Oyster HR vs Globalization Partners (2026): EOR Pricing, Coverage and Which Fits
Globalization Partners now publishes a flat $599 EOR fee, $100 below Oyster’s $699, and hires in 180+ countries, so G-P is the better buy for most EOR-led hiring. Oyster is the better buy for growing teams that mix contractors, EOR staff and their own entities and want the easier platform to run them.
Oyster HR or Globalization Partners: which should you choose?
Choose Globalization Partners if EOR is the main job: it charges a flat $599 per employee per month in all 180+ countries, $100 under Oyster, and connects to Workday and SAP. Choose Oyster HR if you also pay contractors, run payroll on entities you own, or want the simpler tool for a lean HR team, and your countries are on its 120+ list.
Verdict from HR Stacks editors, based on vendor pricing pages and both full reviews.
Choose Oyster HR if
- Contractors outnumber your EOR employees
- You own entities and want their payroll in the same tool
- Your stack is HiBob, BambooHR, Greenhouse or Xero
Choose G-P if
- You want the lower published EOR rate
- You hire in China or other markets beyond Oyster’s list
- Workday, SAP SuccessFactors or UKG holds your HR data
- EOR priceG-P$599 flat vs $699, or $1,200 less per employee a year
- Country reachG-P180+ EOR countries vs 120+
- Compliance toolingG-PGia AI assistant, ISO/IEC 42001; 4.5 vs 4.3 in our scoring
- Ease of useOyster HR4.5 vs 4.0, the widest gap in our scores
- Contractor costOyster HR$29 per contractor vs $39, first 30 days free
- Payroll on your own entitiesOyster HRPublished at $290 per entity; G-P sells no standalone payroll
Oyster HR vs Globalization Partners at a glance
We took every figure from Oyster’s and G-P’s own pricing, product, security and country pages in October 2026. One correction matters more than the rest: G-P now publishes an EOR price, so the “custom pricing only” line in most comparisons, including the older version of this page, is out of date.
| Oyster HR | Globalization Partners | |
|---|---|---|
| Built around | One workspace for EOR staff, contractors and entity payroll | An enterprise EOR with AI compliance guidance on top |
| EOR price | $699 per employee/month; annual seats cheaper, quote only | From $599 per employee/month, same rate in every country |
| EOR countries | 120+ | 180+ |
| Contractors | $29 per contractor/month, 30 days free, 180+ countries | $39 per contractor/month, only in months you pay; 190+ countries |
| Payroll on your own entities | $290 per entity/month plus $29 per employee and $500 setup | Not sold as a standalone product; connects to ADP and Paylocity |
| Who employs your staff | Oyster’s own entities for 80%+ of hires, vetted partners elsewhere | G-P cites its “global entity infrastructure”; owned-entity count not published |
| Minimum term | None stated, no minimum headcount | No minimum contract length for EOR hires |
| Deposit | Refundable deposit per EOR hire | Not published |
| Time to first hire | As little as 48 hours in simple markets | “Offer to onboarding in minutes”; no day count published |
| AI compliance assistant | Misclassification analyzer and Salary Insights, both free | G-P Gia, from $500/month, 14-day free trial |
| Integrations | HiBob, BambooHR, Personio, Greenhouse, Ashby, Xero, QuickBooks, Zapier | Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, UKG, ADP, HiBob, BambooHR, Okta |
| Security | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, EU-US Data Privacy Framework | SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 42001, GDPR, CCPA |
| Customer satisfaction claim | 91% CSAT, 12 months to June 2026 | 96% customer satisfaction |
HRS score is our editorial rating from the full Oyster HR review and Globalization Partners review.
The core difference: a mixed-workforce toolkit vs an enterprise EOR
Oyster is built for the company whose international team arrives in pieces: a few contractors first, then employer of record hires, then an entity of its own in the biggest market. All three sit in one workspace with one price list, and the tool is plain enough that a founder or a two-person people team can run it without training.
G-P is built for the company that wants to hand off employment risk at scale. Its flat $599 rate is the same in Germany as in Saudi Arabia, its connectors point at enterprise HR suites such as Workday and SAP SuccessFactors, and its Gia assistant answers compliance questions in 50+ countries. What it doesn’t try to do is run payroll on your own entities, which it leaves to partners like ADP. If your shortlist is wider than these two, our global payroll software ranking covers the entity side.
Oyster HR: three ways to hire, one workspace
G-P: one flat rate, enterprise systems around it
How Oyster HR and Globalization Partners score
G-P takes the overall score, 4.3 to 4.1, on the rows that carry the most legal weight: coverage, compliance and price. Oyster’s best number is ease of use at 4.5, half a point clear of G-P, and it edges onboarding and payroll. Integrations are level at 3.9, because each product connects well to a different kind of stack.
Oyster HR vs Globalization Partners pricing, and what you actually pay
Both vendors now put an EOR price on their own site. Oyster lists $699 per employee per month. G-P lists “starts at $599” and says that fee is the same flat rate in every one of its 180+ countries, so the usual “G-P is custom pricing only” line on comparison sites no longer holds. Larger G-P accounts still go to sales for enterprise rates.
The fee is only the part both vendors show up front. Deposits, add-ons and contractor fees shift the total, and Oyster is the more open of the two on those. For market-wide rates, see our EOR provider ranking.
Oyster HR
- Employer of Record120+ countries; annual seats discounted$699 /emp/mo
- Global ContractorsFirst 30 days free$29 /mo
- Global payrollOwn entities, plus $500 setup per entity$290 /entity + $29
- People Partner ServicesProject-based HR advice$300 /hour
- AccountBilling starts at the first hireFree
Globalization Partners
- G-P EORSame fee in all 180+ countriesFrom $599 /emp/mo
- G-P ContractorCharged only in months you pay$39 /mo
- G-P GiaAI compliance; 14-day free trialFrom $500 /mo
- EOR add-onsVisa, background checks, equity payrollQuote only
- Enterprise volumeBundle and volume discountsQuote only
Costs that don’t appear on either pricing page
Security deposit
Oyster: refundable deposit per EOR hire; the amount isn’t on the pricing page.
G-P: not published.
Contract length
Oyster: no minimum stated; annual seats are paid upfront and non-refundable.
G-P: no minimum contract length for EOR hires.
Per-country rates
Oyster: one list price.
G-P: says $599 is flat in every country. Statutory costs still vary.
Add-ons
Oyster: benefits and visa sponsorship priced separately.
G-P: visa support, background checks, equity payroll and office space priced separately.
Implementation
Oyster: no EOR setup fee; $500 per entity for payroll.
G-P: not published.
FX on funding
Oyster: conversion fee only if you pay in a currency other than the contract’s. Rate not published.
G-P: not published for EOR.
Offboarding
Oyster: terminations included; severance stays your cost.
G-P: not published. Ask in writing.
Startup offers
Oyster: up to $1,200 off EOR fees, plus nonprofit and B Corp discounts.
G-P: none listed.
12-month EOR cost at three team sizes
| EOR employees | Oyster ($699) | G-P ($599) | Gap per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 employees | $41,940 | $35,940 | $6,000 |
| 25 employees | $209,700 | $179,700 | $30,000 |
| 100 employees | $838,800 | $718,800 | $120,000 |
Provider fees only, at each vendor’s published monthly EOR rate, which works out to $1,200 per employee per year in G-P’s favour. Salary, employer taxes and benefits are the same with either provider and are excluded, as are add-ons, deposits, Oyster’s annual-seat discount and G-P’s enterprise rates, none of which are published.
Run your own numbers
Enter Oyster’s annual-seat rate or G-P’s enterprise quote once you have them to compare like for like.
Oyster HR vs G-P features compared
G-P’s edge is depth on the employment itself: more countries, AI compliance guidance and enterprise connectors. Oyster’s edge is breadth around it, with contractors, entity payroll and HR advice on one price list. Expand a group to see the detail.
Global employment
180+ countries, China included
$29 a month, 180+ countries, misclassification analyzer
Oyster Shell, up to $500,000 aggregate
Visa sponsorship add-on
Visa support add-on and relocation service
Payroll and benefits
Published plan: $290 per entity plus $29 per employee
150+ currencies
99% payroll accuracy stated
Benefits add-on in three tiers
Benefits administration included, offering per market
Equity payroll management add-on
Compliance and HR tools
Gia: employment law guidance and document drafting, 50+ countries
Salary Insights, free, 130+ countries
In-app identity verification
AI-guided onboarding with right-to-work verification
People Partner Services, $300 an hour, also for own entities
Agentic reporting and natural-language queries in G-P Assist
Integrations
Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, UKG Pro
HiBob, BambooHR, Personio, Greenhouse, Ashby, Workable
Xero, QuickBooks, Concur Expense
Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace
Public API, embedded option, Zapier
G-P API, G-P Embedded, MCP server
Oyster HR vs G-P country coverage
Across the markets most companies hire in first, these two are close to identical. The 60-country gap shows up in smaller and harder markets, and China is the big name on that side. Of 24 common hiring countries, Oyster’s list is missing one.
Oyster’s country list shows 116 named EOR countries, and Oyster says some smaller markets need extra lead time or a minimum number of hires. G-P status comes from its 180+ country claim and its own country guides. Confirm every country with the vendor before you sign.
Implementation and support
Oyster is the faster start for a small team: open a free account, pay the deposit, and a simple-market hire can be live in two days. G-P promises speed too, but publishes no day count, and its sales-led setup suits companies wiring it into an enterprise HR suite. Both route employees to in-country experts, so the real difference is published service targets, which only Oyster gives.
Oyster HR
- Setup
- Self-serve account with no setup fee; billing starts with the first hire.
- First EOR hire
- As little as 48 hours in simple markets once the deposit is paid.
- Support model
- Named sales executive and success manager, ticketed support, reply within 24 hours and a 72-hour resolution target.
- Employee access
- A dedicated country expert during onboarding and offboarding.
Globalization Partners
- Setup
- Sales-led onboarding, with HCM integration work for enterprise accounts.
- First EOR hire
- AI-guided onboarding; G-P says offer to onboarding is 87% faster but publishes no day count.
- Support model
- Customer success team, 40+ legal experts and 24/7 help through the G-P Assist AI. No response targets published.
- Employee access
- Employee HR support is part of the $599 fee.
Oyster HR or G-P: which one fits your situation?
Most buyers in this pair fall into one of four camps. The price gap is real but small next to fit, and at two or three hires neither product is the cheapest way in.
Seed-to-Series B team with contractors first, EOR second
Oyster’s $29 contractor fee against G-P’s $39 saves $1,800 a year on 15 contractors, which narrows G-P’s $4,800 lead on four EOR hires. What tips it is the stack and the people running it: Oyster syncs with HiBob and Xero out of the box, and its 4.5 ease of use suits a team without a dedicated global HR lead.
Enterprise on Workday adding EOR staff in 15 countries
G-P connects to Workday directly and charges the same $599 in every country, so finance can budget without a rate card per market. At list prices that is $48,000 a year less than Oyster for 40 people, before any volume discount.
Opening a sourcing team in mainland China
China is not on Oyster’s EOR list, so you would need a second provider for the core of the plan. G-P has a China EOR guide and covers Hong Kong too, which keeps both locations under one contract.
Two first hires abroad on a tight budget
Both products are built for more than this. RemoFirst starts at $199 per employee per month, which keeps $4,800 per hire a year in the budget compared with G-P’s $599, and more against Oyster.
Where each one falls short
Each product’s weak spots line up with the other’s strengths, which is why this pair is often a close call. Full pros and cons are on each review page.
Oyster HR
- Higher list price$699 is $100 a month above G-P for the same EOR job, and the cheaper annual seats are quote only and non-refundable.
- Narrower country list120+ countries with China missing, and some smaller markets need extra lead time or a minimum number of hires.
- No enterprise HCM connectorsWorkday and SAP SuccessFactors are not on its integrations list, so larger companies sync data by API or by hand.
Globalization Partners
- Quoted extrasVisa support, background checks, equity payroll and enterprise rates are all priced through sales.
- No payroll for your own entitiesOnce you open an entity, its payroll moves to a partner such as ADP or Paylocity, so you run two systems.
- Few published termsNo deposit amount, termination fee or support response target appears on G-P’s site.
What users say about Oyster HR and G-P
Both samples are large enough to trust, at close to 2,000 reviews for Oyster and over 1,000 for G-P. Support shows up on both sides of each ledger, which usually means quality depends on the country and the account team.
Oyster HR
Based on 1,972 public reviews
Praised for
- Simple daily admin. Approvals, invoices and payslips sit in one place.
- Named contacts. Reviewers mention their account team by name.
- Local rules explained. Useful guidance before a hire in a new country.
Criticised for
- Slow escalations. Mostly on contract changes or partner-country issues.
- Payment delays. Late transfers and slow document checks.
- Rigid reporting. Thin payslip detail and fixed report formats.
Globalization Partners
Based on 1,000+ public reviews
Praised for
- Helpful support staff. The single most common theme in positive reviews.
- Compliance confidence. Buyers trust it in regulated and high-risk markets.
- Smooth onboarding. New hires describe a clear, guided start.
Criticised for
- Delays. Slow turnaround on changes and payroll queries.
- Uneven support by region. Response times vary between countries.
- Hard to justify at small scale. Smaller firms find the cost and contracts rigid.
Switching between Oyster HR and Globalization Partners
Changing EOR means changing your employees’ legal employer, so each person signs a new local contract and re-enrols in benefits. Budget one payroll cycle of overlap and check how each country treats length of service before giving notice.
Oyster HR to Globalization Partners
Moderate effort- Check any annual seats you hold; they are non-refundable but reusable.
- Agree when Oyster returns each hire’s deposit.
- G-P issues new local contracts and employees re-enrol in benefits.
- Move entity payroll and contractors too, or keep Oyster for those.
Globalization Partners to Oyster HR
Higher effort- Confirm every country is on Oyster’s 116-country list; China is not.
- Pay Oyster’s refundable deposit per hire before onboarding starts.
- Oyster issues new contracts; employees move to its local employer.
- Rebuild any Workday or SAP sync through Oyster’s API.
If neither fits: three cheaper alternatives
Both products sit at the upper end of published EOR rates. If price leads the decision, these three publish lower rates on their own sites; our full EOR ranking compares 15 providers on price per employee.
RemoFirst
The lowest published rate here, with no setup, onboarding or termination fees and no annual contract.
Read the RemoFirst review →Pebl
Formerly Velocity Global. Suits buyers who want mostly owned entities in 185+ countries at a lower rate.
Read the Pebl review →Multiplier
$499 on monthly billing. A fit for budget-led hiring in Asia and Europe with payroll from $20.
Read Multiplier vs Oyster HR →Final verdict
G-P is the better EOR buy. Oyster is the better tool for small, mixed teams.
For employing people abroad at any scale, G-P now wins on the numbers you can check: a lower published fee that doesn’t change by country, 60 more countries and enterprise connectors. Oyster earns its extra $100 when EOR is one part of the job, alongside contractors and entity payroll, and when the people running it want the easier tool.
Go with Oyster HR when
- Contractors and entity payroll matter as much as EOR
- Your HR stack is HiBob, BambooHR or Greenhouse
- Every hiring country is on its 116-country list
Go with G-P when
- EOR is the main job and price per head counts
- You hire in China or other markets beyond Oyster’s list
- Workday, SAP SuccessFactors or UKG is your HR record
Get these in writing before you sign
- Total monthly cost per country, with statutory costs, not just the platform fee.
- Deposit amount per employee and when it’s refunded.
- Annual or enterprise rate terms, renewal uplift and the notice needed to leave.
- Termination and offboarding fees per country.
- Who employs your staff in each country: the provider’s own entity or a partner.
- Add-on prices for benefits, visas and background checks.
- FX margin on funding payroll in your currency.
- Support response targets, and whether employees can contact support directly.
Oyster HR vs Globalization Partners: FAQs
Is Oyster HR or Globalization Partners cheaper for EOR?
Globalization Partners, at list prices. G-P publishes EOR from $599 per employee per month and Oyster lists $699, so G-P costs $1,200 less per employee per year. Oyster offers cheaper annual seats, but that rate is quote only.
Does Globalization Partners publish its pricing?
Yes. G-P’s EOR page now lists a starting price of $599 per employee per month, which G-P says is the same flat rate in all 180+ countries. Contractors cost $39 per month. Enterprise volume rates and add-ons such as visa support are quoted by sales.
How many countries do Oyster HR and G-P cover?
Oyster offers EOR in 120+ countries, with 116 named on its country list, and contractors in 180+. G-P offers EOR in 180+ countries and contractor payments in 190+.
Do Oyster or G-P require a minimum contract?
G-P says there is no minimum contract length for EOR hires. Oyster states no minimum term or headcount, though its discounted annual seats are paid upfront and are non-refundable.
Which is better for contractors?
Oyster HR, on price. It charges $29 per contractor per month with the first 30 days free, and sells misclassification cover up to $500,000. G-P charges $39, only in months you pay, and offers lower rates above 10 contractors.
Can either run payroll on my own entities?
Oyster can, at $290 per entity per month plus $29 per employee and a $500 setup fee per entity. G-P does not sell standalone entity payroll; it connects to partners such as ADP and Paylocity instead.
Does G-P or Oyster use its own entities?
Oyster says it employs more than 80% of hires through its own entities and uses vetted partners elsewhere. G-P refers to its global entity infrastructure but does not publish how many entities it owns. Ask either one to name the employer in each of your countries.
Does either offer a free trial?
Neither offers a free EOR trial. Opening an Oyster account is free, billing starts at the first hire, and its contractor plan is free for 30 days. G-P offers a 14-day free trial of its Gia compliance assistant.
How we compare products
Every HR Stacks comparison uses the same method, so scores line up across all our reviews and comparisons. Affiliate links never change a verdict.
Vendor-sourced pricing
Prices come only from each vendor’s own pages. Unpublished prices are marked quote only.
Same eight parameters
Both products are scored on the parameters we use for every review in the category.
Public review analysis
We read verified buyer reviews for recurring themes, weighted by sample size.
Dated and rechecked
Every comparison shows when its prices were checked and is updated when vendors change pricing.