Oyster review

Oyster is built for the specific case of a startup hiring full-time people abroad before it has entities there. Its employer of record covers more than 120 countries with multi-country payroll in more than 120 currencies, onboarding and offboarding specialists and support from local experts. The list price is $699 per employee per month, but Oyster runs a startup program that saves up to $1,200 per person on EOR subscription fees, and it says setup, onboarding, HR expert calls and terminations carry no extra charge. Contractors are free for 30 days, then $29 per contractor a month, with contracts in more than 180 countries and a misclassification analyzer. Add-ons cover benefits, visa sponsorship and salary data for more than 130 countries. The downsides are a higher list EOR fee than Deel or Remote, a refundable deposit for each EOR hire, and no HR database for staff at your own entities.

Who it is for

Early-stage startups hiring their first full-time people abroad on a startup budget.

Price

Contractors free for 30 days, then $29 per contractor a month; EOR $699 per employee per month.

then USD 29 per contractor/month
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Employer of record in 120+ countries with multi-country payroll in 120+ currencies
• Contracts for contractors in 180+ countries
• Onboarding and offboarding specialists
• Employee misclassification analyzer
• Add-ons for benefits, visa sponsorship and salary insights for 130+ countries

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Startup program saves up to $1,200 per person on EOR fees
• Strength: No extra charges for setup, onboarding or terminations
• Strength: Contractor plan is free for the first 30 days
• Weakness: EOR list price of $699 is higher than Deel, Remote and Justworks
• Weakness: EOR hires require a refundable deposit
• Weakness: Not an HR database for reviews or time off at your own entities

Key facts

• EOR price: $699 per employee per month
• Startup discount: Up to $1,200 per person on EOR fees
• EOR countries: 120+
• Payment currencies: USD, EUR, GBP or CAD

Where it ranks

Oyster is No. 9 in our Best HR Software for Startups verdict.