What's the best employer of record for startups?
The one that lets you hire abroad without a local entity, and without locking up your runway.
You found a great engineer in Portugal or an account executive (AE) in Germany, but you have no company there. An employer of record (EOR) solves that: the platform becomes your hire's legal employer in their country, signs the local contract and runs payroll. You direct the work and pay one monthly invoice.
For a startup, the best EOR is not always the biggest brand. What decides it is the startup discount, the deposit you front and how long you're locked in. The short answer: Remote if you'll keep the hire at least a year, Deel if you want to be able to stop any month, Oyster if you've raised and want the clearest discount, Remofirst if cash is tight.
Rankings are editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best EOR for your stage
5 EOR platforms for startups side by side
The full ranking, with each EOR's entry price as listed on the vendor's own pricing page. All prices are in US dollars, per employee per month, before salary and local employer taxes.
| Best for | What it does best | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remote | Best startup program at a low entry price | 15% off for 12 months | 4.1/5 | $599/mo, annual contract | — | Startups hiring in a mainstream country | Visit → |
| 2 | Deel | Most flexible: month to month | No long-term commitment | 4.0/5 | $599/mo, month to month | — | Startups testing a new market | Visit → |
| 3 | Oyster | Clearest startup program | Up to $1,200 off per team member | 3.8/5 | $699/mo | — | Pre-seed to Series A | Visit → |
| 4 | Remofirst | Cheapest with no exit fees | No setup, onboarding or termination fees | 3.7/5 | from $199/mo | — | Bootstrapped teams | Visit → |
| 5 | Skuad | Low price, volume discounts | Discounts as the team grows | 3.7/5 | from $199/mo | — | Startups planning several hires | Visit → |
EOR entry prices from each vendor's official pricing page in 2026. Your real price depends on your hire's country.
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Which EOR fits your company
You're venture-backed
- Seed or Series A, one hire you'll keep a year: Remote, with its 15% discount.
- You want the discount in writing, with a dollar figure: Oyster, up to $1,200 per team member.
- You want month-to-month billing at a list price: Deel, which publishes no startup discount on EOR.
You're bootstrapped
- One hire on a tight budget: Remofirst, from $199 with no termination fee.
- Three or four hires this year: Skuad, and negotiate volume up front.
- Unsure about the country: Deel, month to month.
- Under 50 employees: you also qualify for Oyster's startup program.
How we compared and scored
Most of the top Google results for "best employer of record for startups" are written by EOR vendors ranking themselves first, or by affiliates. They repeat the same country counts, mix up list prices, and almost none put startup discounts, deposits and contract length side by side. Yet that's what decides your pick when you have 18 months of runway.
We compared ten platforms. For each one we read the official pricing page, the startup program page when there is one, and the security pages. We also read user feedback on forums and review sites. A platform only enters the ranking if its EOR price is readable on its official site.
Two well-known names stay out for that reason. Rippling (4.2 on our general EOR page) publishes no price for its EOR: its pricing page covers the HR platform, not the EOR. It's still worth a look if you already run payroll on Rippling, since it converts EOR employees into direct hires once you open an entity. Multiplier (3.8) is often called the cheapest of the big players, but it sells EOR on quote: no amount is readable on its official page, and we don't rank a price we haven't read. G-P (from $599, no startup offer), Papaya Global and Pebl (quote only) also sit outside this page. For the all-sizes comparison, read our ranking of employer of record services.
Scores match our other EOR pages: a tool keeps the same score everywhere. The five criteria weigh the same because a startup can't give any of them up: a cheap EOR with poor support can cost you the hire.
- Ease of setupTime to a signed contract, interface, onboarding.20%
- Value for moneyPublished entry price, startup discount, deposit, exit fees.20%
- Benefits and complianceLocal contracts, benefits, security certifications we could read.20%
- SupportResponsiveness, user feedback on payroll and offboarding.20%
- Fit for small teamsNo minimums, short commitment, clear price for one or two hires.20%
No affiliate link changes a score or a rank.
Remote
Remote's EOR starts at $599 per employee per month, on annual contracts. That's the same entry price as Deel, with a one-year commitment attached. Its pricing page spells out something that matters for your runway: Remote doesn't charge a standard deposit. It may ask for a refundable reserve in some cases, and that money stays yours.
Its startup program is the easiest to model after Oyster's: 15% off service fees for 12 months, on EOR and contractors alike, with no cap on hires. The program runs through "Remote for Startups" partner investors. If your investor isn't one yet and you introduce them to Remote, you get an extra 5% off, up to a 20% discount. Remote covers 90+ countries for EOR, fewer than its big rivals, and it's ISO 27001 certified, which helps when an investor audits your contracts.
- 15% startup discount for 12 months
- No standard deposit
- ISO 27001 certified
- ✓One of the lowest entry prices among major EORs
- ✓Discount covers EOR and contractors
- ✓Contractors from $29 a month
- ✗Annual contract for EOR
- ✗90+ countries only
- ✗Startup discount tied to a partner investor
Our top pick for a startup that knows it will keep its hire at least a year. If your country isn't covered, or you want the option to stop after three months, look at Deel.
Deel
Deel lists the same entry price as Remote, $599 per employee per month, but without the lock-in: its pricing page promises month-to-month pricing with no long-term commitment. If you want to test a market with one person, that flexibility is worth a lot. The page claims full EOR employment in 130+ countries (another line on Deel's site says 150+, so check your country on the list).
On security, Deel is SOC 2 certified with a yearly audit, and its support team shares the ISO 27001 certificate on request. Two things stay vague. The deposit isn't mentioned on the pricing page, so ask for the amount in writing. And no startup discount is published for EOR: negotiate the price in writing before you sign.
- Month to month, no commitment
- SOC 2 and ISO 27001
- 130+ EOR countries
- ✓Exit a country without paying for a full year
- ✓Same entry price as Remote
- ✓Large country coverage
- ✗Deposit not shown on the pricing page
- ✗Startup discount only through a partner investor
- ✗Country count differs across its own site
The safe pick when you're not sure you'll keep a country more than a few months. If you're confident on a full year and qualify for Remote's program, Remote comes out cheaper.
Oyster
At list price, Oyster is the most expensive of the five: $699 per employee per month. But it's the only one that publishes its full startup rules. You save up to $1,200 per team member over their first 12 months if you raised pre-seed, seed or Series A, or if you're bootstrapped with under 50 employees. There's no hiring minimum. You ask for it at signup, not after.
Two things weigh on your cash. Oyster requires a refundable deposit for each EOR team member, without showing the amount. And it bills in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD. It covers 120+ countries for EOR (the 180 figure you'll see elsewhere refers to contractors). Public reviews praise a simple interface but flag late salary payments and slow support replies.
- Up to $1,200 off per team member
- Published eligibility rules
- Bills in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD
- ✓Clear startup program terms
- ✓Contractors free for 30 days
- ✓120+ EOR countries
- ✗$699 at list price
- ✗Refundable deposit required
- ✗Complaints about late payroll
With the full discount, your first year costs the same as Remote without one. Take it if you qualify and can park a deposit. Otherwise Remote or Deel cost less.
Remofirst
Remofirst starts at $199 per employee per month, a third of Remote's or Deel's entry price. Its FAQ adds that the fee may vary with local country requirements, so get your country's exact price before comparing. It claims 185+ countries.
Its best argument for an early-stage team is in the same FAQ: no setup, onboarding or termination fees, no annual contracts and no minimums. If the hire doesn't work out, leaving the platform costs nothing. On the other side, we found no security certification on its official pages. If a round is coming, ask for its audit reports before you sign.
- From $199 a month
- No termination fee
- 185+ countries
- ✓Entry price a third of the leaders'
- ✓No annual contract, no minimums
- ✓Free contractor management
- ✗Price varies by country
- ✗No security certification we could read
- ✗Lower support score
The right call for a first hire on a small budget. Get your country's price in writing, and keep Remote or Deel in mind for the day an investor asks for certifications.
Skuad
Skuad matches Remofirst's entry price: EOR from $199 per employee per month. Contractor management starts at $19, and an agent of record service at $99. Its pricing page pushes discounts that grow with headcount ("more onboardings, more savings"), without tiers or percentages: useful if you plan three or four international hires this year. It covers 160+ countries.
The pricing page says nothing about a deposit or a security certification. Those are the two questions to put to sales, in writing. We also found less user feedback on Skuad than on the other four, so ask to speak with a current customer.
- From $199 a month
- Volume discounts
- 160+ countries
- ✓Low entry price
- ✓Contractors managed from $19
- ✓Discounts grow with the team
- ✗Deposit not stated on the pricing page
- ✗No security certification we could read
- ✗Little user feedback
Worth it if you'll hire several people this year and negotiate volume at signing. For a single hire, Remofirst gives you the same price with no exit fees.
What you actually save in year one
Three vendors have an offer for early-stage companies. Here's what each is worth on one employee over 12 months, in platform fees only (salary and employer taxes don't change from one EOR to another).
Remote: 15% for 12 months
Oyster: up to $1,200 per team member
Deel: list price, no discount
Remofirst and Skuad: no program, low price
- Ask for the discount before signing, never after.
- Get the discount length written into the contract.
- Check whether it also covers contractors.
- Compare your hire's country price, not the entry price.
Deposits, lock-in, exit fees: the cash you front
The monthly fee is only part of the bill. For a startup, cash tied up at the start and the cost of stopping matter just as much.
The deposit
The lock-in
Exit fees
- Deposit amount and refund timeline, in writing.
- Minimum contract length.
- Platform termination fees.
- Cost of ending employment in your hire's country.
When to move from an EOR to your own subsidiary
An EOR is built to get you started fast in a new country. It costs more than hiring directly, and the bill grows with every hire. At some point, a local entity makes more sense.
To start: the EOR
When the country becomes core
Plan the switch
- Add up your EOR fees per country every quarter.
- Get a quote for an entity once you have 3 people in a country.
- Check contract transfer terms before signing the EOR.
Six checks before you sign
What founders who've already hired abroad say on forums and in public reviews. It holds whatever platform you choose.
Negotiate, even without a public program
DiscountOn founder forums, people report that many EORs will cut a startup a deal even with no published program. Show up with a competitor's quote and the date of your next hire.
- Bring
- a competing quote
Ask for your country's price, not the entry price
TrapPublished prices are "starting at" figures. Remofirst says its fee varies by country. Get a quote for your hire's exact country before comparing two platforms.
- Ask for
- a per-country quote
Check who actually employs your hire
TrapSome EORs work through a local partner in certain countries. Users describe delayed work permits because of it. Ask whether the EOR owns its entity in your country or subcontracts.
- Question
- own entity or partner?
Get IP assignment in writing
LegalIf your hire builds your product, the code must belong to your startup, not the EOR. Check the IP assignment clause in the local contract: investors will read it during due diligence.
- Review
- the IP clause
Keep the security certificates on file
ComplianceDeel is SOC 2 certified and shares its ISO 27001 certificate on request. Remote is ISO 27001 certified. Ask for these at signing and drop them in your data room before the next round.
- Store
- certificates and contracts
Don't dress up an employee as a contractor
RiskPaying a contractor costs $29 to $49 a month in platform fees, against $199 to $699 for an EOR. The temptation is real. But if your hire works full time under your direction, they can be reclassified as an employee, with back taxes to pay.
- Fee gap
- up to $670 a month
EOR picked, now what
These pages go further, depending on your situation.
All company sizes, local contracts, offboarding.
You already have a US entityBest PEO for startupsWhen you have your own company to co-employ.
You also run payroll at homeBest payroll software for small businessesFor your domestic team.
EOR for startups · FAQ
Do EOR providers offer startup discounts?
Yes, three of the big names do. Oyster takes up to $1,200 per team member off your first 12 months if you raised pre-seed, seed or Series A, or if you're bootstrapped with under 50 employees. Remote gives qualified startups 15% off its service fees for 12 months. Deel publishes no startup discount on EOR.How much does an employer of record cost for one hire?
Between $199 and $699 a month in platform fees, on top of salary and local employer taxes. Over a year that runs from $2,388 at Remofirst or Skuad's entry price to $8,388 at Oyster's list price. Published prices are floors, so ask for a quote in your hire's exact country.Do I have to pay a security deposit to an EOR?
It depends on the platform. Oyster requires a refundable deposit for each EOR team member. Remote charges no standard deposit, though it can ask for a refundable reserve in some cases. Deel, Remofirst and Skuad don't cover deposits on their pricing pages, so get the amount and the refund timeline in writing.Can I cancel an EOR after a few months?
Yes with Deel, which bills month to month, and with Remofirst, which has no annual contracts and no termination fee. Remote sells its EOR on annual contracts. Keep in mind that ending your hire's employment follows local labor law (notice, severance), and that cost stays with you whatever the platform.When should a startup set up its own entity instead of using an EOR?
There is no official headcount. Providers quote thresholds anywhere from 5 to more than 20 employees in one country. The math that matters is your yearly EOR fees in that country against the cost of incorporating and running a local subsidiary.Will using an EOR pass investor due diligence?
It can, if you hold clean local contracts and security proof. Deel is SOC 2 certified and shares its ISO 27001 certificate on request; Remote is ISO 27001 certified. Investors look hardest at IP: check that the local employment contract assigns your hire's work to your company.Should my first international hire be a contractor or an EOR employee?
A contractor costs less in fees ($29 a month at Remote, $49 at Deel), but only if the person truly works as a contractor. Someone full time, on your schedule, doing core product work, can be reclassified as an employee in most countries, with back taxes due. That risk is what an EOR removes.Is an EOR worth it for a single hire?
Usually yes, if the hire matters to your roadmap. Opening a foreign entity takes months and ongoing payroll, tax and legal work, while an EOR contract can be signed in days. One hire at $199 to $699 a month is cheap insurance next to a misclassification claim.