Payroll & Benefits · head to head
Papaya Global vs Oyster
Papaya Global
Payroll & Benefits
Global payroll and payments platform
- From
- $12/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Oyster has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Papaya Global the AWS Marketplace listing is by the vendor but carries no published rate, offering pricing only through a Private Offer with a promotional discount off recurring fees; Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
- They diverge on capability: Papaya Global covers Global Payroll, Oyster covers Global Employment.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Papaya Global and Oyster actually diverge.
| Attribute | Papaya Global | Oyster |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $12/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2016 | 2020 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll & Benefits).
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 Papaya Global
- Global Payroll
- Payments
- Workforce Management
- Analytics
- EOR Services
- Workday
- SAP
- Oracle
Only in Oyster
- Global Employment
- Payroll
- Benefits
- Contractor Management
- Time Off
- Expenses
- Lever
- QuickBooks
Both cover
- Compliance
- NetSuite
- BambooHR
- Greenhouse
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Papaya Global
No use cases recorded yet. See the Papaya Global review.
Oyster
- Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot Papaya Global
- Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Papaya Global
- Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Papaya Global
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Papaya Global
- The AWS Marketplace listing is by the vendor but carries no published rate, offering pricing only through a Private Offer with a promotional discount off recurring fees
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Papaya Global
$12/month- Payroll Plus$12/month
- Global Payroll
- Compliance
- Analytics
- Full Service$undefined/month
- All Payroll Plus features
- EOR
- Benefits
Oyster
Free- Contractor$29/month
- Contractor Payments
- Compliant Contracts
- Invoicing
- Employee$599/month
- Global Employment
- Payroll
- Benefits
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Papaya Global or Oyster better?
- Neither clearly leads. Papaya Global starts at $12/month and Oyster at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Papaya Global or Oyster?
- Oyster has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12/month for Papaya Global and Free for Oyster.
- Does Papaya Global or Oyster run on more platforms?
- Papaya Global runs on Web. Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Oyster for free?
- Yes. Oyster has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Papaya Global starts at $12/month.
- What can Papaya Global do that Oyster cannot?
- Papaya Global covers Global Payroll, Payments, Workforce Management, Analytics. Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Contractor Management. Both handle Compliance, NetSuite, BambooHR, Greenhouse.