Deel vs Oyster (2026): $599 vs $699 EOR, Compared
Deel is cheaper for EOR employees ($599 vs Oyster's $699 a month); Oyster is cheaper for contractors ($29 vs $49). Both are month-to-month and quote salaries, employer costs and deposits on top. The deciding detail is usually which countries each one covers through its own entity.
Deel vs Oyster HR: which is better for Employer of Record teams?
For a team that is mostly EOR employees, Deel costs less at list price: $100 less per employee per month, or $12,000 a year at 10 employees. For a contractor-only team, Oyster costs $20 less per contractor per month.
Don't pick on list price alone. Oyster offers a discounted annual EOR rate it does not publish, and both vendors negotiate at volume. Ask each for a per-country quote and ask, country by country, whether you would be employed through the vendor's own entity or a local partner.
Skip Oyster if you need Deel's extras: Contractor of Record ($325), a free [HRIS](/glossary/hris) for up to 200 people, or US [PEO](/categories/peo-software). Skip Deel if your team values a named local expert over 24/7 chat and you are hiring in Oyster's owned-entity countries.
Deel vs Oyster HR: what each tool does
Deel is a global hiring platform covering employer of record, contractor payments, global payroll, US PEO and a free HRIS for smaller teams.
- Starting price
- $599/EOR employee/mo; $49/contractor/mo
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Free trial
- No free trial (free demo); Deel HR free for up to 200 employees
Oyster HR is the global employment platform designed for mid-market companies making their first international hires.
- Starting price
- $699/EOR employee/mo; $29/contractor/mo
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Free trial
- Free account; 30-day free trial for contractor management
Deel vs Oyster HR: side by side
Rows are grouped by the decision they belong to, and a row is marked where the two products answer differently. Rows they answer the same way stay visible: that is an answer too.
| Pricing | Deel | Oyster HR |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $599/EOR employee/mo; $49/contractor/mo | $699/EOR employee/mo; $29/contractor/mo |
| Typical cost | $599 per EOR employee/mo + salary and employer costs | $699 per EOR employee/mo + salary and employer costs |
| Billing unit | per employee or contractor per month | per employee or contractor per month |
| Free trial | No free trial (free demo); Deel HR free for up to 200 employees | Free account; 30-day free trial for contractor management |
| Price transparency | Prices published by vendor | Prices published by vendor |
Prices verified Sep 2026. Sources: Deel pricing page, Deel: Pin, Deel pricing 2026 (updated June 2026), Oyster HR: Oyster pricing page, Oyster HR: eorHQ Oyster review 2026.
Full plan tables: Deel pricing, Oyster HR pricing.
| Criteria |  Deel |  Oyster HR |
|---|---|---|
| Commercials | ||
| Starting priceDiffers | $599/EOR employee/mo; $49/contractor/mo | $699/EOR employee/mo; $29/contractor/mo |
| Pricing model | Per-employee pricing | Per-employee pricing |
| Free trialDiffers | No free trial (free demo); Deel HR free for up to 200 employees | Free account; 30-day free trial for contractor management |
| Typical costDiffers | $599 per EOR employee/mo + salary and employer costs | $699 per EOR employee/mo + salary and employer costs |
| Who it fits | ||
| Best forDiffers | Remote-first companies hiring in countries where they lack an entity | First-time global employers wanting guided country hiring |
| Rollout & platform | ||
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Supported platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
Deel vs Oyster HR: key differences
Deel or Oyster by team shape
Both are employers of record with published prices. The cheaper one flips depending on whether you hire employees or contractors.
- 8 full-time employees in Europe and Latin America: Deel at list price ($4,792 vs $5,592 a month). Ask Oyster for its annual rate before deciding.
- 30 contractors, no employees abroad: Oyster ($870 vs $1,470 a month), unless you need Deel's Contractor of Record to carry misclassification risk.
- US company that also wants a free HRIS for its US staff: Deel, because Deel HR is free up to 200 employees.
- First international hire, no HR team: either works; pick the one that employs through its own entity in that country. See employer of record providers.
Deel vs Oyster cost at 5, 10 and 30 people
| Team | Deel | Oyster HR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 EOR employees | $2,995/mo | $3,495/mo | Deel $500/mo less |
| 10 EOR + 20 contractors | $6,970/mo | $7,570/mo | Deel $600/mo less |
| 30 contractors only | $1,470/mo | $870/mo (first 30 days free) | Oyster $600/mo less |
| Contractor of Record, 5 people | $1,625/mo ($325 each) | Not offered as a named plan | Deel only |
Own entity or local partner: the question to ask per country
When an EOR uses a local partner, payroll and offboarding run through a third company. Most Oyster complaints trace back to that handoff.
| Feature | Deel | Oyster HR |
|---|---|---|
| EOR countries listed | 130+ (pricing page) | 120+ (pricing page) |
| Owned entities | 110+ countries, per Deel | Over 80% of hires through own entities, per Oyster |
| Contractor payments | $49/contractor/mo, many currencies | $29/contractor/mo, 180+ countries |
| Contractor of Record | $325/contractor/mo | No |
| Free tier | Deel HR free up to 200 employees | Free account; pay per hire |
| Extra services | US PEO $125/employee; Global Payroll $29/employee | People Partner advisory at $300/hour |
| Terminations | Handled under local law; can take up to 60 days | No extra charge for processing terminations |
| Integrations | QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, BambooHR, HiBob, Greenhouse, Ashby, Slack | QuickBooks, Xero, BambooHR, HiBob, ADP Workforce Now, Greenhouse, Workable, Ashby, Slack |
Deposits, billing and support at Deel and Oyster
- Billing: both month-to-month. Deel says you can cancel anytime; Oyster offers a cheaper annual seat plan where empty seats can be reused.
- Deposit: Deel's standard EOR deposit is 1 to 1.5 months of all monthly charges per employee. Oyster requires a refundable deposit but does not publish the amount.
- Refund timing: Deel refunds after termination and final invoices clear, sometimes to a Deel refund balance. Ask Oyster for its refund timeline in writing.
- Support: Deel offers 24/7 live chat in 13 languages and a project manager for EOR transitions. Oyster sells local experts and onboarding and offboarding specialists.
Switching EOR provider between Deel and Oyster
- 1Ask the new provider for a per-country migration estimate. Oyster says the larger costs are usually PTO payouts, notice and bonuses, not fees.
- 2Check whether the new provider can keep each employee's original start date. Oyster does this where local law allows; it is not guaranteed everywhere.
- 3Settle accrued PTO. Deel's own guide says PTO cannot carry over from a previous EOR contract.
- 4Re-enroll benefits; plans differ by provider and country.
- 5Recover the old deposit after the final invoice. Budget for both deposits overlapping for a month or two.
Oyster says most migrations take four to twelve weeks. Start with the country where notice periods are longest.
Common complaints about Deel and Oyster
Themes from public reviews checked October 2026. Oyster has far fewer public reviews than Deel, so its themes rest on a smaller sample.
- Oyster, late or held salaries and poor FX rates on international transfers (Trustpilot, 3.8/5 from 271 reviews as of Oct 2026).
- Oyster, slow answers when a local partner is involved, including disputes over final pay and accrued PTO at offboarding (Trustpilot; Software Advice).
- Oyster, prefunding invoices that are hard to check, and benefits some staff found thin (Capterra; Trustpilot).
- Deel, support quality: long chat waits and generic answers (Trustpilot, 4.6/5 from 9,589 reviews as of Oct 2026).
- Deel, contractor withdrawal fees and stalled withdrawals (Capterra reviews).
- Deel, slow EOR onboarding in complex countries (Gartner Peer Insights, Oct 2025).
Related: Remote vs Oyster, Deel vs Remote, and our guide to employer of record pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Deel or Oyster cheaper?
At list price, Deel for EOR employees ($599 vs $699 per month) and Oyster for contractors ($29 vs $49 per month, with Oyster's first 30 days free). A team of 10 EOR employees and 20 contractors pays $6,970 a month at Deel and $7,570 at Oyster, before salaries and employer costs. Oyster's annual EOR billing is discounted, but the rate is not published.
Which covers more countries, Deel or Oyster?
Deel lists EOR in 130+ countries and says it owns entities in 110+. Oyster lists EOR in 120+ countries and contractor payments in 180+, and says over 80% of its hires are employed through its own entities, with vetted partners elsewhere. Neither publishes a full owned-versus-partner list, so ask about each country you plan to hire in.
Do Deel and Oyster charge a deposit?
Yes. Deel's help center puts the standard EOR deposit at 1 to 1.5 months of all monthly charges, including salary and employer costs, refunded after the contract ends and invoices are paid. Oyster requires a refundable EOR deposit but does not publish the amount; third-party guides cite about one month of employment cost.
Can I move employees from Deel to Oyster, or Oyster to Deel?
Yes, but each employee signs a new contract with the new legal employer. Oyster says most migrations take 4 to 12 weeks and that, where local law allows, it adds continuation-of-employment terms that keep the original start date. Deel says accrued PTO cannot carry over from a previous EOR contract, so plan payouts or grace periods.
Does Oyster have a free plan like Deel HR?
Oyster has a free account for platform access and global HR tools, with fees starting once you engage a contractor or EOR employee. Deel HR is a free HRIS for up to 200 employees, covering records, org chart, documents and time off. If you want a free HR system for staff you employ directly, Deel's offer goes further.
Is Oyster HR a legitimate company?
Yes. Oyster is a venture-backed employer of record founded in 2020; it raised a $59 million Series D in September 2024 at a $1.2 billion valuation and named Hadi Moussa CEO in January 2026, with founder Tony Jamous becoming executive chairman. Reviews are mixed: Trustpilot showed 3.8 out of 5 from 271 reviews in October 2026.