Softwr

Payroll & Benefits · head to head

Oyster vs Sage X3

Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll & Benefits

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sage X3 logo

Sage X3

ERP & Business Operations

Enterprise management for mid-size businesses worldwide

From
$1500/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; Sage X3 listed on G-Cloud 14 by reseller X3 Consulting Ltd at £43.50 to £1,625.00 per user per year
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Sage X3 covers Financial management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Sage X3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Sage X3 differ
AttributeOysterSage X3
Starting priceFree$1500/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidCloud, Windows, Web
CategoryPayroll & BenefitsERP & Business Operations
Founded20201981

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Sage X3

  • Financial management
  • Supply chain management
  • Manufacturing
  • Project management
  • CRM integration
  • Salesforce
  • Microsoft 365
  • Power BI

Both cover

  • 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 Sage X3
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Sage X3
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Sage X3

Sage X3

  • Multi-site operationsnot Oyster
  • International businessnot Oyster
  • Process manufacturingnot Oyster
  • Distribution 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

Sage X3

  • Listed on G-Cloud 14 by reseller X3 Consulting Ltd at £43.50 to £1,625.00 per user per year

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

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

Sage X3

$1500/month
  • Standard$1500/month
    • Core ERP functionality
    • Financial management
    • Inventory management
  • Enterprise$3000/month
    • Multi-company support
    • Advanced manufacturing
    • Business intelligence

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 Sage X3 if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, Windows, Web.
  • You also want supply chain management.
Sage X3 review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Sage X3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and Sage X3 at $1500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or Sage X3?
Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Oyster and $1500/month for Sage X3.
Does Oyster or Sage X3 run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. Sage X3 runs on Cloud, Windows, Web.
Can I use Oyster for free?
Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sage X3 starts at $1500/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 Sage X3 is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Sage X3 cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Sage X3 covers Financial management, Supply chain management, Manufacturing, Project management. Both handle Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Oyster

More on Sage X3

Keep looking

Other head to heads