Oyster is a global employment platform founded in 2020 by Tony Jamous and Jack Mardack. It lets companies hire full-time employees and contractors in over 180 countries without setting up local entities. The platform handles employer-of-record services, global payroll processing, benefits administration, onboarding, and compliance with local labor laws. Oyster reached unicorn status in 2022 after raising over $288 million in funding.
The platform works well for mid-size and growing companies that need to hire international talent quickly. Onboarding is straightforward, the interface is clean, and the support team generally gets good marks for responsiveness. Oyster also offers contractor payments at $29/month per worker and a payroll-only option at $25/month for companies with their own local entities.
That said, Oyster has real drawbacks. In some regions (particularly Asia-Pacific), it relies on third-party local partners rather than owned entities, which can lead to inconsistent service quality and slower communication. Payroll visibility is limited compared to competitors like Deel or Papaya Global, and bulk expense submissions are clunky. At $699/month per EOR employee, it is not cheap, and hidden costs like employer taxes, 13th-month pay, and FX fees can add 20-50%% on top.
- Remote-first companies hiring full-time employees across multiple countries without local entities, especially in Europe and Latin America.
- Small teams hiring only in the US, companies needing advanced HRIS or performance management features, organizations requiring deep payroll controls or broad native integrations.
- Easy onboarding with compliant contracts and a clean, intuitive interface.
- Responsive customer support with transparent pricing and no hidden setup fees.
- Strong multi-country compliance coverage, especially in Europe and Latin America.
- Inconsistent service quality in APAC regions due to third-party partners.
- Limited payroll visibility and reporting compared to Deel or Papaya Global.
- Bulk expense submission is clunky, and billing statements can be confusing.
EOR starts at $699/employee/month ($599 annual). Contractors at $29/contractor/month. Global Payroll at $25/employee/month. Free to create account and explore. Volume discounts for 3+ EOR hires. Employer taxes, 13th-month pay, and FX fees are additional.