6 Oyster Alternatives for Employer of Record

The most popular Oyster alternatives for EOR – Alcor, WorkMotion, Payoneer WFM (Skuad), RemoFirst, Pebl, and Ontop – usually differ in pricing models, regional coverage, and service scope. Many focus their EOR plans on core employment tasks, provide dedicated expertise in specific regions or industries, or emphasize global payroll workflows tailored to fully remote teams.

ManpowerGroup’s research shows that about 3 in 4 employers cannot find the skills they need locally. This issue pushes them to hire globally via EOR while remaining mindful of its pricing and unused HR features. At this point, many companies look at Oyster for its global EOR and contractor coverage, strong compliance, and fast setup in multiple countries. But a $100-$500 higher per-employee EOR price at scale, along with several other factors, prompts them to compare Oyster alternatives and reconsider whether the mix of cost, coverage, and local support still works for them.

In this article, I will walk you through the key features and the best alternatives to Oyster for EOR.

Key Takeaways

• Oyster combines 120+ country coverage, a clean UX, and compliance, but prices its EOR plans at around $699 PEPM (per employee/month), while many other EOR providers typically fall in the roughly $199-$599 PEPM range and may focus on core EOR without additional HR modules.
• Businesses start exploring the best alternatives to Oyster EOR when per-employee costs grow, they need more region-specific expertise, or prefer an EOR-first model over a full HR platform.
• Alcor, RemoFirst, WorkMotion, Pebl, Ontop, and Payoneer WFM (Skuad) each occupy a niche: from budget-friendly EOR for small businesses to EU-compliance-first models, AI-powered platforms, LATAM-focused fintech-style payouts, and Asia-Pacific hiring specialists.
• Alcor’s edge is a tech-only, R&D-focused model – senior engineering recruitment, Employer of Record with 100% legal support, and ops in Eastern Europe and LATAM.

Pros and Cons of Oyster Employer of Record

Oyster Employer of Record is a feature-rich platform with global reach and compliance – but it sits at a premium price point and comes bundled with HR tooling that some teams hardly use when they only need EOR.

Below is a focused EOR-only view, based on Oyster’s own materials and aggregated user feedback on G2 and similar review platforms.

Oyster Employer of Record Features

Oyster combines core EOR essentials – contracts, payroll, taxes, and benefits – with additional content, analytics, HR workflows, and integrations. These modules can be useful for teams that want more of their HR stack in one place, but companies that only need EOR may not actively use all of them.

What exactly do you get when you use Oyster as your Employer of Record provider? In practice, you’re buying two layers: core EOR features that every global employer needs, plus anHRand add-on stack that’s helpful for some teams, but can feel like “extra” if you only want EOR and payroll.

Core EOR features:

• Compliant hiring in 120+ countries
• Payroll, tax withholdings & multi-currency payouts
• Localized employment contracts & IP protection
• Onboarding/offboarding workflows & compliant termination
• Add-on: Benefits administration (health, pensions, statutory packages)

EOR extras:

• HRIS-like modules
  Built-in time off management, basic HR workflows, employee data, and document storage overlap with what many companies already run in their HRIS.
• Reporting & analytics
  Centralized reports on headcount, payroll, and costs across countries, which is handy for finance and HRBP teams but not strictly required to stay compliant.
• Compensation & salary insights
  Country-specific salary ranges and cost calculators that help estimate gross pay, employer taxes, and total compensation before you open a new location.
• Visa sponsorship add-on
  Support for candidates who need a work visa, with immigration experts and an application process managed through the platform.

For teams that want an all-in-one global HR platform, these extras are a plus. But if your goal is to get an EOR solution for hiring and paying people compliantly, this broader toolkit is exactly where you may be paying for more HR tooling than you really use.

6 Great Alternatives to Oyster for EOR Service

The six Oyster alternatives show that there is no one-size-fits-all EOR: each provider offers a different mix of pricing, regions, and platform depth, so the best choice depends on where you hire and how complex your setup is.

Founders and HR leaders usually look for the best alternatives to Oyster for global payroll and Employer of Record, when they want a lower EOR bill, a local provider in key regions (for example, Eastern Europe or Employer of Record services in Colombia, or other LATAM countries), or they need a different platform scope than Oyster plus more industry-specific expertise. Some also prefer EOR models combined with in-house recruitment, so they can hire, onboard, and scale product teams with a single partner.

I will focus this list on EOR-first providers, not full HR “all-in-one” platforms like Rippling or Deel. If you already have an HRIS, or you mainly care about compliant hiring, payroll, and contracts, you don’t always need an HR suite on top. These Oyster alternatives for EOR services were selected for their global coverage, regional strengths, and their suitability for both scale-ups and big enterprises.

Alcor – best EOR for tech businesses

Alcor is an Oyster alternative for Employer of Record services focused solely on tech product companies and two regions: Eastern Europe and Latin America. In these regions, Alcor operates through its own legal entities and works with in-house local lawyers, payroll specialists, and customer operations managers. Instead of a global “all industries” platform, you get a niche EOR provider with legal, tax, and payroll management expertise for software companies in talent-rich tech hubs that collectively host around 3.8M tech specialists.

Alcor
Best for	US product tech companies – SMBs, startups, scale-ups
Core regions	Eastern Europe and Latin America
Industry coverage	100% tech-focused
Pricing model	Custom pricing with volume discounts as teams scale
Key additional services	Tech recruitment, operational support (remote/office/hybrid strategy support, EVP consultation, stock options & IP agreements, etc)

Alcor lets you hire software engineers through its Employer of Record in Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Mexico, and Colombia without opening your own local entity. Its EOR service covers:

• compliant employment contracts
• IP rights protections and NDAs preparation
• payroll and taxes management
• benefits administration, stock options, and other developer-focused perks (high-end hardware, paid tech conferences, certifications, etc)
• mobilization deferment in Ukraine
• ongoing Customer Operations Manager support.

Where Alcor stands out compared with other Oyster alternatives for Employer of Record is its tech recruitment and operational support, as part of the software R&D center solution. Alcor’s in-house recruiting team of 40 headhunters hires senior, lead, and C-level engineers, while the EOR layer ensures compliance. You can later upgrade from “EOR + hiring” to a fully backed R&D center with your own brand, office, and localized HR operations.

RemoFirst – best EOR for small business

RemoFirst is a budget-friendly Oyster competitor for EOR, with plans around $199 per employee/month – compared to many EOR providers that start closer to $599 – and is suitable for startups and small businesses that want global coverage.

RemoFirst
Best for	Startups and small businesses hiring globally
Core regions	180+ countries worldwide
Industry coverage	Any industry
Pricing model	EOR from $199/employee/month
Key additional services	RemoHealth benefits, visa & work permit support, equipment provisioning

Compared with some other EOR platforms that bundle extensive HR tooling, RemoFirst keeps the focus on core EOR and contractor management, which helps it maintain one of the lowest prices on the market.

G2 reviewers highlight RemoFirst’s ease of use and human-powered onboarding support, noting quick help and guidance in most cases. At the same time, feedback points to recurring issues: occasional delays in responses or approvals, isolated contract and salary calculation errors, requests for a better interface and mobile app, and a need for clearer information on salary and benefits in some markets.

RemoFirst also offers immigration support, insurance, and equity management, but these come as paid add-ons on top of the standard Employer of Record package.

WorkMotion – best for EU expansion

WorkMotion is a Germany-based Oyster alternative focused on Europe-specific compliance. It combines global Employer of Record with options tailored to EU expansion, including a direct-hiring model in some European countries. For companies that prioritize regulatory rigor and data protection, WorkMotion positions itself as a “compliance-first” EOR provider.

WorkMotion
Best for	Europe-based or Europe-focused startups, mid-sized companies, or enterprises
Core regions	160+ countries worldwide
Industry coverage	Any industry
Pricing model	EOR from $549 per employee/month, depending on volume
Key additional services	Direct Hiring (employer registration in Europe), contractor management, global payroll & expenses, legal & HR guidance

A key differentiator is their IEC Gold Certification, which includes compliance checks across 10 categories, validation of labour leasing licences and statutory obligations, and independent third-party verification from The IEC Group.

On top of that, WorkMotion leans into German-grade compliance and security. They are ISO 27001 certified, store all data on German servers, and comply with German GDPR rules, which are stricter than the EU GDPR. For companies with sensitive employee data or stricter internal security standards, this can be a significant plus.

G2 reviewers often highlight WorkMotion’s responsive support team and easy access to payslips and expense management. Many users find onboarding smooth once the initial setup is complete. Others mention frustration with ticket-based communication only, slower responses on complex cases, and occasional onboarding or reimbursement delays in countries with more complex legislation.

Pebl – best AI-first EOR for global scale

Pebl (formerly Velocity Global) is an AI-first Employer of Record platform for scaling companies seeking compliance and automation. It combines a decade of EOR experience with an AI-powered “Global Work Platform.”

Pebl
Best for	Mid-sized companies and enterprises that want an AI-driven approach
Core regions	185+ countries worldwide
Industry coverage	Any industry
Pricing model	EOR from $599 per employee/month
Key additional services	Immigration support, talent sourcing, risk and compliance advisory

What makes Pebl stand out among Oyster alternatives for Employer of Record services is the AI-first approach. The platform uses AI to surface real-time guidance on markets, costs, and compliance, so users spend less time digging through local rules and, according to Pebl’s statements, can cut weeks off onboarding by moving many of these decisions and workflows to a process that takes minutes. Its AI assistant, Alfie, provides answers in 50+ languages.

G2 reviewers often highlight Pebl’s responsive HR, customer support, and smooth onboarding. At the same time, there are recurring concerns: some users mention weaker benefits packages in specific markets, occasional interface usability issues, and too many or poorly timed emails that make communication feel noisy.

Ontop – best EOR for LATAM-focused teams

Ontop is a Latin America-born Employer of Record and multi-country payroll platform with a strong fintech angle. It’s designed for companies that rely heavily on LATAM talent but still need contractor and payroll coverage, plus fast USD payouts through a digital wallet and Visa card.

Ontop
Best for	Startups and scale-ups with a focus on LATAM
Core regions	150+ countries worldwide
Industry coverage	Any industry
Pricing model	EOR from $499 per employee/month
Key additional services	Ontop Wallet & Visa card

Beyond its classic Employer of Record services in Latin America and other locations, Ontop operates like a payments platform. You can pay workers through the Ontop Wallet, and they can then withdraw to local bank accounts or spend via the Ontop Reserve Visa card. This fintech layer is what makes Ontop stand out among Oyster alternatives for EOR: it centralizes cross-border payouts and everyday spending in one place, reducing friction compared with traditional bank-only payroll.

According to G2 reviews, Ontop is praised for its easy-to-use platform, fast international transactions, and convenient payroll reception. At the same time, reviewers also report issues with card and banking bugs, inconsistent customer support quality, and slow responses to critical issues in some situations.

Payoneer WFM (Skuad) – best EOR for companies hiring in Asia-Pacific

Skuad, now part of Payoneer Workforce Management, is a global Employer of Record platform with a strong focus on Asia-Pacific and other emerging markets. It’s designed for companies that want to hire in countries like India, Singapore, Indonesia, and across APAC without setting up local entities.

Skuad (Payoneer Workforce Management)
Best for	Startups, scale-ups, and enterprises with a strong focus on Asia
Core regions	160+ countries worldwide
Industry coverage	Any industry
Pricing model	EOR from $199 per employee/month
Key additional services	Agent of Record (AOR), contractor management

The platform is particularly positioned around regulatory automation for complex markets like the Philippines, built-in IP protection, and APAC-focused guides on work permits, leave, and employment law. On top of that, Skuad adds multi-currency payroll in 70+ currencies, country-specific benefits, background checks, visa and immigration support, and equipment shipping – all managed from a single dashboard.

On G2, Payoneer Workforce Management earns consistent praise for customer support, ease of use, and fast response times. At the same time, delays in document processing and occasional management issues sometimes lead to financial discrepancies. Other concerns are invoicing and cost clarity – a few users report unexpected fees or extra charges on invoices and timesheets.

Learn about the best Remote EOR alternatives from our latest article!

Alcor – Employer of Record that Delivers

Alcor acts as your tech R&D center partner in Eastern Europe and Latin America – combiningtech-focused EOR, senior engineering recruitment, and operations so you get your own team, not a rented vendor squad.

Our 40 in-house tech recruiters usually close roles in 2-6 weeks, with a 98.6% probation pass rate. On average, our clients see about 2.5 years of talent tenure in these teams, and we can additionally support them with talent retention strategies if they want to improve this metric further.

Engineers are then employed via Alcor’s EOR entities, where we add a few things that matter a lot at scale:

• tailored local contracts instead of templates;
• error-free payslips with precise gross-to-net recalculations;
• Alcor acts as your liability shield for labor law and tax matters.

Our AlcorOS platform combines automation with a dedicated Customer Operations Manager, so you always see real-time costs, headcount, and status across hubs. That’s how clients grow from 10 to 100 developers in about a year, with a team that is theirs from day one – whether they use us as an Employer of Record in Latin America or for EOR hubs in Eastern Europe. This same model supports companies like Ledger and Intel 471, which rely on Alcor for long-term, compliant EOR-backed engineering teams.

People.ai is also a good example of how our solution works. This US-based AI company wanted to scale engineering outside the Bay Area and chose Ukraine as a hub. After switching from multiple vendors to Alcor, they launched an R&D office within about a month and built a stable team of 25+ experienced AI and data engineers, supported by our EOR and operational support. Their Ukrainian team became a core part of the product organization rather than a side project on a vendor’s balance sheet – and was one of the levers that helped People.ai reach unicorn status in 2021.

If you’re planning to build or scale a remote engineering hub in Eastern Europe or LATAM, we can help. Book a call with Alcor to explore what your R&D center could look like.