Compare/Head to head

Remote vs Rippling

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

Starting price

Remote

$29/employee/mo

Global EOR, payroll, and contractor platform on owned entities. Payroll and contractor seats start at $29 each; EOR is $599 per employee/month on annual contracts.

Where Remote fits

  • Companies hiring abroad without a local entity
  • Teams paying contractors in many countries
  • US PEO buyers who want one global vendor
  • Builders embedding employment via API or MCP

Rippling

$8/employee/mo

Mid-market HR, IT and finance platform with payroll, devices and an ATS on one bill. From $8 per employee a month plus a base fee, with MCP enabled in-product.

Where Rippling fits

  • Mid-market companies unifying HR and IT
  • Teams that want payroll and devices on the same bill
  • Buyers replacing several separate tools
  • US mid-market employers

At a glance

DetailRemoteRippling
Starting price$29/employee/mo$8/employee/mo
Free tier–No–No
MCP server✓Yes✓Yes
Public API✓Yes✓Yes
Listed underEOR, HRIS, PayrollATS, Benefits administration, EOR, HR compliance, HRIS, Onboarding, Payroll, Time & attendance
Capterra4.3 from 101 reviews4.9 from 4,867 reviews

Where they pull apart

Remote

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

Watch out: EOR is $599 per employee/month, not $29. Contractor Management Plus is $99 and Contractor of Record $325. FX uses Remote’s own rate.

Not the right fit for

  • Buyers hunting the cheapest EOR rate
  • Teams that only need US payroll at Gusto-like prices

Rippling

Stands out: Payroll, IT device management and hiring on a single mid-market bill.

Watch out: Recruiting is one module of a much larger platform, not the product itself.

Not the right fit for

  • Staffing agencies
  • Talent teams that only want a tracker

Pros and cons

Remote

  • USD prices published for EOR, payroll, contractors
  • Hosted MCP plus REST API and CLI
  • Owns its local entities, not partner EORs
  • EOR at $599/employee/mo is a high list rate
  • Contractor indemnity costs more on Plus or Contractor of Record
  • FX conversion uses Remote’s own rate

Rippling

  • Payroll, IT and hiring on one bill
  • In-product MCP plus an API
  • Replaces several separate tools
  • Monthly base fee on top of the per-employee price
  • No public MCP endpoint
  • Recruiting is a module, not the focus

What each one costs

Remote

$29/employee/mo

Global Payroll starts at $29 per employee per month and Contractor Management at $29 per contractor per month. Contractor Management Plus starts at $99, Contractor of Record at $325 and US PEO at $99 per employee per month. Employer of Record starts at $599 per employee per month on annual contracts. There are no setup or onboarding fees. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Rippling

$8/employee/mo

Rippling plans start at $8 per employee per month, plus a monthly base fee. The total depends on the products you choose, and Rippling sends a custom quote. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 4 Nov 2026

Common questions

Is Remote cheaper than Rippling?
Rippling starts lower, at $8/employee/mo against $29/employee/mo for Remote. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try Remote or Rippling for free?
Neither carries a free tier on our listing.
Does Remote or Rippling have an MCP server?
Remote and Rippling ship 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?