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Independent review · Updated 2026

DecisionHR Review, an independent broker's honest assessment.

DecisionHR is a St. Petersburg based national PEO that has operated under one brand since 1996, carries three entities on the IRS Certified PEO list, and publicly claims eight consecutive years of single-digit medical renewals for most enrolled groups. The two things we flag are the absence of ESAC accreditation and the November 2025 majority sale to Coalesce Capital alongside back-to-back acquisitions, which make service continuity and renewal philosophy the questions to ask before signing.

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✓CPEO certified✓Not ESAC accredited✓Verified 2026
1996
founded
Yes
CPEO certified
1+
min sweet-spot size
Quote-only
pricing model

Quick verdict: the TL;DR.

Our score
3.5/5
A verifiable CPEO with a long single-brand history and a stated renewal record; held back by the missing ESAC accreditation, non-differentiating technology and a private equity recapitalization whose effect on service and pricing is still unknown.
Best for
Florida and Southeast small businesses of 10 to 250 employees that want an IRS-certified PEO with a bundled workers' comp program and predictable medical renewals, without enterprise pricing.
Worst for
Buyers who require ESAC accreditation, tech-first buyers who want a modern self-service platform, and large multinationals or employers needing global coverage.
Sweet spot
1 to 500+ employees per the company's own intake ranges (sweet spot: 10 to 250)
Pricing
Quoted per client; not published

We've placed clients with DecisionHR across multiple industries and headcounts. The assessment below reflects what actually happens in real engagements, not what the DecisionHR sales deck says happens, not what the affiliate review sites report based on commission spreads, and not what aggregated G2 stars suggest.

Company background: DecisionHR.

DecisionHR was founded in 1996 and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of Bankers Financial Corporation; in November 2025 Coalesce Capital acquired a majority stake, with management retaining ownership. The company reported more than 30,000 worksite employees across 42 states in a December 2021 statement, and it does not publish its own staff count or a more recent scale figure.

The company has grown by acquisition as well as organically: Modern Business Associates in 2022 and Paymasters in 2026. Combined with the 2025 recapitalization, that is a lot of change in a short period for a PEO whose pitch is stability, and it is why we ask directly about service team continuity before a client signs rather than after.

On credentials, three DecisionHR entities are on the IRS Certified PEO list, all effective January 1, 2017. CPEO status makes the PEO solely liable for federal employment taxes on the wages it reports and lets the client's wage base carry over on a mid-year start. DecisionHR is not listed by ESAC, the industry's independent financial-assurance program, a gap relative to several Florida peers. Its workers' compensation program is placed through an A rated carrier and bundled with payroll, HR and benefits.

Founded
1996
Ownership
Private (majority stake acquired by Coalesce Capital, November 2025; management retains ownership). Formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of Bankers Financial Corporation
Worksite employees
More than 30,000 across 42 states (company statement, December 2021)
CPEO
Yes, IRS certified
ESAC
No
Sweet spot
1 to 500+ employees per the company's own intake ranges (sweet spot: 10 to 250)

Pricing: what to expect.

DecisionHR quotes per client and does not publish pricing. The model is typically PEPM or a percentage of payroll, with the choice often driven by the workers' compensation classes in the group: a higher-risk class mix tends to push toward a percentage structure. Ask for the quote in both forms if your payroll profile makes one much cheaper than the other.

The line DecisionHR leads with is medical renewals. The company publicly claims eight consecutive years of single-digit renewals for most enrolled groups. We treat that as a claim to test rather than a guarantee: ask for the renewal history on groups at your headcount and in your state, and ask what happened to the groups outside 'most'. Then get the renewal cap, if one is offered, in writing.

Annual agreements are typical. Confirm the notice period and exit terms in the client service agreement, and given the ownership change, ask how pricing philosophy is set and who sets it.

Strengths: what DecisionHR does well.

Three certified entities on the IRS CPEO list

The certification is real and verifiable, effective since the program's first year. For a Florida small business, that is the federal tax-liability protection of a national brand at a regional PEO's price point.

One brand since 1996

The PEO market has heavy turnover and frequent rebrands. DecisionHR has operated under the same name for three decades, which counts for something when you are handing a vendor your payroll.

A bundled program with comp through an A rated carrier

Payroll, workers' compensation, HR and benefits in one agreement, with the comp program placed through an A rated carrier. For construction, hospitality and light manufacturing clients, that placement matters.

A stated record on medical renewals

Eight consecutive years of single-digit renewals for most enrolled groups, by the company's own account. Medical is the largest line on a PEO invoice, so if the record holds for your group it is the most valuable thing on this page. Verify it against groups like yours.

Considerations: the things to weigh.

We frame these as considerations rather than negatives because most are real trade-offs rather than disqualifying flaws, but they are things we make sure clients understand before signing.

No ESAC accreditation

Several Florida peers carry ESAC's independent financial audit and surety; DecisionHR does not. If your CFO or lender asks for that specific assurance, this is a gap that pricing cannot close, and you should compare an accredited PEO.

A recapitalization and two acquisitions

The Coalesce Capital majority stake in November 2025, the Modern Business Associates acquisition in 2022 and the Paymasters acquisition in 2026 mean the organization is absorbing change. Service and pricing direction may shift. Ask who your service team is, what the integration plan is for acquired clients, and how renewal philosophy is set under the new ownership. Get the answers in the contract.

Technology is not a differentiator

The client-facing platform does the job. A tech-first buyer who wants a modern self-service experience will find the national and tech-first PEOs ahead on this dimension.

Limited public disclosure of scale

The most recent public worksite employee figure dates from December 2021. Ask for a current number and a current client count as part of diligence.

The fit: who should and shouldn't pick DecisionHR.

Good fit for DecisionHR

  • +Florida and Southeast small businesses of 10 to 250 employees
  • +Buyers who want an IRS-certified PEO without enterprise pricing
  • +Companies whose current medical renewal is the problem they are trying to solve
  • +Professional services, construction, healthcare, hospitality, nonprofit and light manufacturing employers in DecisionHR's footprint

Bad fit for DecisionHR

  • −Buyers who require ESAC accreditation
  • −Tech-first buyers who want a modern self-service platform
  • −Large multinationals or employers needing global coverage
  • −Anyone unwilling to diligence service continuity after the 2025 recapitalization

Common alternatives: PEOs to compare against DecisionHR.

When a client is evaluating DecisionHR, these are the three alternatives we most often put on the shortlist. The rationale below explains when each one beats DecisionHR and when it doesn't. For the full comparison on cost, benefits and service, read DecisionHR alternatives compared.

FrankCrum

Family-owned Florida PEO with its own workers' compensation carrier
Sweet spot
10 to 500+ employees (sweet spot: 10 to 150)
Pricing
Bundled administrative fee quoted per client, driven by payroll size, headcount and workers' comp risk class
Typical cost
Quoted per client; not published

The Clearwater, Florida family-owned PEO that underwrites workers' comp through its own carrier with pay-as-you-go premiums, for a trades employer whose comp is the deciding line; it holds neither CPEO certification nor ESAC accreditation.

Read full review →

CoAdvantage

Regional PEO with strong SMB focus (merged with PrimePay 2025)
CPEOESAC
Sweet spot
10 to 250 employees
Pricing
PEPM, quoted per client; its site says it does not publish a fixed rate
Typical cost
Quoted per client; not published

The Florida and Southeast SMB PEO with both CPEO certification and ESAC accreditation and strong workers' comp pooling; like DecisionHR it has a 2025 ownership event to diligence, its merger with PrimePay.

Read full review →

Engage PEO

Mid-market PEO with on-staff employment law attorneys
CPEOESAC
Sweet spot
25 to 500 employees
Pricing
Quote-only PEPM
Typical cost
Quote-only

A mid-market PEO for 25 to 500 employees with both CPEO certification and ESAC accreditation and on-staff employment law attorneys, for an employer who has outgrown the small business tier and wants HR-legal depth.

Read full review →

Want help comparing DecisionHR against the 2-3 other PEOs that fit your business?

A 15-minute call, then we shortlist the alternatives, gather quotes, and sit in the negotiation calls. Free to you, our fee is paid by the PEO you ultimately pick, at the same rate regardless of which one.

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Frequently asked questions DecisionHR.

Is DecisionHR a certified PEO?

Yes. Three DecisionHR entities are on the IRS Certified PEO list, all effective January 1, 2017. DecisionHR is not ESAC accredited.

What size company is DecisionHR best for?

DecisionHR's own intake ranges run from 1 to 500 or more employees, and its sweet spot is 10 to 250. It is most competitive for Florida and Southeast small businesses in that range.

Where does DecisionHR operate?

DecisionHR is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, and reported worksite employees across 42 states in December 2021. Its core market is Florida and the Southeast.

Does DecisionHR publish pricing?

No. DecisionHR quotes per client, typically as PEPM or a percentage of payroll depending on the workers' compensation classes in the group.

What is the main consideration with DecisionHR?

Two things: it is not ESAC accredited, and the November 2025 majority sale to Coalesce Capital plus acquisitions in 2022 and 2026 mean service continuity and renewal philosophy should be confirmed in writing before signing.

How does DecisionHR compare to FrankCrum?

Both are Florida PEOs with bundled workers' comp programs. DecisionHR is IRS certified and places comp through an A rated carrier; FrankCrum underwrites comp through its own carrier with pay-as-you-go premiums but holds no CPEO or ESAC credential. Neither is ESAC accredited.

Who owns DecisionHR?

Coalesce Capital acquired a majority stake in November 2025, with management retaining ownership. DecisionHR was formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of Bankers Financial Corporation.

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