Hiring Internationally with Global Hiring and Payroll Providers: Deel + 6 Alternatives for 2025

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Global expansion doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Growing an international workforce no longer requires the investment of setting up your own entity in multiple countries. Now you can use a global hiring and payroll solution, also known as an Employer of Record (EOR). An EOR is faster, more cost-effective, and ensures compliance with local labor laws, making your EOR provider a key strategic partner in your international hiring plans.

When you’re looking for a hiring and payroll solution, there are five important factors to consider:

1. Does the provider offer a variety of services, allowing you to consolidate your HR tech needs into one platform? By offering more than just hiring and payroll services, such as an HRIS, IT provisioning, visa and immigration support, and contractor hiring, you can manage your entire global workforce on a single platform.
2. Is compliance a priority? There is virtually no margin for error in HR, with sensitive personal data to protect and heavy legal fines to avoid. Any hiring and payroll solution should have compliance top of mind.
3. Does the provider have wholly-owned local entities? By owning entities, they have full control over compliance and aren’t at the mercy of third-party response times when technical issues arise. It also reduces costs since there are no middleman fees involved.
4. How many countries does the provider cover? Choosing a solution that covers many countries saves you from having to use a new provider every time you want to enter a new market.
5. What do customers say? Checking review sites like Trustpilot and G2 tells you what the provider’s customer support is really like, and flags any hidden fees.

To help you choose the best provider for your needs, here's a comparison of Deel and six alternatives.

Best hiring and payroll solutions to choose in 2025: Deel + 6 alternatives

1. Deel

• Consolidation? Yes, Deel offers a comprehensive platform to recruit, hire, manage, and equip global teams.
• Compliance? Yes, the platform comes with Deel Compliance Hub, which automatically scans, collects, and simply explains the latest regulatory changes.
• Wholly-owned? Yes.
• Global coverage? 150+ countries.
• Customer satisfaction: 4.7/5 on Trustpilot, 4.8/5 on G2.

When to consider a Deel alternative

Deel offers one of the most comprehensive global HR platforms. Still, depending on your priorities, such as regional focus, budget, or platform simplicity, other providers may better align with your business needs.

2. Remote

• Consolidation? Yes, Remote also offers an HRIS and a suite of tools to help with recruitment, payroll, and L&D.
• Compliance? Yes, their Compliance Watchtower tracks legal changes and provides updates in-platform.
• Wholly-owned? Yes.
• Global coverage? 80+ countries.*
• Customer satisfaction: 4.7/5 on Trustpilot, 4.6/5 on G2

When to consider a Remote alternative

While Remote is a well-known EOR provider, it only owns entities in 80 countries. If you have more ambitious global hiring goals or your plans fall outside their coverage, choose a provider that offers you more options.

3. Oyster

• Consolidation? Yes, as well as EOR, Oyster provides solutions for global payroll and global contractors.
• Compliance? Oyster has a team of in-house legal experts and offers certain insurance coverage.
• Wholly-owned? No, Oyster provides EOR solutions through third-party providers.
• Global coverage? 180+ countries
• Customer satisfaction: 4.5/5 on Trustpilot, and 4.4/5 on G2

When to consider an Oyster alternative

Oyster is known for being user-friendly and intuitive. However, as an EOR provider, they use third-party partners. For maximum security, choose a provider that owns its entities and does not rely on third-party partners.

4. Rippling

• Consolidation? Yes, Rippling offers a suite of tools, including an HRIS, global payroll, and device management.
• Compliance? Limited compliance expertise outside the US.
• Wholly-owned? Yes, but only in approximately 30 countries.
• Global coverage? 185+ countries.
• Customer satisfaction: 4.5/5 on Trustpilot, 4.8/5 on G2

When to consider a Rippling alternative

Rippling’s EOR is a solid choice for clients seeking a US-focused specialty provider. However, global expertise is limited compared to other providers.

5. Multiplier

• Consolidation? Yes, Multiplier offers an HRIS, global payroll, contractors, and VISA support. 
• Compliance? Limited compared to other providers
• Wholly-owned? Country-specific. Of the 55 countries covered, only 25 are owned entities.
• Global coverage? A strong presence in APAC, but they rely on third-party providers for the majority of other countries.
• Customer satisfaction: 4.9/5 on Trustpilot, 4.7/5 on G2.

When to consider a Multiplier alternative

With fewer wholly-owned entities, those looking to hire more broadly should choose a provider with wider global coverage. Organizations with limited in-house compliance expertise should also choose a provider that offers continuous compliance updates.

6. Remofirst

• Consolidation? Yes, Remofirst allows you to hire, manage, and pay a global team of both employees and contractors. However, they lack IT and device management.
• Compliance? Because of its reliance on third parties and lack of in-house knowledge, Remofirst can not guarantee the same degree of service and compliance as other providers.
• Wholly-owned? No, Remofirst uses local partners’ entities, not wholly-owned.
• Global coverage? 180+ countries.
• Customer satisfaction: 4.0/5 on Trustpilot, 4.5/5 on G2

When to consider a Remofirst alternative

While Remofirst is an attractive option for budget-conscious organizations, its limited in-house EOR infrastructure could lead to certain risks. Organizations willing to invest in continuous compliance should choose a provider that automates updates on regulatory changes and manages services by in-country, in-house experts.

7. Velocity Global

• Consolidation? While they offer global payroll, benefits, and immigration, they primarily focus on providing EOR services.
• Compliance? Their reliance on third parties may pose potential service and compliance risks.
• Wholly-owned? No, they rely on third parties.
• Global coverage: 155 countries
• Customer satisfaction: 3.2/5 on Trustpilot**, 4.6/5 on G2

**Unclaimed profile

When to consider a Velocity Global alternative

Velocity Global’s reliance on third parties may not be the best choice for compliance-conscious organizations. EOR providers with wholly-owned entities provide a better legal safety net.

Next steps: choosing your international hiring and payroll provider

Choosing new providers can be a lengthy process, especially when you’re looking for a long-term partner for something as complicated as hiring international employees.

Start by evaluating your priorities and understanding where you’re willing to make trade-offs—for example, wider global coverage at a higher price point versus more budget-friendly options with smaller scopes.

Book demos to see how the platforms work, and take the opportunity to ask questions specific to your business needs. Look for transparency around entity ownership, compliance practices, and customer support response times. Be sure to ask how each platform handles updates to local labor laws, and whether services like contractor management, visa support, or IT provisioning are included or require third-party coordination.

The right global hiring and payroll partner should not only meet your current needs but also scale with your growth, supporting your team wherever work takes them next.

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