Deel vs Oyster HR (2026): EOR Pricing, Coverage and Which Fits
Deel is the better buy for most teams: its EOR is $100 a month cheaper at $599, covers more countries and comes with Contractor of Record, a US PEO and payroll in 130+ countries. Oyster is the better buy for contractor-heavy teams and for buyers who value its published deposit terms, free offboarding and Allianz benefit packages.
Deel or Oyster HR: which should you choose?
Choose Deel if you want the lower EOR price, the wider country list and every worker type on one account: its EOR is $599 per employee per month in 130+ countries. Choose Oyster if most of your team are contractors, you want clear deposit and exit terms up front, or you want packaged global benefits.
Verdict from HR Stacks editors, based on vendor pricing pages and both full reviews.
Choose Deel if
- You hire employees in many countries
- You need Contractor of Record or a US PEO
- You run payroll on your own entities abroad
Choose Oyster if
- Most of your team are contractors
- You want no termination fees and a published deposit
- You want tiered global benefits for EOR staff
- EOR priceDeel$599 vs $699, $1,200 less per employee a year
- Country reachDeel130+ EOR countries vs 120+
- Product rangeDeelAdds COR, US PEO and payroll in 130+ countries
- Contractor feeOyster$29 after a free first month vs $49
- Exit termsOysterNo termination fees; 1-month refundable deposit published
- Global benefitsOysterAllianz packages in 165+ countries, three tiers
Video guide
Deel vs Oyster, compared in 8 minutes
Price, contractor fees, deposits, coverage, hidden costs and support for both Employer of Record providers, with who should pick which.
Chapters
Deel vs Oyster at a glance
Every figure below comes from Deel’s and Oyster’s own pricing, product, help-centre and trust pages, checked in October 2026. Oyster quotes 180+ countries for contractors and 120+ for EOR; we use the EOR figure. Shaded cells mark the provider that leads on that row.
| Deel | Oyster | |
|---|---|---|
| Built around | One platform for EOR, contractors, payroll, PEO, HR, IT and visas | EOR and contractors with benefits and compliance tooling |
| EOR price | $599 per employee/month, month to month | $699 per employee/month; annual discounts not published |
| EOR countries | 130+, on Deel-owned entities | 120+; 80%+ of hires on its own entities |
| Contractors | $49 per contractor/month | $29 per contractor/month, first 30 days free |
| Contractor of Record | $325 per contractor/month | Not offered |
| Payroll on your own entities | From $29 plus $1,000 setup per entity; 130+ countries | $290 per entity plus $29 per employee, $500 setup; 30 countries |
| EOR deposit | Not published on its website | One month, fully refundable |
| Termination fees | Not published | None; offboarding included |
| Time to hire | EOR onboarding in as little as one day | Onboarding in as little as 48 hours |
| Support | 24/7 in your language; 2,000+ experts | In-app support center; reply within 24 hours, 91% CSAT |
| Security | SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, ISO 27001 | SOC 2 Type II |
| Customers | 40,000+ companies | 2,000+ companies; certified B Corp |
HRS score is our editorial rating from the full Deel review and Oyster review.
The core difference: breadth and price vs a careful, benefits-led EOR
Deel covers more ground for less money. Its EOR costs $100 a month less than Oyster’s, runs through its own entities in 130+ countries, and sits next to Contractor of Record, a US PEO and payroll for your own entities. For most buyers comparing EOR providers, that combination is hard to beat.
Oyster sells a narrower product with more of the terms written down. It publishes a one-month refundable deposit, charges nothing to offboard, packages Allianz benefits in three tiers and is the only certified B Corp among the big EORs. It employs 80%+ of hires on its own entities and uses partners for the rest, and its contractor plan undercuts Deel by $20 a month.
Deel: wide coverage across products
Oyster: fewer products, clearer terms
How Deel and Oyster score
Both reviews use the same eight parameters, and the split is close to even on the platform itself. Deel leads on five, with the widest gaps on coverage and integrations. Oyster leads on the three that users feel day to day: onboarding, support and ease of use.
Deel vs Oyster pricing, and what you actually pay
Deel is cheaper on EOR and Contractor of Record; Oyster is cheaper on contractors. Older comparisons show Oyster at $499 or $599 with Starter and Scale plans, and some still mention a free contractor plan. Oyster’s pricing page today shows $699 for EOR, $29 per contractor after a free first month, and no tiers.
Oyster publishes more of the small print. Its deposit, offboarding terms and payroll fees are all on its own help pages, while Deel leaves its deposit off its website. That doesn’t close a $1,200 per employee gap, but it does make Oyster easier to budget.
Deel
- Employer of RecordMonth to month$599 /emp/mo
- Contractor management$49 /mo
- Contractor of Record$325 /mo
- US PEO$125 /emp/mo
- Global payrollPlus $1,000 setup per entityFrom $29 /emp/mo
Oyster
- Employer of RecordAnnual seat discounts, rate not published$699 /emp/mo
- Global contractorsFirst 30 days free$29 /mo
- Global payrollPlus $29 per employee and $500 setup$290 /entity/mo
- People Partner servicesHR advisory$300 /hour
- Startup offerEOR subscription feesUp to $1,200 off
Costs that don’t appear on either pricing page
Security deposit
Deel: not published on its website.
Oyster: one month of costs and fees, fully refundable after the contract ends.
Contract length
Deel: month to month.
Oyster: no minimum term or headcount; optional annual seats at a lower fee.
Termination
Deel: no fees published; it helps with notice and severance.
Oyster: no fees when someone leaves.
Setup fees
Deel: none on EOR; $1,000 per entity for payroll.
Oyster: none on EOR; $500 per entity for payroll.
FX
Deel: no margin published.
Oyster: mid-market rate on invoices; a fee applies only if you pay in another currency.
Misclassification cover
Deel: through Contractor of Record at $325.
Oyster: Oyster Shell protection up to $500,000; price not published.
Worker payouts
Deel: free to a local bank; 0.75% to 2.5% for cards, PayPal and others.
Oyster: paid in contract currency; no withdrawal fees listed.
Discounts
Deel: 3 months of US PEO free on 2-year orders.
Oyster: startups save up to $1,200; nonprofits and B Corps get impact discounts.
12-month EOR cost at three team sizes
| EOR employees | Deel ($599) | Oyster ($699) | Gap per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 employees | $35,940 | $41,940 | $6,000 |
| 25 employees | $179,700 | $209,700 | $30,000 |
| 100 employees | $718,800 | $838,800 | $120,000 |
Provider fees only. Salary, employer taxes and benefits are the same with either provider and are excluded. Oyster offers lower annual seat pricing but doesn’t publish the rate, so the table uses its $699 list price; its startup credit of up to $1,200 is excluded.
Run your own numbers
If Oyster quotes an annual seat rate, enter it here to compare like for like.
Deel vs Oyster feature comparison
Deel has more products: Contractor of Record, a US PEO, HR, device shipping and payroll in four times as many countries. Oyster puts more into the EOR itself: benefits packages, contract quality checks, IP agreements and misclassification cover. Expand a group to see the detail.
Global employment
130+ countries on Deel-owned entities
$325 a month
Visa support in 70+ countries
$125 per employee a month
Allianz packages in 165+ countries, three tiers
Contractors and compliance
$29 after 30 days free, 180+ countries
Oyster Shell cover up to $500,000 plus a free analyzer
Legal-reviewed local contracts
Contract quality score and IP agreements in 30 countries
Payroll and HR
130+ countries quoted; native engine in 53
Deel HR Core from $5 per employee
Deel IT in 130+ countries
Salary Insights in 130+ countries
Integrations and security
200+ integrations
Public API including EOR endpoints
Public API and an embedded option for partners
SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, ISO 27001
24/7 in your language
Country coverage: where each one can hire
Both cover the common hiring markets, so for most shortlists the country list won’t decide this. Where it does, Deel’s 130+ EOR countries reach further than Oyster’s 120+. The bigger gap is payroll for your own entities: Deel quotes 130+ countries and Oyster lists 30.
Neither publishes a per-country entity list on its pricing pages. Deel states owned entities in 130+ countries; Oyster says 80%+ of hires are on its own entities. Confirm the employing entity for each country before you sign.
Implementation and support
Both get a first hire started within days. On support, Deel promises round-the-clock help with people; Oyster promises a reply within 24 hours and a fix within 72, and its users rate the service higher. Public reviews of both say complex cases are where things slow down.
Deel
- Setup
- EOR needs almost none. Payroll goes live in 1 to 2 weeks for small companies.
- First EOR hire
- Onboarding in as little as one day.
- Support model
- 24/7 in your language through chat, Slack, WhatsApp and Teams.
- Employee access
- Deel app, Deel Card and 10+ withdrawal methods.
Oyster
- Setup
- No EOR setup fee; country onboarding managers guide each hire.
- First EOR hire
- Onboarding in as little as 48 hours.
- Support model
- In-app support center, Customer Success and specialist teams; 91% CSAT published.
- Employee access
- Hiring Success Manager during onboarding, then app access to payslips and benefits.
Which one to pick for your situation
Price and product range favour Deel; contractor cost and clear terms favour Oyster. These four situations show where each wins.
Scale-up hiring 25 employees in 10 countries
At $100 a month less per employee, Deel saves $30,000 a year at this size and covers more countries. Oyster’s benefits packages don’t close that gap for most teams.
Studio paying 60 freelancers across 15 countries
Oyster’s $29 contractor fee saves $14,400 a year against Deel’s $49, and the first month is free. If you don’t need Contractor of Record, Oyster is the cheaper home.
Company with entities in 5 countries and EOR elsewhere
Deel runs payroll on your own entities in 130+ countries and EOR on the same account. Oyster’s payroll covers 30 countries, so check yours are on its list first.
Two first hires on a tight budget
Both are priced well above the cheapest published EOR rates. A budget specialist keeps several thousand dollars a year in the plan until the team grows.
Where each one falls short
These are the limits that matter in this matchup. Full pros and cons live on each review page.
Deel
- Deposit terms off the websiteYou’ll need the deposit amount and refund timeline in writing.
- Native payroll in 53 countriesDeel quotes payroll in 130+ countries, but its own engine runs in 53.
- Escalations bounce aroundPublic reviews say complex tickets pass between teams.
Oyster
- Highest EOR price here$699 a month, with its annual seat rate unpublished.
- Narrower product setNo Contractor of Record, no PEO and payroll in 30 countries.
- Slow on escalationsPublic reviews flag slow answers on contract issues and payment delays.
What users say about Deel and Oyster
Deel’s review base is more than ten times larger. Oyster’s reviewers rate everyday use highly and flag delays on complex cases, the same pattern as Deel’s.
Deel
Based on 26,800+ public reviews
Praised for
- Easy to run without HR staff. Founders set up contracts and payments themselves.
- Everything in one login. EOR, contractors and payroll in one account.
- Pay runs land on time. Reliability is the first thing switchers mention.
Criticised for
- Escalations. Complex tickets get passed between teams.
- Refunds and deposits. Getting money back after offboarding is slow.
- Costs unclear at signing. Fees beyond the list price show up later.
Oyster
Based on 1,900+ public reviews
Praised for
- Simple everyday admin. Approvals, invoices, contracts and payslips in one place.
- Responsive named contacts. An account contact who knows the team and its countries.
- Clear onboarding. Adding a new country takes few steps.
Criticised for
- Slow on escalations. Contract issues routed through partners take longer.
- Payment and document delays. Late transfers and slow document checks.
- Rigid reports. Fixed report formats and thin payslip detail.
Switching between Deel and Oyster
Switching EOR providers changes each employee’s legal employer, so everyone signs a new local contract. Plan one or two payroll cycles of overlap and check how each country treats continuity of service.
Deel to Oyster
Moderate effort- Pick a start date at a month boundary; Deel has no long-term lock.
- Agree the Deel deposit refund timeline before notice.
- Oyster issues new contracts and takes a one-month deposit per hire.
- Move Contractor of Record workers elsewhere; Oyster doesn’t offer it.
Oyster to Deel
Moderate effort- Check any annual seat commitment with Oyster.
- Oyster refunds its deposit after final invoices settle.
- Deel’s entity issues new local contracts per employee.
- Map Allianz benefit tiers to Deel’s local benefits before the move.
If neither fits: three cheaper alternatives
For a small team abroad, these publish lower EOR rates than both. Our full EOR ranking compares providers on price per employee.
RemoFirst
The lowest published EOR rate we track, in 185+ countries.
Read Deel vs RemoFirst →Pebl
EOR-first, with 66 owned entities and 185+ countries.
Read Deel vs Pebl →Multiplier
Billed annually, or $499 monthly; contractors at $40.
Read Deel vs Multiplier →Final verdict
Deel is the better EOR for most teams. Oyster is the better home for contractors.
Deel costs less per employee, covers more countries and adds Contractor of Record, a US PEO and wider payroll on one account. Oyster earns its place when most of your team are contractors, when you want deposit and exit terms written down before you sign, or when packaged global benefits matter to the people you hire.
Go with Deel when
- You hire employees in many countries
- You need Contractor of Record or a US PEO
- You want payroll on your own entities in many places
Go with Oyster when
- Most of your workers are contractors
- You want no termination fees and a known deposit
- Global benefits packages matter to your hires
Get these in writing before you sign
- Per-country EOR rate for every country on your plan, and Oyster’s annual seat rate.
- Who employs your staff in each country: the provider’s own entity or a partner.
- Deposit amount per employee and the refund timeline.
- Minimum term and renewal including any annual seat commitment.
- Termination and offboarding fees per country.
- FX margin on funding payroll in your currency.
- Benefits package costs per country and tier.
- Support response targets for payroll errors, not just first replies.
Deel vs Oyster: FAQs
Is Deel or Oyster cheaper?
Deel, for EOR. Deel charges $599 per employee per month against Oyster’s $699, $1,200 less per employee a year. Oyster is cheaper for contractors at $29 a month after a free first month, against Deel’s $49.
Does Oyster still have Starter and Scale plans?
No. Oyster’s pricing page now lists EOR at $699 per employee per month, contractors at $29 and People Partner services at $300 an hour. Older comparisons that show tiers or a free plan are out of date.
How many countries do Deel and Oyster cover?
Deel says it owns entities and its payroll engine in 130+ countries for EOR. Oyster offers EOR in 120+ countries and contractor payments in 180+.
Does Oyster use its own entities?
Mostly. Oyster says it employs 80%+ of hires through its own entities and uses partners for the rest. Deel states it employs through its own entities in 130+ countries.
Do Deel and Oyster charge a deposit?
Oyster takes a one-month, fully refundable deposit covering salary, employer costs and its fee. Deel doesn’t publish its deposit terms on its website, so ask for them in writing.
Does Oyster offer Contractor of Record?
No. Oyster offers contractor management and misclassification cover through Oyster Shell, but not Contractor of Record. Deel offers Contractor of Record at $325 per contractor per month.
Which has better support?
Deel offers 24/7 support in your language. Oyster commits to a reply within 24 hours and resolution within 72, publishes a 91% CSAT and scores higher on support in our reviews.
Is Oyster a B Corp?
Yes. Oyster is a certified B Corp and offers discounts to nonprofits, B Corps and companies hiring refugees.
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.