Compare/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.

Starting price

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

$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

DetailOysterPapaya Global
Starting price$699/employee/mo$5/contractor/mo
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 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

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
  • 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

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 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 Oyster cheaper than Papaya Global?
Papaya Global starts lower, at $5/contractor/mo against $699/employee/mo for Oyster. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
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 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?