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HR · head to head

Humaans vs Oyster HR

Humaans logo

Humaans

HR

API-first HRIS for fast-growing companies that treat employee data as a system of record other tools read from

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Oyster HR logo

Oyster HR

HR

Global employer of record and contractor payments

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Humaans there is no payroll engine anywhere in the product, so every country you employ in still needs its own payroll vendor and a synchronisation that someone owns when it breaks.; Oyster HR no published pricing for Benefits package add-on
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Humaans and Oyster HR actually diverge.

Attributes where Humaans and Oyster HR differ
AttributeHumaansOyster HR
Pricing modelquotesubscription

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR).

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 Humaans

  • Employee records
  • Workflows
  • Time off
  • Open API and webhooks
  • Onboarding
  • Reporting
  • App directory
  • Self service

Only in Oyster HR

Nothing recorded that Humaans does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Humaans

  • A 150 person technology company that wants employee data clean enough to drive access provisioning automaticallynot Oyster HR
  • An operations team that will build against an API rather than wait for a vendor integrationnot Oyster HR
  • A company replacing spreadsheets and Google Drive folders in weeks rather than running a six month HRIS projectnot Oyster HR
  • A multi-country employer that already has payroll handled per country and needs one consolidated employee recordnot Oyster HR

Oyster HR

  • Global employment compliancenot Humaans
  • Multi-country contractor managementnot Humaans
  • International payroll processingnot Humaans

Where each one falls short

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

Humaans

  • There is no payroll engine anywhere in the product, so every country you employ in still needs its own payroll vendor and a synchronisation that someone owns when it breaks.
  • Applicant tracking, learning and benefits administration are absent, meaning a company wanting a single supplier will buy three or four contracts to match what a suite sells as one.
  • Acquisition by Employment Hero in 2024 puts an independent, integration-first product inside a vendor that sells a bundled employment platform, and buyers should ask directly how long the standalone product will be sold on its own terms.
  • Per employee per month pricing with tiered features means the cost rises with headcount growth at exactly the point a scale-up is least willing to renegotiate, and useful features such as workflows sit above the entry tier.
  • Country-specific compliance depth is limited, so statutory leave rules, local document requirements and reporting obligations often need configuring by hand rather than arriving as a maintained country pack.

Oyster HR

  • No published pricing for Benefits package add-on
  • No published pricing for Visa sponsorship
  • No published pricing for Salary Insights tool or Oyster Shell subscription
  • Add-on features require separate quotes

Pricing, plan by plan

Humaans

On request
  • Humaans$undefined/year
    • Priced per employee per month with tiered feature sets
    • Employee records, time off and documents
    • Workflows and reporting on higher tiers

Oyster HR

On request
  • Employer of Record (EOR)$699/month
    • Per employee pricing
    • Compliant employment in 120+ countries
    • Multi-country payroll in 120+ currencies
  • Global Contractors$29/month
    • Per contractor pricing
    • First 30 days free
    • Instant contracts in 180+ countries
  • People Partner Services$300/hour
    • Project-based HR advisory
    • Support for EOR and own entities
    • Flexible scope from advice to full execution

Which should you pick?

Choose Humaans if

  • You need employee records.
  • You also want workflows.
Humaans review

Choose Oyster HR if

Nothing in the data separates Oyster HR from Humaans on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Oyster HR review

Questions people ask

Is Humaans or Oyster HR better?
Neither clearly leads. Humaans starts at On request and Oyster HR at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Humaans or Oyster HR?
Humaans starts at On request and Oyster HR at On request.
Does Humaans or Oyster HR run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Humaans best used for?
Humaans is most often used for a 150 person technology company that wants employee data clean enough to drive access provisioning automatically, an operations team that will build against an api rather than wait for a vendor integration, a company replacing spreadsheets and google drive folders in weeks rather than running a six month hris project, a multi-country employer that already has payroll handled per country and needs one consolidated employee record. Of those, a 150 person technology company that wants employee data clean enough to drive access provisioning automatically and an operations team that will build against an api rather than wait for a vendor integration are not what Oyster HR is typically brought in for.
What can Humaans do that Oyster HR cannot?
Humaans covers Employee records, Workflows, Time off, Open API and webhooks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Humaans: Does Humaans run payroll?

No. It holds the employee record and pushes data to payroll providers. You buy payroll separately in each country.

Oyster HR: How much does Oyster EOR cost?

Oyster Employer of Record costs $699 per employee per month in USD. This includes compliant employment in 120+ countries, multi-country payroll, automated reporting, onboarding/offboarding, and local expert guidance. Annual discounts apply, and a refundable deposit is required.

Source
Humaans: Who owns it now?

Employment Hero acquired Humaans in 2024. It continues to be sold, but the parent company also sells a bundled employment platform.

Oyster HR: What is the cost of Oyster Global Contractors?

Oyster Global Contractors costs $29 per contractor per month after a free 30-day trial. Includes instant contracts in 180+ countries, multi-currency payments, identity verification, and invoice management. No minimum team size.

Source
Humaans: Is the API genuinely complete?

Yes. It is the design centre of the product rather than an afterthought, with documented REST endpoints and webhooks across the core objects.

Oyster HR: What currencies and payment methods does Oyster accept?

Oyster accepts USD, EUR, GBP, and CAD. Payment methods include direct debit and wire transfers. Currency conversion fees apply when paying in a currency different from the employment contract currency.

Source
Humaans: How long does implementation take?

Typically weeks. There is no configuration consultancy requirement, which is a large part of why teams choose it over a mid-market suite.

Oyster HR: Does Oyster offer discounts for nonprofits or startups?

Oyster for Impact provides discounts for nonprofits and B-corps. Startups can save up to $1,200 on EOR subscription fees. Refugees receive no-cost or discounted access to employment services.

Source
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