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Software · head to head

Oyster vs Ramp

Oyster logo

Oyster

Software

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ramp logo

Ramp

Software

The corporate card that helps you spend less

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing; Ramp procurement module unavailable on Free plan; available as add-on on Plus
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Ramp covers Corporate cards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Ramp actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Ramp differ
AttributeOysterRamp
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile apps
Founded20202019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR

Only in Ramp

  • Corporate cards
  • Expense management
  • Bill pay
  • Accounting automation
  • Spend insights
  • Xero
  • Sage Intacct
  • SOC 2

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • 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 Ramp
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Ramp
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Ramp

Ramp

  • Corporate expense management and automationnot Oyster
  • Accounts payable automation with AI invoice processingnot Oyster
  • Multi-currency travel and policy 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

Ramp

  • Procurement module unavailable on Free plan; available as add-on on Plus
  • Workday and Oracle Fusion integrations limited to Enterprise tier only
  • Multi-entity functionality requires Plus tier or higher
  • Local card issuance in 30+ countries limited to Enterprise tier
  • Advanced ERP integrations require higher tier selection

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

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

Ramp

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Ramp review.

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 Ramp if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile apps.
  • You also want expense management.
Ramp review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Ramp better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and Ramp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or Ramp?
Oyster starts at Free and Ramp at Free.
Does Oyster or Ramp run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. Ramp runs on Web, Mobile apps.
Can I use Oyster for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Ramp is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Ramp cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Ramp covers Corporate cards, Expense management, Bill pay, Accounting automation. Both handle QuickBooks, NetSuite, Web support, Ios support.
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