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Payroll & Benefits · head to head

Oyster vs Structured

Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll & Benefits

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Structured

Productivity

Visual daily planner for time blocking

From
Free
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; Structured no monthly view available, only daily and weekly views, limiting ability to preview long-term schedules
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Structured covers Visual timeline.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Structured actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Structured differ
AttributeOysterStructured
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidiOS, iPadOS, macOS, Android, Web, Apple Watch
CategoryPayroll & BenefitsProductivity

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2020).

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 Structured

  • Visual timeline
  • Time blocking
  • Calendar integration
  • Widgets
  • Recurring tasks
  • Apple Calendar
  • Google Calendar
  • Apple Reminders

Both cover

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

Structured

  • Productivitynot Oyster
  • Collaborationnot Oyster
  • Task managementnot Oyster
  • Organizationnot 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

Structured

  • No monthly view available, only daily and weekly views, limiting ability to preview long-term schedules
  • Cannot export to Excel, PDF, or other printable formats; only JSON export available on Apple devices
  • Calendar import requires Pro subscription (except on web where free import is available)
  • Android and web versions significantly lag behind iOS version in features and performance
  • One-way calendar sync only; cannot export Structured tasks back to Google Calendar or other external calendar apps

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

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

Structured

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Timeline tasks and all-day tasks
    • Task subtasks and notes
    • Icons and color coding
  • Pro$null/month or year or lifetime
    • Structured AI for smart planning
    • Calendar and reminders import
    • Recurring tasks

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 Structured if

  • You need visual timeline.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Android, Web, Apple Watch.
  • You also want time blocking.
Structured review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Structured better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and Structured at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or Structured?
Oyster starts at Free and Structured at Free.
Does Oyster or Structured run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. Structured runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Android, Web, Apple Watch.
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 Structured is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Structured cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Structured covers Visual timeline, Time blocking, Calendar integration, Widgets. Both handle Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Structured: Is Structured free to use?

Yes, Structured has a free tier that includes timeline tasks, all-day tasks, inbox tasks, subtasks, notes, icons, color coding, drag and drop, and calendar import on web (though calendar import requires Pro on iOS/Android). The app is free to download on iOS, Android, Mac, and web.

Source
Structured: What does Structured Pro cost and what features does it add?

Structured Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or as a one-time lifetime purchase for $99.99 USD. Pro adds Structured AI, calendar import and reminders import (on iOS/Android), recurring tasks, replan functionality, custom notifications, and custom color palettes.

Source
Structured: Can I import my Google Calendar into Structured?

Yes, Structured supports importing calendars from Google Calendar, Outlook, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo, and AOL. On iOS, it connects through Apple Calendar compatibility. On Android and web, you authenticate with your Google account and select which calendars to sync. This feature requires a Structured Pro subscription.

Source
Structured: Can I export my tasks from Structured and in what formats?

On Apple devices, you can export your data as a JSON file through Settings > About > Privacy & Permissions > Export Your Data. However, you cannot export tasks to external calendars, nor can you export to printable formats like Excel or PDF. Export is one-way only.

Source
Structured: Does Structured work across all my devices?

Yes, Structured syncs across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Android devices. However, users have reported that iCloud synchronization can be unreliable, and the Android and web versions have fewer features and slower performance compared to the iOS version.

Source
Structured: What calendar and reminder apps does Structured integrate with?

On iOS, Structured can import from Apple Calendar, Reminders, Google Calendar, Outlook, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo, and AOL. On Android and web, it supports Google Calendar. Structured can import events and reminders, but cannot export tasks back to external calendars.

Source
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