Deel
Remote
Papaya Global
Rippling
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What is Oyster?
Founded in 2020, Oyster is a global employment platform headquartered in San Francisco. It supports hiring, payroll, contractor payments, benefits, and workforce management across more than 180 countries.
Oyster is a global employment platform that lets companies engage international contractors, hire employees through an employer-of-record arrangement, or run payroll for their own entities. Teams create roles, onboard workers, manage contracts, approve expenses and time off, and issue payments from one platform. Oyster supplies country-level employment guidance and local support so a company can expand without first establishing an entity in every market. Its contractor service is self-serve, while EOR and payroll workflows combine software with specialist assistance.
The product covers EOR employment in 120-plus countries, contractor contracts and payments in 180-plus countries, multi-country payroll, benefits, visa sponsorship, salary insights, expenses, time off, and people advisory services. Integrations connect with HRIS, accounting, expense, identity, and collaboration tools, and an API supports custom workflows. The trade-off is specialization: Oyster is designed around global employment rather than being a full domestic HRIS, and EOR pricing is materially higher than contractor management. Country availability and optional benefits or currency conversion can affect total cost.
Oyster primarily suits startups, distributed companies, and People teams hiring internationally without local entities. Public pricing starts at $29 per contractor per month, while EOR is $699 per employee per month and people services are billed hourly; payroll combines entity and per-person fees. Annual EOR discounts are available, and contractors receive a 30-day free period. Oyster also offers startup, nonprofit, B Corp, and refugee-focused programs, including startup savings of up to $1,200 on EOR subscription fees.
Key features
Employer of record
Hire and employ full-time workers in 120-plus countries without establishing a local entity.
Contractor management
Generate contracts, verify identities, onboard freelancers, manage invoices and expenses, and pay contractors in 120-plus currencies.
Global payroll
Run compliant payroll for company-owned entities with onboarding, calculations, approvals, payslips, reports, and payroll specialists.
Benefits and mobility
Offer localized benefits packages, visa sponsorship, and salary insights spanning more than 130 countries.
Workforce operations
Centralize time off, expenses, onboarding, offboarding, and employee records across international teams.
Integrations and API
Connect HRIS, ERP, expense, identity, and collaboration systems or build custom workflows through the Oyster API.
Oyster 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.
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Global Contractors | $29/contractor/month30-day free period | Contracts, onboarding, identity verification, payments, invoices, expenses, and misclassification analysis |
| Employer of Record | $699/employee/monthAnnual discounts available | Compliant employment in 120-plus countries, payroll in 120-plus currencies, benefits, expenses, time off, onboarding, offboarding, and local support |
| Global Payroll | From $290/entity/month + $29/person/monthOne-time implementation fee applies | Payroll implementation, compliant calculations, approvals, expense and time-off tracking, reports, payslips, integrations, and payroll specialists |
| People Services | $300/hourProject-based | Global HR advice, people strategy, support for EOR or owned entities, and hands-on execution |
Free trial: Contractor plans are free for 30 days; creating an account and exploring the platform is free.
Pros & cons
Pros
- 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.
- SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 reports, MFA, SSO, logging, and encryption support security reviews.
Cons
- 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.
- Oyster is narrower than a general-purpose domestic HRIS and country availability varies by service.
Who is Oyster best for?
- Startups hiring their first international employees without setting up entities.
- Distributed People teams that need EOR, contractor, and payroll workflows in one system.
- Companies that want localized benefits, immigration help, and country-level employment guidance.
- Small and midsize international teams that value transparent list pricing over lengthy procurement.
Coverage
Integrations
Notable customers
Frequently asked questions
How much does Oyster cost?
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Global Contractors costs $29 per contractor per month after a 30-day free period. EOR is $699 per employee per month, Global Payroll starts at $290 per entity plus $29 per person monthly, and People Services costs $300 per hour.
How long does it take to start using Oyster?
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Contractors can be onboarded with instant setup and e-signatures, while the platform says contractor onboarding can happen in minutes. EOR and payroll timelines depend on country, documentation, and compliance checks.
How does Oyster compare with Deel?
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Oyster emphasizes transparent pricing and is often competitive for smaller teams under 30 with straightforward EOR needs. Vendr commentary says Deel’s volume discounts can be more attractive for larger deployments.
Which integrations does Oyster support?
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Named integrations include Personio, Slack, Okta, Workday, Expensify, NetSuite, BambooHR, and HiBob. Oyster also offers Zapier connectivity to more than 5,000 apps and an API.
Who should use Oyster?
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Oyster is built for startups, distributed companies, and People teams hiring contractors or employees internationally. It is especially useful when a company needs EOR employment without forming local entities.
Is Oyster secure and accurate for payroll and compliance?
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Oyster’s Trust Center lists SOC 1 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 2, penetration testing, MFA, SSO, logging, encryption, and AWS controls. G2 reviewers rate Oyster 4.4 out of 5 from 1,587 reviews, while themes mention payment timing variability and occasional slow processing.
Sources
Facts and pricing verified on October 19, 2026. Vendors change pricing often, so confirm with Oyster before buying. How we research
