The best Deel alternatives in 2026

Why Look for Deel Alternatives in 2026

Deel covers almost everything a global team needs: Employer of Record (EOR), contractor management, global and US payroll, HR software and even laptops through Deel IT. It publishes its prices, which makes it a useful baseline. The prices are also the main reason buyers look around. Here is what Deel's pricing page shows in October 2026:

• EOR costs $599 per employee per month. That is the same starting price as Remote, but more than Papaya Global's "from $499" and Pebl's listed $399.
• Contractors cost $49 per contractor per month. Remote and Oyster both start at $29, and Papaya Global's contractor solution starts at $5.
• There is no free plan. Deel HR starts at $5 per employee per month (Core). Performance reviews and engagement surveys need Advanced at $19, and compensation and headcount planning need Elite at $29.
• The product list is long. Hire, Pay, Manage and Equip each have their own plans, add-ons and bundles, which is a lot if you only need EOR for three people.
• Contractor of Record is $325 per contractor per month. Remote's Contractor Management Plus, with indemnity, starts at $99.

There are good reasons to stay too: month-to-month billing, many contractor payout options and one place for EOR, contractors and payroll.

This guide compares Deel with six alternatives for one job: hiring people abroad through an EOR or paying international contractors. We compare EOR and contractor prices, the country coverage each vendor states, and when a US payroll tool like Gusto is enough. Every price comes from the vendor's own pricing page, checked in October 2026.

One naming note: Velocity Global is now Pebl. The old velocityglobal.com address redirects to hellopebl.com. We list it as Pebl.

Deel review

Deel is the broadest platform in this list: EOR, contractors, payroll for your own entities, HR records and laptops from one account. Its pricing page states EOR coverage as "130+ countries" on the Hire card and "150+ countries" on the Pay card. Its contractor page says contractors are paid "across 200+ countries and jurisdictions" in 120+ currencies.

Key features

• Employer of Record without a local entity
• Contractor management with compliant local contracts, automated invoicing and tax form collection, plus an optional Contractor of Record
• Global payroll in 130+ countries and US payroll in all 50 states, self-serve or managed
• Deel HR: profiles, org chart, time off, time and attendance; performance and surveys on Advanced
• Deel IT: device lifecycle, MDM and endpoint protection

Pricing

USD per month. The pricing FAQ says billing is month-to-month with no long-term commitment.

• Hire: Find talent (recruiting) $14 per worker; Hire contractors $49 per contractor; Contractor of Record $325 per contractor; EOR $599 per employee
• Pay: Deel Payroll Global $29 per employee; Deel Payroll US $29 per employee (self-service, with a managed option)
• Manage (Deel HR, per employee): Core $5, Advanced $19, Elite $29; ATS add-on from $10
• Equip (Deel IT, per user): Starter $49, Growth $139, Scale $149
• Bundles (per employee): Deel HR + Deel Payroll US at $22 / $39 / $49 (Core / Advanced / Elite)
• US PEO: the pricing page shows different numbers in different places, so confirm with Deel
• Free plan: none; free demo only

Pros

• Public per-person prices for EOR, contractors, payroll, HR and IT
• Month-to-month billing with no long-term contract
• One vendor for EOR, contractors, global and US payroll, HR and IT
• Many contractor payout options, including Wise, Revolut, PayPal, Payoneer, crypto and the Deel Card

Cons

• EOR at $599 per employee costs more than Pebl's listed $399
• Contractors at $49 cost more than Remote's or Oyster's $29 starting price
• No free plan; even HR starts at $5 per employee
• Many products, add-ons and bundles to sort through

Who should use it

Companies with a mix of EOR employees, contractors and their own entities in several countries, who want one vendor instead of three, often with HR and IT for the same people.

Who should skip it

Teams chasing the lowest contractor fee, or the lowest listed EOR fee.

Remote review

Remote matches Deel's EOR price. Its pitch is that EOR runs through entities it owns: "100% owned entities, no third parties." Remote states EOR coverage as "90+ countries" with "100+ entities owned and operated by Remote," and contractor management in 190+ countries.

Key features

• Employer of Record with a dedicated onboarding specialist (Remote says "3 days on average for employee onboarding")
• Contractor Management with localized contracts, invoice approval or auto-pay and 1099-NEC generation
• Contractor Management Plus with up to $100,000 misclassification indemnity per contractor
• Global Payroll for your own entities, plus a US PEO
• Pay in 70+ currencies, with the FX rate locked for each monthly billing cycle

Pricing

USD "starting at" prices. Annual vs monthly billing is not stated.

• Employer of Record: from $599 per employee per month
• Contractor Management: from $29 per contractor per month, billed only for contractors you work with that month
• Contractor Management Plus: from $99 per contractor per month ($100,000 indemnity per contractor, capped at $1M per company)
• Contractor of Record: from $325 per contractor per month, with uncapped indemnity
• Global Payroll (own entity): from $29 per employee per month
• US PEO: from $99 per employee per month (needs a US bank account)
• Fees: no setup, onboarding or platform base fees. No standard deposit, but a refundable reserve may be required. 3.5% fee for credit card payments
• Remote for Startups: pre-seed, seed or Series A companies get 15% off EOR and Contractor Management for 12 months
• Free plan or trial: none listed

Pros

• Contractor Management from $29, billed only for active contractors
• No setup, onboarding or platform base fees
• EOR runs through entities Remote owns
• 15% startup discount on EOR and Contractor Management for 12 months

Cons

• EOR from $599 per employee, the same as Deel
• EOR stated in 90+ countries, fewer than Oyster, Papaya Global or Pebl claim
• Misclassification indemnity needs Plus ($99) or Contractor of Record ($325)
• 3.5% fee if you pay by credit card

Who should use it

Teams that care who legally employs their people abroad, and early-stage startups that qualify for the 15% discount.

Who should skip it

Companies hiring in a country outside Remote's stated 90+ EOR countries. Check the list before you sign.

Oyster review

Oyster is the easiest place here to start small: a free account, 30 free days for contractors, and fees only once you engage someone. The tradeoff is the highest listed EOR price in this comparison.

Key features

• Employer of Record in 120+ countries (pricing page), with onboarding and offboarding specialists; the homepage claims onboarding in as little as 48 hours
• Global Contractors: instant contracts in 180+ countries, payments in 120+ currencies
• In-app identity verification for contractors and an employee misclassification analyzer
• Expenses, time off and reports for EOR employees
• Integrations with BambooHR, Greenhouse, Xero, QuickBooks and Slack

Pricing

• Employer of Record: $699 per employee per month on monthly billing. "Annual discounts available," but no annual price shown. Refundable deposit required
• Global Contractors: free for 30 days, then $29 per contractor per month
• Oyster Shell: contractor misclassification protection (aggregate up to $500,000), sold separately; price not shown
• People Partner Services: $300 per hour, project-based
• Fees: no setup, onboarding or offboarding charges; no minimum team size
• Discounts: startups save up to $1,200 on EOR subscription fees; nonprofit and B-corp discounts (amount not stated)
• Invoices: USD, EUR, GBP or CAD. A conversion fee applies if you pay in a currency other than the contract currency

Pros

• Free account and a 30-day free contractor trial
• Contractors at $29 per month with no minimum team size
• No setup, onboarding or offboarding fees
• Startup, nonprofit and B-corp discounts

Cons

• EOR at $699 per month is the highest listed price here
• EOR employees need a refundable deposit
• Misclassification protection (Oyster Shell) costs extra
• Annual EOR pricing is not published

Who should use it

Small and mid-size teams that hire contractors first and may add EOR employees later.

Who should skip it

Teams whose main cost will be EOR employees. At $699, Oyster costs $100 more per employee per month than Deel or Remote.

Rippling review

Rippling is an HR, IT and finance platform that also does global work: EOR ("Hire and pay employees globally. No entity required"), global payroll for your own entities, and contractor payments. A new hire abroad gets the same employee record, app accounts and laptop as everyone else.

Key features

• US payroll, global payroll (through your own entities, with automatic currency conversion) and Employer of Record (no entity required)
• Contractor payments in 185+ countries and 50+ currencies
• HRIS with custom PTO policies and approvals
• App and device management: SSO, rule-based app provisioning (600+ integrations), laptop shipping and remote wipe
• Finance modules: expenses, corporate cards, bill pay and travel

Pricing

• Starting price: "Rippling plans start at $8 per employee per month, with a monthly base fee." The base fee is not published
• EOR, global payroll and contractor payments: no per-product prices; custom quote
• Startup program: eligible US VC-backed startups get free access for 6 months, depending on funding status and stage
• Free plan or trial: none stated

Pros

• One system for HR, payroll, devices, app access and spend
• New-hire automation covers offer letters, app accounts and laptop shipping
• EOR, global payroll and contractor payments (185+ countries) on the same platform
• Off-cycle pay runs are free

Cons

• Quote-based, modular pricing is hard to compare with Deel's public prices
• Paying per module adds up if you want the full suite
• Rippling does not publish an EOR or global payroll country count
• More setup and admin than a payroll-only tool for very small teams

Who should use it

Growing companies that want international staff, apps, devices and spending in one system. Rippling says EOR payroll lead time is about 5 days in popular markets and 12 in less common ones.

Who should skip it

Teams that only need EOR or contractor payments and want a published price to compare.

Papaya Global review

Papaya Global is built for larger companies ("Built for Fortune 500") running payroll and payments across many countries. It publishes "starting from" prices, but every plan goes through a quote.

Key features

• Employer of Record in 180+ countries, with immigration services and auto-generated local contracts
• Contractor of Record in 160+ countries with liability coverage and no deposit
• Contractor solution with invoice-to-pay automation and mass onboarding of 1,000+ contractors
• Payroll Plus: managed global payroll, including US payroll
• OnePay: payments in 160+ countries with a free Banco wallet for contractors. Papaya says it pays in 130+ currencies and is a licensed financial institution with segregated funds

Pricing

USD "starting from" prices. All plans are quote-based; billing terms are not stated.

• Employer of Record: from $499 per employee per month
• Contractor of Record: from $199 per contractor per month, no deposit required
• Contractor solution (manage and pay contractors): from $5 per contractor per month
• Payroll Plus (managed global payroll): from $29 per employee per month
• OnePay: $0 platform fees and no contractor fees (payments only; revenue comes from FX)
• Workforce OS and Contingent OS: quote only, no price shown
• Free plan or trial: none listed

Pros

• EOR from $499, below Deel's and Remote's $599 start price
• Contractor management from $5 per contractor
• Contractor of Record from $199, below Deel's and Remote's $325
• OnePay has no platform or contractor fees

Cons

• Every plan needs a quote, so the real price is unknown until you talk to sales
• Enterprise focus may be heavy for small teams
• Few G2 reviews (55) compared with Deel, Remote or Rippling
• No free trial

Who should use it

Mid-size and enterprise companies with large contractor pools or payroll in many countries.

Who should skip it

A startup hiring its first few people abroad.

Pebl review

Pebl is the new name of Velocity Global ("Velocity Global is now Pebl"). It is EOR-first and lists the lowest EOR price in this comparison.

Key features

• Employer of Record in 185+ countries, with 90% of employees supported through Pebl-owned entities
• Locally compliant contracts in 25+ languages; Pebl says you can hire in as little as 24 hours
• Alfie AI assistant for market entry, compensation, onboarding and compliance questions
• Contractor management in 180+ countries with background checks, e-signature, automatic invoicing, 50 contract templates and 1099-NEC forms
• Global payroll covering 185+ countries, plus benefits, pensions, equity and immigration

Pricing

• Employer of Record: $399 per employee per month (not labeled "starting at"), though country pricing needs a quote. Includes the platform, compliance support, Alfie, reporting, API access and support through offboarding
• Not stated: annual vs monthly billing, deposits, minimums or setup fees
• Contractor management, global payroll, benefits, immigration and other products: no published prices
• Free plan or trial: none listed; quote and demo only

Pros

• Lowest listed EOR price here at $399 per employee per month
• Claims EOR coverage in 185+ countries, the widest stated EOR footprint in this list
• Most EOR employees supported through Pebl-owned entities
• Pebl says its compliance guidance is vetted by the law firm Baker McKenzie

Cons

• Only EOR has a public price
• Country-specific EOR pricing needs a quote
• Contractor and payroll prices are not published
• Rebranded from Velocity Global, so older reviews and articles use the old name

Who should use it

Companies mainly employing full-time staff abroad who want wide coverage and a lower listed EOR fee than Deel or Remote.

Who should skip it

Teams that mostly pay contractors, since there is no public contractor price to compare.

Gusto review

Gusto is not a global employment platform, and that is the point of including it. If all your employees are in the US and you only have a few contractors abroad, a US payroll tool with a global contractor add-on can be enough. For employees abroad, Gusto uses Remote as its EOR partner.

Key features

• Full-service US payroll with unlimited payrolls and tax filings on all plans
• Global contractor payments add-on in 120+ countries, with no monthly per-contractor fee (FX rates may vary)
• EOR through partner Remote
• Self-onboarding with digital I-9s and W-4s on all plans
• Hiring tools on Plus and Premium: job postings, applicant tracking and onboarding checklists

Pricing

USD, monthly: "No contracts. Free account setup. Switch or cancel anytime."

• Simple: $49 per month + $6 per person (payroll in one state)
• Plus: $80 per month + $12 per person (multi-state payroll, time tracking, contractor invoice management, hiring tools)
• Premium: $180 per month + $22 per person (Premium Account Support, HR guidance, Gusto Business Compliance, same-day and instant pay)
• Global contractor payments add-on: 120+ countries, no monthly per-contractor fee, FX rates may vary, $5 per payment to US-based bank accounts
• Other add-ons: instant pay $100 and same-day pay $90 per payroll (Simple and Plus); Priority Support $30 per month + $3 per person
• Free plan or trial: none for payroll plans; account setup is free

Pros

• Public pricing with no long-term contract and free setup
• Global contractor payments with no monthly per-contractor fee
• Time off tracking and self-onboarding included even on Simple
• Health insurance administration with no Gusto admin fee

Cons

• No in-house EOR; international employees go through partner Remote
• Simple plan covers payroll in one state only; multi-state needs Plus
• Faster pay, compliance and priority support cost extra below Premium
• Built for US employers, not for running payroll in other countries

Who should use it

Small businesses with all employees in the US and a handful of contractors abroad.

Who should skip it

Anyone employing staff outside the US directly or running payroll for a foreign entity.

Head-to-Head Comparison

EOR price per employee

These are the EOR prices each vendor publishes, from lowest to highest:

On paper, Pebl is $200 per employee per month cheaper than Deel. Pebl, Papaya Global and Remote all say pricing varies by country or needs a quote, so treat these as starting points.

Contractor price

Without indemnity, Remote and Oyster are $20 per contractor per month cheaper than Deel. With indemnity, Remote's Plus tier is the cheapest published option.

Country coverage as each vendor states it

Vendors count countries differently, sometimes with different numbers on different pages:

• Deel: EOR in 130+ countries (Hire card) or 150+ (Pay card); contractors paid across 200+ countries and jurisdictions; global payroll in 130+ countries
• Remote: EOR in 90+ countries through 100+ Remote-owned entities; contractors in 190+ countries
• Oyster: EOR in 120+ countries (pricing page; the homepage says 180+); contractor contracts in 180+ countries
• Rippling: no EOR or global payroll country count published; contractor payments in 185+ countries
• Papaya Global: EOR in 180+ countries; Contractor of Record and OnePay in 160+
• Pebl: EOR and global payroll in 185+ countries; contractors in 180+
• Gusto: contractor payments in 120+ countries; EOR through Remote

What matters is whether your specific countries are covered, and whether the vendor uses its own entity there. Remote and Pebl say they mainly use their own.

Worked example: 5 EOR employees and 10 contractors

Say you employ 5 people abroad through an EOR and pay 10 international contractors every month. Using only published prices:

Deel

• EOR: 5 x $599 = $2,995
• Contractors: 10 x $49 = $490
• Total: $3,485 per month ($41,820 per year)

Remote (starting prices)

• EOR: 5 x $599 = $2,995
• Contractors: 10 x $29 = $290
• Total: $3,285 per month ($39,420 per year)
• With Contractor Management Plus instead: 10 x $99 = $990, so $2,995 + $990 = $3,985 per month
• With the 15% startup discount on standard plans: $3,285 x 0.85 = $2,792.25 per month

Oyster (monthly billing, after the 30-day contractor trial)

• EOR: 5 x $699 = $3,495
• Contractors: 10 x $29 = $290
• Total: $3,785 per month ($45,420 per year), plus a refundable EOR deposit not included here

Pebl (EOR only)

• EOR: 5 x $399 = $1,995 per month
• Contractors: no published price, so no full total. The EOR part alone is $1,000 per month less than Deel's

Left out of the math:

• Papaya Global: every plan is quote-based.
• Rippling: the base fee and global product prices need a quote.
• Gusto: no in-house EOR, and the contractor add-on's own price is not stated.

For this team, Remote's starting prices come in $200 per month under Deel, all of it on contractors. Oyster costs $300 more than Deel because of its EOR fee. Pebl could be cheapest if its contractor quote is reasonable.

When a US payroll tool (Gusto) is enough

You may not need an EOR platform at all. Gusto is enough when:

• All your employees work in the US
• Your international people are contractors, not employees
• You want payroll, benefits and basic HR in one tool with month-to-month pricing

For example, a 10-person US team in one state on Gusto Simple pays $49 + (10 x $6) = $109 per month. On Plus, which adds multi-state payroll and contractor invoice management, it is $80 + (10 x $12) = $200 per month. For comparison, Deel Payroll US alone is 10 x $29 = $290 per month before any HR add-on.

Gusto stops being enough when you hire a full-time employee in another country. Then you need an EOR, through Gusto's partner Remote or one of the platforms above.

How to Choose: Decision Framework

Questions to answer first

1. Employees or contractors? If most of your international team are contractors, contractor price matters more than EOR price. Remote and Oyster start at $29, Deel at $49.
2. Which countries, exactly? Write down every country you hire in now and expect to hire in next year. Check each vendor's country list, not just the headline count.
3. Own entity or partner? Ask who the legal employer is in each country. Remote and Pebl say most of their EOR employees sit in their own entities.
4. Do you need misclassification cover? If yes, compare Remote's Contractor Management Plus ($99), Papaya Global's Contractor of Record (from $199), and Deel's or Remote's Contractor of Record ($325).
5. Do you need HR and IT too? Deel and Rippling cover more than EOR alone.
6. Are all employees in the US? Then start with Gusto and only add an EOR when you hire abroad.

Red flags

• A "from" price with no clear way to see your country's actual price before signing
• Deposits or reserves that are not explained up front. Oyster requires a refundable EOR deposit, and Remote says a refundable reserve may be required
• Card payment or currency conversion fees you did not plan for (Remote charges 3.5% on cards; Oyster charges a conversion fee if you pay in a currency other than the contract currency)

What to test in a demo or trial

• Ask for a written EOR quote for each of your actual countries, including benefits and employer costs
• Run a contractor through onboarding end to end. Oyster's 30 free days make this easy to test without paying
• Check payout options for your contractors' countries and currencies
• Ask how long onboarding takes in your countries, not just the headline claim
• Ask what happens when you leave: contract notice, offboarding fees and how employees move to a new EOR

The Verdict: Final Recommendations

1. Deel: best all-in-one global platform

Pick Deel for EOR, contractors, payroll, HR and IT from one vendor with public prices. You pay more per contractor than with Remote or Oyster.

2. Remote: best for EOR through vendor-owned entities

Same EOR price as Deel, contractors from $29 and a 15% startup discount. Check its 90+ country list.

3. Oyster: best for teams starting with contractors

The lowest-risk way to start, but its $699 EOR fee is the highest here.

4. Rippling: best for HR, IT and payroll on one record

Choose it if you also want apps, devices and spend in one system. Expect a quote.

5. Papaya Global: best for enterprise multi-country payroll

Low starting prices (EOR from $499, contractors from $5), but everything is quote-based.

6. Pebl: best listed EOR price

$399 per employee and 185+ stated countries. Get a quote for your countries and contractors.

7. Gusto: best when your employees are all in the US

If your only international people are contractors, Gusto may be all you need.

Conclusion

Deel is a solid default because it does so much and shows its prices, but you can often pay less. Remote saves $20 per contractor at the same EOR price, Pebl lists EOR $200 cheaper, and Oyster lets you try contractors free for 30 days. If all your employees are in the US, Gusto may be enough. List your countries and your mix of employees and contractors, get written quotes, and compare totals.