Deel is the default EOR for startups that need to hire quickly in many countries: $599 per employee per month, coverage in 150 countries and the broadest set of extras. Remote is the pick if you care most about who actually employs your people, because it runs EOR through its own local entities; it costs $599 a month billed annually or $699 month to month. Rippling makes sense if you already run US payroll and IT on Rippling and want international hires in the same system. Papaya Global has the lowest list price among the large providers at $499. Expect to pay a refundable deposit with several providers, and plan to open your own entity once you have roughly 10 to 15 people in one country.
Best for US companies with a few international hires
From $8/mo
4.6/5 (G2)
1. Best overall for fast global hiring
Deel
Global payroll, tax, HR and compliance platform for companies hiring employees and contractors across borders.
Deel's EOR starts at $599 per employee per month, and the same platform covers contractors from $49, global payroll from $29 for countries where you have an entity, and HR from $5 per employee. It reports more than 40,000 customers, operations in 150 countries and a $17.3 billion valuation after an October 2025 Series E. The practical advantage is speed and breadth: most countries can be onboarded in days, and visa and mobility services are available when you need to relocate someone. The trade-off is that in some countries Deel works through partners rather than its own entity, so ask which applies before you hire.
Pricing: Deel HR Core starts at $5 per employee per month, the lowest publicly listed paid platform entry. HR Advanced is $19 and HR Elite is $29 per employee monthly; global payroll starts at $29, contractor management at $49, Contractor of Record at $325 and EOR at $599 per worker monthly. Final costs can vary with country, payroll cycles, implementation, benefits and offboarding.
Combines EOR, global payroll, contractor payments and HR records in one platform.
Publishes clear starting prices for major worker and payroll services.
Supports 150+ countries and payments in more than 120 currencies.
EOR pricing starts substantially higher than HR-only and contractor plans.
Country-specific benefits, implementation and payroll variables can raise quoted costs.
The breadth of modules can be excessive for employers with only domestic payroll needs.
Remote's main selling point is that it employs your staff through entities it owns, rather than subcontracting to local partners, which means one company is responsible for payroll, benefits and employment law in each country. EOR costs $599 per employee per month on annual billing or $699 month to month, with platform, setup and onboarding included and, according to its FAQ, no deposit in normal circumstances. It has 4,558 G2 reviews averaging 4.5. Remote also sells a US PEO from $99 a month and contractor management at $29.
Pricing: Global Payroll starts at $29 per employee per month. EOR starts at $599 per employee per month when billed annually, or $699 month-to-month; PEO starts at $99 per employee per month. Remote says the platform, setup and onboarding are included, although country-specific services and optional payroll work can add charges. Contractor Management costs $29 per contractor per month; Contractor Management Plus starts at $99.
Owned and operated local entities support direct control over EOR employment and compliance.
EOR, global payroll, contractors and US PEO are available on one platform.
Published starting prices make the main services easier to compare.
EOR pricing is substantially higher than the global-payroll entry price.
Payroll availability, fees and statutory services vary by country.
Complex payroll work can involve optional charges beyond the base subscription.
Unified HR, payroll, benefits, IT and spend software for growing businesses managing workforce compliance.
Rippling's EOR puts international employees in the same system as your US payroll, HR, device management and app access, so a new hire in Portugal gets a laptop and accounts on the same workflow as one in Ohio. Rippling does not publish an EOR price; G2's 2026 roundup lists it from $499 per employee per month, and it requires the Rippling platform, which starts at $8 per employee plus a base fee. Coverage is narrower than Deel's or Remote's, so check your target countries first.
Pricing: Official pricing starts at $8 per employee per month plus a monthly base fee. Rippling's small-business page specifies a $40 monthly base fee and says payroll starts at $8 per user per month. Products are generally priced per employee per month; total cost depends on modules, headcount and billing terms.
One employee record can synchronize payroll, benefits, onboarding, IT access and spend workflows.
Payroll automatically calculates and files federal, state and local taxes and stores employee tax forms.
More than 600 integrations connect Rippling to accounting, identity, collaboration and finance tools.
The $8 starting rate excludes the monthly base fee and additional modules, so buyers need a custom quote.
The wide product catalog can require meaningful implementation work and configuration expertise.
Rippling is not a dedicated tax-research or tax-provision platform for complex corporate tax teams.
Papaya publishes EOR from $499 per employee per month, contractor management from $5 and global payroll from $29, across more than 160 countries. It started as a payroll company for multinationals and is strongest when you are mixing EOR hires with your own entities and want one payroll and payments layer over both. Vendr notes that negotiated contracts run from mid-five figures for small teams to seven figures for enterprises, and implementation fees can apply on larger deals.
Pricing: Papaya publishes entry pricing for several services: contractor management from $5 per contractor per month, payroll from $29 per employee per month, Contractor of Record from $199 per contractor per month and EOR from $499 per employee per month. Payments is positioned as pay-when-you-pay, with transaction fees commonly shown as $5, $10 or $20 and no platform or contractor fee on the contractor-management payments model. Vendr says negotiated contracts vary by workforce, countries and service, from mid-five-figure annual contracts for small teams to seven-figure enterprise agreements.
Combines payroll, EOR, contractor administration and payments rather than forcing separate country tools.
Public pricing gives buyers clear entry points for contractor management, payroll, COR and EOR.
Local payment rails, safeguarded funds, wallet options and payment tracking reduce cross-border banking work.
The published entry prices can be materially higher than domestic payroll or basic contractor tools.
Implementation and country-specific payroll dependencies can make rollout and issue resolution slower.
Some reviewers report invoice-detail problems, delayed support and occasional integration inaccuracies.
Oyster lists EOR at $699 per employee per month, contractors at $29 and global payroll at $290 per entity plus $29 per person, with annual discounts available. It covers contractors in more than 180 countries and EOR in more than 120. Vendr describes it as competitive for teams under about 30 people with straightforward EOR needs. It requires a refundable deposit for EOR hires, so factor that into cash planning.
Pricing: Oyster publicly lists Global Contractors at $29 per contractor per month, EOR at $699 per employee per month, and People Services at $300 per hour. Global Payroll starts at $290 per entity per month plus $29 per team member, with a one-time implementation fee per entity. Annual EOR discounts are available. Vendr commentary places Oyster as competitive for smaller teams under 30 with straightforward EOR needs.
Public pricing makes the $29 contractor and $699 EOR starting points easy to compare.
Contractor coverage reaches 180-plus countries and includes identity verification and misclassification analysis.
EOR workflows combine payroll, benefits, expenses, time off, and local specialist support.
EOR costs $699 per employee monthly before wages, benefits, and other optional costs.
Global Payroll adds entity and per-person fees plus a one-time implementation charge.
Some reviewers cite payment timing variability, slow requests, and difficulty interpreting certain market rules.
Justworks is mostly a US PEO and payroll provider, and its EOR is priced at $599 per employee per month for a smaller set of countries. If you employ 30 people in the US on Justworks and need to hire two in Canada and the UK, keeping them on the same vendor and invoice is simpler than adding a second platform. For broader international hiring, Deel or Remote cover far more countries.
Pricing: Payroll is $8 per employee per month plus a $50 monthly base fee. PEO Basic is $79 per employee monthly with no base fee, PEO Plus is $124, and EOR is $599; benefits, insurance and optional services can add cost. Vendr reports a $58,084 average annual contract across 13 deals, while its broader 2026 benchmark says 10–50 employee teams commonly see $100–$200 blended PEPM when benefits are included.
Payroll has a low published entry price, although the $50 monthly base fee applies.
PEO plans bundle payroll, compliance, HR support and access to benefits in one service.
EOR pricing is published at $599 per employee monthly rather than requiring a fully opaque quote.
PEO totals vary substantially with health benefits, workers’ compensation and other pass-through costs.
Payroll’s base fee makes the lowest advertised price less attractive for very small teams.
The platform is oriented toward small and midsize employers rather than highly customized enterprise HR operations.
An employer of record (EOR) is a company that legally employs someone on your behalf in a country where you have no entity. It signs a local employment contract, registers the employee with tax and social security authorities, runs payroll, withholds taxes, provides statutory benefits and handles terminations under local law. You direct the work and pay the EOR the salary, employer costs and a monthly fee.
It is the fastest legal way to hire a full-time employee abroad. Opening your own subsidiary usually takes weeks to months and comes with local accounting, payroll, tax filings and directors. An EOR can onboard someone in days.
What the EOR does not do is take your business risk away. You still decide who to hire, what they do and when they leave. If a termination is mishandled, the EOR's contract with you will usually pass the cost back.
How we chose these six
We looked at the global payroll and EOR providers in our tax and payroll directory and kept those that (1) publish an EOR price or have one listed by a credible third party, (2) cover at least the main hiring markets in Europe, Latin America and Asia, and (3) have enough reviews or customers to judge reliability. Prices are as of October 2026, from each vendor's pricing page and two independent trackers, eorHQ and EOR Scope.
Several providers outside our directory deserve a look. Multiplier lists EOR from $459 per employee on annual billing. G-P (Globalization Partners) is the long-established enterprise option, with coverage in more than 180 countries and quote-based pricing. Velocity Global renamed itself Pebl in 2026 and lists $399 a month. Budget providers such as Remofirst and Rivermate advertise $199 to $319; check how many of their countries rely on partners.
EOR pricing compared
Provider
EOR price per employee per month
Deposit
Countries
Papaya Global
From $499
Not stated for EOR
160+
Rippling
From $499 (G2), quote from Rippling
Not stated
Narrower; check list
Deel
$599
Varies by country
150
Remote
$599 annual, $699 monthly
None in normal cases
Owned entities
Justworks
$599
Quoted
Smaller list
Oyster
$699
Refundable deposit
120+
The monthly fee is rarely the biggest cost. Salary, mandatory employer contributions and benefits often add 20 to 50 percent to gross salary in European countries, and less in much of Latin America and Asia. Ask each provider for a full employer-cost estimate for your target salary in your target country. Also ask about foreign exchange: several providers make a margin on currency conversion, and trackers put typical spreads at 0.5 to 2 percent.
Which EOR fits which company
Seed-stage startup hiring its first engineer abroad. Deel or Remote. Both handle the contract, payroll and benefits well in the common hiring markets. If you pay annually and the person is staying, Remote's $599 annual price matches Deel's. If you want month-to-month flexibility, Deel's $599 beats Remote's $699.
US company already on Rippling, Gusto or Justworks. Check whether your existing provider covers the country. Rippling's EOR keeps everything in one system. Justworks covers a shorter list of countries. Gusto pays international contractors in more than 120 countries but does not employ people abroad, so you would add an EOR.
Company with entities in some countries and EOR hires in others. Papaya Global or Deel, because both run payroll for your own entities and EOR employees on one platform.
Team of 5 to 30 spread across many countries. Oyster or Remote. Both are built around distributed teams and include people-support services.
When an EOR stops making sense
EOR fees add up. Ten employees in one country at $599 a month is about $72,000 a year in fees alone. A subsidiary costs money too: setup, local accountants, payroll software, statutory audits in some countries and directors' time. Most companies find the crossover somewhere between 10 and 15 employees in a single country, sooner if the country is cheap to operate in.
Other reasons to open an entity:
You need to sell, invoice or sign contracts locally. An EOR employee should not be concluding contracts for you.
Permanent establishment risk. Tax authorities can treat a company as having a taxable presence if it has a fixed place of business or a dependent agent in the country. An EOR reduces the risk but does not remove it for senior sales staff.
Equity. Granting stock options to EOR employees works but can be complicated by local tax rules. With your own entity you have more control over plan structure.
When you convert, ask your EOR for help transferring employment contracts. Most providers offer this, and some charge a conversion fee. Read the termination section of your EOR agreement before signing, not after.
Contractors vs employees
Many startups start with contractors because it is cheap and fast. That is fine for genuinely independent work. The risk is misclassification: if someone works full-time for you, under your direction, using your equipment, most countries will treat them as an employee regardless of the contract. The consequences include back payroll taxes, social security contributions, penalties, and claims for holiday and severance.
Contractor platforms from Deel, Remote, Oyster and Papaya handle contracts, invoices and payments. Deel and Papaya also offer "contractor of record" services, where they take on some classification risk for a higher fee. If a contractor has become an employee in practice, move them to EOR employment.
Questions to ask before signing
Do you employ through your own entity in this country, or through a partner?
What is the full monthly cost for this salary, including employer contributions and benefits?
Is there a deposit, and when is it returned?
What is your foreign exchange margin, and is it shown on the invoice?
How are terminations handled, and what fees apply?
Can employees be converted to our own entity later, and what does that cost?
Which benefits are statutory and which are optional add-ons?
Most large providers charge $499 to $699 per employee per month on top of salary, employer taxes and benefits. Published 2026 prices: Papaya Global from $499, Deel $599, Remote $599 annually or $699 monthly, Oyster $699, Justworks $599. Budget EORs advertise $199 to $400. Many providers also take a refundable deposit, often one month of salary.
What is the difference between an EOR and a PEO?
An EOR is the legal employer of your worker in a country where you have no entity; it signs the employment contract and runs local payroll. A PEO co-employs staff in a country where you already have an entity, usually the US, and pools benefits and HR administration. You need an EOR to hire abroad without an entity and a PEO only to simplify domestic HR.
When should I open my own entity instead of using an EOR?
Common triggers are 10 to 15 employees in one country, when EOR fees approach the cost of an entity plus local payroll and accounting, when you need to sell or sign contracts locally, or when tax advisers warn about permanent establishment risk. Most EOR providers can help convert employees to your new entity.
Can I hire contractors instead?
Only if they are genuinely independent. Misclassifying someone who works like an employee can lead to back taxes, social contributions, penalties and employment claims. Countries apply their own tests. Contractor management tools handle invoicing and payments but do not change how the relationship is classified.
Does using an EOR remove permanent establishment risk?
It reduces it but does not eliminate it. If an employee habitually concludes contracts on your behalf or runs a fixed place of business, tax authorities can still argue your company has a taxable presence. Keep sales authority and contract signing with the parent company if that matters.
Deel vs Remote: which is better?
Deel is faster to start in more countries and sells more extras, such as mobility and immigration. Remote runs through its own entities in every country it covers, which some legal and finance teams prefer. Prices are similar at about $599 per employee per month. Pick based on your target countries and whether owned entities matter to you.
Prices and ratings come from each vendor's public pricing pages and review sites as of October 22, 2026. Vendors change pricing often, so confirm with a quote. Nothing here is tax or legal advice.
