Software · head to head
Oyster vs Papaya Global
The short version
- Only Oyster has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing; Papaya Global the AWS Marketplace listing is by the vendor but carries no published rate, offering pricing only through a Private Offer with a promotional discount off recurring fees
- They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Papaya Global covers Global Payroll.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Oyster and Papaya Global actually diverge.
| Attribute | Oyster | Papaya Global |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $12/month |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Web |
| Founded | 2020 | 2016 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Oyster
- Global Employment
- Payroll
- Benefits
- Contractor Management
- Time Off
- Expenses
- Lever
- QuickBooks
Only in Papaya Global
- Global Payroll
- Payments
- Workforce Management
- Analytics
- EOR Services
- Workday
- SAP
- Oracle
Both cover
- Compliance
- BambooHR
- Greenhouse
- NetSuite
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Oyster
- Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot Papaya Global
- Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Papaya Global
- Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Papaya Global
Papaya Global
No use cases recorded yet. See the Papaya Global review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Papaya Global
- The AWS Marketplace listing is by the vendor but carries no published rate, offering pricing only through a Private Offer with a promotional discount off recurring fees
Pricing, plan by plan
Oyster
Free- Contractor$29/month
- Contractor Payments
- Compliant Contracts
- Invoicing
- Employee$599/month
- Global Employment
- Payroll
- Benefits
Papaya Global
$12/month- Payroll Plus$12/month
- Global Payroll
- Compliance
- Analytics
- Full Service$undefined/month
- All Payroll Plus features
- EOR
- Benefits
Which should you pick?
Choose Oyster if
- You need global employment.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want payroll.
Questions people ask
- Is Oyster or Papaya Global better?
- Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and Papaya Global at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Oyster or Papaya Global?
- Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Oyster and $12/month for Papaya Global.
- Does Oyster or Papaya Global run on more platforms?
- Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. Papaya Global runs on Web.
- Can I use Oyster for free?
- Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Papaya Global starts at $12/month.
- What is Oyster best used for?
- Oyster is most often used for hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entity, onboarding and paying international contractors, getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teams. Of those, hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entity and onboarding and paying international contractors are not what Papaya Global is typically brought in for.
- What can Oyster do that Papaya Global cannot?
- Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Contractor Management. Papaya Global covers Global Payroll, Payments, Workforce Management, Analytics. Both handle Compliance, BambooHR, Greenhouse, NetSuite.