Softwr

Payroll · head to head

Oyster vs Remote

Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll

Hire globally, compliantly

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Remote logo

Remote

Payroll

The new standard for global employment

From
$29/month per employee
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; Remote employer of Record costs $699 per employee per month, charged per head with no volume tier published
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Remote covers Global Payroll.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Remote actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Remote differ
AttributeOysterRemote
Starting price$29/month$29/month per employee
Founded20202019

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • NetSuite

Only in Remote

  • Global Payroll
  • EOR Services
  • Equity Management
  • HRIS
  • Xero

Both cover

  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • BambooHR
  • Greenhouse
  • Lever
  • QuickBooks
  • 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 Remote
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Remote
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Remote

Remote

  • Global hiring and payroll across 90+ countries without establishing local subsidiariesnot Oyster
  • Contractor and freelancer management with compliance protectionnot Oyster
  • U.S. multi-state payroll and benefits administrationnot Oyster
  • Equity management for startups and growth-stage companiesnot 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

Remote

  • Employer of Record costs $699 per employee per month, charged per head with no volume tier published
  • Global Payroll carries an implementation fee to set up entities plus a recurring payroll delivery fee on top of the $29 per employee per month rate
  • Contractor Management Plus is $99 per contractor per month against $29 for the standard tier
  • The Equity product is limited to Delaware C-Corps
  • The PEO product bills in USD only and requires a US bank account
  • Remote states it collects reserve payments in high risk circumstances, so an upfront deposit is possible

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

Remote

$29/month per employee
  • Global Payroll$29/month per employee
    • International payroll infrastructure
    • Self-service platform
    • Specialist support
  • Employer of Record (EOR)$699/month per employee
    • Hire in 90+ countries without local entity
    • Dedicated onboarding specialist
    • Local payroll handling
  • Contractor Management - Basic$29/month per contractor
    • Contract creation and signing
    • Invoice approval
    • Transparent payments
  • Contractor Management - Plus$99/month per contractor
    • All Basic features
    • Indemnity protection up to $100,000 per contractor

Which should you pick?

Choose Oyster if

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

Choose Remote if

  • You need global payroll.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want eor services.
Remote review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Remote better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at $29/month and Remote at $29/month per employee, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or Remote?
Oyster starts at $29/month and Remote at $29/month per employee.
Does Oyster or Remote run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Remote is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Remote cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Time Off, Expenses. Remote covers Global Payroll, EOR Services, Equity Management, HRIS. Both handle Benefits, Compliance, Contractor Management, BambooHR.

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
Remote: How much does Remote's Employer of Record (EOR) service cost?

Remote's EOR service costs $699 per employee per month in USD. This includes hiring in 90+ countries, dedicated onboarding, local payroll, compliance protections, localized benefits, expert support, and HR Essentials. Pricing is available in multiple currencies (EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, SGD, CHF, JPY, SEK, NOK, DKK).

Source
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
Remote: What is the cost difference between Global Payroll and EOR on Remote?

Global Payroll is $29 per employee per month for international payroll infrastructure and self-service management. EOR is $699 per employee per month and includes full employer responsibilities, compliance, benefits, and dedicated support for hiring in 90+ countries.

Source
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
Remote: How much does Remote charge for contractor management?

Contractor Management costs $29 per contractor per month for basic features (contracts, invoicing, payments) or $99 per month for the Plus tier, which adds indemnity protection up to $100,000 per contractor. Contractor of Record (where Remote is the employer) costs from $325 per contractor per month.

Source
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
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