Softwr

Payroll & Benefits · head to head

Oyster vs Zoom

Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll & Benefits

Hire globally, compliantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoom logo

Zoom

All industries

Video conferencing that's easy, reliable, and secure

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; Zoom cost creep from add-ons increases pricing from $14/user to $25+/user when including Phone and advanced features
  • They diverge on capability: Oyster covers Global Employment, Zoom covers HD video & audio.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Oyster and Zoom actually diverge.

Attributes where Oyster and Zoom differ
AttributeOysterZoom
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
CategoryPayroll & BenefitsAll industries
Founded20202011

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 Zoom

  • HD video & audio
  • Screen sharing
  • Recording & transcripts
  • Virtual backgrounds
  • Breakout rooms
  • Polling & Q&A
  • Chat
  • Whiteboard

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

Zoom

  • Team meetingsnot Oyster
  • Webinarsnot Oyster
  • Virtual eventsnot Oyster
  • Online trainingnot Oyster
  • Telehealthnot 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

Zoom

  • Cost creep from add-ons increases pricing from $14/user to $25+/user when including Phone and advanced features
  • Feature set is overwhelming with complex navigation and too many options
  • Limited analytics and coaching features compared to dedicated contact center platforms
  • Call recording and admin oversight lack strict governance needed for regulated industries

Pricing, plan by plan

Oyster

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

Zoom

Free
  • BasicFree
    • 100 participants
    • 40-minute group meetings
    • Unlimited 1-on-1 meetings
  • Pro$14.99/month
    • 100 participants
    • 30-hour group meetings
    • Cloud recording (5GB)
  • Business$19.99/month
    • 300 participants
    • Single sign-on
    • Recording transcripts
  • Enterprise$25/month
    • 500 participants
    • Advanced admin features
    • Executive business review

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 Zoom if

  • You need hd video & audio.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want screen sharing.
Zoom review

Questions people ask

Is Oyster or Zoom better?
Neither clearly leads. Oyster starts at Free and Zoom at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Oyster or Zoom?
Oyster starts at Free and Zoom at Free.
Does Oyster or Zoom run on more platforms?
Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android. Zoom runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
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 Zoom is typically brought in for.
What can Oyster do that Zoom cannot?
Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance. Zoom covers HD video & audio, Screen sharing, Recording & transcripts, Virtual backgrounds. Both handle Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zoom: What are Zoom's main pricing tiers?

Zoom offers a free Basic plan with 40-minute limits for group meetings, Pro at $14.16/user/month, Business at $15.58/user/month with 300 participant capacity, and Enterprise with custom pricing. Additional costs apply for Phone ($10.50/user/month), Webinars, and Rooms.

Source
Zoom: What integrations does Zoom support?

Zoom integrates with Salesforce, Slack, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, HubSpot, Zendesk, and many other business applications, though integration depth varies by partner.

Source
Zoom: Can Zoom be used for webinars?

Yes, Zoom Webinars is available as a separate product starting at $66.67 per month, providing larger audience capabilities and specialized webinar features.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Oyster

More on Zoom

Keep looking

Other head to heads