Softwr

Communication & Collaboration · head to head

Flock vs Oyster

Flock logo

Flock

Communication & Collaboration

Organized team communication platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll & Benefits

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Flock the Starter plan only makes the most recent 10,000 messages searchable and caps public channels at 10; Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • They diverge on capability: Flock covers Team chat, Oyster covers Global Employment.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Flock and Oyster actually diverge.

Attributes where Flock and Oyster differ
AttributeFlockOyster
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCommunication & CollaborationPayroll & Benefits
Founded20142020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Flock

  • Team chat
  • Channels
  • Threads
  • File sharing
  • Polls
  • Integrations
  • Mobile apps
  • Zapier

Only in Oyster

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Flock

  • Team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharingnot Oyster
  • Running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspacenot Oyster
  • Video conferencing and screen sharing for small teamsnot Oyster

Oyster

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

Where each one falls short

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

Flock

  • The Starter plan only makes the most recent 10,000 messages searchable and caps public channels at 10
  • Starter storage is 5 GB for the entire team, against 10 GB per member on Pro and 20 GB per member on Enterprise
  • Starter allows a single team admin and a single approved domain
  • Group video calls and screen sharing require the Pro plan; Starter is limited to 1-1 video calls
  • Group video calls are capped at 20 participants even on Enterprise
  • Single Sign-On and Active Directory sync are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise is quote only, with no published rate, and is positioned for organisations with 100 or more members
  • Unlimited auto-join and announcement channels require Enterprise; Starter and Pro get one of each

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

Flock

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited chats
    • Channels
    • File sharing
  • Pro$5/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced search
    • API access

Oyster

Free
  • Contractor$29/month
    • Contractor Payments
    • Compliant Contracts
    • Invoicing
  • Employee$599/month
    • Global Employment
    • Payroll
    • Benefits

Which should you pick?

Choose Flock if

  • You need team chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want channels.
Flock review

Choose Oyster if

  • You need global employment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Oyster review

Questions people ask

Is Flock or Oyster better?
Neither clearly leads. Flock starts at Free and Oyster at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Flock or Oyster?
Flock starts at Free and Oyster at Free.
Does Flock or Oyster run on more platforms?
Flock runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Flock for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Flock best used for?
Flock is most often used for team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharing, running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspace, video conferencing and screen sharing for small teams. Of those, team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharing and running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspace are not what Oyster is typically brought in for.
What can Flock do that Oyster cannot?
Flock covers Team chat, Channels, Threads, File sharing. Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Both handle Slack, Web support, Ios support, Android support.
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Related pages

More on Flock

More on Oyster

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