Compare/Alternatives

Oyster alternatives

4 tools our write-ups put next to Oyster, with starting price, free tier, MCP and API side by side.

Oyster from $699/employee/mo30 day free trialAPI

Closest alternatives

See the Oyster listing

The short answer

Deel : Global HR and EOR if you want a wider product suite. From $49/contractor/mo
RemoFirst : Much cheaper published EOR fee if benefits depth is secondary. From $199/employee/mo
Remote : Owned-entity EOR if that model is the requirement. From $29/employee/mo
Papaya Global : Payroll-led global employment if you already have entities. From Quote-based

Why people look past Oyster

EOR is $699 per employee. People Services advisory is $300 per hour. Annual discounts apply on EOR.

What we noted

EOR is expensive vs low-cost rivals
People Services is $300/hour
EOR still starts with sales

Not the right fit for

Startups shopping for a sub-$200 EOR fee
Teams that only need US payroll

Worth keeping in mind: Public EOR and contractor prices, plus a documented developer API and HRIS connections.

Oyster alternatives compared

Tool	Free tier	From	MCP	API	Head to head
Oyster (the one you are on)	–No	$699/employee/mo	–No	✓Yes
Deel Global HR and EOR if you want a wider product suite.	–No	$49/contractor/mo	✓Yes	✓Yes	Head to head
RemoFirst Much cheaper published EOR fee if benefits depth is secondary.	–No	$199/employee/mo	–No	–No	Head to head
Remote Owned-entity EOR if that model is the requirement.	–No	$29/employee/mo	✓Yes	✓Yes	Head to head
Papaya Global Payroll-led global employment if you already have entities.	–No	Quote-based	–No	✓Yes	Head to head

What each one does differently

Deel

$49/contractor/mo MCP API

Why it comes up: Global HR and EOR if you want a wider product suite.

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.

Best for

Companies hiring in many countries without entities
Teams paying global contractors
HR organisations that also want a light hire module

4.9 on Capterra from 4,308 reviews

Read the Deel write-up Oyster vs Deel

RemoFirst

$199/employee/mo

Why it comes up: Much cheaper published EOR fee if benefits depth is secondary.

Stands out: A flat $199 EOR fee across most countries, plus a free contractor basics tier.

Watch out: Some countries cost more than $199. RemoHealth starts at $55/person/mo. Entities are partner-run, not owned.

Best for

Startups hiring their first overseas employees
Teams that want a published EOR fee under $200
Companies paying contractors in 150+ countries

Read the RemoFirst write-up Oyster vs RemoFirst

Remote

$29/employee/mo MCP API

Why it comes up: Owned-entity EOR if that model is the requirement.

Stands out: Published USD prices plus a hosted MCP server at mcp.remote.com and a public employment API.

Watch out: EOR is $699 per employee/month, not $29. Payroll has implementation and delivery fees on top. FX uses Remote’s own rate.

Best for

Companies hiring abroad without a local entity
Teams paying contractors in many countries
US PEO buyers who want one global vendor

4.3 on Capterra from 101 reviews

Read the Remote write-up Oyster vs Remote

Papaya Global

Quote-based API

Why it comes up: Payroll-led global employment if you already have entities.

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 a quote-led employment contract, not a self-serve HRIS. Budget the country statutory stack on top of the platform fee.

Best for

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

4.5 on Capterra from 43 reviews

Read the Papaya Global write-up Oyster vs Papaya Global

Common questions

What is the best Oyster alternative?

It depends on what sent you looking. Our write-ups put Deel closest to Oyster. Why it comes up: Global HR and EOR if you want a wider product suite. The table above shows all 4 on price, free tier, MCP and API.

What is the cheapest Oyster alternative?

Of the published starting prices here, Remote is lowest at $29/employee/mo. Starting price is the entry plan, not the seat count you will end up on, so read the plan table on each listing.

Which Oyster alternatives have an MCP server?

Deel and Remote ship a first party MCP server, so you can drive them from Claude or ChatGPT without building against the API yourself.

Does Oyster have a free trial?

Oyster offers a 30 day free trial on our listing. Trial terms move, so confirm on the vendor site before you plan around it.

Keep looking

Back to the Oyster write-up Every EOR tool we list Search the whole directory

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?