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Payroll · head to head

Rain Instant Pay vs Remote

Rain Instant Pay logo

Rain Instant Pay

Payroll

US earned wage access with a free ACH option and a paid instant transfer

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Remote logo

Remote

Payroll

The new standard for global employment

From
$29/month per employee
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Rain Instant Pay the free option takes one to three business days, so in practice employees who need money urgently pay the instant fee, which makes the free tier close to theoretical.; Remote employer of Record costs $699 per employee per month, charged per head with no volume tier published
  • They diverge on capability: Rain Instant Pay covers Earned wage calculation, Remote covers Global Payroll.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rain Instant Pay and Remote actually diverge.

Attributes where Rain Instant Pay and Remote differ
AttributeRain Instant PayRemote
Starting priceOn request$29/month per employee
Pricing modelquotesubscription
FoundedUnknown2019

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 Rain Instant Pay

  • Earned wage calculation
  • Instant transfer
  • Free ACH transfer
  • Payroll deduction file
  • Employer dashboard
  • Tip and off-cycle payouts

Only in Remote

  • Global Payroll
  • EOR Services
  • Contractor Management
  • Compliance
  • Benefits
  • Equity Management
  • HRIS
  • BambooHR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Rain Instant Pay

  • A senior living operator trying to fill open shifts by offering same-day access to earned paynot Remote
  • A restaurant group replacing paper cheque advances and cash tip payoutsnot Remote
  • A staffing agency competing for hourly workers who compare pay access when choosing assignmentsnot Remote
  • An employer with high first-90-day turnover wanting a retention lever that does not raise wage costnot Remote

Remote

  • Global hiring and payroll across 90+ countries without establishing local subsidiariesnot Rain Instant Pay
  • Contractor and freelancer management with compliance protectionnot Rain Instant Pay
  • U.S. multi-state payroll and benefits administrationnot Rain Instant Pay
  • Equity management for startups and growth-stage companiesnot Rain Instant Pay

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Rain Instant Pay

  • The free option takes one to three business days, so in practice employees who need money urgently pay the instant fee, which makes the free tier close to theoretical.
  • Fees of two to four dollars on small withdrawals represent a high effective cost to the worker, and employers who market it as a free benefit are describing their own invoice, not the employee experience.
  • Access is capped at roughly half of earned wages per pay period, which frequently falls short of what an employee in genuine difficulty needs and pushes them to other credit anyway.
  • It requires reliable time and attendance integration, and employers with manual timekeeping or multiple payroll systems face a long implementation before anyone can draw a cent.
  • US state-level earned wage access regulation is still changing, and a company operating across many states can find rules on fees and disclosures differ by jurisdiction mid-contract.

Remote

  • Employer of Record costs $699 per employee per month, charged per head with no volume tier published
  • Global Payroll carries an implementation fee to set up entities plus a recurring payroll delivery fee on top of the $29 per employee per month rate
  • Contractor Management Plus is $99 per contractor per month against $29 for the standard tier
  • The Equity product is limited to Delaware C-Corps
  • The PEO product bills in USD only and requires a US bank account
  • Remote states it collects reserve payments in high risk circumstances, so an upfront deposit is possible

Pricing, plan by plan

Rain Instant Pay

On request
  • Rain Instant Pay$undefined/year
    • Employer cost quoted, commonly no subscription fee
    • Employee pays roughly 1.99 to 3.99 per instant transfer
    • Standard ACH transfer free to the employee, one to three days

Remote

$29/month per employee
  • Global Payroll$29/month per employee
    • International payroll infrastructure
    • Self-service platform
    • Specialist support
  • Employer of Record (EOR)$699/month per employee
    • Hire in 90+ countries without local entity
    • Dedicated onboarding specialist
    • Local payroll handling
  • Contractor Management - Basic$29/month per contractor
    • Contract creation and signing
    • Invoice approval
    • Transparent payments
  • Contractor Management - Plus$99/month per contractor
    • All Basic features
    • Indemnity protection up to $100,000 per contractor

Which should you pick?

Choose Rain Instant Pay if

  • You need earned wage calculation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want instant transfer.
Rain Instant Pay review

Choose Remote if

  • You need global payroll.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want eor services.
Remote review

Questions people ask

Is Rain Instant Pay or Remote better?
Neither clearly leads. Rain Instant Pay starts at On request and Remote at $29/month per employee, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rain Instant Pay or Remote?
Rain Instant Pay starts at On request and Remote at $29/month per employee.
Does Rain Instant Pay or Remote run on more platforms?
Rain Instant Pay runs on Web, iOS, Android. Remote runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Rain Instant Pay best used for?
Rain Instant Pay is most often used for a senior living operator trying to fill open shifts by offering same-day access to earned pay, a restaurant group replacing paper cheque advances and cash tip payouts, a staffing agency competing for hourly workers who compare pay access when choosing assignments, an employer with high first-90-day turnover wanting a retention lever that does not raise wage cost. Of those, a senior living operator trying to fill open shifts by offering same-day access to earned pay and a restaurant group replacing paper cheque advances and cash tip payouts are not what Remote is typically brought in for.
What can Rain Instant Pay do that Remote cannot?
Rain Instant Pay covers Earned wage calculation, Instant transfer, Free ACH transfer, Payroll deduction file. Remote covers Global Payroll, EOR Services, Contractor Management, Compliance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rain Instant Pay: Does the employer pay anything?

Usually not a subscription. The revenue comes from employee instant transfer fees, unless the employer chooses to subsidise them.

Remote: How much does Remote's Employer of Record (EOR) service cost?

Remote's EOR service costs $699 per employee per month in USD. This includes hiring in 90+ countries, dedicated onboarding, local payroll, compliance protections, localized benefits, expert support, and HR Essentials. Pricing is available in multiple currencies (EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, SGD, CHF, JPY, SEK, NOK, DKK).

Source
Rain Instant Pay: How much does an employee pay?

Nothing for a standard ACH transfer taking one to three days, and roughly 1.99 to 3.99 for an instant transfer to a debit card.

Remote: What is the cost difference between Global Payroll and EOR on Remote?

Global Payroll is $29 per employee per month for international payroll infrastructure and self-service management. EOR is $699 per employee per month and includes full employer responsibilities, compliance, benefits, and dedicated support for hiring in 90+ countries.

Source
Rain Instant Pay: How much can be withdrawn?

Typically up to about 50 percent of wages earned so far in the current pay period.

Remote: How much does Remote charge for contractor management?

Contractor Management costs $29 per contractor per month for basic features (contracts, invoicing, payments) or $99 per month for the Plus tier, which adds indemnity protection up to $100,000 per contractor. Contractor of Record (where Remote is the employer) costs from $325 per contractor per month.

Source
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