Softwr

Payroll · head to head

Oyster vs RemoFirst

Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll

Hire globally, compliantly

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RemoFirst logo

RemoFirst

Payroll

Low-cost employer of record and contractor payments across a very wide country list built largely on partner entities

From
On request
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; RemoFirst coverage in most countries runs through partner entities rather than entities RemoFirst owns, which lengthens the liability chain and means a disputed termination is handled by a company you have no direct contract with.
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, RemoFirst covers Employer of record.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and RemoFirst actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and RemoFirst differ
AttributeOysterRemoFirst
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded2020Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll).

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 RemoFirst

  • Employer of record
  • Contractor management
  • Global benefits
  • Visa and work permit support
  • Equipment provisioning
  • Multi-currency payments
  • Expense management
  • Time off tracking

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

RemoFirst

  • A startup hiring two or three people each in several countries where opening entities makes no sensenot Oyster
  • A company paying an established vendor a high per-contractor fee for administration it could buy far cheapernot Oyster
  • An employer that needs a country outside the coverage of the major EOR providersnot Oyster
  • A team that wants equipment procured and shipped to remote hires without setting up local logisticsnot 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

RemoFirst

  • Coverage in most countries runs through partner entities rather than entities RemoFirst owns, which lengthens the liability chain and means a disputed termination is handled by a company you have no direct contract with.
  • Statutory deposits, typically one or more months of salary and employer contributions held in advance, are quoted separately from the per employee fee and materially change the cash cost of the first year.
  • Currency conversion on payroll runs carries a spread that is not in the headline price, and on a large multi-country payroll that spread can exceed the platform fee itself.
  • Benefits quality varies sharply by country because it is sourced through local partners, so two employees on the same contract in different countries can receive very different cover.
  • The company is young and holds client payroll funds in transit, which is a counterparty risk that larger competitors with longer trading histories and audited entity networks present less of.

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

$29/month
  • Global Contractors$29/month
    • Instant contracts in 180+ countries
    • Contractor payments in 120+ currencies
    • Identity verification
  • Employer of Record (EOR)$699/month
    • Compliant employment in 120+ countries
    • Multi-country payroll in 120+ currencies
    • Automated expenses, time-off, and reports

RemoFirst

On request
  • Employer of Record$undefined/year
    • Priced per employee per month
    • Statutory deposit held separately from the platform fee
    • Currency conversion spread applied on each payroll run
  • Contractor Management$undefined/year
    • Priced per contractor per month
    • Compliant contract templates by country
    • Multi-currency payments

Which should you pick?

Choose Oyster if

  • You need global employment.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Oyster review

Choose RemoFirst if

  • You need employer of record.
  • You also want contractor management.
RemoFirst review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or RemoFirst better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at $29/month and RemoFirst at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or RemoFirst?
Oyster starts at $29/month and RemoFirst at On request.
Does Oyster or RemoFirst run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. RemoFirst runs on Web.
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 RemoFirst is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that RemoFirst cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. RemoFirst covers Employer of record, Contractor management, Global benefits, Visa and work permit support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Oyster: How much does Oyster charge for Employer of Record services?

Oyster charges $699 per employee per month for EOR services, with annual discounts available. Setup, onboarding, and offboarding are included with no additional charges.

Source
RemoFirst: Does RemoFirst own entities in every country it lists?

No. It owns entities in a minority of its coverage and uses in-country partners elsewhere. Ask per country, because the answer determines who the legal employer is.

Oyster: How much does Oyster charge for Global Contractors?

Oyster's Global Contractors tier costs $29 per contractor per month after a free 30-day trial. The plan covers instant contracts in 180+ countries, payments in 120+ currencies, and contractor management tools.

Source
RemoFirst: What does the headline per employee price exclude?

Statutory deposits, currency conversion spread on payroll runs, and country-specific charges such as mandatory insurance or entity fees.

Oyster: What discounts does Oyster offer?

Oyster offers discounts for nonprofits and B-corps through its 'Oyster for Impact' program, startup savings of up to $1,200 on EOR subscriptions, and discounted or waived pricing for refugee support programs.

Source
RemoFirst: Is it cheaper than Deel or Remote?

On the headline rate, substantially. Once deposits and FX are included the gap narrows, but it usually remains cheaper.

Oyster: What payment methods does Oyster accept?

Oyster accepts payment by direct debit, wire transfer, and auto-withdrawal. The platform supports multiple currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, and CAD, with fees applied only when paying in a currency different from the contract currency.

Source
RemoFirst: Can it convert a contractor into an employee?

Yes, in countries it supports for EOR. This is a common reason buyers start with the contractor product and move up.

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