EOR services enable organizations to hire and pay employees in another country without setting up a local entity.

Hiring from the global market is daunting for small businesses and startups because of their limited resources. However, this should not stop these businesses from expanding their operations beyond borders and tapping into the diverse talent pool.

EOR services help small organizations navigate the complexities of global hiring, payroll management, and compliance. These services act as the legal employer of record, sparing startups from establishing legal entities in different countries. By handling crucial tasks like global payroll and benefits management, EOR reduces administrative burdens and risks.

Geekflare tested the best EOR providers for small businesses and startups based on affordability, compliance expertise, user-friendly technology, responsive customer support, and flexibility in service offerings that minimize global recruitment risks and costs.

  • Deel – Best All-in-one EOR for Growing Startups
  • Remote – Offers Localized Benefits
  • Multiplier – All-in-one Global Human Platform
  • Oyster – Hire in 130+ Countries
  • Papaya Global – Best for Established Small Businesses
  • Horizons – Cheap EOR Service
  • WorkMotion – Best for European Companies
  • Atlas – Emerging EOR Service
  • Safeguard Global – Leading EOR for Small Businesses
  • Plane – Best for Startups
  • Show moreShow less

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Deel

Deel

Best All-in-one EOR for Growing Startups

Geekflare rating score 4.8 out of 5
4.8
|
  • Global Reach
    150+ Countries
  • Compliance
    Built-in Compliance Protection
  • Fast & Flexible
    5-minute Onboarding
$499/month
Get Deel

About Deel

Deel empowers small businesses by helping them expand globally through hiring and onboarding employees worldwide. It manages payroll, taxes, and compliance to ensure the business complies with local regulations. It automatically collects paperwork and stores it in one place to avoid confusion and delay.

Established in 2014, US-based Deel has over 35,000 clients worldwide. It localizes the entire employee lifecycle with local leave policies, salary benchmarks, and termination practices.

Deel Features

  • Key feature

    Country-specific documentation for compliant onboarding

  • Key feature

    15+ payment methods to pay the global team

  • Key feature

    Monitor and inform of latest changes on wage, pension, and leave regulations

  • Key feature

    200+ local HR and legal experts to ensure compliance

  • Key feature

    Integration with 65+ HR and finance applications

  • Key feature

    Enables employees to submit time-off requests that the HR team can approve

  • Key feature

    Offboarding process Compliant with local labor law

  • Key feature

    Global trend analytics on contribution and expenses

Deel Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    HR workflow automation with third-party integrations

  • Advantage

    24/7 support and a dedicated CSM manager

  • Advantage

    Data security with SOC1, SOC2, SOC3, GDPR, and AES-256 encryption

  • Disadvantage

    Background check comes as an add-on

  • Disadvantage

    Steep learning curve for new users

Remote

Remote

Offers Localized Benefits

Geekflare rating score 4.7 out of 5
4.7
|
  • Global Reach
    85+ Countries
  • Compliance
    Remote Watchtower for Smart Complaince
  • Fast & Flexible
    3-day Onboarding
$599/month
Get Remote

About Remote

Remote provides employer of record services with quick onboarding so the remote teams can become global. Its built-in risk protection allows companies to hire international employees without worrying about compliance with local employment laws and payroll rules.

Based in Portugal, Remote started its journey in 2019. It has more than 1,000 employees and became the fifth billion-dollar company in its country in 2023.

Remote Features

  • Key feature

    Embedded country and situation-specific guidance for EOR

  • Key feature

    Monitor legal updates in all individual countries and inform the companies

  • Key feature

    Integration with tools like Gusto, BambooHR, and Zapier

  • Key feature

    Provide packages with competitive and updated benefits

  • Key feature

    Personal customer success implementation manager

  • Key feature

    Five-step support for each new client

  • Key feature

    Transparent and accurate payroll with action and approval reminders

  • Key feature

    Self-service payroll and expense reimbursements with a mobile app for employees

Remote Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Zero onboarding or offboarding fees

  • Advantage

    Compliant equity incentives

  • Advantage

    Remote IP guard to secure intellectual property

  • Disadvantage

    Limited third-party integration support

  • Disadvantage

    EOR services are available in fewer countries compared to most competitors

Multiplier

Multiplier

All-in-one Global Human Platform

Geekflare rating score 4.8 out of 5
4.8
|
  • Global Reach
    150+ Countries
  • Compliance
    Local HR and Payroll Experts
  • Fast & Flexible
    Payroll in 120+ Currencies
$400/month
Get Multiplier

About Multiplier

Multiplier is an Employer of Record (EOR) service provider that allows organizations to hire international workers legally and efficiently. In addition to being the legal employer of international employees, it manages their payroll, taxes, benefits, and expenses, ensuring everyone gets homogenous benefits and insurance.

Multiplier was founded in 2020 and has offices in all major continents, including North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Its clients include big names like PWC and Uber.

Multiplier Features

  • Key feature

    Generate and send legally compliant and customized contracts

  • Key feature

    Collect onboarding documents according to country-specific regulations

  • Key feature

    Offer localized benefit plans for the employees

  • Key feature

    Real-time payroll status visibility and generate reports

  • Key feature

    Payments with employee payslips and payroll with a single monthly invoice

  • Key feature

    Supports 120+ currencies for EOR payroll

  • Key feature

    Employee tax management with allowance and social contributions

Multiplier Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Employee time-off and business expense approval from one place

  • Advantage

    100% GDPR-compliant data hosting on AWS

  • Advantage

    Self-service onboarding

  • Disadvantage

    Customer support is not available on weekends

  • Disadvantage

    Limited integration support

Oyster

Oyster

Hire in 130+ Countries

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Global Reach
    130+ Countries
  • Compliance
    Compliant Infrastructure in 180+ Countries
  • Fast & Flexible
    Onboarding in 48 Hours
$599/month
Get Oyster

About Oyster

Oyster EOR is a global solution that creates a strategic partnership with companies with the help of deep employment insights and a team of experts. It also performs employee time-off management, contract change, and offboarding tasks.

US-based company Oyster was established in 2020. It has its team members distributed in 60+ countries.

Oyster Features

  • Key feature

    Takes only 48 hours to complete onboarding after hiring international talents

  • Key feature

    Hire EOR from 130+ countries and contractors from 180+ countries

  • Key feature

    Generate 100% compliant agreements reviewed by legal experts

  • Key feature

    Integrate with HRIS, ATS, ERP, expense management, and security applications

  • Key feature

    Timely payroll with more than 99% accuracy

  • Key feature

    Empower the global workforce with competitive salaries, equity, and benefits

Oyster Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    IP assignment agreements for risk mitigation

  • Advantage

    Employment intelligence and support for compliant hiring

  • Advantage

    Synchronize data with the current ERP system

  • Disadvantage

    Currency conversion fee when companies pay in non-contract currency

  • Disadvantage

    Refundable security deposit for engagement initiation

Papaya Global

Papaya Global

Best for Established Small Businesses

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Global Reach
    160+ Countries
  • Compliance
    Certified Team of Local Experts
  • Fast & Flexible
    Payroll in 100+ Currencies

About Papaya Global

Papaya Global provides a platform to oversee EOR, payroll, legal, and compliance. It prioritizes 100% local compliance with a dedicated team of experts. It offers complete visibility into the workforce so companies can control their costs and optimize their hiring strategy.

Established in 2016, Papaya Global is one of the Forbes Cloud 100 companies. It has 21 offices worldwide and 2000+ clients.

Papaya Global Features

  • Key feature

    Supports onboarding of up to 1000 employees at a time

  • Key feature

    Review hiring contracts and sign them from the same platform

  • Key feature

    Automatic generation of country-specific standard contracts

  • Key feature

    Robust healthcare insurance in partnership with DavidShield

  • Key feature

    API and data connectors to import pre-payroll data

  • Key feature

    AI-powered validation engine for salary update analysis and local compliance

  • Key feature

    Attract top talents with global equity plans

  • Key feature

    24/7 customer portal with dedicated CSM and GPE teams

Papaya Global Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Secure employee access with custom roles and permissions

  • Advantage

    EOR wallets comprising bank-level security

  • Advantage

    Integration with Payroll and HRIS software

  • Disadvantage

    Customer support limited to WhatsApp

  • Disadvantage

    Costly EOR for small businesses

Horizons

Horizons

Cheap EOR Service

Geekflare rating score 4.0 out of 5
4.0
|
  • Global Reach
    180+ Countries
  • Compliance
    Full Compliance with Local Tax and Labor Laws
  • Fast & Flexible
    Onboarding in 24 Hours
$299/month
Get Horizons

About Horizons

With Horizons, businesses can avoid the trouble of establishing a subsidiary for international recruitment. Its global team of in-house recruiters offers a personalized approach so companies can optimize international hiring with a curated list of talents.

Launched in 2018, Horizons has its remote team distributed across 35+ countries.

Horizons Features

  • Key feature

    Generate compliant bilingual labor contracts for employees

  • Key feature

    Talent acquisition service to select the best candidates from the pool

  • Key feature

    Payroll system includes a detailed employer cost breakdown

  • Key feature

    Offer full-service HR for contractor and work visa management

  • Key feature

    Single monthly bill for the payroll of all employees

  • Key feature

    Absence and leave management of global employees

  • Key feature

    Manage EOR payroll with tax withholdings in 100+ currencies

  • Key feature

    Intuitive platform to overview global payroll status 24/7

Horizons Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Complimentary expense reimbursement

  • Advantage

    Support from on-site legal, payroll, and HR specialists

  • Advantage

    Manage employment taxes, social security contributions, and other liabilities

  • Disadvantage

    Support is not available on weekends

  • Disadvantage

    Health insurance benefits incur additional cost

WorkMotion

WorkMotion

Best for European Companies

Geekflare rating score 4.7 out of 5
4.7
|
  • Global Reach
    160+ Countries
  • Compliance
    GDPR
  • Fast & Flexible
    10-minute Onboaring
€649/talent/month + €499 (Onboarding Fee)
Get WorkMotion

About WorkMotion

WorkMotion is a global employment and payroll solution. It lets companies hire and manage employees from anywhere globally from a single platform. Companies can easily hire people from different locations using its standard country-specific contract templates.

Berlin-based company WorkMotion started its journey in 2020. It partners with HiBob, Jobgether, Veremark, Launch Global, and Hi People.

WorkMotion Features

  • Key feature

    Hire candidates from 160+ countries

  • Key feature

    Fats-track onboarding with contract review by legal experts

  • Key feature

    Process support and advice from in-house technology

  • Key feature

    Automated platform for country-specific lifecycle management

  • Key feature

    Global payroll management with base fees, EOR fees, and allowance

  • Key feature

    100% compliant talent expense reporting

  • Key feature

    Integrates with BambooHR, WorkDay, SafetyWing, HiBob, etc.

  • Key feature

    Comprehensive guides on 100+ countries and dedicated customer success manager

WorkMotion Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Manage employee lifecycle, including offboarding

  • Advantage

    Instant contract creation in a few clicks

  • Advantage

    In-house team for HR assistance

  • Disadvantage

    No phone or live chat support

  • Disadvantage

    Additional onboarding fee

Atlas

Atlas

Emerging EOR Service

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Global Reach
    160+ Countries
  • Compliance
    Localized Expertise for Regulatory Needs
  • Fast & Flexible
    Same-day Onboarding
Pricing on Request
Get Atlas

About Atlas

Atlas is not just an EOR service provider. It is a centralized HXM technology platform that offers global benefits and payroll administration features. It manages the legal, HR, tax and local compliance responsibilities on behalf of its customers to deliver end-to-end EOR solutions.

Atlas was founded in 2015, introducing the world’s first 100% direct EOR model. It has 500+ global employees.

Atlas Features

  • Key feature

    Comes with a full suite of HCM solutions

  • Key feature

    Manage payroll taxes, social contributions, and government fees

  • Key feature

    Compliance with mandatory benefits like pensions and health insurance

  • Key feature

    Payroll, payslip, and back-office administrative processes

  • Key feature

    Scalable solution for quick onboarding compliant with employment regulation

  • Key feature

    One-click preview, review, and approval of the entire payroll process

  • Key feature

    Expense management by employees with mobile app

  • Key feature

    In-platform and latest global HR reference guides

Atlas Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Multifactor authentication and ISO 27001 certification

  • Advantage

    Custom contracts that comply with local laws

  • Advantage

    End-to-end immigration and global visa support

  • Disadvantage

    Does not offer time tracking and attendance features

  • Disadvantage

    Email and live chat support are not available

Safeguard Global

Safeguard Global

Leading EOR for Small Businesses

Geekflare rating score 4.2 out of 5
4.2
|
  • Global Reach
    170+ Countries
  • Compliance
    Local Labor Law Compliant Contracts
  • Fast & Flexible
    Onboarding in 2 Weeks
Pricing on Request
Get Safeguard Global

About Safeguard Global

Safeguard Global is a dependable employer of record service provider that supports quick and compliant hiring without any legal entity. With its established entities, Safeguard Global hires employees on behalf of the organizations while managing the HR and legal requirements.

Safeguard Global was launched in 2010. It has over 1,500 clients worldwide and more than 1,800 employees in 35 countries.

Safeguard Global Features

  • Key feature

    Local hiring experts for the US, Canada, APAC, EMEA and LATAM

  • Key feature

    Accurate and on-time payroll services with benefits and tax withholdings

  • Key feature

    Country-based single invoice with salary, commissions and fees

  • Key feature

    Receipt upload and expense tracking for employees

  • Key feature

    Employee time and attendance tracking that automatically connects with payroll

  • Key feature

    Workforce insights with data filtering based on country, currency, and contract

  • Key feature

    Certified Workday integration for accurate payroll delivery

  • Key feature

    Trained and qualified experts on local laws, taxation, and payroll regulations

Safeguard Global Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    Real-time visibility of HR and payroll data for strategic decisions

  • Advantage

    No-cost background checks

  • Advantage

    In-country HR teams for support in the local language and time zone

  • Disadvantage

    Transparent pricing is not available

  • Disadvantage

    No live chat support

Plane

Plane

Best for Startups

Geekflare rating score 4.6 out of 5
4.6
|
  • Global Reach
    100+ Countries
  • Compliance
    Contracts Reviewed by US and Local Lawyers
  • Fast & Flexible
    70+ Currencies
$499/month
Get Plane

About Plane

Plane is an EOR platform that caters to the needs of fast-growing companies. It lets companies hire global employees, integrate local and international payroll, and manage employee benefits from the same platform.

Plane started its journey in 2015 as Pilot. In 2023, it changed its name to Plane and operates as a remote-first company.

Plane Features

  • Key feature

    Country-specific employment contracts compliant with tax laws

  • Key feature

    Expert guidance on worker classification, immigration, and visa

  • Key feature

    Single payroll system for serving employees in 240+ countries

  • Key feature

    Options to choose between automated or manually approved payments

  • Key feature

    Employee self-management of payment details, payment status, and expense report

  • Key feature

    Flexible payroll run as per customized pay period

  • Key feature

    Local experts for guided onboarding of employees

  • Key feature

    Personalized support on Slack channel with assigned onboarding manager

Plane Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    No minimum charges

  • Advantage

    Multi-layered security practices

  • Advantage

    Supports health benefits in 175+ countries

  • Disadvantage

    Does not offer chat support

  • Disadvantage

    Support is not available on weekends

Comparison of Top EOR Services for Freelancers & Independent Contractors

Here’s a quick summary comparison of the top EOR services for freelancers and independent contractors.

EOR Services
Key Services
Ideal For
Pricing Model
Customer Support
Explore
Deel

Deel

4.8
/5
EOR, payroll, compliance
Growing startups
Monthly fees
Live chat and webform
Remote

Remote

4.7
/5
Hiring, onboarding, payroll, time and attendance
Remote-first companies
Monthly fees
Email and live chat
Multiplier

Multiplier

4.8
/5
Hiring, onboarding, payroll
Quickly expanding businesses
Per employee per month
Email
Oyster

Oyster

4.5
/5
Companies with a limited budget
Growing startups
Per employee per month
Email
Papaya Global

Papaya Global

4.5
/5
EOR, global benefits, equity management
Established Small Businesses
Per employee per month
WhatsApp chat
Horizons

Horizons

4.0
/5
Companies with a limited budget
Companies with limited budget
Per employee per month
Ticket submission
WorkMotion

WorkMotion

4.7
/5
Hiring, onboarding, time tracking, offboarding
European companies
Per employee per month + one time onboarding fees
Ticket submission
Atlas

Atlas

4.5
/5
EOR, compliance, onboarding, payroll
Startups and SMEs
Custom
Phone
Safeguard Global

Safeguard Global

4.2
/5
EOR, global recruitment, payroll, people analytics
Small businesses
Custom
Phone
Plane

Plane

4.6
/5
EOR, payroll, health benefits
Fast-growing companies
Per employee per month
Slack, phone, email

What are the Key Benefits of Using EOR Services for Small Businesses?

EORs frees small businesses from the hassle of establishing a legal entity in a foreign country. These also ensure compliance with complex labor laws of the different countries, reducing the risk of costly penalties. EORs can also manage administrative tasks like payroll processing, employee benefits, time tracking, and onboarding. Overall, EOR services enable small businesses to scale their workforce while allowing their small team to focus on core operations.

How Can EOR Services Help Startups With Limited Resources?

EOR services are highly beneficial to startups with limited resources. They allow them to hire employees in various locations and eliminate the need for complex HR and payroll processes in each region. EOR providers manage all aspects of recruitment, including payroll, benefits, and compliance, so startups can expand their operations globally.

What Should Small Businesses Consider When Selecting an EOR Provider?

For any small business, a successful partnership with an EOR depends on the latter’s ability to fulfil the specific needs. Small businesses should consider an EOR provider’s experience in their target markets, their services, pricing models, and customer support. Thus, they can choose a provider that aligns with their business goals and budget. 

Are There EOR Services Specifically Designed for Startups?

Yes, there are EOR services, such as Deel, that offer tailored packages to startups. Their flexible pricing helps startups navigate initial growth challenges while ensuring compliance. 

How Do EOR Services Streamline Hiring and Compliance for Small Companies?

A small company usually has a limited number of team members. EOR services streamline their hiring process by handling recruitment and onboarding. They also ensure compliance with complex local labor laws with the help of local law experts, reducing legal risks for small companies.

What Factors Impact the Pricing of EOR Services for Small Businesses?

EOR pricing for small businesses is determined by the number of employees, countries of operation, and chosen services. If a company chooses to get additional services, it might have to pay extra charges for them. Hence, small businesses should understand all factors to create a budget for EOR solutions.

Conclusion

EOR enables startups and small businesses to leverage globalization by letting them hire from a wider talent pool worldwide. If companies want to partner with a reliable EOR, they must determine their specific needs and budget and select an EOR that aligns with those. Above all, a scalable and compliant EOR is the right option for SMBs and startups to support growth.

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