Oyster HR vs Remote.com

This is the tight clash of the global HR titans: Oyster HR versus Remote.com. Both platforms simplify international EOR and multi-country payments beautifully. Oyster HR emphasizes rapid, broad country coverage and speed in hiring. Remote.com offers unmatched specialized tooling depth and a valuable free core HR solution.

Oyster HR
Oyster HR

Global EOR and payroll made simple.

Ciroapp review
4.5
#4 in Payroll

We find Oyster HR to be a powerful, centralized solution for managing distributed teams globally, backed by strong client satisfaction. It offers competitive EOR services and essential contractor management tools to ensure full compliance worldwide. Overall, we recommend Oyster highly for companies needing fast, compliant global scaling with excellent support.

Pros

  • Exceptionally quick and smooth employee onboarding processes (as fast as 48 hours).
  • Comprehensive Employer of Record (EOR) service available in 120+ countries.
  • The platform interface is consistently described as user-friendly and streamlined.
  • Highly responsive and polite customer support team, often handling queries quickly.

Cons

  • The EOR plan is high-priced at $699 per employee/month.
  • Some users experience delays in support response times due to global time zone differences.
  • Benefits packages for lower-tier employees have received negative feedback.
  • Clients need time to adapt to the required 'prefund' invoicing system.
Pricing
$29/mo
Free trial30 days
Money-backβ€”
Best for
Companies prioritizing 48-hour global EOR onboarding speed, Organizations focused strictly on scaling outside the U.S., Businesses needing bulk EOR hiring efficiency via the Scale Plan
Remote.com
Remote.com

The essential HR engine for global hiring.

Ciroapp review
4.6
#2 in Payroll

We observe that Remote is an extremely sophisticated platform designed to simplify global HR, payroll, and compliance across more than 90 countries. The permanent free HR management tool and transparent EOR pricing offer solid value. Overall, we recommend Remote as a robust and reliable solution for rapidly expanding international organizations.

Pros

  • Reliable and timely salary payouts for employees and contractors.
  • Free HR management solution available for all direct employees.
  • Intuitive UX and platform design simplify complex global processes.
  • Support agents are consistently friendly, responsive, and knowledgeable.

Cons

  • Users report that the platform currently has limited reporting capabilities.
  • Complex support tickets may sometimes experience slow resolution times.
  • Specific pay cycle cut-off dates are not clearly displayed on the platform.
  • Initial support interactions may involve potentially disconcerting AI responses (e.g., "Lex Prime").
Pricing
$29/mo
Free trialβ€”
Money-backβ€”
Best for
Startups needing a permanently free core global HRIS for direct employees, US-based companies needing integrated US PEO and global EOR services, Organizations requiring robust, high-indemnity protection for contractors
Quick verdict
Choose Oyster HR if you urgently need to onboard full-time EOR talent globally in as fast as 48 hours and require coverage in 120+ countries.
Choose Remote.com if you need a powerful, permanently free global HRIS solution for all your existing direct employees, integrated with US PEO services.

AboutOyster HR

Oyster is an all-in-one trusted platform for global employment. It helps you build distributed teams worldwide efficiently and ethically. The platform offers essential Employer of Record (EOR) services and consolidated multi-country payroll management. Oyster helps you hire full-time staff and contractors compliantly across the globe. You also get supportive employment experts offering guidance every step of the way. πŸ’‘

AboutRemote.com

Remote is the comprehensive HR and payroll engine for growing global teams. It’s built for simplicity but maintains enterprise-grade compliance across all operations. The platform lets you manage the entire employee lifecycle, from hire to retire. This is achieved by combining native payroll with smart HR automation.

Remote ensures you can hire compliantly anywhere, even offering Employer of Record (EOR) services. This allows you to employ global talent without establishing your own local legal entities. You can also easily onboard, pay, and manage international contractors using the built-in Contractor Management tools. Recruiting, HR, and payroll efforts are all centralized in one trusted experience. πŸ’‘

Highlights

Quick winners by category at a glance.
Ease of Use
Both Remote.com and Oyster HR receive extremely high user praise for their intuitive UX. Users describe both platforms as streamlined and easy to navigate.
Tie
Feature Set & Breadth
Remote.com offers a broader set of specialized complementary products. It includes US PEO, a free HRIS, dedicated Recruiting, and advanced Equity management solutions. This integrated stack surpasses the offerings of Oyster HR.
Global EOR Reach
Oyster HR supports compliant EOR hiring in over 120 countries. This is a larger global footprint than Remote.com's published count of 90+ EOR-supported countries.
Value for Money
Remote.com provides superior value by offering its powerful HR Management solution completely free. Its annual EOR rate is also definitively cheaper than Oyster HR.
Onboarding Speed
Oyster HR explicitly guarantees EOR onboarding in as fast as 48 hours. While Remote.com is fast, it does not publish such a rapid, definitive timeline.
Legal Risk Mitigation
Remote.com has superior options for contractor risk protection, including Contractor of Record (COR) and high-limit indemnity coverage. Oyster HR offers standard compliance contracts only.

Feature Comparison

Compare key features side by side
EOR Countries Supported (Full-Time)
Oyster HR:120+
Remote.com:90+
Oyster HR
Contractor Compliance Coverage
Oyster HR:180+ countries
Remote.com:200+ countries/jurisdictions
Tie
Onboarding Speed (EOR)
Oyster HR:As fast as 48 hours
Remote.com:Quick, guided onboarding
Tie
Free Core HRIS for Direct Employees
Oyster HR:No (Tools integrated in paid plans)
Remote.com:Yes (Permanently Free HR Management)
Remote.com
Base EOR Price (Monthly)
Oyster HR:$699/employee/month
Remote.com:$699/employee/month
Tie
Annual EOR Price (Discounted)
Oyster HR:$699 (Annual subscription saves $1200 USD/year)
Remote.com:$599/employee/month (Saves 14%)
Tie
US PEO Service (Domestic U.S. Hiring)
Oyster HR:No
Remote.com:Yes (From $99/employee/month)
Remote.com
Dedicated Recruiting/Sourcing Tool
Oyster HR:No
Remote.com:Yes (Recruit, starts $199/month)
Remote.com
Advanced Contractor Indemnity/Protection
Oyster HR:Compliant contracts only
Remote.com:Up to $100,000 indemnity & Uncapped COR option
Tie
Equity Management Specialized Support
Oyster HR:Not explicitly detailed
Remote.com:Yes (Equity Advanced, from $999/year)
Remote.com
Volume EOR Pricing Available
Oyster HR:Yes (Scale Plan for 3+ annual hires)
Remote.com:Yes (Annual subscription saving)
Tie
Currencies for Salary Payouts
Oyster HR:140+
Remote.com:In local contract currency
Tie
Free Trial for Paid Service
Oyster HR:Yes (30 days for Contractor plan)
Remote.com:No
Oyster HR
AI Payroll Workflows
Oyster HR:No
Remote.com:Yes (Eliminates 75% payroll admin)
Remote.com
Setup/Onboarding Fees (EOR)
Oyster HR:No (Refundable security deposit required)
Remote.com:No
Oyster HR
Feature Comparison Summary
3
Oyster HR
7
Ties
5
Remote.com

Features Overview

We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.

EOR Coverage & Speed

Oyster HR offers faster EOR onboarding and covers more global hiring countries.

Oyster HR

Oyster HR focuses on speed, promising to onboard full-time EOR talent in as fast as 48 hours. They also provide comprehensive EOR coverage across an industry-leading 120+ countries. This rapid deployment minimizes critical time-to-hire delays. Remote.com supports compliant EOR hiring in 90+ countries globally. Their onboarding is praised as quick and guided, utilizing a dedicated specialist for new hires. Remote.com ensures local payroll is paid on time, every time. The core difference is Oyster HR's explicit 48-hour speed guarantee and wider EOR reach. Remote.com's strength lies in its depth of tooling, not raw country count. If your primary goal is rapid expansion into the broadest range of territories, Oyster HR is the superior choice for speed and reach.

Core HR Management

Remote.com offers a free, complete HRIS for direct employees; Oyster HR does not.

Remote.com

Oyster HR integrates essential HR features into its paid Contractor or EOR plans. They do not offer a separate, free core HRIS solution for managing existing direct employees. Global Payroll starts at $29/month. Remote.com provides its comprehensive HR Management solution permanently free for all direct employees. This includes time tracking, expense management, and document storage, plus a mobile app. This free HR management layer is a massive win for Remote.com users and cuts organizational overhead. It allows teams to centralize administration without an added subscription cost. Remote.com's free offering makes it incredibly valuable for organizations consolidating existing direct employees alongside new EOR hires.

Contractor Risk Mitigation

Remote.com offers multiple tiers of high-value legal indemnity for contractors.

Remote.com

Oyster HR facilitates compliant contracts in 180+ countries and streamlines contractor payments starting at $29/month. You can manage expenses and time off efficiently. They offer a 30-day free trial on the Contractor plan. Remote.com offers higher-tier contractor indemnity, including Contractor Management Plus up to $100,000 in protection. They also offer the Contractor of Record (COR) service with uncapped indemnity and IP Guard protection. Remote.com covers 200+ jurisdictions. Remote.com provides significantly more robust financial protection against misclassification, a critical concern. Oyster HR focuses on standard contract compliance and ease of payment. Organizations with high compliance risk or large contractor pools should choose Remote.com for superior financial safeguards.

U.S. Domestic Support

Remote.com is equipped for US hiring via PEO; Oyster HR specializes only outside the US.

Remote.com

Oyster HR's platform is designed almost exclusively for international hiring coverage (120+ EOR countries). They do not offer a dedicated product for simplifying internal US employment rules. Oyster HR focuses purely on skipping local entity setup globally. Remote.com offers the Professional Employer Organization (PEO) product starting at $99/month for US employees. PEO handles US-based payroll, taxes, and high-quality benefits across federal and state levels. Remote.com solves both domestic and international complexity. If your scaling strategy includes rapid and compliant hiring both inside and outside the United States, Remote.com is essential. Oyster HR necessitates a separate US HR solution. Remote.com users gain a unified US/Global management system, while Oyster HR users must integrate with a third-party PEO.

Pricing Value & Model

Remote.com beats Oyster HR on annual EOR pricing and offers several free/low-cost specialty modules.

Remote.com

Oyster HR’s EOR plan is $699/month, saving $1,200 annually per employee. Its Scale plan offers lower rates for companies hiring 3+ EOR employees annually. Contractor and Payroll plans both start at $29/month. Remote.com's EOR plan is also $699/month, but the annual rate is significantly lower at $599/month per employee. Remote.com offers highly specialized modular tools starting at low rates, like Payroll ($29) and Recruit ($199). Remote.com has a clearer cost advantage for long-term EOR contracts due to the definitive $599 annual rate. Remote.com also has the advantage of the free HR Management tool. While both are priced competitively, Remote.com provides superior value due to the free HRIS and highly efficient annual EOR discount structure.

Talent & Recruiting Tools

Remote.com offers a dedicated AI-powered recruiting product, a capability Oyster HR lacks.

Remote.com

Oyster HR primarily focuses on the post-hiring lifecycle: compliance, payment, and management. Tools focus on administration, like the Employment Cost Calculator, rather than candidate sourcing. The platform integrates easily with your existing HR tech stack. Remote.com offers the optional Recruit product starting at $199/month for accelerated hiring. Recruit sources candidates from 800M+ profiles using AI matching. This speeds up the time to hire by potentially 10x. Remote.com gives you comprehensive pre-hiring tools under the same umbrella. This centralization ensures a smooth pipeline from sourcing to final onboarding and HR management. Companies prioritizing fast, data-driven global talent acquisition should leverage Remote.com's dedicated Recruit features.

Our Verdict

Objective guidance based on features, pricing, and user fit.

Choosing between Oyster HR and Remote.com is a classic function versus speed debate. If your team prioritizes feature breadth and long-term cost savings, Remote.com is the clear winner here. However, if hyper-fast onboarding and absolute country reach are non-negotiable, Oyster HR provides a superior, rapid solution. Oyster HR’s superpower is its sheer speed and global reach, covering 120+ countries. You can onboard a core full-time EOR employee in as fast as 48 hours globally. They also offer the Scale plan, streamlining bulk EOR hiring for rapidly growing companies. Remote.com excels by offering a profoundly comprehensive, integrated HR stack. Their HR Management solution for all direct employees is permanently free. Remote.com also includes advanced tools like US PEO, dedicated Recruit sourcing, and higher contractor indemnity. The deciding factor should be the HRIS and US support layer. Remote.com is the smarter pick if you need free HR administration combined with specialized US PEO services. Choose Oyster HR if you must scale immediately into one of their exclusive 120+ EOR territories. In our final verdict, Remote.com offers more functional depth and stronger feature integration for the average scaling business. Oyster HR is highly reliable for quick deployment but Remote.com provides better overall value and tooling breadth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for small teams: Oyster HR or Remote.com?

Remote.com offers better starting value for small teams, as its HR Management solution is permanently free. Oyster HR’s paid Contractor plan starts at $29/month, offering a 30-day free trial. If you have any existing direct employees, Remote.com saves you money instantly.

Does Remote.com require minimum hiring numbers like Oyster HR?

No, both Oyster HR and Remote.com confirm they do not require a minimum number of employees or contractors. You pay monthly per active seat with both systems. Oyster HR’s Scale plan is the only exception, requiring 3+ annual EOR hires for volume discount pricing.

Which platform supports more countries for the EOR service?

Oyster HR has the broader EOR reach, supporting full-time hiring in 120+ countries. Remote.com currently offers compliant EOR services in 90+ countries. If your target is an obscure location, Oyster HR might offer the coverage you need.

Is Oyster HR or Remote.com cheaper for annual EOR contracts?

Remote.com is cheaper for annual EOR contracts at $599 per employee/month. Both platforms charge $699/month for monthly EOR service. Choosing the annual billing with Remote.com provides a definitive 14% discount.

Does Oyster HR offer the specialized US PEO services like Remote.com?

No, Oyster HR focuses entirely on international EOR compliance outside the US. Remote.com is unique in offering a dedicated PEO product. Remote.com handles US-based hiring, taxes, and benefits starting from $99/month.

Which software offers better protection against contractor misclassification risk?

Remote.com offers superior protection, specifically through its high-tier plans. Remote.com includes options for uncapped indemnity via Contractor of Record (COR). Oyster HR focuses on standard compliant contract generation and payment.

Ready to Choose?

Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.