Softwr

Payroll & Benefits · head to head

Oyster vs QAD

Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll & Benefits

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QAD logo

QAD

ERP & Business Operations

Cloud and on-premise ERP for manufacturers

From
$2000/month
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; QAD no price, per user rate, minimum or contract term is published on the site; the only routes are a demo request and a Contact Sales link
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, QAD covers Financial management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and QAD actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and QAD differ
AttributeOysterQAD
Starting priceFree$2000/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidCloud, On-premise, Web
CategoryPayroll & BenefitsERP & Business Operations
Founded20201979

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Oyster

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

Only in QAD

  • Financial management
  • Manufacturing
  • Supply chain
  • Inventory management
  • Quality management
  • REST APIs
  • EDI
  • IoT integration

Both cover

  • 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 QAD
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot QAD
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot QAD

QAD

  • ERP for manufacturers covering production execution and schedulingnot Oyster
  • Supply chain planning, purchasing and inventory controlnot Oyster
  • Quality management, traceability and supplier management for regulated manufacturingnot Oyster
  • Field service and enterprise asset managementnot Oyster

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

QAD

  • No price, per user rate, minimum or contract term is published on the site; the only routes are a demo request and a Contact Sales link
  • Field service management, enterprise asset management and quality management are presented as separate functional areas rather than a single priced bundle

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

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

QAD

$2000/month
  • Standard$2000/month
    • Financial management
    • Manufacturing
    • Supply chain
  • Premium$4000/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Analytics
    • Priority support

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.
Oyster review

Choose QAD if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want manufacturing.
QAD review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or QAD better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and QAD at $2000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or QAD?
Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Oyster and $2000/month for QAD.
Does Oyster or QAD run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. QAD runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
Can I use Oyster for free?
Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. QAD starts at $2000/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 QAD is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that QAD cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. QAD covers Financial management, Manufacturing, Supply chain, Inventory management. Both handle Web support.
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