Hiring people from other countries can be tough for small businesses and startups. There's a lot to think about - different laws, payroll rules, and benefits in each country. That's where Employer of Record (EOR) services come in handy. They help you hire people anywhere without setting up your own office in each country.

But, there are tons of EOR services out there. Each one claims to be the best, and they all have different features, prices, and strengths. How do you know which one is right for your business?

That's where this guide comes in. We've done the hard work for you, digging deep into the top EOR services for 2024. Whether you're a startup founder, a small business owner, or running an agency, we'll help you navigate the sea of options.

In this post, we'll break down the 6 best EOR services on the market. We'll look at what makes each one unique, who they're best for, and how much they cost. By the end of this post, you'll have a clear idea of which EOR service might work best for your company.

Characteristics of a Good EOR Service

Here are 4 key characteristics of a good EOR (Employer of Record) service.

Global hiring expertise

An excellent EOR knows employment laws in many countries. They help you hire workers anywhere without setting up local entities. The EOR handles complex stuff like work permits, payroll taxes, and benefits in each country. This saves you time and headaches when expanding globally.

They keep up with changing regulations so you don't have to. A top EOR also gives advice on local work cultures and hiring practices. This helps you attract and keep great employees in new markets. Their knowledge makes international hiring much easier for small companies.

Smooth onboarding process

A quality EOR makes hiring new workers quick and easy. They have simple, online systems to enter employee info and job details. The EOR creates compliant employment contracts fast. They explain local laws and practices to your new hires.

A good EOR also helps set up payroll, taxes, and benefits efficiently. They handle background checks and other pre-employment tasks if needed. This lets you bring on new team members in days instead of weeks or months. Fast, hassle-free onboarding helps your business grow quickly as needed.

Payroll management runs like clockwork

Great EORs pay your workers accurately and on time, every time. They handle all tax withholdings and social contributions correctly. The EOR manages different currencies and payment methods across countries. They give employees clear pay statements.

Top EORs also offer online portals where workers can see pay history and tax docs. The EOR stays on top of changing tax rules in each place. They make sure you follow all payroll laws. This takes a huge burden off small companies and keeps your global team happy.

Support team responds quickly to solve problems

The best EORs give fast, helpful answers when you have questions. They offer support through email, chat, and phone. Someone knowledgeable is available when you need them. A great EOR assigns you a dedicated account manager who knows your business. They help solve any employment issues that come up.

An EOR should also support your employees with their questions about pay, benefits, or policies. Good EORs use technology to provide quick self-service options too. Responsive support helps your business run smoothly and keeps your global team productive.

Top 6 EOR Services in 2024

Thera

Thera is a global Employer of Record (EOR) service backed by Y Combinator. It's designed to help companies, particularly startups and high-growth businesses, hire and manage employees internationally. It simplifies the process of international hiring, enabling companies to focus on growth while Thera handles the legal and administrative aspects of employing people across borders.

Key features

• Comprehensive platform: Thera offers a user-friendly digital platform that consolidates all HR-related processes, allowing for efficient management of employee records, payroll, and compliance documentation in one secure location.
• Compliant onboarding: Thera provides localized contracts tailored to local regulations. This feature helps businesses stay compliant with complex international labor laws, simplifying the process of hiring contractors globally.
• Manage benefits: Provides and manages competitive benefits packages tailored to each country's requirements.
• Compliance automation: Automates compliance processes, including document collection, leave policies, and mandatory training across different countries, and states.

Pricing

Pricing structure is designed to be competitive and startup-friendly with EOR prices starting from $199/month. Schedule a demo today so we can understand your requirements, show you how Thera can help you, and share a custom quote with you.

Rating on G2

Thera has an impressive rating of 4.9 out of 5 on G2, based on 24 user reviews. Customers praise Thera for simplifying global hiring, efficient payroll management, and exceptional support, making it particularly appealing for fast-growing companies expanding their international talent pool.

Deel

Deel operates in over 150 countries, offering one of the widest coverages in the industry. Their platform is known for its user-friendly interface and automation capabilities.

‍

Key features

• Self-Service Employee Portal: Deel's platform offers employees self-service features to access their salary and benefits information. Employees can view pay stubs and tax documents, update personal information, choose preferred payment methods, and access health insurance and other benefits.
• Competitive Benefits Packages: Deel enables companies to provide attractive benefits to their global employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, life insurance, disability coverage, paid time off, parental leave, and additional perks like gym memberships.
• Compliance Management: Deel ensures compliance with local labor laws and regulations in each country where you have employees. This includes registering with government agencies, obtaining necessary licenses, withholding and remitting taxes and social contributions, and providing legally-compliant employment contracts.
• Multi-currency support: This feature enables businesses to easily manage international payroll, offering flexibility for both employers and employees in choosing preferred payment currencies. Deel handles currency conversion and ensures compliance with local regulations, simplifying cross-border transactions for global teams.

Pricing

Deel offers EOR services in over 150 countries, starting at $599 per month. They handle local payroll, taxes, and benefits, ensuring compliance with local regulations. Deel provides competitive benefits packages tailored to each country and offers centralized reporting, numerous integrations, and 24/7 support with dedicated customer success managers.

Rating on G2

Deel has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 on Capterra, based on 532 user reviews. Users praise the platform's ease of use, global coverage, and customer support. Some users mention that the pricing could be more affordable for smaller teams.

Papaya Global

Papaya Global offers a comprehensive EOR solution for enterprises looking to expand globally, with dedicated local expertise, compliance, and a centralized platform for managing their entire workforce. It allows companies to hire employees in over 160 countries.

Key features

• Tax Document Management: Papaya Global handles all tax document management for your employees. This includes generating the necessary tax forms, filing taxes, and providing guidance to ensure full compliance
• Local guidance: It has dedicated local teams with industry-leading expertise in each country where they provide EOR services. These local experts ensure full compliance with labor laws and regulations in the countries where your employees are based.
• Global payments: Papaya Global's platform includes a global wallet with bank-level security that enables paying employees anywhere in the world in any currency. Payments are secure, efficient, and always come through on time
• Equity Incentive Planning: The platform offers support for setting up and administering equity incentive plans for your global workforce. Their team can help design and implement stock options, RSUs, and other equity compensation

In countries where Papaya Global does not have a local entity, they rely on third-party EOR services and experts to provide information relevant to your team members. This can create multiple touch points for you before you can resolve any query or get any help.

Pricing

Papaya Global's EOR service starts at $650 per employee per month. This flat fee pricing model provides transparency compared to percentage-based models that can get expensive for higher salaries. However, it is less accessible for startups and small businesses with limited budgets.

Rating on G2

Papaya Global has received a mixed rating on G2, with an average score of around 4.5 out of 5. Many users reported issues with invoicing, noting that the invoices lack sufficient detail, making it difficult to link specific items to individual employees. This can led to confusion in financial management.

Rippling

Rippling's EOR service is part of a larger, integrated platform for managing global workforces, with a focus on automation and compliance. It's particularly suitable for businesses looking for a comprehensive solution that combines HR, IT, and finance functions.

Key features

• Unified HR, IT and Finance: Rippling consolidates employee data so every team has one source of truth. This allows speedy automation to take on manual data entry and eliminate duplicate systems
• Fastest Global Payroll: Rippling auto-calculates payroll inputs like hours worked, expense reimbursements, and time off to speed up pay runs. It takes just 5 days to payday in popular markets and 12 days in less common markets.
• Compliance automation: Rippling continuously monitors for compliance risks in the background, automatically flagging potential issues. This protects employers from legal and reputational risks and fines.

Pricing

The cost for Rippling's EOR services generally ranges from $500 to $600 per employee per month. You can customize your plans by adding or removing features based on your requirements, which allows for tailored solutions that fit specific operational needs.

Rating on G2

Rippling has a 4.8 out of 5 rating on G2.

Some users feel Rippling is way too expensive for the limited functionality it provides. Many users report incredibly difficult experiences trying to get support from Rippling, with cycling account managers and no clear way to contact support.

OysterHR

OysterHR as an EOR is particularly suitable for small to medium-sized businesses looking to expand their talent pool internationally without the need to establish local offices. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) benefit from Oyster HR's services, especially those focused on humanitarian efforts, as the platform offers discounts for nonprofits and facilitates the hiring of vetted refugees.

Key features

• Compliant employment agreements are generated quickly: The platform creates legally-reviewed, compliant employment contracts. This ensures businesses follow local labor laws when hiring internationally. OysterHR can onboard new employees in as fast as 48 hours.
• Payroll management handles multiple currencies: OysterHR manages payroll in 140+ currencies with over 99% accuracy. This simplifies paying international employees and ensures they receive their compensation correctly and on time.
• Comprehensive benefits administration is included: The service handles a wide range of employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. This helps small businesses offer competitive benefits packages to global talent.

Pricing

OysterHR's Employer of Record (EOR) pricing starts at $599 per employee per month when billed annually, or $699 per month when billed monthly. Once the number of full-time employees you engage through Oyster exceeds five, you’ll be eligible to pre-purchase a number of seats at a reduced rate.

Rating on G2

OysterHR has a rating of 4.4 out of 5 on G2. The low rating is due to a couple of reasons. While Oyster HR provides basic reporting, many users find it lacking compared to competitors that offer more advanced reporting options. They outsource many services, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, to third-party vendors. This can lead to inconsistent quality and experiences, which some users find problematic when expanding into those markets.

Did You Find a Great Candidate Overseas?

You've seen a range of options for EOR services, and you might be wondering which one to choose. The truth is, it depends on your specific goals and needs. But if you're a startup or an agency that's just found that perfect candidate overseas, we think Thera deserves your attention.

As a Y Combinator-backed company, we have the support to continuously innovate and improve our product.

What sets Thera apart is that we use it to manage our own global employees, and contractors. This means we're not just developers and designers - we're users too. We understand the challenges firsthand, which drives us to create features based on real-world experience.

What sets us apart is our approach to support. Instead of a generic help center, we offer you access to a dedicated Slack channel. This direct line to problem-solvers can be invaluable for small businesses and startups navigating global hiring.

Our users' positive feedback, even in a competitive market, speaks to the value we provide. But we're not complacent - we're always listening and improving.

If you're looking for a EOR service that understands your needs, consider Thera. Schedule a demo with us and let's discuss how we can help you hire overseas, without any compliance issues.

‍