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Payroll · head to head

OnPay vs Oyster

OnPay logo

OnPay

Payroll

Single-plan United States payroll with unlimited pay runs and support for awkward tax situations other providers avoid

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll

Hire globally, compliantly

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OnPay onPay operates only in the United States, so the first international hire means a second payroll vendor and a separate compliance model.; Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • They diverge on capability: OnPay covers Single plan, Oyster covers Global Employment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OnPay and Oyster actually diverge.

Attributes where OnPay and Oyster differ
AttributeOnPayOyster
Starting priceOn request$29/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2020

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 OnPay

  • Single plan
  • Tax filing and payment
  • Vertical payroll support
  • Benefits brokerage
  • Workers compensation
  • Contractor payments
  • Basic HR tools
  • Accounting integrations

Only in Oyster

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

What people use each for

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

OnPay

  • A farm running agricultural payroll that needs Form 943 rather than the standard quarterly filingnot Oyster
  • A church or nonprofit with clergy compensation rules that mainstream providers decline to handlenot Oyster
  • A restaurant group needing tip credit and minimum wage make-up calculated correctly each pay periodnot Oyster
  • A small business that wants one price for payroll rather than a tiered plan it has to keep upgradingnot Oyster

Oyster

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

Where each one falls short

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

OnPay

  • OnPay operates only in the United States, so the first international hire means a second payroll vendor and a separate compliance model.
  • There is no native mobile application, only a responsive web interface, which employers with field or shift-based staff notice immediately.
  • The HR functionality is administrative and does not replace an HRIS, so performance, learning and any real workflow automation need another product.
  • Time and attendance is handled through integrations rather than natively, meaning hours arrive from a third-party system that has to be reconciled when it disagrees with payroll.
  • Reporting is functional but limited, and companies that want cost analysis by department, project or location generally export to a spreadsheet rather than build it in the product.

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

OnPay

On request
  • OnPay$undefined/month
    • One published plan combining a flat monthly base fee with a per person charge
    • No feature tiers, upgrades or add-on modules
    • Unlimited pay runs and multi-state filing included

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 OnPay if

  • You need single plan.
  • You also want tax filing and payment.
OnPay review

Choose Oyster if

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

Questions people ask

Is OnPay or Oyster better?
Neither clearly leads. OnPay starts at On request and Oyster at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OnPay or Oyster?
OnPay starts at On request and Oyster at $29/month.
Does OnPay or Oyster run on more platforms?
OnPay runs on Web. Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is OnPay best used for?
OnPay is most often used for a farm running agricultural payroll that needs form 943 rather than the standard quarterly filing, a church or nonprofit with clergy compensation rules that mainstream providers decline to handle, a restaurant group needing tip credit and minimum wage make-up calculated correctly each pay period, a small business that wants one price for payroll rather than a tiered plan it has to keep upgrading. Of those, a farm running agricultural payroll that needs form 943 rather than the standard quarterly filing and a church or nonprofit with clergy compensation rules that mainstream providers decline to handle are not what Oyster is typically brought in for.
What can OnPay do that Oyster cannot?
OnPay covers Single plan, Tax filing and payment, Vertical payroll support, Benefits brokerage. Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OnPay: How is OnPay priced?

As a single published plan with a flat monthly base fee plus a charge per person paid, with no feature tiers. Contractors are charged at the same per person rate as employees.

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
OnPay: Does it handle payroll outside the United States?

No. It is US-only, in all fifty states, including multi-state filing at no extra cost.

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
OnPay: Why do farms and churches use it?

It supports Form 943 agricultural filing, clergy housing allowance and Social Security exemption rules, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit payroll, which several larger providers do not.

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
OnPay: Is there a mobile app?

No. Employers and employees use a responsive web interface, which is a genuine gap for shift-based workforces.

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
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