Softwr

Payroll · head to head

ADP Workforce Now vs Oyster

ADP Workforce Now logo

ADP Workforce Now

Payroll

All-in-one HR, payroll, talent, and benefits

From
$23/employee per month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll

Hire globally, compliantly

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ADP Workforce Now pricing not publicly available, making budget comparison difficult; Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • They diverge on capability: ADP Workforce Now covers Payroll Processing, Oyster covers Global Employment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ADP Workforce Now and Oyster actually diverge.

Attributes where ADP Workforce Now and Oyster differ
AttributeADP Workforce NowOyster
Starting price$23/employee per month$29/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19492020

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ADP Workforce Now

  • Payroll Processing
  • Tax Administration
  • HR Management
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Attendance
  • Talent Management
  • Xero
  • Salesforce

Only in Oyster

  • Global Employment
  • Payroll
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ADP Workforce Now

  • Processing payroll and tax compliance for 1 in 6 U.S. workersnot Oyster
  • Managing time tracking and labor cost forecasting across locationsnot Oyster
  • Coordinating benefits administration and retirement plan compliancenot Oyster
  • Running distributed hiring workflows for enterprises with global teamsnot Oyster

Oyster

  • Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot ADP Workforce Now
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot ADP Workforce Now
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot ADP Workforce Now

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ADP Workforce Now

  • Pricing not publicly available, making budget comparison difficult
  • Additional modules increase per-employee cost significantly
  • Requires minimum 50 employees, not suitable for small businesses
  • Setup fees of $2,000 or more for additional modules

Oyster

  • Employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • A refundable deposit is required before an EOR engagement starts
  • Contractor management is free for 30 days then $29 per contractor per month
  • HR advisory through People Partner Services is billed at $300 per hour on top of the subscription
  • A currency conversion fee applies when you pay Oyster in a currency other than the contract currency
  • Payments are accepted only by direct debit or wire in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD

Pricing, plan by plan

ADP Workforce Now

$23/employee per month

No published plan breakdown. See the ADP Workforce Now review.

Oyster

$29/month
  • Global Contractors$29/month
    • Instant contracts in 180+ countries
    • Contractor payments in 120+ currencies
    • Identity verification
  • Employer of Record (EOR)$699/month
    • Compliant employment in 120+ countries
    • Multi-country payroll in 120+ currencies
    • Automated expenses, time-off, and reports

Which should you pick?

Choose ADP Workforce Now if

  • You need payroll processing.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want tax administration.
ADP Workforce Now review

Choose Oyster if

  • You need global employment.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Oyster review

Questions people ask

Is ADP Workforce Now or Oyster better?
Neither clearly leads. ADP Workforce Now starts at $23/employee per month and Oyster at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ADP Workforce Now or Oyster?
ADP Workforce Now starts at $23/employee per month and Oyster at $29/month.
Does ADP Workforce Now or Oyster run on more platforms?
ADP Workforce Now runs on Web, Mobile. Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is ADP Workforce Now best used for?
ADP Workforce Now is most often used for processing payroll and tax compliance for 1 in 6 u.s. workers, managing time tracking and labor cost forecasting across locations, coordinating benefits administration and retirement plan compliance, running distributed hiring workflows for enterprises with global teams. Of those, processing payroll and tax compliance for 1 in 6 u.s. workers and managing time tracking and labor cost forecasting across locations are not what Oyster is typically brought in for.
What can ADP Workforce Now do that Oyster cannot?
ADP Workforce Now covers Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, HR Management, Benefits Administration. Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Both handle QuickBooks, Slack, Web support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ADP Workforce Now: How much does ADP Workforce Now cost?

ADP Workforce Now pricing starts around $23 to $30 per employee per month as base cost. Additional modules like recruiting cost extra, typically $3 per employee per month plus $2,000 setup fee.

Source
Oyster: How much does Oyster charge for Employer of Record services?

Oyster charges $699 per employee per month for EOR services, with annual discounts available. Setup, onboarding, and offboarding are included with no additional charges.

Source
ADP Workforce Now: What payroll features does ADP Workforce Now include?

ADP Workforce Now includes payroll processing, benefits administration, time and attendance tracking, compliance management, and AI-powered anomaly detection that flags potential payroll errors before processing.

Source
Oyster: How much does Oyster charge for Global Contractors?

Oyster's Global Contractors tier costs $29 per contractor per month after a free 30-day trial. The plan covers instant contracts in 180+ countries, payments in 120+ currencies, and contractor management tools.

Source
ADP Workforce Now: Does ADP Workforce Now integrate with other systems?

Yes, ADP Workforce Now integrates with Workday through Flexspring connectors for near-real-time data sharing. Employee benefits, new hire data, and payroll information sync automatically between systems.

Source
Oyster: What discounts does Oyster offer?

Oyster offers discounts for nonprofits and B-corps through its 'Oyster for Impact' program, startup savings of up to $1,200 on EOR subscriptions, and discounted or waived pricing for refugee support programs.

Source
ADP Workforce Now: Who is ADP Workforce Now suitable for?

ADP Workforce Now is built for organizations with 50 or more employees seeking comprehensive payroll and HR management with enterprise-grade features.

Source
Oyster: What payment methods does Oyster accept?

Oyster accepts payment by direct debit, wire transfer, and auto-withdrawal. The platform supports multiple currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, and CAD, with fees applied only when paying in a currency different from the contract currency.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on ADP Workforce Now

More on Oyster

Keep looking

Other head to heads