Oyster publishes an EOR price of US$699 and Papaya Global US$499 per employee per month, so Papaya Global's headline fee is US$200 a month (US$2,400 a year) lower per employee. Country costs, benefits and add-ons can outweigh that difference.
Oyster: Global employment platform aimed at small and mid-sized distributed teams, with EOR, contractor payments and benefits administration.
Papaya Global: Payroll-led workforce platform. Strongest where companies run payroll in many countries, with EOR available where they lack entities.
| Oyster | Papaya Global | |
|---|---|---|
| Published EOR price | From US$699 / month | From US$499 / month |
| Pricing model | Per employee / month | Per employee / month |
| Products | Employer of Record, Contractor management, Benefits, Payroll | Global payroll, Employer of Record, Contractor payments |
| Coverage | 180+ countries (provider claim) | 160+ countries (provider claim) |
| Headquarters | Fully distributed (incorporated in the USA) | New York, USA / Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Founded | 2020 | 2016 |
| Factor | Oyster | Papaya Global |
|---|---|---|
| Published EOR price | US$699 / employee / month | US$499 / employee / month |
| What the price covers | Published EOR price of USD 699 per employee per month; contractor management is priced separately (USD 29 per contractor per month). | Published 'starting from' price of US$499 per employee per month for EOR; Contractor of Record starts at US$199 per contractor per month. |
Consider Oyster if…
- You are a small or mid-sized team hiring a handful of people abroad
- You want a published EOR price rather than quote-only pricing
Consider Papaya Global if…
- You want the lower published EOR price (US$499 vs US$699 per employee per month)
- You already have entities in several countries and need consolidated payroll
- EOR is a supplement to in-house payroll, not the main need
- What is the all-in monthly fee for my specific countries, on annual and monthly billing?
- Do you employ through your own entity or a partner in each country?
- What deposit is required, and how and when is it refunded?
- What currency conversion margin applies to invoices?
- How are benefits, termination costs and offboarding billed?
- Is there a fee for transferring employees to our own entity later?
Use our provider due-diligence checklist for the full list. To check the employment cost on top of either fee, see our country guides.
Is Oyster or Papaya Global cheaper?
On published prices, Papaya Global is cheaper: US$499 vs US$699 per employee per month. Compare itemised quotes for your countries, since deposits, currency conversion and benefits affect the total.
What's the main difference between Oyster and Papaya Global?
Oyster: Global employment platform aimed at small and mid-sized distributed teams, with EOR, contractor payments and benefits administration. Papaya Global: Payroll-led workforce platform. Strongest where companies run payroll in many countries, with EOR available where they lack entities.
Do Oyster and Papaya Global use their own entities?
Delivery models (owned entity or local partner) can vary by country. Ask each provider to confirm in writing for the countries you hire in.
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