Oyster HR vs Skuad
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Best for: Companies hiring employees in multiple countries without setting up legal entities, Teams managing a mix of international employees and contractors
Read the full Oyster HR reviewBest for: Companies hiring full-time employees abroad without opening local entities, Teams paying international contractors in multiple currencies
Read the full Skuad reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
Oyster HR vs Skuad: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose Oyster HR if
- You need EOR hiring in 120+ countries with 48-hour onboarding.
- You want a free 30-day contractor trial before committing.
- You value responsive, well-reviewed support and an easy interface.
Choose Skuad if
- You want customizable enterprise plans with dedicated managers.
Oyster HR vs Skuad: pros and cons
Oyster HR
Oyster HR hires and pays your global team for you — employees in 180+ countries, contractors in the same hub, and real HR experts when things get tricky. The EOR plan costs $699 per employee monthly, and exact country-level costs aren't published. Overall, it's a strong pick for mid-market teams going global if the per-seat price fits your budget.
Pros
- Hire employees in 180+ countries without setting up legal entities, with onboarding in as little as 48 hours
- Multi-country payroll in 120+ currencies plus automated expenses, time-off, and reporting are built into the Employer of Record plan
- A dedicated point of contact and in-house HR experts are included rather than billed extra, with People Partner Services available at USD 300 per hour for complex situations
Cons
- The Employer of Record plan costs USD 699 per employee per month — over $8,300 per hire annually — which is steep for tight budgets compared with a local payroll provider
- Headline prices are per-seat rates only; exact country-level costs and the scope of the USD 300-per-hour People Partner rate aren't published, so you need to talk to sales
- No self-serve evaluation path for the EOR product — there's no free trial or published demo/refund terms on the site, and a refundable deposit is required for each EOR team member
Skuad
Skuad (now Payoneer Workforce Management) covers hiring and payroll in 160+ countries with published per-seat pricing from $19, one bulk payment across 70 currencies, and built-in visa support, though it skips self-serve signup and keeps per-country rates and exit terms behind a demo. Overall, it's a recommendable pick for distributed teams that confirm costs before signing.
Pros
- Hire full-time employees in 160+ countries through its employer-of-record service, so you skip setting up a local subsidiary in each market
- Run global payroll in 70 currencies from one dashboard, funded with a single bulk payment instead of per-country bank transfers
- Per-seat pricing is published upfront — contractor management (AOR) starts at $19 per contractor monthly and full-time EOR hiring at $199 per employee, with a $0 onboarding fee
Cons
- No free trial or free plan is available; the only way in is a demo request, and there's no self-serve signup, so you can't test the workflow before committing
- Exact rates vary by country and aren't published, so the $199/$19 starting prices may not apply to your target locations until you get a custom quote
- Contract length, notice periods, and refund or cancellation terms aren't published anywhere on the site, which makes it hard to assess exit costs before signing
Oyster HR and Skuad in detail
Oyster HR
Oyster HR is an employer of record (EOR) platform. It hires and employs your international team members on your behalf, so you don't set up local offices or entities. You manage, onboard, and pay employees and contractors in one place, with in-house HR experts for guidance. It targets growing and mid-market companies hiring globally, and the company says it's the only B Corp-certified EOR.
Standout features
- Hire almost anywhere, without opening entities
- Real HR experts, not a ticket queue
- Compliance and admin handled quietly
- Contractors covered in the same hub
- Connected tools, cared-for employees
Use cases
- Hiring your first international employee, fast
- Managing employees and contractors in one place
- Staying compliant without becoming a legal expert
Skuad
Skuad is a global HR platform and employer of record (EOR), now part of Payoneer as Payoneer Workforce Management. It lets companies hire employees and contractors in 160+ countries without opening local entities. The platform handles onboarding, compliant contracts, payroll, benefits, contractor payments, and compliance support. It's built for HR, finance, and legal teams at growing companies that want to hire internationally without the legal heavy lifting.
Standout features
- Hire full-time employees without opening a local entity
- Onboarding that takes minutes, not weeks
- Pay everyone in their local currency
- Shield: built-in compliance and mobility support
- Benefits your team will actually use
Use cases
- Hire full-time employees abroad, no entity needed
- Onboard and pay global contractors
- Consolidate global payroll into one run
- Plan your first hire in a new market
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | Oyster HR | Skuad |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $29/mo Global Contractors | $19/mo Contractors (AOR) |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 30 days | Not stated |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | — | — |
| Pricing model | Per-user and flat plans | Per-user and flat plans |
| Cost for 1 user | $29/mo Global Contractors plan, billed monthly | $19/moCheaper Contractors (AOR) plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 5 users | $3,495/mo Employer of Record plan, billed monthly | $995/moCheaper Employees (EOR) plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 10 users | $6,990/mo Employer of Record plan, billed monthly | $1,990/moCheaper Employees (EOR) plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 25 users | $17,475/mo Employer of Record plan, billed monthly | $4,975/moCheaper Employees (EOR) plan, billed monthly |
| Plans | 3 | 2 |
| Prices checked | Prices not verified yet — see the vendor page. | Vendor page checked Oct 12, 2026 |
| Price history | No tracked prices yet | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
For 5 users (billed monthly), Skuad costs $995/mo vs Oyster HR at $3,495/mo.
- Skuad is cheaper at every team size we checked (1 to 25 users).
- For 1 user (billed monthly), Skuad costs $19/mo vs Oyster HR at $29/mo.
- For 10 users (billed monthly), Skuad costs $1,990/mo vs Oyster HR at $6,990/mo.
- For 25 users (billed monthly), Skuad costs $4,975/mo vs Oyster HR at $17,475/mo.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.
More comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Which supports more countries?
Oyster HR covers compliance in 180+ countries and EOR hiring in 120+. Skuad manages workers in 160+ countries. Oyster pays in 140+ currencies; Skuad supports 70.