Best employer of record services in 2026
We may earn a commission when you sign up through some links on this page. Commissions never change our scores or the order of our lists. How we make money.
The best employer of record services by our published scores are Multiplier, Oyster and Remote, and published EOR fees across the 13 providers we compared run from $199 to $699 per employee per month (pricing pages checked October 16, 2026). The fee is only part of the cost: deposits, currency margins, renewal clauses and termination terms differ more than the headline prices do, so each pick below lists them.
An employer of record service employs workers for your business in countries where you have no entity, running the local contract, payroll, taxes and benefits for a monthly fee per employee.
Our picks at a glance ranked by published score out of 100
- 1MultiplierCost-focused buyers who want owned entities and an annual billing discount$459 to $499 a month79See pricing
- 2OysterTeams that want flat EOR pricing with published deposit and refund rules$699 a month64See pricing
- 3RemoteBuyers who want owned entities in every EOR country and published terms$599 to $699 a month62See pricing
- 4PlayrollSmall teams that want a low EOR price with a published deposit ruleFrom $399 a month60See pricing
- 5Pebl (formerly Velocity Global)Price-sensitive buyers who want a low list price from an established provider$399 a month57See pricing
- 6AtlasBuyers who want owned entities and a stated FX markup policyFrom $599 a month55See pricing
- 7Papaya GlobalLarger companies that want payroll and payments licenses across many countriesFrom $650 a month55See pricing
- 8DeelCompanies that want EOR, contractors and a US PEO on one platform$599 a month54See pricing
- 9RivermateSmall companies that want 24/7 human support and a dedicated manager$319 to $639 a month53See pricing
- 10Payoneer Workforce Management (Skuad)Budget buyers hiring in APAC or MEA who accept a partner mixFrom $199 a month47See pricing
- 11Globalization Partners (G-P)Enterprises that want dedicated account managers and uniform country pricingQuote only45See pricing
- 12OmnipresentUK and Europe-based buyers comfortable with GBP billingFrom GBP 499 a month39See pricing
- 13Rippling EORCompanies already running Rippling HR or IT that want EOR in the same systemQuote only18See pricing
On this page
- Our picks for employer of record services
- EOR scores
- What EOR providers charge
- Hidden costs: deposits, FX, renewals and exit terms
- Owned entities vs local partners
- All-in example: one employee each in India, Brazil and the UK
- What EOR customers complain about
- Before you sign: contract checklist
- Who an EOR is wrong for
Our picks for employer of record services
Multiplier
Core is $459 per employee per month billed annually or $499 monthly; Growth $519 or $559. Multiplier claims its own entities in every country it serves (160+) and says it adds no FX markup, which one reviewer disputes. Watch the terms: 30 days to process a termination, and a 15% penalty if you discuss termination with the employee yourself. About 11% of countries cost more. Trustpilot: 4.8 from 2,871 reviews, with complaints about accruals, deposits and refunds.
Watch out: Implementation and compliance add-ons are unpriced, and some reviewers dispute the no-markup FX claim.
How the score adds up
- Price19/25
- Hidden costs14/20
- Entity ownership20/20
- Contract terms11/15
- Support9/10
- Complaints record6/10
Oyster
$699 per employee per month, the highest flat price here. No setup, onboarding or termination fees, and the agreement ends on 30 days’ notice. The deposit is one month of the total cost of services, at minimum, refunded about 60 days after the end date. Oyster uses owned entities and partners. Trustpilot: 3.8 from 271 reviews, with repeated reports of late or held wages.
Watch out: The highest flat list price in this set, and late or held wages are a recurring complaint.
How the score adds up
- Price13/25
- Hidden costs18/20
- Entity ownership8/20
- Contract terms13/15
- Support7/10
- Complaints record5/10
Remote
From $599 per employee per month on the pricing page (a March 2026 help article says $699). Remote claims “100% owned entities, no third parties” in 90+ countries, the fewest countries of the large providers. Its terms run 12 months and auto-renew, and order forms raise prices by at least 8% (or US CPI if higher) at renewal. Startups get 15% off for 12 months and no deposit. Trustpilot: 4.6 from 3,502 reviews; low-star reviews could not be viewed.
Watch out: Its own pages show both $599 and $699, and default terms auto-renew for 12 months.
How the score adds up
- Price13/25
- Hidden costs12/20
- Entity ownership16/20
- Contract terms10/15
- Support5/10
- Complaints record6/10
Playroll
From $399 per employee per month, no minimum commitment and no onboarding or offboarding fees. The deposit is one month’s salary per employee. Statutory and country charges are billed separately, and Playroll makes no owned-entity claim. Trustpilot: 3.1 from 14 reviews.
Watch out: It does not say whether it owns its entities, and the deposit equals one month of salary per employee.
How the score adds up
- Price22/25
- Hidden costs13/20
- Entity ownership9/20
- Contract terms6/15
- Support7/10
- Complaints record3/10
Pebl (formerly Velocity Global)
$399 per employee per month. Pebl says 90% of its employees sit on Pebl-owned entities. Its Employee Term model commits each worker for 12 months, and a deposit called Initial Payroll Funding is due before each hire, refunded in about 45 days. Six Trustpilot reviews are too few to judge.
Watch out: Each worker can be locked into a 12-month term, and the deposit amount is not published.
How the score adds up
- Price22/25
- Hidden costs4/20
- Entity ownership17/20
- Contract terms6/15
- Support5/10
- Complaints record3/10
Atlas
From $599 plus a country LES rate, or $399 for eligible nonprofits. Free migration from another EOR. Atlas claims owned entities in 160+ countries and is the only provider that admits an FX markup and names its base rate (OANDA spot). Offboarding costs “may still apply.” Only 2 Trustpilot reviews, both about withheld wages.
Watch out: A country rate is added on top of the $599 fee, and EOR contract terms are not published.
How the score adds up
- Price16/25
- Hidden costs9/20
- Entity ownership20/20
- Contract terms0/15
- Support7/10
- Complaints record3/10
Papaya Global
From $650 per employee per month (EUR 650 in Europe). No minimum term and a 60-day opt-out. It names a setup fee per location, a cycle fee per employee, a year-end filing fee, an onboarding fee and a refundable deposit, none with amounts. Papaya runs EOR through in-country partners by design. Trustpilot: 4.2 from 58 reviews, 29% of them one-star.
Watch out: Most fees are named but not priced, and the service runs through in-country partners.
How the score adds up
- Price13/25
- Hidden costs11/20
- Entity ownership10/20
- Contract terms9/15
- Support7/10
- Complaints record5/10
Deel
$599 per employee per month, contractors $49, contractor of record $325 and a US PEO at $125. Deel says it handles employment “through our wholly-owned entities,” yet its pages give 130+ countries with owned entities against 150+ covered. No deposit or FX markup is published by Deel. A promotion on its pricing page needs a two-year minimum term on PEO order forms, with full list price owed on early exit; Deel’s EOR terms would not load, so we could not confirm whether EOR contracts carry the same lock-in. Trustpilot: 4.6 from 9,652 reviews, with recent complaints about payroll errors and an AI bot in front of support.
Watch out: Deposit and FX terms are not published, and the two-year promo order forms owe full list price if you leave early.
How the score adds up
- Price16/25
- Hidden costs7/20
- Entity ownership13/20
- Contract terms5/15
- Support7/10
- Complaints record6/10
Rivermate
$319 to $639 per employee per month by country, with no onboarding or offboarding costs. Rivermate owns 38 entities while covering 180+ countries. Trustpilot withheld its rating for a guideline breach (22 reviews) when we checked.
Watch out: Owned entities in only 38 countries, and cancellation terms are not published.
How the score adds up
- Price22/25
- Hidden costs8/20
- Entity ownership12/20
- Contract terms0/15
- Support8/10
- Complaints record3/10
Payoneer Workforce Management (Skuad)
From $199 per employee per month, the lowest published EOR price. It publishes no deposit, FX, termination or minimum term terms and uses “own and partner entities.” Trustpilot: 4.0 from 15 reviews, including an allegation of hidden fees and deposits.
Watch out: The lowest headline price comes with no published deposit, FX or termination terms.
How the score adds up
- Price25/25
- Hidden costs0/20
- Entity ownership12/20
- Contract terms0/15
- Support7/10
- Complaints record3/10
Globalization Partners (G-P)
Quote only on its pricing page; $599 on its LLM information page (July 2026). G-P says it owns 100+ entities and has 200+ partnerships across 180+ countries, so partners cover many countries. No minimum contract length for EOR hires. Trustpilot: 4.3 from 147 reviews, with complaints about late payments in 2026.
Watch out: Its own pages disagree on price, and deposit and FX terms are not published.
How the score adds up
- Price10/25
- Hidden costs1/20
- Entity ownership14/20
- Contract terms6/15
- Support9/10
- Complaints record5/10
Omnipresent
GBP 499 per employee per month on its EOR page. Its entity model is unclear: it ties “own entities” only to premium locations. Deposit refundable after final invoices, amount not stated. Trustpilot: 4.4 from 412 reviews.
Watch out: The entity model is unclear, and prices are shown only in GBP.
How the score adds up
- Price13/25
- Hidden costs5/20
- Entity ownership10/20
- Contract terms0/15
- Support5/10
- Complaints record6/10
Rippling EOR
Quote only. A Gusto guide (a competitor, prices as of June 2026) cites a $499 starting reference. Rippling says its global payroll runs “via Rippling entities,” with no mention of partners and no EOR country count. No deposit, FX or exit terms are published. Its review scores cover all of Rippling, not EOR.
Watch out: No published EOR price, country count or fee terms.
How the score adds up
- Price3/25
- Hidden costs0/20
- Entity ownership4/20
- Contract terms0/15
- Support5/10
- Complaints record6/10
EOR scores
Every provider is scored out of 100 on six published criteria, using only the vendor’s own pages, its terms and documented reviews. Price counts most (25 points); hidden costs and entity ownership 20 each. The rules for each point are in our scoring method. Rank follows score.
| Provider | Total (100) | Price (25) | Hidden costs (20) | Entities and coverage (20) | Contract terms (15) | Support (10) | Complaints (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiplier | 79 | 19 | 14 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 6 |
| Oyster | 64 | 13 | 18 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 5 |
| Remote | 62 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 6 |
| Playroll | 60 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 3 |
| Pebl (formerly Velocity Global) | 57 | 22 | 4 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| Atlas | 55 | 16 | 9 | 20 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| Papaya Global | 55 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Deel | 54 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Rivermate | 53 | 22 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| Payoneer Workforce Management (Skuad) | 47 | 25 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| Globalization Partners (G-P) | 45 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 5 |
| Omnipresent | 39 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| Rippling EOR | 18 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
Source: HRPricing scores (config dated 2026-10-17), based on provider pages and Trustpilot data checked Oct 16, 2026. Remote’s price is scored at $699, the higher of the two figures on its own pages.
What EOR providers charge
| Provider | EOR fee per employee per month | Deposit | Entity model (provider claim) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payoneer Workforce Management | from $199 | None listed | Claims owned entities across APAC, MEA, Europe and the Americas |
| Pebl | $399 | Not listed | About 90% of employees on Pebl-owned entities |
| Playroll | from $399 | One month's salary per employee, refundable | No clear owned-entity claim |
| Rivermate | $319 to $639 | Not stated | Claims 38 owned entities |
| Multiplier | $459 (annual) or $499 (monthly) | Sized from costs, fees and notice period (method published, no fixed amount) | Claims owned entities in 160+ countries |
| Rippling EOR | Quote only (third-party reference: $499) | Not listed | Claims Rippling entities; no partner mention |
| Deel | $599 | Not stated by Deel | Claims owned entities in 130+ countries |
| Remote | from $599 | Waived for startups; otherwise not stated | Claims 100% owned entities in 90+ countries |
| Atlas | from $599 | Not published | Claims owned entities in 160+ countries |
| Papaya Global | from $650 | Refundable deposit, amount not stated | Uses in-country partners |
| Oyster | $699 | At least one month of total service cost, refundable (per its terms) | Owned entities and partners |
| Globalization Partners (G-P) | Quote only | Not stated | Information page claims 100+ wholly owned entities |
Source: each provider’s pricing page, checked October 16, 2026. Fees are the provider’s charge on top of salary and the employer contributions above. Some providers adjust prices by country.
Two providers publish two prices. Remote shows $599 on its pricing page and $699 in a March 2026 help article; G-P says quote only on its pricing page and $599 on an information page. Multiplier is the only one with a published monthly vs annual split ($499 vs $459). The full list, including Rivermate, Skuad, Atlas and Omnipresent, is in EOR pricing: every published fee.
Owned entities vs local partners
When the EOR owns the local entity, it is the employer and answers for mistakes. When it uses a partner, a third company employs your worker, and reviewers describe blame passing between the two when final pay or benefits go wrong.
| Provider | Claim on its own site | What it implies |
|---|---|---|
| Remote | “100% owned entities, no third parties,” 90+ countries | Owned throughout |
| Multiplier | Own legal entities “in every country,” 160+ | Owned throughout (benefits through local providers) |
| Atlas | “Owned and operated entities in 160+ countries” | Owned throughout |
| Deel | “Wholly-owned entities”; owned entities and payroll engine in 130+ countries, 150+ covered | Partners likely in the remainder |
| Pebl | 90% of employees on Pebl-owned entities | About 10% of employees with partners |
| G-P | 100+ wholly owned entities, 200+ partnerships, 180+ countries | Partners in many countries |
| Rivermate | 38 owned entities, 180+ countries | Mostly partners |
| Payoneer WFM (Skuad) | “Own and partner entities in 160+ countries” | Mixed |
| Oyster | Owned entities and partners, no count | Mixed |
| Papaya Global | In-country partners; calls the owned-model reliability claim “a myth” | Partner model |
| Rippling | Global payroll “via Rippling entities,” no count, no partner mention | Unclear |
| Playroll, Omnipresent | No clear claim (Omnipresent: own entities in “premium locations”) | Unclear |
Sources: each provider’s EOR, pricing or FAQ page, checked Oct 16, 2026. These are the providers’ own claims; we could not verify entity ownership country by country.
All-in example: one employee each in India, Brazil and the UK
The India and Brazil salaries are the USD 40,000 samples in our country data, in local currency. The UK sample in that data is GBP 30,000. Employer contributions follow 2026 official rates.
| Employee | Gross salary | Employer contributions | EOR fee (12 x $599) | All-in for the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | INR 3,800,000 ($40,017) | 3.4%: INR 130,346 ($1,373) | $7,188 | $48,578 |
| Brazil | BRL 203,280 ($39,992) | 50.9%: BRL 103,446.93 ($20,352), including the 13th salary and vacation bonus | $7,188 | $67,532 |
| United Kingdom | GBP 30,000 | 14.88%: GBP 4,462.80 | $7,188 | GBP 34,462.80 plus $7,188 |
Sources: HRPricing country data from official sources (EPFO, ESIC and PIB for India; Planalto for Brazil; GOV.UK for the UK), checked Oct 16 and 17, 2026. USD conversions at the ECB cross rates of Oct 16, 2026 recorded in that data (94.96 INR and 5.083 BRL per USD); we had no verified GBP rate on the check date, so the UK row stays in GBP. EOR fee from Deel and Remote pricing pages.
The same people cost very different amounts. In India the EOR fee ($7,188) is more than five times the employer contributions ($1,373). In Brazil the contributions are almost three times the fee. Switching all three from a $599 provider to a $399 one would save $7,200 a year; switching to $699 would add $3,600. Deposits come on top: one month’s salary for each would be INR 316,667, BRL 16,940 and GBP 2,500.
Notes: India’s figure assumes provident fund is paid on the Rs 25,000 monthly ceiling plus gratuity accrual; paying PF on full wages costs much more. Brazil assumes a regular-regime services company. Details: employing in India, employing in Brazil, employing in the UK. Run your own numbers in the international employee cost calculator.
What EOR customers complain about
- Payroll errors. A Deel client wrote in October 2026 that it rejects the payroll “at least once every time”; others cite a missed raise and a missed Japan resident tax deduction (Trustpilot, Sep and Oct 2026).
- Late or held wages. Oyster (Jul 29, 2026: “They hold wages, even though the company has paid them”), G-P (Aug and Sep 2026), Atlas and Rivermate reviewers.
- Fees and deposits. Multiplier clients describe upfront accruals, a currency markup and a refused refund (Aug 2026). A Skuad reviewer alleges hidden deposits; a Playroll client cites slow deposit returns.
- Support. An AI bot in front of Deel’s human support; no phone contact at Oyster; slow replies at Multiplier, Playroll and Rivermate.
- Contract changes. A Deel reviewer (Sep 30, 2026) describes a signed contract changed afterwards.
Remote’s low-star reviews were not visible, so we do not claim it has fewer problems. Provider detail: Deel review, Remote review, Oyster review, Multiplier review, Deel vs Remote and Deel vs Rippling.
Before you sign: contract checklist
- Get the quote for your country, not the list price, with each employer contribution shown.
- Get the deposit amount, its basis and the refund date in writing.
- Ask for the FX rate source and the markup percentage.
- Ask whether the entity in your country is owned or a partner’s.
- Find the term, auto-renewal, price increase and notice clauses.
- Find the termination process: lead time, who talks to the employee, and who pays legal costs.
- Check who pays if the EOR’s own payroll error triggers a penalty.
Who an EOR is wrong for
- US staff at a US company. Use payroll or a PEO; see PEO vs EOR.
- Ten or more people in one country. At $599 a head the fee is $71,880 a year; compare EOR vs your own entity and global payroll from $10 to $29 per employee.
- Real freelancers. A contractor platform is enough: $29 a month at Remote or Oyster, $49 at Deel; see paying international contractors.
- Anyone who has not checked tax presence. An EOR employs the worker but does not settle permanent establishment risk.
Country guides with costs and rules: Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Germany. All countries are in the employer cost by country index, and the EOR section starts at the employer of record hub.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best employer of record services?
How much do employer of record services cost?
Which EOR companies own their entities?
Do employer of record companies charge a deposit?
What is the cheapest EOR service?
Is there an employer of record for the USA?
What should I check in an EOR contract?
Sources (46)
- Deel: Deel pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Deel: Deel employer of record page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Remote: Remote pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Remote: Remote employer of record page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Remote: Remote terms of service (last updated Aug 3, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Remote: Remote order form terms and conditions (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Oyster: Oyster pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Oyster: Oyster customer terms (version 2025-02-27) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Oyster: Oyster Direct+ page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Multiplier: Multiplier pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Multiplier: Multiplier EOR terms (effective Jun 1, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Multiplier: Multiplier FAQ (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Papaya Global: Papaya Global pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Papaya Global: Papaya Global employer of record page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Globalization Partners: G-P pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Globalization Partners: G-P LLM info page (updated Jul 14, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Pebl: Pebl EOR pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Pebl: Pebl EOR supplemental order terms (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Atlas: Atlas pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Payoneer Workforce Management: Payoneer Workforce Management (Skuad) pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Omnipresent: Omnipresent employer of record page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Playroll: Playroll pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Rivermate: Rivermate pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Rippling: Rippling employer of record page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Rippling: Rippling global page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto (a Rippling competitor): Rippling pricing guide (Aug 2, 2026; prices as of June 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Justworks: Justworks pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Deel reviews (4.6 from 9,652 reviews) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Remote reviews (4.6 from 3,502 reviews) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Oyster reviews (3.8 from 271 reviews) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Multiplier reviews (4.8 from 2,871 reviews) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Globalization Partners reviews (4.3 from 147 reviews) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Papaya Global reviews (4.2 from 58 reviews) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Playroll reviews (3.1 from 14 reviews) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Rivermate reviews (rating withheld, 22 reviews) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Atlas reviews (2 reviews) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Skuad reviews (4.0 from 15 reviews) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Press Information Bureau, Government of India: EPF wage ceiling raised to Rs 25,000 (Sept 2026) (checked Oct 17, 2026)
- ESIC: ESIC contribution rates (checked Oct 17, 2026)
- Press Information Bureau, Government of India: Labor codes in force from Nov 21, 2025 (checked Oct 17, 2026)
- Planalto (Government of Brazil): Lei 8.212 (employer INSS) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Planalto (Government of Brazil): Lei 8.036 (FGTS) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Planalto (Government of Brazil): Lei 4.090 (13th salary) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- GOV.UK: Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- GOV.UK: Workplace pensions: what you, your employer and the government pay (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- European Central Bank: Euro foreign exchange reference rates (Oct 16, 2026, as recorded in our country data) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.