Atlas HXM vs Oyster (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Atlas HXM if

• Fits if you want to employ a person in a country where you have no entity
• Works for companies that pay contractors across borders and want one provider to hold the risk

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you hire several people, because the $599 a month fee is per employee and excludes salary, contributions and benefits
• Watch out: visa sponsorship and expense cards are add-ons with extra setup
• Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
• Skip it if you need volume pricing for a large multi-country team, since that is quoted by sales

Pick Oyster if

• Fits if you're a startup making first hires abroad, with up to $1,200 off per hire
• Works for nonprofits and B Corps, which get discounts through Oyster for Impact

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you pay monthly for EOR, at $699 a person against $599 at Deel and Remote
• Skip it if you want an app on your phone, as the pages read mention none
• Not for you if you have your own companies abroad and just need payroll run there
• Watch out: each EOR hire needs a refundable deposit, and paying in another currency adds a conversion fee
• Pricey if you need extras: HR advice is $300 an hour, and benefits, visas and Oyster Shell cover cost more

Atlas HXM

• The $599 EOR fee is a service fee only; salary, employer contributions and benefits are paid on top.
• Visa sponsorship and global mobility is a separate add-on sold through a specialist.
• Expense cards are available on request and need extra setup and an addendum to the agreement.
• Volume pricing for larger multi-country teams is quoted by sales.

Oyster

• HR advice from People Partner Services is billed at $300 an hour, and benefits, visas and Oyster Shell cover cost extra.
• Each EOR hire needs a refundable deposit, and a conversion fee applies if you pay in a currency other than the contract's.
• Covers 120+ countries for EOR and 180+ for contractors; the pricing page does not list them. Billing is in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD.
• It runs in a web browser; the pages read mention no mobile app.

Atlas HXM

Employer of record

Atlas acts as the legal employer so a company can hire in a country without setting up a local entity, with local contracts and automated onboarding.

Agent of record for contractors

Contractors are onboarded and paid through the platform, with a country-specific classification assessment and quarterly classification checks.

EOR payroll, tax and benefits

Payroll and tax administration, time off, and benefits enrollment are handled for employees; the page lists healthcare, dental, vision and 401(k) where available.

Visa sponsorship add-on

An optional add-on supports relocation and immigration, with visa sponsorship coverage the vendor states for 75+ countries.

Employee self-service

Employees get a mobile app and web platform to manage their own details, and the platform offers SSO with Okta, Microsoft and Google Workspace.

Oyster

Employer of record

Hire full-time staff in 120+ countries without a local entity; Oyster employs them and handles onboarding, offboarding and local compliance.

Multi-country payroll

Pays team members in 120+ currencies, with expenses, time off and reports handled in the same platform.

Global contractors

Generate contracts in 180+ countries, verify identity, approve invoices and expenses, and check the risk of misclassifying a worker.

Reusable annual seats

Annual EOR seats cost less than monthly billing and can be reused for a new hire or a backfill when someone leaves.

Add-on services

Benefits packages, visa sponsorship, salary bands for 130+ countries and Oyster Shell misclassification cover of up to $500,000.

Integrations and API

Approve time off and expenses in Slack, sync data from ATS and HRIS tools such as Ashby and Workable, link 5,000+ apps through Zapier, or use the API.

Atlas HXM

• Agent of Record (AOR)$199

  per contractor / month

  Onboards and pays contractors; includes 12-month classification protection of up to $100,000, KYB/KYC checks and quarterly classification checks. Monthly billing, cancel anytime.

• Employer of Record (EOR)$599

  per employee / month

  Atlas becomes the legal employer and runs payroll, tax and benefits. The page labels $599 as where platform pricing starts, with volume pricing for larger multi-country teams.

Oyster

• Global Contractors$29

  per contractor / month, after 30 days free

  Contracts in 180+ countries, payments in 120+ currencies, ID checks, invoice and expense handling and a misclassification analyzer.

• Employer of Record$699

  per employee / month, billed monthly

  Employment in 120+ countries with multi-currency payroll, expenses, time off, onboarding specialists and local experts. Annual seats cost less.

Atlas HXM

No public discounts listed.

Oyster

• Startups

  Startup discount of up to $1,200 per hire

  Companies that raised pre-seed, seed or Series A, or are bootstrapped with under 50 employees, save up to $1,200 per team member on EOR fees in their first 12 months.

• Nonprofit

  Oyster for Impact discounts

  Certified nonprofits and B Corporations anywhere can enroll in Oyster for Impact for discounts on Oyster's global employment products.

• Annual discount

  Lower EOR fee with annual seats

  Oyster sells Employer of Record seats billed annually at a reduced fee; the pricing page does not give the figure.

• Other savings

  Oyster for Refugees

  Companies hiring refugee talent through Oyster can do so at no cost or at a discount, according to its pricing page.