Running HR for a remote company is fundamentally different from managing an office-based team. You’re dealing with multiple countries, different labor laws, varied tax systems, and employees who might never set foot in the same room. Generic HR software built for office-based teams doesn’t cut it.

The good news: the “Employer of Record” (EOR) space has matured significantly. You can now hire someone in Brazil, Portugal, or Japan without setting up a legal entity there. But each platform has different strengths, pricing models, and coverage. Here’s what actually matters.

Deel: Best for Contractors + EOR ($0-599/employee/mo)

Deel has become the default choice for companies hiring globally, and for good reason. They cover contractors and full-time employees across 150+ countries with a platform that’s genuinely easy to use.

For contractors, Deel is free. You create a contract, the contractor onboards themselves, and Deel handles payments in their local currency, tax form collection, and compliance classification. The “contractor misclassification” risk assessment is particularly valuable: Deel flags situations where your contractor relationship might be problematic under local law.

For full-time employees (via EOR), pricing is around $599/employee/month. Deel employs the person through their local entity, handles payroll, benefits, statutory contributions, and termination: all while the employee works for you day to day. You manage them; Deel handles the legal and administrative overhead.

The platform itself is clean. Onboarding flows are automated, payslips are generated automatically, expenses are handled in-app, and the reporting gives you a clear view across your entire global team.

Downsides: $599/employee/month adds up fast with a large team. Their benefits packages in some countries are basic compared to what local employers offer. And while their contractor product is free, the EOR premium is at the top of the market.

For a detailed pricing breakdown, see our Deel pricing guide.

Remote.com: Best Compliance + Own Entities ($29-599/employee/mo)

Remote.com differentiates itself by owning their legal entities in every country they operate in (rather than partnering with local providers). This matters because it gives them direct control over compliance, benefits administration, and employee experience: no third-party handoffs.

Their contractor management starts at $29/employee/month (not free like Deel), but includes more robust compliance features: automatic contract generation per local law, IP protection clauses, and built-in tax form management that adapts to each country’s requirements.

EOR pricing is competitive at around $599/employee/month, but what you get is tighter compliance confidence. Remote’s in-house legal teams in each country monitor labor law changes and proactively update contracts and policies. If local regulations change, Remote handles the adjustment without you knowing.

The platform includes solid HRIS features: org charts, time-off management, document storage, and reporting. For companies that want one system for both global compliance and day-to-day HR management, Remote consolidates well.

Downsides: The $29/month for contractors (versus Deel’s $0) is a hard pill when you have many contractors. Their coverage in some regions is newer and benefits options may be less established. The interface, while functional, isn’t quite as polished as Deel’s.

See our Deel vs Remote vs Oyster comparison for a head-to-head analysis.

Rippling: Best for US + International Teams ($8+/employee/mo)

Rippling is a different beast. While Deel and Remote are global-first platforms, Rippling started as a US HR/IT platform and expanded internationally. The result is something uniquely powerful: one system that handles US employees (payroll, benefits, IT) AND international employees (via EOR) AND contractors: all in one place.

If your company has 20 US-based employees and 10 international, Rippling eliminates the need for separate domestic HR software plus an EOR provider. US employees get full payroll, 401(k), health insurance, and IT management (device provisioning, app access, security policies). International employees get EOR services through Rippling’s global infrastructure.

The IT management piece is unique to Rippling. When you hire someone: anywhere: Rippling can ship them a laptop, provision their email and app accounts, enroll them in security policies, and set up their payroll. When someone leaves, one click deprovisions everything. No other EOR platform does this.

Pricing starts at $8/employee/month for US payroll, with EOR services additional. The modular pricing means you pick what you need, but the full stack gets expensive.

Downsides: International coverage isn’t as extensive as Deel or Remote (fewer countries). The platform is complex: great if you need the depth, overwhelming if you just need simple global payroll. And pricing transparency is limited; you’ll need a sales call. See our Rippling pricing guide for details.

Oyster: Best Benefits + Employee Experience ($29-699/employee/mo)

Oyster positions itself as the most employee-friendly EOR platform. Their focus is on making distributed employees feel like first-class team members, not outsourced contractors managed through a third-party system.

Benefits are where Oyster shines. In each country, they offer competitive local benefits packages: health insurance, retirement contributions, wellness stipends: that match or exceed what local employers typically provide. Their “Total Rewards” dashboard shows employees the full value of their compensation, not just salary.

The employee experience features include built-in engagement surveys, manager 1:1 tools, and development planning. Oyster clearly thinks about the human side of remote employment, not just the compliance side.

Their contractor product starts at $29/contractor/month, and EOR ranges from $499-699/employee/month depending on the country and benefits package selected.

Downsides: Oyster’s country coverage is smaller than Deel or Remote (around 180+ countries for contractors, fewer for EOR). The premium pricing for EOR in some countries can exceed $699/month. And if you primarily need a payroll processor rather than a full HR experience platform, you’re paying for features you won’t use.

Gusto: Best for US-Only Remote ($6-12/employee/mo)

If your remote team is entirely US-based, Gusto is the answer. It’s not trying to solve global employment: it’s focused on making US payroll, benefits, and HR management simple and affordable for small to mid-size companies.

Full-service payroll across all 50 states, automatic tax filing, health/dental/vision insurance administration, 401(k) management, workers’ comp, and basic HR features: all starting at $6/employee/month (plus a base fee).

For remote US teams specifically, Gusto handles the multi-state complexity that comes with employees in different states. Each person gets correct state/local tax withholding, and Gusto registers you with state tax agencies automatically.

The platform is genuinely pleasant to use. Employee self-service is well-designed, the onboarding flow is smooth, and payroll runs in minutes. It’s the antithesis of enterprise HR software: simple, clear, and designed for companies without a dedicated HR team.

Downsides: Zero international capability. If you ever hire one person outside the US, you need a separate platform (Deel, Remote, etc.) alongside Gusto. That creates data fragmentation and double administration. If there’s any chance you’ll go international, consider Rippling instead.

For a comparison with other domestic HR options, check our BambooHR vs Gusto vs Rippling analysis.

Comparison Table

Feature	Deel	Remote.com	Rippling	Oyster	Gusto
Contractor pricing	Free	$29/mo	Varies	$29/mo	N/A
EOR pricing	~$599/emp/mo	~$599/emp/mo	Varies	$499-699/emp/mo	N/A
US payroll pricing	N/A	N/A	$8+/emp/mo	N/A	$6-12/emp/mo
Countries (EOR)	150+	80+	50+	70+	US only
Countries (contractors)	150+	100+	50+	180+	US only
Own entities	Partial	✅ All	Partial	Partial	US only
IT management	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌
Benefits quality	Good	Good	Good (US)	✅ Best	Good (US)
Employee experience	Good	Good	Good	✅ Best	Good
Ease of use	✅	Good	Complex	Good	✅
Best for	Global contractors + EOR	Compliance-heavy	US + international	Employee-first remote	US-only remote

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between an EOR and a PEO?

An EOR (Employer of Record) legally employs your international workers through their entity in that country: you don’t need your own legal presence there. A PEO (Professional Employer Organization) co-employs workers alongside your existing entity. EOR is for countries where you have no entity. PEO is for countries where you already have one but want to outsource HR administration.

Can I switch from one EOR to another?

Yes, but it’s not trivial. It typically involves terminating the employee under the current EOR (with proper notice and offboarding) and rehiring them under the new EOR. The employee doesn’t lose their job in practice, but legally it’s a new employment relationship. This means new contracts, potential probation period resets, and benefits transitions. Plan 2-3 months for a smooth migration.

Do I still need HR software if I use an EOR?

For international employees managed through an EOR, the EOR platform handles most HR functions (payroll, benefits, compliance, time-off). But you’ll likely want separate tools for performance management, engagement, and internal communications that span your entire team. Most EORs don’t replace your need for tools like Lattice, Culture Amp, or a proper HRIS for organizational management.

How do taxes work for remote employees in different states or countries?

For US multi-state, your payroll provider (Gusto, Rippling) handles state tax registration and withholding automatically. For international, the EOR handles all local tax obligations: income tax withholding, social contributions, pension contributions: as part of their service. You pay one invoice per employee; the EOR distributes funds correctly per local law.

What happens if I need to terminate an international employee?

This is where EORs earn their fee. Termination laws vary dramatically by country. Some require months of notice, severance payments, or even government approval. Your EOR advises on the legal process, calculates required severance, manages the notice period, and handles the termination compliantly. Doing this without an EOR means hiring local legal counsel per country.