How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Deel (from $29/employee/month) and Remote ($29/employee/month) publish the clearest pricing for global payroll; both also sell EOR and contractor plans on the same platform.
- Oyster HR keeps it simple for small teams: $29 per contractor per month and $699 per EOR employee per month, with no minimum headcount and no setup fee.
- If you already own a legal entity in the country, you do not need EOR: buy payroll-only (around $29 per employee per month) and skip the $599 to $699 EOR fee.
- Most enterprise platforms (Papaya Global, Velocity Global, G-P) quote by country and headcount: get every number in writing before comparing.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
Deel | Startups and growing companies hiring across 150+ countries | From $29/employee/month (Global Payroll); Contractor $49/contractor/month; EOR $599/employee/month | No |
Remote | Companies that want EOR through fully owned legal entities | $29/employee/month (Global Payroll); Contractor $29/contractor/month; EOR $699/employee/month | No |
Oyster HR | Small teams making their first few international hires | $29/contractor/month; $699/active team member/month (EOR) | No |
Papaya Global | Enterprises running payroll across dozens of countries | See website | No |
Rippling | Companies already running HR, IT and payroll on Rippling | See website | No |
Velocity Global | Companies that want EOR set up quickly across many countries | See website | No |
G-P | Large and pre-IPO companies hiring at enterprise scale | See website | No |
Multiplier | Startups wanting EOR without enterprise complexity | See website | No |
Skuad | Small businesses paying contractors and EOR employees globally | See website | No |
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The best international payroll software
Your first hire outside the US is usually the moment payroll stops being simple. A contractor in Poland, an employee in Brazil, and suddenly you are reading about permanent establishment risk at midnight. International payroll software exists to make that hire boring again: one platform that pays people in other countries, handles the local taxes, and keeps you on the right side of labor law. These nine platforms cover the real options, from payroll-only services to full employer-of-record hiring.
#1
Deel
Best for: Startups and growing companies hiring across 150+ countries
Visit deel.com
Starting priceFrom $29/employee/month (Global Payroll); Contractor $49/contractor/month; EOR $599/employee/month
Free planNo
Deel is the market leader for a reason: it publishes its prices. Global Payroll starts at $29 per employee per month for teams that already own a legal entity in the country, contractor management runs $49 per contractor per month across 150-plus countries, and EOR is a flat $599 per employee per month. The platform covers payroll, contracts, compliance alerts, equity management and a free HRIS tier, so a mixed team of contractors and EOR employees lives in one system. Multiple reviewers checked the pricing page in 2026 and report the same numbers.
The honest catch is that the headline price is never the total price. Country-specific benefits, severance obligations and statutory costs sit on top of the per-employee fee, and add-ons like immigration and equipment are quoted separately. Deel lists itself as the legal employer on EOR hires, so terminations need lead time and local process. For budgeting before a sales call, though, no competitor is easier to model.
What we like- Published pricing for every product on deel.com/pricing
- EOR, contractors, global payroll and US payroll in one dashboard
- Free HRIS for up to 200 employees
Watch out for- EOR at $599 per employee per month adds up fast at scale
- Benefits, equity and immigration are quoted separately from the base rate
#2
Remote
Best for: Companies that want EOR through fully owned legal entities
Visit remote.com
Starting price$29/employee/month (Global Payroll); Contractor $29/contractor/month; EOR $699/employee/month
Free planNo
Remote's pitch is ownership: unlike competitors that mix owned entities with local partners, Remote operates through its own legal entities everywhere it sells EOR. For compliance-first buyers that matters, because the company handling your employment liability is the company you signed with. Pricing is published and simple: $29 per employee per month for global payroll, $29 per contractor per month for contractor management, and $699 per employee per month for EOR. Coverage spans 180-plus countries.
The trade is cost and speed. At $699 per EOR employee per month, Remote is $100 more than Deel per head, which compounds across a team. Onboarding runs three to seven business days rather than Deel's advertised 24 to 72 hours. Contractor-heavy teams get the better end of the deal here; EOR-heavy teams should price both and negotiate.
What we like- Fully owned entities in every operating country, no partner middlemen
- Contractor management at $29 per month undercuts Deel
- Transparent pricing published per product
Watch out for- EOR at $699 per employee per month is the priciest of the big three
- Support runs on chat and email rather than dedicated account teams
#3
Oyster HR
Best for: Small teams making their first few international hires
Visit oysterhr.com
Starting price$29/contractor/month; $699/active team member/month (EOR)
Free planNo
Oyster is the approachable EOR. There is no minimum headcount, no setup fee, and the pricing page lists real numbers: $29 per contractor per month and $699 per active team member per month for EOR, with a refundable deposit on EOR hires. That makes it easy for a 10-person startup to hire one engineer in Germany without a sales process. Country coverage reaches 180-plus, and the platform includes compliant local contracts and a basic HRIS.
The limits show up as you grow. The EOR price is top of the market, and business-hours-only support can sting when payroll questions come from a timezone 10 hours ahead. Reviewers also note thinner equity and benefits tooling than Deel. For the first one to five international hires, the simplicity wins. Past that, get a Deel quote for comparison.
What we like- No minimum headcount and no setup fee
- Published USD pricing with a refundable EOR deposit
- 180-country EOR coverage
Watch out for- EOR at $699 per month matches Remote's premium pricing
- Support is business hours only, not 24/7
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Papaya Global is the enterprise pick in this set: a global payroll, EOR and contingent workforce platform covering 180-plus countries with round-the-clock support and SOC 2 Type II certification. It publishes starting prices for four of its plans, which is more transparency than most enterprise vendors offer, while the bigger suites (Workforce OS, Contingent OS, OnePay) require a quote. The platform consolidates payroll data, payments and compliance reporting across every country into one system.
The honest catch is fit. This is software for companies running payroll in dozens of countries with dedicated finance teams, not for a startup with three contractors. Implementation and pricing scale with that ambition. If you are choosing between Papaya and the startup-friendly platforms, the deciding question is headcount trajectory: Papaya wins when you are planning for 100-plus international workers.
What we like- 180-plus country coverage with 24/7 support
- Publishes starting prices for four plans
- Workforce OS consolidates payroll, EOR and contractors
Watch out for- The full platform (Workforce OS, Contingent OS, OnePay) is quote-only
- Built for enterprise complexity and priced like it
#5
Rippling
Best for: Companies already running HR, IT and payroll on Rippling
Visit rippling.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Rippling approaches international payroll as a module, not a standalone product. If your company already runs HR, devices, apps and US payroll on Rippling, adding global hiring keeps everything in one employee record: a new hire in Spain gets payroll, a laptop and app access from the same workflow. That consolidation is the whole argument, and for Rippling customers it is a strong one.
Everyone else should price carefully. Global hiring is quoted per country, and the platform fees (core HRIS plus base fee) sit underneath the international module. Reviewers put the per-country EOR cost in a similar range to Deel once everything is added, but you will not know your number until sales quotes it. Buy Rippling for the platform; buy Deel or Remote if international hiring is the main job.
What we like- Global hiring plugs into the same employee record as HR, IT and spend
- One vendor for domestic and international workforce
- Strong automation across onboarding
Watch out for- Global hiring is quoted per country with no public price
- The platform base fee stacks under every module
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Velocity Global sells speed and coverage: EOR in 185 countries with an onboarding process built to get workers hired fast. The platform handles contractor management alongside EOR, and the company has been in the global employment space long enough to have real compliance depth. For companies that need to hire in five countries this quarter, that operational maturity matters.
The price of maturity is opacity. There is no public pricing, and even small teams go through an enterprise sales process. Third-party estimates put contractor pricing around $25 per month and EOR in the standard $500-plus range, but Velocity never confirms numbers. Get the quote in writing, compare per-country, and push on implementation fees.
What we like- 185-country EOR coverage with fast setup positioning
- Contractor and EOR services on one platform
- Established provider with deep compliance bench
Watch out for- No public pricing
- Enterprise sales process even for small teams
#7
G-P
Best for: Large and pre-IPO companies hiring at enterprise scale
Visit g-p.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
G-P, formerly Globalization Partners, is the enterprise incumbent: 187 countries, white-glove onboarding, and analytics built for companies managing hundreds of international workers. It suits organizations heading toward IPO that need auditable, consistent global employment infrastructure and have the HR headcount to run it. The platform covers EOR and global payroll with deep compliance tooling.
Everything about the commercial model says enterprise. Pricing is quote-only, third-party estimates start around $65 per employee per month for the lighter products and climb from there, and the sales cycle is long. Small and mid-size companies will find Deel or Remote faster and cheaper. G-P earns its place when scale and auditability outweigh speed.
What we like- 187-country coverage, the widest in this set
- White-glove onboarding and advanced analytics
- Built for companies with dedicated global HR teams
Watch out for- Premium pricing (third-party estimates from $65 per employee per month and up for payroll products)
- Quote-only with an enterprise sales cycle
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Multiplier pitches itself as the simpler EOR: compliant hiring and payroll across its covered countries without the enterprise sales machinery. The platform handles contracts, benefits, taxes and multi-currency payments, aimed at startups that find Deel's breadth overwhelming or G-P's process too heavy. Onboarding is self-serve friendly relative to the category.
The trade is scale. Country coverage and the partner network are smaller than Deel, Remote or Papaya, and pricing is quote-only, so you cannot budget without a conversation. It fits companies hiring in a handful of well-covered countries who want a lighter touch. If your roadmap includes 20-plus countries, start with a bigger platform.
What we like- EOR and contractor management positioned for startup budgets
- Simpler onboarding than enterprise platforms
- Multi-currency payroll included
Watch out for- No public pricing
- Smaller country footprint and partner network than the leaders
#9
Skuad
Best for: Small businesses paying contractors and EOR employees globally
Visit skuad.io
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Skuad is the small-business end of global hiring: one platform for contractors and full-time EOR employees, with onboarding designed for teams without a global HR function. Payments run in 100-plus currencies, contracts are localized, and the interface stays simple. For a 20-person company with developers in four countries, that simplicity is the appeal.
Set expectations accordingly. Pricing is quote-only, and the compliance, benefits and equity tooling is thinner than Deel or Remote. Skuad works best when your international team is small and your needs are straightforward: pay people correctly, stay compliant, skip the enterprise ceremony. Outgrow it when you need dedicated compliance support or complex benefits.
What we like- Contractor and EOR hiring on one simple platform
- Onboarding geared to small teams
- Payments in 100-plus currencies
Watch out for- No public pricing
- Thinner compliance and benefits tooling than the category leaders
How we chose
We started with the searches buyers actually run: international payroll software, global payroll companies, and best global payroll for startups. For each candidate we checked the vendor's own pricing page first, then cross-checked plan names and prices against independent reviews and comparisons, and compared country coverage, entity ownership, and company-size fit. Where a price could not be verified on the vendor's page we wrote "See website" rather than repeating estimates. The shortlist mixes transparent self-serve platforms with enterprise providers because a startup hiring three contractors and a company running payroll in 40 countries are not buying the same thing.
EOR, global payroll, or contractors: pick the right model first
The biggest pricing mistake buyers make is comparing EOR prices when they do not need EOR. The three models work like this. Contractor management ($29 to $49 per contractor per month) covers freelancers you pay across borders: the platform handles contracts, invoices and multi-currency payouts, but the worker is not your employee. Global payroll (around $29 per employee per month) is for workers you employ through your own legal entity in their country: the platform runs compliant payroll and filings, you hold the entity. EOR ($599 to $699 per employee per month) is for employees in countries where you have no entity: the provider becomes the legal employer.
The math decides. Five EOR employees at $599 each cost $2,995 per month before benefits; the same five on payroll-only at $29 each cost $145. If you plan to hire 10-plus people in one country, setting up your own entity and switching to payroll-only usually pays for itself within a year. Also watch misclassification: labeling someone a contractor to save money, when local law treats them as an employee, creates back-tax and penalty risk that dwarfs the price difference.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between EOR and global payroll?
An employer of record hires the worker through its own legal entity in the worker's country, becoming the legal employer and handling contracts, taxes and benefits. Global payroll assumes you already own the entity: the platform just runs compliant payroll and filings on it. EOR costs roughly $599 to $699 per employee per month; payroll-only is around $29.
How much does international payroll software cost?
For payroll-only on your own entities, expect around $29 per employee per month (Deel, Remote). Contractor management runs $29 to $49 per contractor per month. Full EOR service runs $599 to $699 per employee per month at the big three, with benefits and country-specific costs on top. Enterprise platforms quote by country and headcount.
Do I need a local entity to hire abroad?
No. That is what EOR is for: Deel, Remote, Oyster and others hire through their entities so you do not need one. If you expect 10 or more long-term hires in a single country, opening your own entity and moving to payroll-only is usually cheaper within a year, but it takes months and local legal help.
Can one platform handle contractors and employees together?
Yes. Deel, Remote, Oyster, Papaya Global and Skuad all let you mix contractors and EOR employees in one dashboard with one invoice. That matters because most international teams are mixed: contractors for flexible roles, EOR employees for core long-term hires.
Which international payroll software is cheapest?
For contractors, Remote and Oyster at $29 per contractor per month are the cheapest published rates. For payroll on your own entities, Deel and Remote both publish $29 per employee per month. For EOR, Deel's $599 per employee per month is the lowest published rate of the big three. Enterprise vendors do not publish prices, so "cheapest" cannot be verified there.
How long does it take to hire internationally?
Contractors can usually be onboarded in days on any of these platforms. EOR employees take longer: Deel advertises 24 to 72 hours in well-covered countries, while Remote and Oyster typically quote three to seven business days. Complex countries, visa sponsorship and benefits setup add weeks regardless of platform.
Sources we checked (13)
- https://www.spotsaas.com/blog/deel-pricing-2026
- https://rivermate.com/blog/deel-pricing
- https://www.expertmarket.com/payroll-services/deel-review
- https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/blog/deel-vs-remote
- https://www.goworkwize.com/blog/remote-vs-deel
- https://www.unkoa.com/deel-vs-ontop-which-global-payroll-platform-should-you-choose-in-2025/
- https://ifeeltech.com/blog/gusto-vs-rippling-vs-adp-vs-deel-small-business
- https://www.thriveonz360.com/deel-vs-remote-vs-oyster-global-payroll-eor-comparison-2026/
- https://successknocks.com/best-global-payroll-software-for-startups-in2026/
- https://softwarefinder.com/resources/best-payroll-for-remote-employees
- https://leadchangegroup.com/global-payroll-software/
- https://www.g2.com/categories/global-payroll
- https://www.capterra.com/global-payroll-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
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Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.