Software · head to head
Oyster vs Reclaim.ai
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; Reclaim.ai no offline access or push notifications for schedule changes
- They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Reclaim.ai covers Smart scheduling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Oyster and Reclaim.ai actually diverge.
| Attribute | Oyster | Reclaim.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Web, iOS, Android, Browser Extension |
| Founded | 2020 | 2019 |
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 Reclaim.ai
- Smart scheduling
- Habit tracking
- Task integration
- Buffer time
- Meeting optimization
- Google Calendar
- Outlook
- Todoist
Both cover
- Slack
- 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 Reclaim.ai
- Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Reclaim.ai
- Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Reclaim.ai
Reclaim.ai
- Schedulingnot Oyster
- Appointment bookingnot Oyster
- Time trackingnot Oyster
- Resource managementnot Oyster
- Team coordinationnot 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
Reclaim.ai
- No offline access or push notifications for schedule changes
- Free tier is very limited (1 habit, 1 scheduling link, 1-week scheduling range)
- Pricing is complex with hidden costs from AI Agent quotas and Attendee User (AU) charges
- Weak mobile experience; primarily a web and browser extension tool
- Requires 20-30 minutes setup and 2-week evaluation before effectiveness is clear
- Outlook Calendar support is less mature with occasional sync delays
Pricing, plan by plan
Oyster
Free- Contractor$29/month
- Contractor Payments
- Compliant Contracts
- Invoicing
- Employee$599/month
- Global Employment
- Payroll
- Benefits
Reclaim.ai
Free- FreeFree
- 1 user
- 1 scheduling link
- 1 smart meeting
- Starter$10/month
- Unlimited habits
- Unlimited scheduling links
- Task integrations
- Business$15/month
- Starter features
- Smart meetings
- Team collaboration
- Enterprise$22/month
- Business features
- SSO
- Custom integrations
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.
Choose Reclaim.ai if
- You need smart scheduling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Browser Extension.
- You also want habit tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Oyster or Reclaim.ai better?
- Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and Reclaim.ai at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Oyster or Reclaim.ai?
- Oyster starts at Free and Reclaim.ai at Free.
- Does Oyster or Reclaim.ai run on more platforms?
- Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. Reclaim.ai runs on Web, iOS, Android, Browser Extension.
- 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 Reclaim.ai is typically brought in for.
- What can Oyster do that Reclaim.ai cannot?
- Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Reclaim.ai covers Smart scheduling, Habit tracking, Task integration, Buffer time. Both handle Slack, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Reclaim.ai: What does Reclaim.ai's free plan include?
The free plan includes limited features: 1 user, 1 scheduling link, 1 smart meeting, 3 habits maximum, 1 calendar sync, and a 13-week scheduling range.
SourceReclaim.ai: How much does Reclaim.ai cost?
Starter costs $10/seat/month, Business $15/seat/month, and Enterprise $22/seat/month on yearly billing. Pricing excludes additional costs for AI Agent quotas and Attendee Users (AU).
SourceReclaim.ai: Can I use Reclaim.ai on my phone?
Reclaim.ai is primarily a web and browser extension tool. Mobile apps exist but function better as viewers than editors. Real work requires desktop access.
SourceReclaim.ai: Does Reclaim.ai work with Outlook Calendar?
Reclaim was built for Google Calendar first. Outlook support exists but is less mature, with occasional sync delays and fewer features compared to Google Calendar integration.
SourceReclaim.ai: What tasks and projects can Reclaim.ai integrate with?
Reclaim integrates with Todoist, Asana, ClickUp, Jira, and Linear for task scheduling and automation.
SourceRelated pages
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