Softwr

Payroll · head to head

Oyster vs Volopay

Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll

Hire globally, compliantly

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Volopay logo

Volopay

Payroll

Corporate cards, multi-currency accounts and accounts payable automation for Asia-Pacific businesses

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; Volopay cross-currency spend within Singapore carries a fee around 3.1%, which is easy to overlook against the advertised free domestic transfers and can dominate total cost for internationally mobile teams.
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Volopay covers Multi-currency business accounts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Volopay actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Volopay differ
AttributeOysterVolopay
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Founded2020Unknown

Identical on both: 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
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR

Only in Volopay

  • Multi-currency business accounts
  • Virtual and physical corporate cards
  • Accounts payable automation
  • Expense management
  • Accounting integrations
  • Approval workflows

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

Volopay

  • A Singapore-headquartered company paying vendors and staff across several APAC currencies from one accountnot Oyster
  • A finance team wanting free domestic transfers with accounts payable automation includednot Oyster
  • A regional business consolidating separate local business bank accounts into one multi-currency platformnot Oyster
  • A company whose card spend is concentrated in SGD and wants to minimise cross-currency fee exposurenot 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

Volopay

  • Cross-currency spend within Singapore carries a fee around 3.1%, which is easy to overlook against the advertised free domestic transfers and can dominate total cost for internationally mobile teams.
  • Cross-border payments in non-SGD currencies add roughly 1.6%, so a company paying many overseas vendors accumulates a real cost that is not visible on the headline pricing.
  • Regional focus on Asia-Pacific means weaker fit for companies whose spend is mainly in Europe or North America, where Payhawk or Extend cover the ground better.
  • Pricing is not published, so despite the specific fee percentages that are publicly known, the underlying subscription or platform fee must be obtained by quote.
  • As a comparatively young fintech, its card issuing depends on banking partners whose regulatory standing in each APAC market can change, and companies should confirm current licensing in their specific country before committing.

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

Volopay

On request
  • Volopay$undefined/month
    • Free domestic SGD transfers and Accounts Payable Automation
    • Approximately 1.6% fee on cross-border non-SGD payments
    • Approximately 3.1% fee on cross-currency spend within Singapore

Which should you pick?

Choose Oyster if

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

Choose Volopay if

  • You need multi-currency business accounts.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want virtual and physical corporate cards.
Volopay review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Volopay better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at $29/month and Volopay at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or Volopay?
Oyster starts at $29/month and Volopay at On request.
Does Oyster or Volopay run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. Volopay runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Volopay is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Volopay cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Volopay covers Multi-currency business accounts, Virtual and physical corporate cards, Accounts payable automation, Expense management.

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
Volopay: What currency is Volopay built around?

Singapore dollar as the base account currency, with support for spend and transfers across several other Asia-Pacific currencies.

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
Volopay: Are transfers free?

Domestic SGD transfers and the Accounts Payable Automation product are advertised as free; cross-border and cross-currency transactions carry separate 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
Volopay: Is pricing published?

No, subscription pricing requires a quote, though the specific cross-currency fee percentages are disclosed publicly.

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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