Head to head

Oyster vs Papaya Global

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

Oyster

$699/employee/mo 30 day free trial

Global EOR, payroll, and contractor payments. EOR is $699/employee/mo. Contractors are free for 30 days, then $29/mo.

Where Oyster fits

  • Companies hiring full-time staff in 120-plus countries
  • Teams that want a contractor 30-day trial
  • People ops that need Workday or BambooHR sync
  • Buyers who want a public developer API

Papaya Global

Quote-based

Global payroll and employer-of-record across 160+ countries. Employer pricing is sales-quoted.

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

DetailOysterPapaya Global
Starting price$699/employee/moQuote-based
Free tier–No–No
Free trial30 day free trialNot on record
MCP server–No–No
Public API✓Yes✓Yes
Listed underEOR, HRISEOR, Payroll
Capterra4.6 from 91 reviews4.5 from 43 reviews

Where they pull apart

Oyster

Stands out: Public EOR and contractor prices, plus a documented developer API and HRIS connections.

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

Not the right fit for

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

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 a quote-led 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 public self-serve seat price

Pros and cons

Oyster

  • Published EOR fee of $699/employee/mo
  • Contractors free 30 days, then $29
  • Public developer API
  • EOR is expensive vs low-cost rivals
  • People Services is $300/hour
  • EOR still starts with sales

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
  • Sales-quoted, with no public rate card
  • Overkill for a single overseas contractor
  • Not an ATS or a US payroll product

What each one costs

Oyster

$699/employee/mo

EOR is $699/employee/mo with annual discounts. Contractors are free for 30 days, then $29/contractor/mo. People Services is $300/hour. Global payroll is listed separately. The 30-day trial applies to contractors. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Papaya Global

Quote-based

Quote / Enterprise. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Oyster or Papaya Global for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing. Oyster offers a 30 day free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

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