their legal employer, the EOR partner, not TriNet. The payslip, the escalation path and the onboarding experience are partner-sourced. Know what your people's experience will look like before you set expectations.	Ask both providers where employee data is held, under which jurisdiction, and under whose data processing agreement. In a partner model there are two agreements to review, not one.
What you actually pay	Ask for the full cost structure in writing before the agreement is drafted: the fee, any FX methodology and markup, setup fees, minimum terms, offboarding costs, and which services are add-ons billed separately. Teamed publishes $599 flat with FX absorbed at zero markup. TriNet discloses no list pricing and bills add-ons separately.	You cannot build a reliable per-employee international headcount cost model without a published fee and FX policy. Teamed's $599 flat is the full employment cost on the EOR fee line, with the applied rate shown against the mid-market reference. Get TriNet's cost structure in writing before you model it.	A clean, itemised invoice is good governance for your people budget and easier to explain to your board. Teamed shows FX against the mid-market reference on every invoice. Ask TriNet for the same before signing.	An itemised fee structure, including the FX rate reference, is auditable. A conversion rate with the spread embedded is not. Know what you agreed to pay before the first invoice lands.
Support and the path to your own entity	For routine international hires a partner-delivered EOR works. For edge cases, a contested termination or a complex benefits dispute, the quality of the response depends on whether a real employment-law expert is in the chain or the case is partner-mediated. Teamed has real HR and legal experts with jurisdiction-specific depth. TriNet's international legal depth depends on its EOR partner.	An unresolved dispute in a protected-class termination can cost multiples of the annual EOR fee. The per-seat fee is not the risk; the tail exposure is. Know who handles the hard cases before you have one, and ask whether the provider tells you when your own entity beats EOR.	In markets with strong employee protections, the quality of termination handling and benefits decisions lands on your people, not the vendor. Teamed advises you on the right model wherever you start and can set up your own entity on the same system with no re-onboarding.	A direct escalation path to an expert with jurisdiction-specific depth beats a partner-mediated ticket for employment-data or compliance incidents. Ask both who owns the legal responsibility in your key markets.

How switching from TriNet Global to Teamed works

Most switches take four to six weeks for the operational plan. Teamed runs phased cutovers so overlap is contained and employees don't notice a gap. The key change in this switch is that you contract with your EOR directly: Teamed's own entity employs your people in 57 countries, and elsewhere Teamed manages its vetted in-country partner itself rather than reselling another EOR company.

Step 1
Map your TriNet Global employees
Share the countries and employee records covered under TriNet Global. Teamed maps each hire to the right entity or partner in its own network and builds the cutover plan: notice-period alignment, payroll-calendar sync, benefits continuity.
Step 2
Review the cost structure
Teamed unbundles your current international employment cost line by line: gross salary, statutory at cost, platform fee, FX residual. You see exactly where the numbers land and what the switch changes.
Step 3
Issue new contracts under Teamed
New compliant employment contracts issue under Teamed's own entity or vetted partner. Employees receive their new payslip structure before the first pay cycle, with FX shown against the mid-market reference.
Step 4
Close the TriNet Global relationship
Teamed manages the TriNet termination timeline and keeps you out of a double-billing period. Most EOR contracts are month-to-month or carry a 30 to 90-day notice period. Teamed maps the calendar for the handover.

Dyke Yaxley · UK chartered accountancy

100% audit capacity added. Zero entity setup.

Audit capacity in 2024: +100%
Compliance issues across the engagement: 0
South Africa hires, both retained: 2
Entity setup required: None

Challenge

Dyke Yaxley, a UK chartered accountancy with over a century of history, was turning down audit work in 2024. Local UK talent supply for qualified auditors had not kept pace with client demand. Cross-border hiring felt legally involved for a firm whose brand sits on compliance discipline.

Approach

Dyke Yaxley partnered with Teamed to hire two qualified audit professionals in South Africa via EOR. Teamed handled the South African employment-law side end-to-end: compliant contract, local payroll, statutory tax obligations, and onboarding logistics. No entity setup, no South African legal counsel on retainer, no permanent-establishment exposure.

Result

Both hires exceeded expectations on technical work, client satisfaction, and cultural fit. Audit capacity doubled in 2024. Zero compliance issues across the engagement. The firm went from declining new audit work to confidently taking on additional clients.

Read the full case study →

Interactive tool

Model the true cost of your international employment

Paste your employee headcount and salary mix. The unbundling calculator separates the EOR fee, statutory costs at cost, and any FX residual. Most teams find cost they weren't tracking once the invoice is itemised against the mid-market reference.

Open the unbundling calculator

Decision checklist

Choose Teamed if you want to see the EOR price before a sales call. Teamed is $599 flat per employee per month, with FX absorbed at zero markup and the applied rate shown against the mid-market reference. TriNet does not publish list pricing.
Choose Teamed if you want a direct relationship with your EOR. Teamed's own entities employ in 57 countries, with Teamed-managed vetted partners elsewhere, disclosed per country. TriNet's international EOR is delivered by third-party partners.
Choose Teamed if you want to reach real HR and legal experts on any plan, with Ted handling the routine behind them, rather than a partner-mediated support layer.
Choose Teamed for advice on the right model wherever you start, and a provider that builds your own entity via GEMO on the same system when the time comes.
Choose TriNet if you are primarily a US employer wanting deep US PEO capability, large-group benefits and a single vendor that also covers a handful of international hires through a partner.

Email this to legal

Honest take

When TriNet is the better choice

Choose TriNet if your business is primarily US-based and you need a mature US PEO for payroll, benefits administration and workers' comp. Its established co-employment credentials make it one of the most credentialed US PEO providers, and Teamed does not offer a US PEO model.
Choose TriNet if you want US large-group benefits buying power for a small or mid-sized US workforce. Access to group health, dental and vision plans at favourable rates is a genuine advantage TriNet's scale provides that a pure EOR cannot match.
Choose TriNet if your international hiring is limited to a handful of countries and you want to consolidate US PEO and international into one vendor relationship. For limited international complexity, the convenience of one vendor may outweigh the partner-delivery model.

Teamed leads on cost clarity, native global EOR, in-country compliance you can see, direct human advisory depth for international cases, and the path to your own entity. TriNet leads on US PEO depth, benefits buying power, and US-market scale. A buyer whose core need is US co-employment with only incidental international hiring should seriously evaluate TriNet. We'd rather tell you that than win a deal that's the wrong fit.

Questions to ask any EOR before you sign

1For international hires, is my employment contract issued by TriNet or by a third-party EOR partner, and who is the legal employer of record?
2What deposit or pre-funding do you require, and which setup, offboarding, minimum-term, termination or admin fees are in the contract? Read it line by line before you sign.
3Will you show me the applied FX rate on every salary conversion, in writing, against the mid-market reference?
4In each country I hire in, am I employed through your own entity or an in-country partner, and who handles a contested case?
5Who handles a contested termination or a tax-authority question, and is that your own expert or a third-party partner contact?
6When my own entity becomes the better structure for international hiring, will you tell me, and can you set it up and keep managing it on the same system?
7What are the notice period, exit terms and data-portability terms if I move away?

Frequently asked questions

Is TriNet an Employer of Record?
TriNet is primarily a US Professional Employer Organisation (PEO) and HRIS, not a native global EOR. Its core model is co-employment of US worksite employees: payroll, benefits, workers' comp and HR compliance. International EOR is available through TriNet Global, but that service is delivered by third-party partners. TriNet's own site names leading EORs, G-P and Multiplier, and the TriNet Global product carries 'Powered by Multiplier'. For international hires the legal employer is the partner, not TriNet, so for genuinely global EOR hiring TriNet is a partner-dependent option rather than a native EOR provider.
What does TriNet Global cost?
TriNet does not publish list pricing for PEO or global EOR. The TriNet pricing page states a three-step quote process and a minimum worksite-employee count. Add-on services such as background checks and training are billed separately. If you are comparing costs, ask TriNet for a written quote, and ask for the FX methodology in writing before you sign.
Does Teamed do US payroll or US PEO?
Teamed is a global EOR, not a US PEO. It can employ US workers via EOR, but it does not offer US co-employment, large-group benefits administration, workers' compensation bundling, or the US PEO credentials TriNet holds. If your primary need is a US PEO, TriNet is the more established option. If your primary need is global EOR for international hiring, Teamed is purpose-built for that.
Is Teamed cheaper than TriNet?
We can't make a direct price comparison because TriNet does not publish its EOR or PEO list pricing. Teamed publishes $599 per employee per month, flat, with FX absorbed at zero markup and the applied rate shown against the mid-market reference on every invoice. TriNet's pricing is custom-quoted, with add-ons billed separately. We never claim to be the cheapest EOR. What we can say: Teamed's $599 is the full cost of the employment relationship on the fee line, with no FX residual sitting beneath it.
How does Teamed handle in-country legal compliance?
In three layers, and it publishes the structure. First, Teamed's own legal entities, in 57 countries. Second, DLA Piper as global counsel, holding a consistent legal standard across borders. Third, the best in-country partners on top, where a jurisdiction needs local depth. Owning an entity is the floor, not the whole job, and the best answer isn't always an owned entity: sometimes the right in-country partner gives you better local depth. Teamed shows you which model stands behind each country. Most providers describe coverage but don't publish how it's delivered, so you can't tell whether a country is served by an owned entity or a partner.
Can I switch from TriNet Global to Teamed?
Yes. Most EOR contracts are month-to-month or carry a 30 to 90-day notice period. The key operational change is that your contract moves to your EOR directly: Teamed's own entity is the legal employer in the 57 countries it owns, and elsewhere Teamed manages its vetted in-country partner itself, instead of a TriNet contract sitting over a third-party EOR. Teamed runs phased cutovers, one country or cohort at a time, mapping payroll-calendar alignment, benefits continuity and employee communications. Bring your current TriNet Global contract and Teamed maps the plan. Most switches complete in four to six weeks.
When should I set up my own entity instead of using an EOR?
As a rough guide, EOR stays the simpler structure below roughly 10 to 15 full-time employees in most markets. Above that, the cumulative per-seat EOR fee approaches the fixed cost of a registered entity, a local director where needed, bookkeeping, and annual filings. The exact crossover is country-specific. Teamed advises you on the right model wherever you start, models the crossover per country, helps you set up your own entity via Global Entity and Employment Operations (GEMO) in 100+ countries, and can keep managing it for you on the same system with no re-onboarding.

Common questions

Teamed vs TriNet: which is better for a company hiring internationally?
The choice depends on where most of your hiring sits, because these are different products. TriNet is a mature US PEO with deep US benefits, payroll and compliance capability. Its international EOR is delivered through third-party partners, G-P and Multiplier, so international cases are partner-mediated rather than handled by TriNet directly. Teamed is a native global EOR, purpose-built for international hiring. It publishes $599 flat with FX absorbed at zero markup, operates its own legal entities in 57 countries with DLA Piper as global counsel and the best in-country partners on top, gives real HR and legal experts on every plan without a partner layer, and models the crossover to your own entity when that becomes the right structure. For a primarily US employer with a handful of international hires, TriNet's all-in-one model has real convenience value. For a company whose growth plan is genuinely international, Teamed is the purpose-built fit.
Is TriNet Global a real EOR or a PEO acting as an EOR?
TriNet Global offers EOR-style international hiring, hire without forming a local entity, pay in local currency, but the service is delivered through third-party partners. TriNet's own site names leading EORs, G-P and Multiplier, and the global service carries 'Powered by Multiplier'. TriNet is not a native global EOR in the sense of owning a network of international employer-of-record entities; its core competence is US co-employment. For buyers who specifically need native global EOR, an owned-entity network and direct employment-law expertise in the countries they hire in, a purpose-built EOR is the more direct answer.

For the buying committee

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