Best employer of record companies, honestly compared

This page ranks eight employer of record companies side by side. Every price was read from the vendor’s own site and carries the date we checked it. We also say plainly what each one is best for, because no single provider wins for everyone.

Last updated July 18, 2026. Jump to: Compared side by side · The eight, one by one · How to choose · Do you even need an EOR? · FAQ

How we compared, and who published this

Here is how we compared every company. We looked at published pricing, the employment models each one supports (EOR, contractor management, and contractor of record), and the geographic focus each one leads with. We did not score features we could not see on a vendor’s public pages.

Every price on this page was verified first-party — read straight from the vendor’s own site — and stamped with the date we read it. Where a vendor does not publish a price, we say so instead of guessing. If you are still working out what the model even is, start with our employer of record explainer.

Employer of record companies compared

The table lines up all eight companies in the same order they appear below.

The market range that falls out of this table is $199 to $699 or more per employee per month (checked July 2026). Remember that the platform fee is not the full cost of an employee. Statutory employer costs sit on top, and local law sets them. For a dated, sourced breakdown by country, see our employer of record cost guide.

The eight companies, one by one

1. Remote& — our product, judge accordingly

Remote& is our platform, so weigh this section against everything else on the page. We are one option among eight, not the default answer.

Remote& is a global workforce platform that brings three models together on one system: EOR for employees, contractor management, and contractor of record. You match each person to the model they need instead of picking a tool per hire. Best for teams that want one predictable fee and the full model range in one place. The price is a flat $400 per employee per month, published on our site, with no tiers to decode.

Where we are honest: we are not the biggest brand on this list, and we do not claim to be. Pick Remote& if you want a flat fee, a global-first build, and employees plus contractors plus contractor of record handled together. See global workforce management for the full picture.

2. RemoFirst — the budget option

RemoFirst leads on price. It is a global EOR built for teams that want to hire abroad without paying a premium fee. Best for cost-conscious teams where the monthly fee is the deciding factor — often early-stage companies making their first international hires, or any team watching its burn rate. Its published entry rate is one of the lowest here, it covers a broad set of countries, and it handles both employees and contractors.

Where to watch: RemoFirst is a younger brand than the incumbents, and its product surface is leaner than the big all-in-one suites. Pricing is EOR from $199 per employee per month (checked July 17, 2026) — one of the two cheapest verified options on the page. Pick RemoFirst if a low, published per-employee fee is your first filter.

3. Skuad — employees and contractors together

Skuad is a global employment and contractor platform aimed at teams that run a mix of full-time hires and independent contractors. Best for blended teams — some employees, some contractors — who want a single system for both. That fits a startup scaling in several countries at once, where the split between staff and contractors shifts month to month. Its contractor pricing is published, which is unusual on this list, so budgeting is easier when your contractor count keeps moving.

Where to watch: like other lower-priced options, its brand and footprint are smaller than the largest incumbents. Pricing is EOR from $199 per employee per month, plus $19 per contractor per month (checked July 18, 2026) — the other cheapest verified EOR entry alongside RemoFirst. Pick Skuad if you are paying contractors and employing staff and want one platform for both.

4. Deel — the category leader

Deel is the most recognized name in this category, and it earns a ranked spot here rather than a footnote. It is a broad global payroll and EOR platform with a wide product surface across many adjacent tools. Best for teams that want the largest, most established brand and the widest feature set — the kind of vendor a board or a procurement team already knows. Few platforms match its range.

Where to watch: that breadth comes at a mid-to-high fee, and a leaner tool will do the core EOR job for less. Pricing is EOR $599 per employee per month (checked July 17, 2026) — mid-range for this list. Pick Deel if brand weight and the widest possible product surface matter more to you than the lowest price. If you are weighing a move off it specifically, our Deel alternatives guide compares the options in depth.

5. Remote.com — the established brand

Remote.com is one of the better-known global HR and EOR platforms, leading on brand recognition and a strong compliance posture. Best for teams that want an established name and are comfortable paying more for it — often companies where a recognized vendor helps a board or a legal team sign off quickly. It is a mature product with a wide country footprint, and it handles contractors alongside EOR.

Where to watch: its published EOR fee sits at the top of the range, so it is not the pick if price is your first filter. A leaner budget-focused option will do the same core job for less. Pricing is EOR $699 per employee per month (checked July 17, 2026). Pick Remote.com if brand maturity matters more to you than the monthly fee.

6. Oyster — remote-first hiring

Oyster is an EOR-first platform built around distributed, remote hiring. It positions itself as a tool for companies that hire globally by default. Best for remote-first companies that want an EOR designed around cross-border teams rather than bolted onto a domestic payroll product. That fits a fully distributed startup with people in many countries and no home-market head office. It handles contractors alongside EOR, so a distributed team can keep both on one platform.

Where to watch: like Remote.com, its published fee sits at the top of the range, so cost-led buyers may look lower on this list. Pricing is EOR from $699 per employee per month (checked July 17, 2026). Pick Oyster if you are a remote-first team and want an EOR whose whole design assumes global hiring from day one.

7. Rippling — the all-in-one suite

Rippling is a broad HR, IT, and payroll suite with a global EOR module inside it. Its pitch is one system for your whole back office, not just employment. Best for teams that want to buy HR, IT, and payroll together and run them from one place — a company tired of stitching separate tools together. The appeal is consolidation: one login, one data model, one vendor across several back-office jobs.

Where to watch: Rippling does not publish EOR pricing, so you cannot price-compare it at a glance, and a full suite can be more than a team that only needs an EOR wants to take on. Pricing is custom — not published (checked July 17, 2026); you have to talk to sales for a number. Pick Rippling if you want your HR, IT, and payroll stack unified and are fine with a quote-based price.

8. G-P (Globalization Partners) — the enterprise incumbent

G-P is one of the oldest EOR providers in the market. It is enterprise-focused and leans on its long track record. Best for large enterprises that value a long-established provider and are running a formal procurement process — an organization where the buying decision passes through legal, finance, and security review. A mature vendor with years of operating history clears those gates more easily.

Where to watch: G-P does not publish pricing, so budgeting means a sales conversation up front, and smaller teams often want a number before that call. Pricing is not published (checked July 18, 2026). Pick G-P if you are a large enterprise and provider longevity ranks above published, self-serve pricing.

How do you choose an EOR company?

There is no single best EOR — the right one depends on what you are optimizing for. Run this illustrative checklist against your own situation before you shortlist.

1. Price sensitivity. If the monthly fee is your first filter, start with the verified low end — RemoFirst and Skuad, both from $199.
2. Model mix. If you employ staff and pay contractors, favour a platform that handles EOR, contractor management, and contractor of record together, so you are not stitching tools.
3. Brand and procurement. If a board or legal team needs a recognized name to sign off, weigh Deel, Remote.com, or G-P higher.
4. Country coverage. Check that the provider actually operates in the specific countries you are hiring in — footprint varies more than headline claims suggest.
5. Pricing transparency. A published, dated fee lets you budget today; a custom quote means a sales call first. Decide how much that matters to your timeline.

One reminder that applies to every option: the platform fee is not the full cost. Statutory employer costs — social contributions, mandatory benefits, and the like — are set by local law and sit on top of whatever the vendor charges.

Do you even need an EOR?

Two different questions hide inside "best employer of record," and picking the wrong tool is a common mistake. If you are hiring employees abroad, an EOR becomes the sole legal employer in a country where you have none. That is what most of this page compares. If you are paying contractors, running them through an EOR is overkill — and running an employee as a contractor is misclassification risk.

If you are not sure an EOR is even the model you want, our employer of record explainer covers what it does, and our EOR vs PEO guide compares it with the co-employment model most US teams already know. Remote& GWM handles employees, contractors, and contractor of record together, so you match each person to the right model instead of forcing one tool to do everything.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best employer of record company in 2026?

There is no single best one — it depends on your axis. For the lowest verified price, RemoFirst and Skuad both start at $199 per employee per month (checked July 2026). For a flat, predictable fee across every model, Remote& is $400. Deel is the most recognized brand at $599. Remote.com and Oyster sit at the top of the range for buyers who want an established name. Pick by what you are optimizing for.

Which is the cheapest employer of record?

The two cheapest verified options on this page are RemoFirst and Skuad, both with published EOR pricing from $199 per employee per month (RemoFirst checked July 17, 2026; Skuad checked July 18, 2026). Skuad also publishes a contractor rate of $19 per contractor per month. Remember the platform fee is not the full cost — statutory employer costs are set by local law and sit on top of whatever the vendor charges.

What is the best EOR for managing contractors?

If most of your team is contractors, you want contractor management or a contractor of record, not a full EOR. Skuad publishes a contractor rate of $19 per contractor per month (checked July 18, 2026). Remote& handles contractors, EOR, and contractor of record on one platform, so you can mix employees and contractors without switching tools. The right pick is whichever matches how much of your team is genuinely independent.

How much does an employer of record cost?

Published EOR pricing across these companies runs from $199 to $699 or more per employee per month (checked July 2026). RemoFirst and Skuad start at $199; Deel is $599; Remote.com and Oyster sit at $699; Rippling and G-P do not publish a figure. The platform fee is not the full cost — statutory employer costs sit on top and local law sets them. For a dated, sourced breakdown by country, see our employer of record cost guide.

What is the difference between an EOR and a PEO?

An EOR is the sole legal employer of your worker, operating in countries where you have no entity of your own. A PEO is a co-employer that shares HR and employment duties with you, and it usually requires that you already hold a legal entity in that country. In short, a PEO supports hiring where you are established, while an EOR enables hiring where you are not. Our EOR vs PEO guide covers the difference in detail.

How did you verify these EOR prices?

Every price on this page was verified first-party — read straight from each vendor’s own public pricing page — and stamped with the date we checked it. Where a company does not publish a price, such as Rippling and G-P, we say so rather than guessing. We compared published pricing, the employment models each one supports, and the geographic focus each leads with, and we did not score features we could not see on a vendor’s public pages.

What are the best alternatives to Deel specifically?

If you are weighing a move off Deel, the closest alternatives are Remote&, RemoFirst, Skuad, Remote.com, Oyster, Rippling, and G-P — the same verified set ranked on this page. Which fits depends on whether you want a lower fee, a flat price across every model, or a different established brand. Our Deel alternatives guide compares them one by one, and it says plainly when staying on Deel is the better call.