There’s a world of talent out there, provided you can find the right candidates and navigate the relevant legal requirements for hiring in their country of residence.
Partnering with an employer of record (EOR) outsources compliance, so you can concentrate on growing your business without the legal headaches.
As a remote company, we’ve had to navigate the complexity of considering setting up entities vs. using an EOR several times in a few different countries. Here’s our pick of the best EORs which actually have entities in the countries they provide coverage for (many use third parties).
What is an employer of record (EOR)?
An employer of record (EOR) is a third-party organisation that employs and pays employees on behalf of your business. This allows you to hire international talent while making staying complaint with ever-changing local labor laws someone else’s problem.
Generally speaking, an EOR service encompasses two key elements:
- EOR system – the software that allows you to manage your international workforce
- EOR service – the act of hiring, onboarding and paying international staff on your behalf
The software is one thing, but the EOR service is where providers shoulder compliance (and a lot of work – from making social security and tax payments to managing benefits) on your behalf. So, the quality of this service is what really matters when choosing the right EOR provider for your needs.
Here’s a quick review of our top-10 EORs and what they’re best suited for:
- Deel: A fantastic all-rounder. Well-rated, constantly improving, and great coverage.
- Oyster HR: A close-second and a little more affordable than Deel in most cases.
- Multiplier: A good alternative for smaller budgets.
- Remote: Best for building and managing agile teams.
- Rippling: Best for companies with complex EOR and HR needs.
- RemoFirst: The best affordable EOR system.
- Velocity Global: Best for enterprises hiring in the US or Europe.
- Papaya Global: Best for global workforce payments.
- Omnipresent: Best for compliance in challenging markets.
- G-P: Best EOR system for high-growth enterprises.
The cost of an EOR
It’s worth setting some expectations first – EOR services aren’t cheap. Most start around $500/employee/month. The reason for this is that, in order to be compliant, EORs must pay taxes, social security, and benefits on your behalf – fees that you’d otherwise need to pay.
Even still, this isn’t a small sum of money, so EORs tend to be a good solution in situations where you plan to hire more than a few international employees (and likely in different markets). If you’re hiring a very large number of staff in a single country, an entity might be more sensible.
You can use a tool like HeyEOR to work out which approach makes more sense for your situation – and which EOR providers offer coverage in the countries you’re hiring in.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at our first EOR recommendation.
1. Deel
From $599/month
Key features:
- Hire employees in 150+ countries
- 200+ in-house payroll and legal experts
- Built-in compliance protection
- Managed payroll, taxes, and benefits
- Offer competitive, compliant salaries and benefits
- Rapid employee onboarding
- Simple, compliant offboarding
- Time off and expenses management
- In-depth employment and workforce reporting
- IP protection management
- Track regulatory changes on wages, pensions, workers rights, and other updates
- 24/7 support from a dedicated account manager
Deel EOR allows you to hire full-time talent from 150+ countries with compliance guaranteed.
The platform incorporates built-in compliance protections and advanced automation to streamline onboarding and other recruitment processes. Meanwhile, the company’s team of 200+ local HR and legal experts ensure compliance with local payroll, taxes, and benefits.
You can hire full-time employees, hire contractors, and even relocate staff, knowing compliance is covered for contracts, payroll, and benefits.
How much does Deel cost?
Pricing for Deel’s EOR system starts from $599/month per full-time employee.
The platform also includes dedicated plans for hiring contractors, payroll, and managing immigration if you need to relocate workers:
- Deel EOR: $599/month per employee
- Deel Contractor: $49/month per contractor
- Deel Payroll: $29/month per employee
- Deel Immigration: Get a custom quote
For more details on plans and pricing, refer to Deel’s website.
Who should use Deel?
Deel is the best overall option if you want to remove every barrier to hiring global talent. If you manage teams that include both full-time employees and contractors, this is the EOR system for you.
2. Oyster HR
From $699/month
Key features:
- Hire full-time employees from 130+ countries
- Hire contractors from 180+ countries
- Run payroll in 140+ currencies
- Virtual hiring assistant
- Access to experts everywhere you hire
- Offer competitive salaries and benefits
- Team member onboarding and offboarding
- Managed compliance, payroll, and benefits
- Expense, time-off, and equity management
- Generate legal-reviewed employment agreements
Oyster doesn’t match Deel in terms of features, but its EOR is great for attracting and retaining the best talent. Aside from compliance essentials, the Oyster platform and team leverage local insights to help you offer competitive salaries, benefits, and equity.
The only downside with recruitment is that Oyster relies on some third-party entities in certain markets. This can result in longer onboarding times and some communication delays – a common issue with EORs and third parties.
How much does Oyster HR cost?
Oyster’s EOR platform starts at $699/month per full-time employee.
The company also offers dedicated plans for contractors and global payroll:
- Employer of Record: $699/month per employee
- Contractor: $29/month per contractor
- Global Payroll: $25/month per employee
You’ll find more info about these plans and pricing on the Oyster website.
Who should use Oyster HR?
Oyster is great if you want to attract full-time employees and retain them with competitive salaries and benefits. The company also offers capable solutions for hiring contractors and managing payroll, but Deel offers far more features for the money in those areas.
3. Multiplier
From $400/month
Key features:
- Hire employees from 150+ countries
- Local expertise in every hiring market
- Rapid employee onboarding
- Pay salaries in 100+ currencies
- Offer competitive salaries and benefits in every country
- Instant employee contracts
- Managed time off and expenses
- Employee insurance management
- Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)
- Extensive employment and expense reporting
- 24/7 support with dedicated managers
Multiplier comes in with a robust workforce management platform, complete with an EOR system and solutions for contractors, global payroll and immigration.
This puts it in direct competition with Deel, but Multiplier charges significantly less for its EOR system and its other products are cheaper, too.
So, what’s the catch? Well, again, you’re not getting the same depth of features or the advanced compliance automation Deel offers.
More importantly, Deel owns most of the entities where its services are provided while Multiplier relies heavily on partners. This adds another layer to the recruitment process, which increases onboarding times.
How much does Multiplier cost?
Multiplier’s EOR system starts from $400/month per full-time employee – so, that’s a big saving compared to Deel.
Much like Deel, Multiplier also offers dedicated products for hiring contractors, managing payroll, and handling immigration for worker relocations:
- Employer of Record: $400/month per full-time employee
- Contractors: $40/month per contractor
- Global payroll: Speak to sales
- Immigration: Speak to sales
You’ll get more information on plans and pricing from Multipler’s website and it also has a price comparison page to calculate costs vs Deel, based on employee numbers.
Who should use Multiplier?
If you need a system for hiring full-time employees, managing contractors, and relocating workers—but Deel’s asking prices are too rich—then Multiplier is the obvious choice.
4. Remote
From $599/month
Key features:
- Hire employees across 170+ countries
- Guaranteed compliance in every country
- Payouts in local currencies
- Post job listings on the top remote job boards
- Rapid employee onboarding
- Managed payroll and taxes
- Managed bonuses, commissions, and time off
- Offer competitive wages and benefits in every country
- IP and invention rights
- Always-on support
Remote offers a flexible, extensive toolkit for building and managing remote teams. Aside from its EOR system and products for contractors and payroll, the company offers dedicated solutions for reaching global talent, HR management and equity management.
The platform is designed for dynamic companies that need to build and adapt agile teams.
Crucially, Remote owns its entities across supported locations and its team can manage compliance, salaries, benefits, IP right, and more.
True to its name, Remote also offers some of the best features for managing remote teams among its EOR peers. You can track time and attendance, manage time off, and help employees keep track of their schedules.
How much does Remote cost?
Remote’s EOR starts from $599/month per full-time employee. You also get access to Remote’s free HR Management system, where you can manage your remote team, track time and attendance, manage expenses and reimbursement, and more.
Remote also provides dedicated solutions for payroll, contractor management and its own system for finding the best remote talent:
- Employer of Record: $599/month per full-time employee
- Payroll: $29/month per employee
- Contractor Management: $29/month per contractor
- Contractor Management Plus: $99/month per contractor
- Remote Talent: From $119/month
You can find more information about plans and pricing on the Remote website.
Who should use Remote?
If you’re constantly on the lookout for the best talent and adapting agile teams to changing conditions, Remote is probably the best EOR for you.
5. Rippling
Request quote for pricing info
Key features:
- Complete HR, employment and workforce management
- Hire employees across 185+ countries
- Rapid payouts in 50+ currencies
- Automate global compliance
- Expert advisors in every supported country
- Offer competitive salaries and benefits in every country
- Automate employee onboarding and offboarding
- Automatically file taxes globally
- Compensation and benefits management
- Time and attendance management
- Performance management tools
- Custom reports and automation
Rippling is the most comprehensive workforce platform we’re looking at in this article. In addition to its EOR system, Ripple incorporates payroll, time and attendance, benefits, employee training, surveys, recruitment, performance management, and plenty more.
If you want the most complete EOR, HR, payroll, and workforce management system, this is it.
Ripple’s platform is highly customisable and the company will help you implement the right setup for you. The downside is that the initial implementation period takes a while and it only increases the more you customise.
How much does Rippling cost?
Ripple doesn’t list any pricing information on its website, though. So, you have to request a quote from the Ripple sales team for pricing details.
The “pricing” page breaks down the key features of each product and available plans, but you have to request a quote or book a demo to progress.
Who should use Rippling?
Ripple’s extensive, highly customisable system is best suited for larger companies with complex EOR and workforce management needs. Just be prepared to wait for the initial setup period and prices closer to the enterprise end of the scale.
6. RemoFirst
From $199/month
Key features:
- Hire employees across 180+ countries
- Get visas and work permits in 85+ countries
- Employee background checks
- Termination and offboarding guidance
- On-demand local experts
- Workforce management system
- Automate payouts, time off, bonuses, and commissions
- Provide health insurance via RemoHealth
- IP protection management
- 24/5 customer support
RemoFirst offers the cheapest starting prices among the providers we’re looking at today. As with every EOR service, hiring from some countries is more expensive than others, but RemoFirst punches above its weight in terms of value for money.
The EOR system itself doesn’t feel like a cheap alternative, by any means. Yes, it’s a simpler tool than the likes of Deel and Omnipresent, but the experience is intuitive throughout.
The compromises mostly lie on the service side of things. RemoFirst’s support team is excellent, but the company relies on partners in a lot of locations. This can result in onboarding delays or complications with recruitment and payroll.
How much does RemoFirt cost?
RemoFirst’s EOR starts from $199/month per full-time employee. The company also offers a free version of its contractor management solution, plus a premium plan starting from $25/month per contractor.
- Employer of Record: $199/month per full-time employee
- Contractors Free Tier: Free
- Premium Contractors: $25/month per contractor
For more info on plans and pricing, visit the RemoFirst website or book a demo to try the EOR for yourself.
Who should use RemoFirst?
If you want a more affordable entry into global hiring, RemoFirst is the only provider we can recommend at this price point.
7. Velocity Global
Request quote for pricing
Key features:
- Hire employees across 185+ countries
- Fast, simple payments in every country
- Local HR experts for compliance
- Visa and work permit management
- Country-specific onboarding
- Competitive salaries and benefits
- Workforce management and employee data tools
- Time and expense management
- GDPR compliance measures
- In-depth analytics and reporting
- Advanced automation
- Always-on support
Velocity Global is an AI-powered workforce platform, reinforced by an EOR with local HR experts around the world.
You can hire from 185+ countries, which is among the widest courage we’ve seen today. However, the company does rely on partners for some locations, which makes hiring from certain markets more challenging.
Also, Velocity Global’s platform is geared towards enterprise companies. So, if you’re looking to hire full-time employees from lower-wage markets, this isn’t the most affordable approach.
On the other hand, if you’re more interested in hiring the best talent from the US and/or Europe, Velocity Global is a great option for enterprises.
How much does Velocity Global cost?
Velocity Global doesn’t provide any pricing information on its website, so you’ll have to contact the company’s sales team for details.
You can also watch a demo to get a better sense of the platform, but it’s essentially a promo video that prompts you to book a full product demo.
Who should use Velocity Global?
Velocity Global is a powerful option for enterprises that want to hire international talent.
That being said, its partial reliance on partners and relatively high fees mean companies looking to hire full-time employees from the US or Europe will get the best results from its EOR.
8. Papaya Global
From $599/month
Key features:
- Hire employees across 160+ countries
- Comprehensive global payment solutions
- Dedicated local experts
- Guaranteed local compliance
- Full liability coverage
- Automated onboarding
- Workforce management system
- Workforce analytics
- Advanced automation tools
- 24/7 support
Papaya Global’s workforce management platform incorporates an EOR with advanced solutions for contractors, payroll, and global payments – plus a dedicated Workforce OS for managing your global team.
The EOR system is comparable to the likes of Deel and Remote. It’s among the best we’ve tested but Payapa really shines when it comes to payroll and global payments.
The company’s local payroll experts are knowledgeable, offer great advice and resolve issues promptly. Then, you’ve got Papaya’s global payments solution, which removes an extra layer of complexity – not to mention potential compliance and technical issues.
How much does Papaya Global cost?
Papaya’s EOR starts from $599/month per full-time employee, which is pretty standard pricing at this point.
Meanwhile, the company’s contractor management solution starts from $30/month per contractor:
- Employer of Record: $599/month per employee
- Contractors: $30/month per contractor
Papaya also offers three Payroll Plus plans, starting from $15/month per employee:
- Grow Global: $25/month per employee (101-500 employees)
- Scale Global: $20/month per employee (501-1,000 employees)
- Enterprise Global: $15/month per employee (over 1,000 employees)
Papaya’s transaction fees for global payments start from $2.50 per transaction.
You can find more info about plans and pricing on Papaya Global’s website.
Who should use Papaya Global?
If you want a complete workforce management system, for hiring and paying full-time employees and contractors, Payapa is a great option. You’ll particularly appreciate the payroll and payments solutions if you’ve ever experienced problems paying international staff.
9. Omnipresent
From $599/month
Key features:
- Hire and pay employees across 160+ countries
- In-house legal expertise for each country
- Automated payouts in local currencies
- Employee management system
- Managed payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance
- Reduce employee onboarding times
- Offer competitive salaries and benefits
- Expenses and invoice management
- Advanced IP protection system
Omnipresent guarantees compliance with local HR and payroll experts for 160+ countries. Aside from its core EOR, the company also offers a dedicated system for highly regulated countries in the EU, such as Germany and Spain.
Payroll management is implemented into its EOR system, so you don’t have to sign up for any additional plans here.
You can also mix and match the EOR, professional employer organisation (PEO), and virtual employer organisation (VEO) solutions to meet your needs.
How much does Omnipresent cost?
Omnipresent’s EOR starts from $599/month per full-time employee, covering local payroll, benefits, taxes, and full compliance.
The company also offers a dedicated solution for contractors, a VEO for hiring from the EU and a PEO for outsourcing payroll:
- Employer of Record: $599/month per full-time employee
- Contractor Solution: $29/month per contractor
- Virtual Employer Organisation: $450/month per employee
- Professional Employer Organization: $100/month per employee
- Custom Solution: Request a custom quote
For more information on plans and pricing, visit Omnipresent’s website.
Who should use Omnipresent?
Omnipresent’s EOR isn’t winning any awards for design or UX, but its support team is (G2 Best Support 2024). The company guarantees compliance in every country it operates, even in the most regulated EU countries.
10. G-P
Request quote for pricing
Key features:
- Hire employees across 180+ countries
- Local HR experts for every country
- Payroll management
- Offer compliant benefits in every country
- Simplified employee onboarding and offboarding
- Bulk onboarding multiple employees
- Employee contract generator
- Time and expense management
- Custom reporting and analytics
- Business growth planning and insights
In 2023, Globalization Partners (G-P) launched its G-P Meridian Platform, an update to its global workforce management infrastructure. The platform incorporates EOR, contractor, payroll, team management, and insights solutions for large enterprises.
Where most providers focus on business expansion through global hiring, G-P is laser-focused on maximising business performance and revenue.
The EOR system connects you with global talent while the company’s local experts ensure compliance in every market. Then you have the optional extras of a workforce management platform designed to streamline efficiency and a reporting suite to unlock performance, expenses, and growth insights.
How much does G-P cost?
Globalization Partners doesn’t include any pricing information on its website. You need to request a proposal from the sales team for further details.
You can also book a demo through the website, but you’ll still need to discuss pricing with the sales team.
Who should use G-P?
G-P Meridian is the ideal EOR and workplace management for enterprises looking to maximise growth through hiring international talent.
Which is the right EOR for you?
All of the EORs recommended in this article are quality choices, but we’re confident that Deel is the best overall provider at its price point. Aside from delivering some of the fastest onboarding times, the company is as thorough as it gets when it comes to compliance.
Obviously, if you’re on a budget, RemoFirst offers excellent quality at a significantly lower cost, if you can sacrifice onboarding speeds, advanced features and some other conveniences.
Then you’ve got Multiplier, which sits somewhere in the middle, while the other tools have their niche selling points. For example, Remote is the best overall system for managing remote teams and Papaya excels at global payments and payroll.
As more EOR providers enter the market, choosing the right system will only get more challenging. Hopefully, this article points you in the right direction and you’re ready to test a few options out for yourself.
