Oyster HR is a global employer of record (EOR) that takes care of hiring and onboarding employees, managing HR tasks, compliance, payroll, and benefits management. The business claims to support compliant employment services in more than 180 countries and processes payroll in more than 120 currencies.

However, user reviews on trusted sites like G2 and Trustpilot speak of some limitations.

For example, Catarina M. mentions “When we have queries about payroll or invoices, the answers to the queries take some time which results in the invoices being approved automatically by Oyster without us having answers to our queries. Invoices have a period to be approved by customers and often the waiting time for clarification of doubts is superior to the time given for the approval of the invoice.”

Another user, Bea, says, “Very quick to arrange a contract to start receiving their fees but incredibly difficult to get in touch with them. Their support email address has been removed and you are forced to use the Help Center, which is a bank of commonly asked questions. It's frustrating not to be able to contact a human being.”

Other problems encountered are:

• Pricing Concerns: Employee plans start at $599 per month per employee. Jami W. says, “The pricing model can get a bit high after hiring more than 3 people. It would be nice to be able to have a team in one country for a set cost, instead of per employee each month.”

• Reliance on Third-Party Entities: They work with third-party providers in countries where they do not have legal entities. These providers are not responsive enough. Jordan mentions, “There can be some back and forth in countries where Oyster engages 3rd party EOR subcontractors vs. the markets where they have direct entities and can therefore get quicker responses to support questions.”

You’ll notice that a common thread among these reviews is that Oyster runs on a self-serve customer service model, and hence lacks the human touch. As an employer, you need a flexible and responsive partner to engage your employees.

Let’s explore some Oyster HR alternatives that could suit your business better.

7 Best Alternatives to Oyster HR

1. Teamed (Affordability and Human Support)

Overview

Among the alternatives to Oyster HR, Teamed stands out due to its affordability and human customer support.

What makes Teamed unique?

Their price is super competitive and they can onboard your employees within 24 hours. They also offer 24/5 customer support for any queries that you or your employees may have.

But where they really make a difference is that they are focused on making the employee experience exceptional.

Hence, Teamed acts as an extension of your company and gives your remote employees a localised experience. During onboarding, a local expert guides them through the process in a 1:1 call. After which the contract is sent to be signed–and the employees are ready to start!

Teamed makes your remote employees feel like a valued part of the global company.

Features

• Multi-language employment contracts - Become a truly global employer with localised contracts in the language of the country where you’re hiring.
• 1:1 employee onboarding with a local expert - Teamed does not leave the employees out in the cold to figure out the platform for themselves. A local expert takes them through the process in a 1:1 call.
• 24-hour onboarding - Once you partner with Teamed, you can onboard your employees within 24 hours, not weeks or months.
• Global payroll solutions - You receive one invoice per month in a currency of your choice for all the talent you hire around the world. Over 50 currencies are supported, and Teamed will not charge you any additional exchange fees.
• Local tax compliance services - Teamed does not believe in cutting corners in the name of growth.You can expect full in-country compliance when you partner with them.
• 24/5 support for customer queries - Teamed experts are available to resolve your queries quickly and efficiently.
• Benefits management - Teamed chooses its partners with care to administer the best-in-class, customised benefits for your employees.  

Here’s a quick overview of how Oyster HR and Teamed stack up against each other:

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Pricing (as of August 2023)

• Starts at a cost-effective fee of £29 for contractor management
• Starts at £199  for EOR.

Teamed also offers discounts to businesses that are looking to use the EOR service for higher volumes of hires.

User reviews

A Teamed user, Julia Mardell, COO at Classic Folios says, “No hitches, all straight forward, and without a hefty price tag!”

Another happy user, Anil Kumar, Luganodes, mentions, “We looked at Deel, Remote, and Oyster. Teamed offered the same product at a lower price and the customer service goes way beyond what the others offer.”

2. Remote

Overview

Remote, an Oyster alternative, is an EOR that helps companies hire, onboard, and manage independent contractors and employees in 150+ countries.

Features

Remote offers international payroll, benefits management, and compliance assurance. It supports local compliance, adherence to tax regulations, document management, and misclassification support. It also provides immigration and VISA support.

Pricing (as of August 2023)

• Contractor Management - $29/month/contractor
• EOR - starts at $599 per month

It also offers global payroll at an additional cost.

User reviews

Users talk about the ease of onboarding and transparency when it comes to pricing, but also mention how the platform is inflexible on many things, such as allowing users to opt out of certain benefits.

They also talk about the platform being expensive for the services rendered.

3. Skuad

Overview

Skuad, an Oyster HR competitor, is a global EOR that enables businesses to build and pay remote teams worldwide while ensuring compliance.

Features

Skuad offers global payroll solutions, compliance assurance, and talent acquisition services. Its platform is designed to handle varying labour laws and tax regulations across different countries.

Pricing (As of August 2023)

• Starts at $19/month for contractors
• $199/month for employees
• Custom pricing and tailored functionality for enterprises

User reviews

Users of this Oyster HR competitor highlight the easy UI and timeliness of the services, but feel that the customer support responses are scripted and/or robotic, the contract management module could be more efficient, and the platform is not mobile-friendly.

4. Multiplier

Overview

Multiplier, an Oyster alternative, is a global EOR that facilitates worldwide hiring and payroll while ensuring compliance with local regulations.

Features

Multiplier offers payroll solutions, HR services, and global tax management. It also offers a self-service platform for employees to access their payslips and offer letters, and track expense requests and bonuses.

Pricing (As of August 2023)

• Contractors: starts from $40 per month
• Employees: starts from $400 per month for employees
• Global Payroll: starts from $39 per month
• Employee Insurance: starts from and $20 per month

User reviews

Users of this Oyster alternative like the ability to run payroll and benefits, but the platform lacks some expanded HRIS features like employee training and has multiple billing cycles each month.

5. Rippling

Overview

Rippling, another Oyster HR alternative, is an all-in-one EOR platform for employee management, offering solutions from payroll to device management.

Features

Rippling offers payroll, benefits administration, and IT automation. It also offers workforce analytics, access and approval management, and policy management.

Pricing (As of August 2023)

There is a lack of transparent pricing. Amanda B, a Rippling user, mentions, “The Rippling platform is fantastic; however, the demo, quote, and onboarding process is a nightmare. During the demo they showcase all of the platform's bells and whistles. During quoting, they will sell clients the cheapest quote and not disclose which features you viewed during the demo are an extra expense. This deceit resulted in needing to spend over $10,000 more in order to receive the features we needed to proceed. Ask for a line item sheet of ALL costs and extra fees before signing anything.”

User reviews

Users highlight its integrated approach to HR and IT but rue the fact that there is no free trial.

6. Papaya Global

Overview

Papaya Global, an Oyster HR competitor, is a global workforce management platform offering payroll, PEO, and contractor management solutions.

Features

Papaya Global processes payroll and benefits according to local standards and customs in over 100 countries. It also ensures that companies comply with local labour laws, tax regulations, and other pertinent regulations.

Pricing (As of August 2023)

• EOR: starts at $650 per month per employee
• Contractor management: $2 per month per employee
• Global expertise services: $190 per month per employee
• Full-service payroll: $12 per month per employee

User reviews

Users mention its robust global payroll capabilities but also talk about how their user interface is not the best. The separate invoicing process becomes a burden when companies want to expand into new regions.

7. Omnipresent

Overview

Omnipresent, an Oyster alternative, offers global employment and compliance solutions for businesses hiring and managing remote teams worldwide.

Features

Omnipresent ensures businesses adhere to local labour laws and regulations while hiring talent globally. It provides a unified platform for payroll, benefits, and compliance.

Pricing (As of August 2023)

Pricing is tailored based on the company's specific needs and regions of operation. Custom quotes are available upon request.

User reviews

Users appreciate the proactive customer support but feel that missing payslips and errors in the contract are annoying.

How to Choose an Oyster HR Alternative

As a business kick-starting their global journey, it’s important to pick the right alternative. However, having too many choices can sometimes make it trickier to decide.

Well, that's exactly why we're here to help you keep a few key things in mind when you're scouting out an alternative to Oyster HR to grow your team globally:

1. Clarify Your Business Needs

• Think about what problems need the solution
• Outline your expectations, target countries, team size, usage plans, and budget.
• Talk to other people in your business to learn what they think is essential.

2. Cost and Pricing Structure

• Understand all costs, both one-time and ongoing. Be conscious and look for any hidden ones.
• Remember that fees add up fast, especially if you're paying multiple employees in various countries and currencies. .
• Understand how costs might change as your team gets bigger. EORs like Teamed offer discounts to companies that use its platform to grow and hire multiple employees abroad.

✅ For example, Teamed EOR has 100% transparent pricing starting at £199 per month.

At this price, you can compliantly hire in 150+ countries, manage payroll and taxes in 80+ countries, offer local benefits to employees, ensure country-specific compliance, and onboard employees within 24 hours.

3. Features and Functionalities

• See what services are offered from paying wages to handling taxes.
• Check if you can set things up and add extra employee benefits.
• Choose tools that work well for both employees and employers, support the whole employee journey, and can connect to other useful apps.

4. User Experience and Interface

• Make sure the platform is easy to use with straightforward menus and no unnecessary features.
• Employees should be able to use it by themselves to find information and complete tasks.

5. Customer Support and Reliability

• Check out the support options available and gauge their effectiveness.
• Check if the support is automated with chatbots and help centres or with 1-1 support available
• Get a grasp on the response time for resolving issues.

✅  Teamed believes in putting the employee first. With 24/5 customer support, its local experts are ready to answer queries promptly.

6. Compliance with Regulations

• Ensure the platform offers 100% compliance and multi-language contract options.
• It should meet extensive international standards like GDPR.
• Make sure it offers things needed in specific countries, such as online wage slips.

7. Integration With Other Tools

• Check if the platform needs to integrate with your existing tools.
• Determine the effort and time required to link the platform to your other tech stack

Remember, while every platform has its own set of strengths, it's your business goals and needs that should steer your final decision.

Go Global with Teamed

Hiring globally isn’t a dream any longer; it’s the current reality.

However, hiring employees in a foreign country isn’t straightforward. There are compliances to follow, taxes to work out, and local labour laws to adhere to. Besides, no employee wants to feel like a second-class citizen in their own company.

Teamed shares your vision of global expansion and is fully equipped to be a trusted HR, payroll, and compliance partner. We also work only with vetted partners to offer adjacent services like candidate sourcing, VISA processing, tax filing, and so on.

We also believe in putting people front and centre, and all of our processes are geared towards making sure your employees receive a localised experience.

Want to know more? Speak to a Teamed expert today!

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