Payroll · head to head
Extend vs RemoFirst
Extend
Payroll
Virtual card issuing and spend controls layered onto existing business credit cards
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
RemoFirst
Payroll
Low-cost employer of record and contractor payments across a very wide country list built largely on partner entities
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Extend has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Extend it depends on an existing business credit card relationship, so a company without a qualifying Amex, Visa or Mastercard business card cannot use it as a standalone card issuer.; RemoFirst coverage in most countries runs through partner entities rather than entities RemoFirst owns, which lengthens the liability chain and means a disputed termination is handled by a company you have no direct contract with.
- They diverge on capability: Extend covers Virtual card issuing, RemoFirst covers Employer of record.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Extend and RemoFirst actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Extend
- Virtual card issuing
- Per-card spend controls
- Approval workflows
- Receipt auto-matching
- ERP integrations
- API access
Only in RemoFirst
- Employer of record
- Contractor management
- Global benefits
- Visa and work permit support
- Equipment provisioning
- Multi-currency payments
- Expense management
- Time off tracking
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Extend
- A small business wanting free vendor-level virtual card controls without opening a new card programmenot RemoFirst
- A company with an existing Amex or bank business card wanting tighter per-vendor spend limitsnot RemoFirst
- A finance team wanting predictable per-user pricing rather than a private quote for spend managementnot RemoFirst
- A larger business wanting API-driven automated card issuance tied to its existing card relationshipnot RemoFirst
RemoFirst
- A startup hiring two or three people each in several countries where opening entities makes no sensenot Extend
- A company paying an established vendor a high per-contractor fee for administration it could buy far cheapernot Extend
- An employer that needs a country outside the coverage of the major EOR providersnot Extend
- A team that wants equipment procured and shipped to remote hires without setting up local logisticsnot Extend
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Extend
- It depends on an existing business credit card relationship, so a company without a qualifying Amex, Visa or Mastercard business card cannot use it as a standalone card issuer.
- The free Starter plan is capped at five users and 100 cards a month, which small but growing teams will outgrow quickly and need to upgrade past.
- The Pro plan enforces a ten-user minimum, so a company with only two or three people who need virtual cards pays for unused seats.
- Rewards, credit terms and dispute resolution still run through the underlying card issuer, so Extend cannot improve or change those terms; it only adds a control layer on top.
- Deeper ERP integrations such as NetSuite and Dynamics 365 are reserved for the custom-quoted Enterprise tier, so companies needing them lose the pricing transparency of the published Starter and Pro plans.
RemoFirst
- Coverage in most countries runs through partner entities rather than entities RemoFirst owns, which lengthens the liability chain and means a disputed termination is handled by a company you have no direct contract with.
- Statutory deposits, typically one or more months of salary and employer contributions held in advance, are quoted separately from the per employee fee and materially change the cash cost of the first year.
- Currency conversion on payroll runs carries a spread that is not in the headline price, and on a large multi-country payroll that spread can exceed the platform fee itself.
- Benefits quality varies sharply by country because it is sourced through local partners, so two employees on the same contract in different countries can receive very different cover.
- The company is young and holds client payroll funds in transit, which is a counterparty risk that larger competitors with longer trading histories and audited entity networks present less of.
Pricing, plan by plan
Extend
Free- StarterFree
- Up to 5 users and 10 guests
- Up to 100 virtual cards per month
- One expense category
- Pro$11.99/month
- 10 user minimum
- Up to 500 virtual cards per month
- Custom approval workflows and QuickBooks Online integration
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Unlimited users and virtual cards
- API access for automated card issuance
- NetSuite and Dynamics 365 integration, dedicated account manager
RemoFirst
On request- Employer of Record$undefined/year
- Priced per employee per month
- Statutory deposit held separately from the platform fee
- Currency conversion spread applied on each payroll run
- Contractor Management$undefined/year
- Priced per contractor per month
- Compliant contract templates by country
- Multi-currency payments
Which should you pick?
Choose Extend if
- You need virtual card issuing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want per-card spend controls.
Questions people ask
- Is Extend or RemoFirst better?
- Neither clearly leads. Extend starts at Free and RemoFirst at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Extend or RemoFirst?
- Extend has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Extend and On request for RemoFirst.
- Does Extend or RemoFirst run on more platforms?
- Extend runs on Web, iOS, Android. RemoFirst runs on Web.
- Can I use Extend for free?
- Yes. Extend has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RemoFirst starts at On request.
- What is Extend best used for?
- Extend is most often used for a small business wanting free vendor-level virtual card controls without opening a new card programme, a company with an existing amex or bank business card wanting tighter per-vendor spend limits, a finance team wanting predictable per-user pricing rather than a private quote for spend management, a larger business wanting api-driven automated card issuance tied to its existing card relationship. Of those, a small business wanting free vendor-level virtual card controls without opening a new card programme and a company with an existing amex or bank business card wanting tighter per-vendor spend limits are not what RemoFirst is typically brought in for.
- What can Extend do that RemoFirst cannot?
- Extend covers Virtual card issuing, Per-card spend controls, Approval workflows, Receipt auto-matching. RemoFirst covers Employer of record, Contractor management, Global benefits, Visa and work permit support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Extend: Does Extend replace our business credit card?
No, it issues virtual cards against an existing American Express, Visa or Mastercard business credit line rather than opening a new card programme.
RemoFirst: Does RemoFirst own entities in every country it lists?
No. It owns entities in a minority of its coverage and uses in-country partners elsewhere. Ask per country, because the answer determines who the legal employer is.
Extend: Is there really a free plan?
Yes, the Starter plan is free for up to five users, ten guests and 100 virtual cards a month.
RemoFirst: What does the headline per employee price exclude?
Statutory deposits, currency conversion spread on payroll runs, and country-specific charges such as mandatory insurance or entity fees.
Extend: What does Pro cost?
11.99 dollars per user per month billed annually, or 12 dollars monthly, with a ten-user minimum.
RemoFirst: Is it cheaper than Deel or Remote?
On the headline rate, substantially. Once deposits and FX are included the gap narrows, but it usually remains cheaper.
RemoFirst: Can it convert a contractor into an employee?
Yes, in countries it supports for EOR. This is a common reason buyers start with the contractor product and move up.
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