Compare/Head to head

Deel vs Papaya Global

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Deel

$49/contractor/mo

Global employer of record, payroll and contractor payments. EOR employees are $599 each per month and contractors $49; the $14 entry is the hiring module per worker.

Where Deel fits

  • Companies hiring in many countries without entities
  • Teams paying global contractors
  • HR organisations that also want a light hire module
  • Buyers who want MCP on employment data

Papaya Global

$5/contractor/mo

Global payroll and employer-of-record across 160+ countries. Contractor plans start at $5 per contractor per month and EOR at $499 per employee per month.

Where Papaya Global fits

  • Companies hiring in many countries without local entities
  • Finance and people ops that want payroll and EOR in one vendor
  • Teams already running a global workforce, not a first overseas contractor
  • Buyers who need an API into payroll ops

At a glance

DetailDeelPapaya Global
Starting price$49/contractor/mo$5/contractor/mo
Free tier–No–No
MCP server✓Yes–No
Public API✓Yes✓Yes
Listed underEOR, HRIS, PayrollEOR, Payroll
Capterra4.9 from 4,308 reviews4.5 from 43 reviews

Where they pull apart

Deel

Stands out: Hiring, contractors and employer of record in one global stack, with MCP and API.

Watch out: The $14 figure is the recruiting module, not the cost of employing someone abroad: employer of record is $599 per employee per month. Contractor of Record is listed at $325 and US PEO at $125.

Not the right fit for

  • US-only small-business payroll
  • Teams that need Deel to be the ATS of record

Papaya Global

Stands out: One operating layer for EOR and unified global payroll when the brief is headcount in many countries, not a US PEO.

Watch out: This is an employment contract, not a self-serve HRIS. Budget the country statutory stack on top of the platform fee.

Not the right fit for

  • US-only payroll
  • A two-person team hiring one contractor abroad
  • Buyers who need a self-serve HRIS seat

Pros and cons

Deel

  • Employer of record, payroll and contractors from one vendor
  • Published prices for contractors, EOR and US PEO
  • MCP and API available
  • The advertised entry price is not the employer-of-record cost
  • The $599 EOR fee sits on top of salary and benefits
  • Not an ATS

Papaya Global

  • EOR and global payroll in one vendor instead of a country-by-country patchwork
  • Large country footprint for companies that are already multi-entity in spirit
  • Public API for payroll ops
  • Workforce OS and Contingent OS are sales-quoted
  • Overkill for a single overseas contractor
  • Not an ATS or a US payroll product

What each one costs

Deel

$49/contractor/mo

Contractor management is $49 per contractor per month, or $325 with Contractor of Record. Employer of Record is $599 per employee per month and US PEO is $125 per employee per month. The hiring and applicant tracking product is $14 per worker per month. Pricing is month to month. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Papaya Global

$5/contractor/mo

Papaya Global now publishes starting prices: the Contractor solution starts at $5 per contractor per month, Payroll Plus at $29 per employee per month, Contractor of Record at $199 per contractor per month and Employer of Record at $499 per employee per month. OnePay has no platform fees, and Workforce OS and Contingent OS are quoted. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Is Deel cheaper than Papaya Global?
Papaya Global starts lower, at $5/contractor/mo against $49/contractor/mo for Deel. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Deel or Papaya Global for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.
Does Deel or Papaya Global have an MCP server?
Deel ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?