April 19, 2024
You know that feeling when you find the perfect candidate for your team, smart, skilled, ready to start, but then realise they live halfway across the world? Setting up a legal entity abroad can take months and cost tens of thousands of dollars. Plus, there's the whole maze of local labour laws, tax rules, and benefits requirements you'd need to figure out.
That's exactly why Employer of Record (EOR) companies exist. They handle all the legal, payroll, and compliance stuff, so you can hire someone in Brazil or Poland or the Philippines and have them working on your team in a week instead of waiting six months.
But here's the catch: not all EOR providers are built the same. Some are crazy expensive. Others take forever to onboard people. And a bunch have hidden fees that pop up later. So we spent weeks testing platforms, talking to HR leaders who actually use these services, and reading through hundreds of customer reviews to figure out which ones are actually worth your time and money.
What we found: if you're running a tech startup or building a remote team, Borderless AI is probably your best bet. They've built an AI assistant that answers compliance questions instantly, they don't make you put down big deposits upfront, and their pricing ($299/month per employee) is way more reasonable than the old-school players. But depending on what you need, whether you're only hiring in India or you're a huge company needing white-glove service, there might be a better fit.
Let's break down the six best options and help you figure out which one makes sense for your situation.
We checked country coverage, how many countries each provider operates in and whether they own their own legal entities there or just partner with someone else. That matters because third-party partners make things slower and riskier.
We tracked onboarding speed, how long it actually takes to go from "we want to hire this person" to "they're officially on payroll." Some companies promise a fast timeline, but then ask for a million documents.
Pricing transparency was huge. Some EORs publish their prices right on their website. Others make you sit through a sales call just to get a ballpark number. We documented all the "gotcha" fees—setup charges, country activation fees, and deposits equal to two months' salary.
We tested each technology platform, checking whether they integrate with the HR software you're probably already using. Some feel like software from 2010. Others feel like modern SaaS tools you'd actually want to use.
We submitted support tickets and timed response times. We also noted where support teams are based—if you're a North American company and support is outsourced halfway around the world, that creates communication headaches.
And we reviewed compliance track records, looking for any major screw-ups that could put you at risk.
Our team has over ten years of combined experience in global HR and has helped more than 50 companies set up international hiring. We read through about 500 customer reviews on G2 and Capterra, specifically from remote-first companies. This isn't just a list we Googled—we put in the work.
Borderless AI stands out because it built its whole platform around AI from the start. Most EOR companies have been doing things the same old way for years, lots of manual processes, long onboarding times and fees that add up fast. Borderless AI took a different approach.
They also don't hit you with upfront deposits or setup fees. A lot of traditional EORs want you to put down one or two months of salary as a security deposit before they'll even start onboarding someone. When you're a startup managing cash flow, that's a real pain. Borderless AI skips all that. You hire someone, they start working, Borderless AI pays them, then invoices you afterwards. One SaaS company we talked to saved $15,000 in upfront costs on their first three international hires.
Speed matters too. Most EORs take 2-4 weeks to get someone onboarded. Borderless AI does it in 5-7 business days, including all the compliance checks, background verification, and contract setup. A fintech startup we spoke with hired developers in India, Brazil, and Poland all at the same time, and had them working within a week. Their support team is based in North America, so you're not dealing with time zone headaches when you need help. Average response time for urgent issues is under two hours.
The platform feels like modern software, clean, intuitive, and easy to use. It integrates with tools like BambooHR, Gusto, and Rippling, so you have one source of truth for your entire team. And they make it easy to convert contractors to full-time employees compliantly, which is huge for remote teams that start with freelancers and want to bring the best ones on permanently.
Pricing: $299/employee/month for most countries. Check current pricing. No setup fees, no deposits, no minimum employees. Includes compliance, local benefits, payroll, AI support, and their North America-based team.
Pros: AI assistant, zero deposits, fastest onboarding (5-7 days), transparent pricing, modern platform, great support.
Cons: Newer player than established competitors, less customisation for massive enterprises.
Who should use it: Tech startups, SaaS companies, remote-first organisations, companies hiring their first 1-50 international employees, and businesses converting contractors to full-time.
Globalisation Partners (G-P) is the most established name in the EOR industry. Founded in 2012, they've been around longer than most competitors and serve big enterprise clients who need comprehensive global employment solutions. If you're a Fortune 500 company or a large corporation with complex international operations, G-P is built for you.
Their biggest selling point is coverage, 187 countries, which is more than anyone else. They own direct entities in virtually every hiring market, so whether you're hiring in China, the Middle East, or obscure locations most EORs don't touch, G-P can handle it. That kind of reach matters when you're a multinational consolidating all international hiring under one provider.
What you're really paying for with G-P is white-glove service. You get a dedicated account manager who knows your business, quarterly business reviews, strategic planning support, the whole nine yards. Their in-house legal team includes country-specific experts who proactively monitor compliance changes and send you alerts when labour laws shift. They've got insurance coverage for employment disputes, which reduces your liability in high-risk markets.
The trade-offs are what you'd expect: premium pricing and slower timelines. They start at $599/employee/month (literally double Borderless AI), and onboarding typically takes 2-4 weeks. They usually require annual contracts rather than flexible monthly billing. For a small startup or growing remote team, that can feel like overkill. But if you're an enterprise with compliance budgets prioritising risk mitigation over cost, G-P makes sense.
Pricing: Starting at $599/employee/month. Setup fees may apply, volume discounts for 25+ employees, and annual contracts are typical.
Pros: Widest country coverage (187), established track record since 2012, enterprise-grade support, strong compliance infrastructure.
Cons: Premium pricing (2x competitors), longer onboarding times, requires annual contracts, and can feel over-engineered for small teams.
Who should use it: Enterprise companies (500+ employees) with 50+ international hires, organisations expanding into complex markets like China or the UAE, businesses requiring dedicated account management, and industries with strict regulatory requirements.
Safeguard Global offers something a bit different, a hybrid approach where you can choose between EOR services, entity management, or PEO options depending on what you need. With 17+ years of experience and coverage in 187 countries, they serve mid-market and enterprise clients who might need multiple service models as they scale globally.
Here's why that flexibility matters: maybe you start by using their EOR to hire 5 people in Mexico. A year later, you've got 20 people there, and it makes financial sense to set up your own entity. Safeguard can incorporate that local entity for you, transition those employees from EOR to your entity, and provide ongoing entity management and compliance support. Most EORs can't do that; they're EOR-only. With Safeguard, you've got a pathway to evolve your global hiring strategy without switching vendors.
Their technology platform covers payroll, time tracking, expense management, multi-country reporting and analytics. It integrates with major HRIS platforms, giving you a unified view of your global workforce data. They also provide in-country HR consultants in major markets who can guide you through complex employment situations and local labour law nuances.
The downside is complexity. Because they offer so many service options, EOR, PEO, entity setup, and entity management, their pricing structure can be confusing. Implementation timelines run longer, too, typically 3-6 weeks for full setup. Some of their services rely on third-party partners in certain regions, which can create coordination headaches. And pricing transparency isn't great; you'll need custom quotes rather than published rates.
But if you're a mid-market company (100-1000 employees) with growth plans and you want the flexibility to transition from EOR to owned entities as you scale, Safeguard is worth considering.
Pricing: Starting at $550/employee/month. Custom pricing based on countries and service mix, entity setup fees separate (typically $10,000-$50,000 per country), volume discounts available.
Pros: Flexible service model (EOR, PEO, entity management), 17+ years of experience, good balance of technology and human support, pathway to entity ownership.
Cons: Complex pricing structure, longer implementation timelines (3-6 weeks), some reliance on third-party partners, and less transparent than newer competitors.
Who should use it: Mid-market companies (100-1000 employees) with growth plans, organisations needing both EOR and entity services, and companies hiring 10+ employees in strategic markets who might set up entities later.
Paylocity is primarily a US payroll and HR platform that's been around for years, serving American companies. They offer global EOR services through a partner network, which makes them an interesting option if you're already using Paylocity for your domestic operations and want to keep everything under one roof.
The big advantage here is consolidation. If you've got 50 employees in the US running through Paylocity, payroll, benefits, time tracking, performance management, recruiting, and now you want to hire 5-10 people internationally, you can do that through the same platform. Single vendor relationship, unified reporting across all locations, consistent HR processes. Your team doesn't have to learn a new system or toggle between different platforms for domestic vs. international employees.
Paylocity manages the vendor relationships with its global EOR partners, so you've got one point of contact for everything. Their reporting tools let you see cross-border workforce analytics, compliance data across jurisdictions, and custom dashboards. For companies with majority-US teams expanding internationally, that unified experience is valuable.
The catch: Paylocity doesn't actually provide EOR services directly. They leverage third-party providers for international coverage. That means less control and transparency than working with a dedicated EOR. If something goes wrong internationally, a payroll delay, a compliance issue, you're dealing with Paylocity, who's dealing with their partner, which adds a layer of complexity and potential finger-pointing. Response times for international issues may be slower since Paylocity's team has to coordinate with external providers.
Pricing is also less competitive than specialised EOR companies. You typically need an existing Paylocity platform subscription, and global services are priced per employee per month, with rates varying by country. Implementation fees may apply. It works best if you're already committed to Paylocity; if you're not, you're probably better off with a direct EOR provider.
Pricing: Custom pricing based on total employee count and countries. Requires existing Paylocity platform subscription, global services priced per employee (rates vary), and implementation fees may apply.
Pros: Seamless integration with existing Paylocity platform, unified domestic/international experience, strong US payroll foundation, single vendor simplifies procurement.
Cons: Relies on third-party EOR partners (not direct services), less control and transparency, potentially slower response times for international issues, and pricing less competitive than specialised EORs.
Who should use it: US companies with 50+ domestic employees already using Paylocity, organisations with a majority-US workforce expanding internationally (5-20 international hires), and companies prioritising platform consolidation over specialised EOR features.
Wisemonk is an India-focused EOR provider, and that specialisation is their superpower. If you're building an engineering team, customer support operations, or any kind of team specifically in India, Wisemonk offers deep local expertise and cost-effective pricing that generalist EORs can't match.
India is one of the most popular markets for remote hiring, huge talent pool, strong technical skills, English proficiency, and favourable time zones for US and European companies. But it's also complicated. India has state-level compliance variations, complex statutory requirements like Provident Fund (PF) and Employee State Insurance (ESI), and bureaucratic processes that can trip up foreign companies. Wisemonk lives and breathes this stuff. They know the ins and outs of Indian employment law, they have existing relationships with government agencies that speed up paperwork, and they understand cultural nuances for managing Indian teams.
Their pricing is the most affordable on this list, starting at $199/employee/month, which is 33% cheaper than Borderless AI and 65% cheaper than enterprise EORs. They're transparent about it too, with all-inclusive pricing covering payroll, compliance, benefits, and support. No setup fees, no deposits, flexible monthly billing.
Onboarding is fast, 3-5 business days to get employees working, faster than global providers who have to navigate Indian bureaucracy from abroad. Wisemonk also helps with talent acquisition, giving you insights on local salary benchmarks, sourcing candidates from tech hubs like Bangalore, Pune, and Hyderabad. They handle local banking and payments in INR, avoiding FX complications.
The obvious limitation: they only operate in India. If you're hiring across multiple countries, Wisemonk won't work. They're also a smaller provider with less brand recognition than global players. Their platform features are more basic than enterprise EORs. But for India-specific hiring, they're unbeatable on expertise and price.
Pricing: $199/employee/month for India EOR services.All-inclusive (payroll, compliance, benefits, support), no setup fees or deposits, flexible monthly billing.
Pros: Lowest cost for India hiring ($199/month), unmatched local expertise and compliance knowledge, fast onboarding (3-5 days), talent acquisition support included, deep understanding of Indian employment culture.
Cons: Single-country focus (India only), not suitable for multi-country hiring needs, smaller provider with less brand recognition, and limited platform features compared to enterprise EORs.
Who should use it: Startups hiring engineering or product teams in India, US/European companies building India-based customer support, companies with 5-50 employees exclusively in India, organisations prioritising India expertise and cost optimisation, tech companies accessing Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad talent.
Teamed is a modern EOR platform serving startups and growth-stage companies across 150+ countries. They've positioned themselves as the contemporary alternative to traditional EORs, and their standout feature is accepting cryptocurrency payments, which sounds niche until you realise how many Web3, crypto, and blockchain companies are building remote teams these days.
Here's how it works: if your startup operates in crypto or just prefers paying in stablecoins, Teamed accepts that while still paying your employees in traditional currency. This solves a genuine pain point for crypto-native companies that don't want to constantly convert to fiat or deal with banking friction. It's innovative and practical for a specific audience.
But even if you're not a crypto company, Teamed has appeal. Their pricing is transparent, clearly published on their website at $349/employee/month with no hidden fees or surprise charges. That's refreshing in an industry where many providers make you sit through sales calls just to get a ballpark number. They offer flexible monthly contracts rather than locking you into annual commitments.
The platform experience is modern and clean, designed for startups rather than enterprise bureaucracies. It's intuitive, self-service, where you want it to be, with API access for custom workflows. They're strong on contractor management too, making it easy to onboard freelancers, pay them promptly, and convert them to full-time employees when you're ready. That flexibility supports how many startups actually operate, testing talent as contractors before committing to employment.
The trade-offs: Teamed is a smaller, newer provider without the established track record of a Globalisation Partners or Safeguard Global. They don't offer the enterprise features or white-glove service that huge companies might need. If something goes wrong, you're working with a smaller support team. But for tech-forward startups with 5-25 international employees who value modern UX, transparency, and flexibility, Teamed hits the sweet spot.
Pricing: Starting at $349/employee/month. Transparent pricing published on website, no setup fees or long-term contracts, additional services (visa, benefits customisation) priced separately.
Pros: Modern, user-friendly platform, cryptocurrency payment acceptance, transparent published pricing, strong contractor management features, flexible monthly contracts.
Cons: Smaller provider with less market track record, limited enterprise features and customisation, less hand-holding than full-service competitors, newer company with less established reputation.
Who should use it: Crypto and Web3 startups needing flexible payment options, remote-first companies with fully distributed teams, tech startups hiring 5-25 international employees, companies with many contractors converting to full-time, organisations prioritising modern UX and self-service.
Picking an EOR isn't that complicated once you know what to look for. Start by figuring out your scope. How many countries will you hire in? If it's just India, Wisemonk is your answer at $199/month. If it's 5-10 countries, you need a multi-country provider like Borderless AI or Globalisation Partners.
Check your budget and cash flow situation. Can you afford to tie up $5,000-$10,000 per employee in upfront deposits? If not, Borderless AI's zero-deposit model makes sense. If you're an enterprise with deep pockets and want premium service, G-P's $599/month might be worth it.
Think about technology needs. Do you want AI-powered support that answers compliance questions instantly? That's Borderless AI. Need everything unified with your existing US payroll? That's Paylocity. Want to pay in crypto? Teamed.
Make sure the provider has direct entities, not third-party partners, in your target markets. Third-party relationships slow things down and add risk. Ask about their compliance track record, too. You don't want to work with an EOR that's had major screw-ups.
Key questions to ask during evaluation:
Red flags to watch for:
Start small. Hire 1-2 employees as a pilot before scaling up. Test a couple of payroll cycles to make sure everything runs smoothly. That way if there are issues, you catch them early before you've got 20 people dependent on this provider.
For most remote teams, especially tech startups, SaaS companies, and growing businesses, Borderless AI offers the best overall package. You get cutting-edge AI support that saves hours of admin time, zero upfront deposits that help cash flow, 5-7 day onboarding that's faster than anyone else, and transparent pricing at $299/month that saves you $3,600+ annually per employee compared to traditional EORs.
If you're only hiring in India, Wisemonk at $199/month gives you specialised expertise you won't find anywhere else. If you're a massive enterprise with complex needs, Globalisation Partners provides the white-glove service and 187-country coverage to match. If you're mid-market and might set up entities eventually, Safeguard Global's flexible model makes sense.
The good news is that every provider on this list offers free consultations. Take advantage of those. Ask your questions, get quotes, and see the platforms. Then start with 1-2 hires to test things out before committing big.
An Employer of Record, or EOR, is a service that legally employs your international team members on your behalf. It handles all the complex local tasks like payroll, taxes, benefits, and compliance with labour laws. This allows you to hire top talent from anywhere in the world quickly, without the massive cost and time required to set up your own legal entity in each country.
You should be cautious of providers with unclear or hidden pricing, as unexpected fees can add up. Another major red flag is a heavy reliance on third-party partners instead of their own legal entities, which can cause delays and communication issues. Also, be wary of poor customer reviews that mention payroll errors or slow support responses.
Pricing varies significantly based on the provider and the level of service. For specialised, single-country providers like Wisemonk (for India), costs can be as low as $199 per employee per month. For modern platforms like Borderless AI, you might pay around $299. Enterprise-level providers with extensive support, such as Globalisation Partners, can cost $599 or more per employee each month.
Startups usually prioritise speed, transparent pricing, and cash flow. Providers like Borderless AI are a great fit because they offer fast onboarding and have no upfront deposit requirements. Enterprises, on the other hand, often need extensive country coverage and high-touch, dedicated support for complex compliance, making a provider like Globalisation Partners more suitable, despite the higher cost.
Absolutely. If you're concentrating your hiring efforts in a single popular market like India, using a country-specific EOR such as Wisemonk is often your best option. They provide unparalleled local expertise on compliance and cultural norms at a much lower cost than global providers.
Experts suggest starting small. Begin by hiring just one or two employees through the EOR as a pilot. This allows you to test the onboarding process, run a couple of payroll cycles, and evaluate their support team before you commit to moving a larger number of international employees onto your platform.
