Softwr

Communication & Collaboration · head to head

Lark vs Oyster

Lark logo

Lark

Communication & Collaboration

The super app for team collaboration

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: Lark lark's own pricing page description states it offers a free starter pack, a Pro plan, and an Enterprise plan, and directs buyers to Contact us rather than publishing Pro/Enterprise figures on the rendered page.; Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • They diverge on capability: Lark covers Team messaging, Oyster covers Global Employment.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lark and Oyster actually diverge.

Attributes where Lark and Oyster differ
AttributeLarkOyster
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCommunication & CollaborationPayroll & Benefits
Founded20192020

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 Lark

  • Team messaging
  • Video conferencing
  • Collaborative docs
  • Cloud storage
  • Calendar
  • Jira
  • GitHub
  • Salesforce

Only in Oyster

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

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Lark

  • Team communicationnot Oyster
  • Document collaborationnot Oyster
  • Project managementnot Oyster
  • Company intranetnot Oyster

Oyster

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

Where each one falls short

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

Lark

  • Lark's own pricing page description states it offers a free starter pack, a Pro plan, and an Enterprise plan, and directs buyers to Contact us rather than publishing Pro/Enterprise figures on the rendered page.

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

Lark

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Up to 50 users
    • 100GB storage
    • Unlimited messaging
  • Pro$12/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 1TB storage per user
    • 24-hour meetings
  • Enterprise$20/month
    • SSO/SAML
    • eDiscovery
    • Custom retention

Oyster

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Lark if

  • You need team messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
  • You also want video conferencing.
Lark 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 Lark or Oyster better?
Neither clearly leads. Lark 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, Lark or Oyster?
Lark starts at Free and Oyster at Free.
Does Lark or Oyster run on more platforms?
Lark runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android. Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Lark for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Lark best used for?
Lark is most often used for team communication, document collaboration, project management, company intranet. Of those, team communication and document collaboration are not what Oyster is typically brought in for.
What can Lark do that Oyster cannot?
Lark covers Team messaging, Video conferencing, Collaborative docs, Cloud storage. Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.
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Related pages

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