FrankCrum vs Justworks PEO: Which Fits Your Business?
Pick FrankCrum if your problem is workers compensation and payroll handled with close service rooted in Florida; pick Justworks if you want the lowest-friction path to co-employment for a smaller, growing team across multiple states. The two sit on opposite ends of the PEO spectrum, and each one wins by matching a different employer profile.
What you need to know
Both are real PEOs that co-employ your staff, run your payroll and tax, and bring benefit plans you cannot buy at your own headcount. They diverge in thickness of comp infrastructure, in how they price, and in how much service you are buying. FrankCrum is the heavier, relationship-driven option; Justworks is the cleaner, product-first one.
Side by side
| FrankCrum | Justworks | |
|---|---|---|
| Workers comp | Owned carrier, stronger comp infrastructure | Insurance partner, simpler placement |
| Home footprint | Florida roots, Southeast strength | National, all 50 states |
| Pricing shape | Custom quote, service weight | Transparent tiers, low entry price |
| Platform | Full-service payroll and HR, more manual service | Clean self-service portal |
| Best-fit size | Established firms, higher-risk class codes | Startups and growing small firms |
| Support model | Dedicated, relationship-heavy | In-app, self-service-first |
| Best when | Comp and close payroll handling matter most | Ease of use and predictable cost matter most |
How they differ
The fundamental difference is comp. FrankCrum's owned carrier means the same organization setting your payroll is the one answering a workers comp claim. For a construction firm, a medical practice, or any employer in a higher-risk class code, that shortens the chain between an injury and a claim decision. Justworks instead places comp through an insurance partner, which keeps the model lighter and the platform cleaner, at the cost of that integrated comp experience.
Pricing follows the same split. Justworks publishes transparent per-employee tiers with a low entry point, which is why it is popular with startups that want to know the number before they sign. FrankCrum quotes custom, with the service weight priced in. That is not a defect; it is what buys you the dedicated relationship.
For a deep, single-provider evaluation, read the full FrankCrum PEO review and the full Justworks PEO review.
Match the provider to the situation
Choose FrankCrum when workers compensation is your dominant cost center, when you are in Florida or the Southeast and want a local, owned-carrier relationship, or when you employ enough people that payroll itself is the pain you need a human to own.
Choose Justworks when you are a younger company below a few hundred employees, when you operate across several states and want one consistent platform everywhere, or when transparent, predictable pricing matters more to you than comp depth. If you are still working out which model you even need, the PEO or EOR quiz is a faster starting point than a deep provider dive.
The numbers behind the table
Do not compare the two on headline admin fees, because the correct comparison is total employment cost. A full fee schedule from each will include per-employee-per-month administration, a payroll percentage, onboarding and termination fees, and a workers comp markup that varies with your class codes and loss history. That comp line often moves the decision more than the base fee, and it is exactly where the two providers' models genuinely differ.
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Frequently asked
Is FrankCrum or Justworks cheaper?
Justworks usually publishes the lower entry price, while FrankCrum custom quotes administration around its Florida roots and owned comp carrier. Total cost, not the headline fee, decides the comparison because comp pricing differs sharply by state and class code.
Which PEO is better for a small startup?
Justworks is generally the stronger fit for a young, small team that wants predictable pricing and a simple self-service platform across states. FrankCrum's strengths sit with employers who need close comp and payroll handling, especially in Florida.
Does FrankCrum operate its own workers comp carrier?
Yes. FrankCrum's owned carrier puts the comp program and the payroll relationship under one roof, which can shorten the distance between a workplace injury and a claim decision. That matters most to employers in higher-risk class codes.
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