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Software · head to head

Oyster vs Rippling

Oyster logo

Oyster

Software

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rippling logo

Rippling

Software

Manage HR, IT, and Finance in one place

From
$8/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; Rippling the Internet Archive's capture of Rippling's homepage on 10 January 2021 named distinct product modules, Employee Platform, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Management, App Management, Device Management, and a PEO offering, all sold via 'Request Demo' with no price figure published.
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Rippling covers Benefits Administration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Rippling actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Rippling differ
AttributeOysterRippling
Starting priceFree$8/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20202016

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR
  • Greenhouse

Only in Rippling

  • Benefits Administration
  • Device Management
  • App Management
  • Time Tracking
  • Learning Management
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace
  • Salesforce

Both cover

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

Rippling

No use cases recorded yet. See the Rippling review.

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

Rippling

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Rippling's homepage on 10 January 2021 named distinct product modules, Employee Platform, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Management, App Management, Device Management, and a PEO offering, all sold via 'Request Demo' with no price figure published.

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

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

Rippling

$8/month
  • Core$8/month
    • Employee Management
    • Onboarding
    • Offboarding
  • Pro$12/month
    • All Core features
    • Advanced Analytics
    • Custom Reports

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 benefits.
Oyster review

Choose Rippling if

  • You need benefits administration.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want device management.
Rippling review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Rippling better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and Rippling at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or Rippling?
Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Oyster and $8/month for Rippling.
Does Oyster or Rippling run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Oyster for free?
Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rippling starts at $8/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 Rippling is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Rippling cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Benefits, Compliance, Contractor Management. Rippling covers Benefits Administration, Device Management, App Management, Time Tracking. Both handle Payroll, NetSuite, Slack, Web support.
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