Remote alternatives: 11 employer of record services tools compared
Teams look for a Remote alternative when the annual-contract price, the 90+ country footprint or the fit of a contractor plan stops matching how they hire. Some want a cheaper flat fee or month-to-month terms, some need a country Remote does not list, and others want payroll consolidation over entities they already own.
Short answer: RemoFirst, Rivermate and Playroll head the list of Remote alternatives drawn from our employer of record services ranking. The first three places are kept for challengers when the category has enough of them; the best-known brands come after that, in ranked order. RemoFirst is the one to try if you want a lower flat fee and no annual lock-in. Below are 11 alternatives, each taken from the Best Employer of Record Services in 2026 ranking, with its main difference from Remote.
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Pricing: Published monthly fee per employee; platform included at no extra cost; refundable reserve in some cases
Established in: United States
Built for: An employer that wants its EOR provider to own the local entity
Not for: A company needing coverage in very small markets
01
Why buyers look past Remote
01
The listed price assumes a year
Remote's pricing page shows its employer of record plan from $599 per employee per month for annual contracts. A company testing one market, or one that expects to close a role within months, may prefer a vendor that states a lower flat fee or no minimum term.
02
Coverage stops at 90+ countries
Remote states employer of record in 90+ countries, while its contractor tools reach 190+. A hire in a country outside the first number cannot go on Remote's own payroll, and several rivals here state 160 to 187 countries.
03
Extras are priced beside the plan
The platform has no base fee, but equity support costs $39 per employee per month for staff who receive equity, and the contractor plans step from $29 to $99 to $325 per contractor. Remote may also ask for a refundable reserve in certain cases, set during onboarding.
RemoFirst lists one flat monthly fee per employee, set well under the $599 that Remote shows, and states no setup, onboarding or termination fees and no annual contract. Contractor management sits on a free tier, with payment processing charged per contractor. Its page does not say whether hires sit in owned entities or partner ones, so put that question to them before signing.
Switch from Remote if you want a lower flat fee and no annual lock-in.
Rivermate is Dutch and publishes a per-employee range that moves with country, headcount and whether the hire is local or an expat. It states 38 owned entities, a named account manager and round-the-clock support, plus visa help. Eos, Serviap and Hightekers EOR now trade under the name, so older contracts may carry those names. Your country needs a quote.
Switch from Remote if you want a named account manager and expat or visa support.
Playroll, a British company founded in 2021, hires through its own entities in 180+ countries and states a starting fee with no minimum commitment. Administrators are unlimited, and BambooHR and HiBob connect to it. A fully refundable deposit equal to one month of salary per hire applies, which Remote's pricing page does not ask for as standard.
Switch from Remote if you hire in countries outside Remote's 90 and accept a deposit.
Lano comes from Berlin and combines employer of record with payroll consolidation and multi-country payroll, each module with a published starting fee and a final price set by proposal. The vendor says it targets mid-market firms. Contractor and cross-border payments are an optional add-on, and SWIFT transfers carry a fee.
Switch from Remote if you already hold foreign entities and want one payroll view over them.
Oyster publishes a monthly fee per employee and also sells annual seats that can be reused when a role is backfilled. Setup, onboarding and terminations are part of the subscription. Its list price runs above Remote's, a refundable deposit is due before an engagement starts, and hands-on HR advice is billed by the hour.
Switch from Remote if you replace roles often and prefer reusable annual seats.
Atlas HXM employs through entities it owns directly, not through partners, and bills only for active employees. It discloses its currency markup against the OANDA spot rate, where Remote instead locks a rate for each monthly cycle. The starting fee is the same as Remote's, and final payroll costs can still arrive after someone leaves.
Switch from Remote if you want to see the exact FX markup and a direct-entity model.
Skuad states starting fees for both employees and contractors, with hires running through its own and partner entities in 160+ countries and payroll in 70 currencies. The product is now sold as Payoneer Workforce Management, so check which legal entity signs your contract and where your hire is actually employed.
Switch from Remote if one vendor should cover employees and contractors in many countries.
Papaya Global is an Israeli platform that sells employer of record inside a wider payroll and payments offer. Its listed starting fee is below Remote's, but plans are quoted per organisation. A team with a handful of foreign hires buys into a product shaped for larger workforces and must ask what the quote covers.
Switch from Remote if you expect payroll and payments to grow past a few hires.
Safeguard Global shows no prices: the pricing address leads to a cost calculator and the service page offers contact only. It states 187 countries, 400+ in-house experts and 1,500+ organisations served. Its 2025 sale of the payroll division narrows its focus to small and medium organisations, and comparing fees needs a sales call.
Switch from Remote if you need a country Remote does not cover and accept quote-only pricing.
Deel states that it owns its entities and payroll engine across 130+ countries and charges month to month with no long-term commitment, against Remote's annual-contract price. The starting fee is the same $599. Modules are priced separately, and anything beyond employer of record needs a quote.
Switch from Remote if you want month-to-month terms and wider country coverage.
G-P covers 180+ countries and publishes a starting fee with no minimum contract length. Volume discounts and bundles come through a customised proposal, so the price you pay is negotiated. Its AI compliance product, G-P Gia, is billed per seat and kept apart from the employment fee.
Switch from Remote if you hire at volume and will negotiate a proposal.
RemoFirst: It states one flat monthly fee per employee below Remote's $599, with no annual contract or setup fees.
02
You need a named contact and visa help
Rivermate: It states 38 owned entities, a dedicated account manager, 24/7 support and visa support.
03
You hire outside Remote's 90 countries
Playroll: It states 180+ countries and no minimum commitment, with a refundable deposit of one month of salary per hire.
04
You want month-to-month terms from a larger vendor
Deel: It states owned entities in 130+ countries and no long-term commitment, at the same $599 starting fee.
05
You want to see the FX markup you pay
Atlas HXM: It discloses its markup against the OANDA spot rate and bills only for active employees.
04
When Remote is still the right choice
Remote is a sound choice when the hires sit in its 90+ countries and you want one fixed, published price. It states 100+ entities that it owns and operates, no setup or onboarding fees, and one FX rate locked per monthly cycle, with Remote absorbing movements in between. Termination handling is run by Remote as the legal employer. If those points match your plan, a cheaper quote elsewhere may not justify a migration.
05
What moving off Remote involves
01
Employment contracts need a clean handover
Employees are employed by Remote's entity, so moving means a new contract with the next vendor or your own entity. Agree start dates with the new employer first, and ask both parties how accrued leave, notice periods and benefits carry over under local law.
02
Check the notice and payroll cut-off
Termination rules vary by country, tenure and reason, and Remote pays final wages through payroll. Ask for the offboarding date that avoids double billing, and keep the last invoice with its FX breakdown for your records.
03
Contractors move more easily
Contractors on the Contractor Management plans have you as the contract party, so a switch needs fewer legal steps. Contractor of Record is different, because Remote is the contract party and IP transfer runs through Remote IP Guard.
06
Questions about replacing Remote
6 answers
What does Remote's employer of record plan cost?
Remote lists $599 per employee per month, for annual contracts, with no setup or onboarding fees and no base platform fee. All prices on the page are marked as starting amounts, so the final figure can vary.
Does Remote charge a deposit?
The page says there is no standard deposit or deposit fee, but a refundable reserve may be required in certain circumstances. The amount is confirmed during onboarding and unused funds are credited or refunded.
Which alternative has no annual contract?
RemoFirst states no annual contract and Playroll no minimum commitment. Deel and G-P also state month-to-month terms or no minimum contract length. Ask each for the written term before signing.
How many countries does Remote cover?
Remote states 90+ countries for employer of record, 190+ for contractor onboarding and 70+ currencies for payments. Playroll, Skuad, G-P, Papaya Global and Safeguard Global each state 160 or more employer of record countries.
Can I pay contractors without an employer of record?
Remote's Contractor Management plan starts at $29 per contractor per month with you as the contract party. Contractor of Record starts at $325 and Remote then signs the contract. RemoFirst and Skuad also list contractor fees.
Does Remote own its entities?
Remote says it operates 100+ entities that it owns, with no third parties. Rivermate, Atlas HXM, Playroll and Deel make similar statements about their own entities, while Skuad states a mix of own and partner entities.
—
Sources
Checked 4 November 2026
Remote pricing: $599 EOR for annual contracts, contractor plans $29, $99, $325, no setup fees, no standard deposit, locked FX rate, 90+ countries.
Remote employer of record: 100+ owned entities, 90+ countries, equity support $39, termination handled by Remote.
RemoFirst: Flat monthly fee, no minimum term, contractor tier.
Founder of The Knowledge Engineers and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page on this site; research and drafting are AI-assisted.
Sebastiaan Smits wrote and checked this page, most recently on 4 November 2026. See how we review.
