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Software · head to head

Oyster vs Paylocity

Oyster logo

Oyster

Software

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paylocity logo

Paylocity

Software

HR and payroll solutions to drive employee engagement

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Paylocity the Internet Archive's capture of Paylocity's homepage on 3 January 2021 named a wide suite of modules, including Payroll, On Demand Payment, HR Edge, Recruiting, Performance Management, Compensation Management and a Learning Management System, all sold via 'Request a Demo' with no price figures published.
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Paylocity covers HR Management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Paylocity actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Paylocity differ
AttributeOysterPaylocity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
Founded20201997

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR
  • Greenhouse

Only in Paylocity

  • HR Management
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Labor
  • Talent Management
  • Employee Engagement
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Google Workspace

Both cover

  • Payroll
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android 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 Paylocity
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Paylocity
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Paylocity

Paylocity

No use cases recorded yet. See the Paylocity 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

Paylocity

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Paylocity's homepage on 3 January 2021 named a wide suite of modules, including Payroll, On Demand Payment, HR Edge, Recruiting, Performance Management, Compensation Management and a Learning Management System, all sold via 'Request a Demo' with no price figures published.

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

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

Paylocity

On request
  • Core Payroll$undefined/month
    • Payroll Processing
    • Tax Services
    • Direct Deposit
  • Complete HCM$undefined/month
    • All Core features
    • HR
    • 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 benefits.
Oyster review

Choose Paylocity if

  • You need hr management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want benefits administration.
Paylocity review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Paylocity better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and Paylocity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or Paylocity?
Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Oyster and On request for Paylocity.
Does Oyster or Paylocity run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Oyster for free?
Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paylocity starts at On request.
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 Paylocity is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Paylocity cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Benefits, Compliance, Contractor Management. Paylocity covers HR Management, Benefits Administration, Time and Labor, Talent Management. Both handle Payroll, QuickBooks, NetSuite, Slack.
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Related pages

More on Oyster

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