Softwr

Payroll & Benefits · head to head

Oyster vs Webex by Cisco

Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll & Benefits

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Webex by Cisco logo

Webex by Cisco

Communication & Collaboration

A simpler, smarter way to work

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; Webex by Cisco listed on UK G-Cloud at £6 per user per month for Cisco Webex, via reseller Conscia Group UK Ltd (ITGL)
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Webex by Cisco covers Video and audio conferencing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Webex by Cisco actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Webex by Cisco differ
AttributeOysterWebex by Cisco
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android
CategoryPayroll & BenefitsCommunication & Collaboration
Founded20201984

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), 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 Webex by Cisco

  • Video and audio conferencing
  • Screen sharing and annotation
  • Virtual backgrounds
  • Recording and playback
  • Meeting transcription
  • Chat and messaging
  • Calendar integration
  • Breakout sessions

Both cover

  • Slack

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 Webex by Cisco
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Webex by Cisco
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Webex by Cisco

Webex by Cisco

  • Video conferencingnot Oyster
  • Webinarsnot Oyster
  • Virtual eventsnot Oyster
  • Trainingnot Oyster
  • Enterprise communicationnot 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

Webex by Cisco

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £6 per user per month for Cisco Webex, via reseller Conscia Group UK Ltd (ITGL)

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

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

Webex by Cisco

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited 1:1 meetings
    • Group meetings (40 min limit, 100 participants)
    • HD video
  • Pro$13.5/month
    • Unlimited meetings (500 participants)
    • Cloud recording and storage
    • Advanced scheduling
  • Business$18/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Custom branding
    • Advanced security
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited everything
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Custom deployment

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 Webex by Cisco if

  • You need video and audio conferencing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
  • You also want screen sharing and annotation.
Webex by Cisco review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Webex by Cisco better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and Webex by Cisco at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or Webex by Cisco?
Oyster starts at Free and Webex by Cisco at Free.
Does Oyster or Webex by Cisco run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. Webex by Cisco runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
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 Webex by Cisco is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Webex by Cisco cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Webex by Cisco covers Video and audio conferencing, Screen sharing and annotation, Virtual backgrounds, Recording and playback. Both handle Slack.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Oyster

More on Webex by Cisco

Keep looking

Other head to heads