Oyster vs Remote
We give Oyster a 2.0 GPA and Remote a 2.2, out of 4.0. Oyster grades higher on the free plan. Remote grades higher on value for money, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Oyster
Employer of record and contractor payments in 120+ countries
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAOysterFair | 2.2GPARemoteFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DGraded against the other employer-of-record services: $699 a person a month billed monthly, $3,495 for five, $100 a head more than Deel and Remote and the dearest here. Annual seats cost less, but the page gives no figure. | CGraded against the other employer-of-record services, as a different kind of thing: $599 a person a month and up, $2,995 for five, level with Deel. No platform or setup fee. Global Payroll for your own entities starts at $29 a person. |
| Free plan and trial | CGlobal Contractors is free for the first 30 days, and opening an account costs nothing. Employer of record has no trial, so the main product is paid from the first hire. | FNo free plan or trial. Every plan is bought by booking a demo with Remote's sales team. |
| Features | CEmployer of record in 120+ countries and contractors in 180+, with ID checks and a misclassification checker. Hiring abroad is covered, but the listing shows no payroll for your own entities and no US PEO, which Deel and Remote both sell. | BEmployer of record in 90+ countries, payroll where you own the entity, contractor payments in 190+, misclassification cover, contractor of record and a US PEO. The whole job, though its EOR list is shorter than Deel's 130+. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. Onboarding specialists help, but each EOR hire needs a refundable deposit and setting up with Oyster's team. | B4.7 from 318 App Store ratings, enough to count but short of the 1,000 an A needs. Each EOR hire gets a dedicated onboarding specialist. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with no mobile app in the pages read, but it links to Slack, Ashby and Workable and to 5,000+ apps through Zapier, and there's an API. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with BambooHR, HiBob, Personio, Workday, Greenhouse, Xero, NetSuite and QuickBooks. No desktop app. |
| Best for | startups paying contractors in many countries | companies making their first hires abroad |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Oyster and Remote. How we grade
Price against what you get
Oyster starts at $29 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Remote starts at $29 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
Remote scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other payroll services on the chart, 2 score higher than Oyster for less, and none scores higher than Remote for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Oyster starts at $29 per contractor / month, after 30 days free. Remote starts at $29 per employee / month and up, Global Payroll.
- Only Remote lists iOS and Android apps.
- Remote also covers reports.
At a glance
| Oyster | Remote | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $29 per contractor / month, after 30 days free | $29 per employee / month and up, Global Payroll |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Global Contractors is free for the first 30 days | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Oyster HR, Inc. | Remote Technologies, Inc. |
| Price read from | oysterhr.com | remote.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Oyster
- Startups making their first hires in other countries
- Teams paying contractors in many countries and currencies
- Nonprofits and B Corps eligible for its impact discounts
Remote
- Companies hiring their first employees abroad
- Teams paying freelancers in many countries
- Seed and Series A startups eligible for its startup discount
Worth knowing
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.
Remote
- Every price is shown as a starting figure, and each plan is bought by booking a demo with Remote's sales team.
- EOR covers 90+ countries, contractor payments 190+ and the PEO the US only; the pricing page does not list the countries.
- Remote may ask for a refundable reserve to cover employment obligations, though it charges no standard deposit or setup fee.
Key features
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.
Remote
- Employer of record
- Hire in 90+ countries without a local entity, with a dedicated onboarding specialist, local payroll and localized benefits.
- Global Payroll
- Pay staff of your own entities with local gross-to-net calculation and tax filings, and report by country, entity and cost center.
- Contractor payments
- Onboard and pay contractors in 190+ countries from approved invoices, with localized contracts and optional misclassification cover.
- US PEO
- Hire employees in any US state without a separate entity, with payroll and federal, state and local compliance support.
- Payments in 70+ currencies
- Remote sets one exchange rate per monthly billing cycle and shows it on the invoice before payment, absorbing moves during the cycle.
- Integrations and self-service
- Connects to HR and finance tools such as BambooHR, HiBob, Workday, Xero and NetSuite; workers manage time off and expenses themselves.
Plans
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.
Remote
Contractor Management$29
per contractor / month and up
Localized contracts, invoice approval and payments in 190+ countries, compliance screening, expenses and 1099-NEC forms. Only active contractors are billed.
Global Payroll$29
per employee / month and up
Local gross-to-net pay, tax filings and statutory payments where you own the entity, self-serve or managed by a specialist.
Contractor Management Plus$99
per contractor / month and up
Adds misclassification cover of up to $100,000 per contractor ($1M per company) and Remote-drafted contracts and statements of work.
PEO$99
per employee / month and up
Hire and pay employees across the US without an entity in each state. Billed in US dollars and needs a US bank account.
Contractor of Record$325
per contractor / month and up
Remote holds the contract with and pays the contractor directly, with uncapped indemnity and IP transfer handled.
Employer of Record$599
per employee / month and up
Remote employs your hire in 90+ countries without a local entity, running payroll, benefits and compliance.
Ways to pay less
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.
Remote
- Startups
15% off for early-stage startups
Startups that have raised pre-seed, seed or Series A funding get 15% off Employer of Record and Contractor Management for their first 12 months.
