Kleos publishes this article and appears in the comparison. Every claim about another platform is taken from that company's own public pages, with the date it was checked.
The right alternative to Deel for paying international contractors depends on why you are leaving it: the seat price, the fees your contractors pay, or a product that does too much or too little.
This comparison covers eleven platforms, from cross-border payment tools to contractor management software and global payroll platforms: Airwallex, Gusto, Kleos, Multiplier, Oyster, Papaya Global, Payoneer, Remote, RemoFirst, Rippling and Wise.
TL;DR
- Deel charges $49 a month per contractor for contractor management and $325 for contractor-of-record. Its contractors pay $5 to withdraw across borders and need $100 on balance to withdraw over SWIFT.
- Contractor management, where you keep the classification risk, starts at $5 a month at Papaya Global and $29 at Oyster and Remote, against $49 at Deel. RemoFirst manages contractors free and charges $25 a month to process payments.
- Contractor-of-record, where the platform carries the classification risk, costs $50 per contractor at Kleos, from $199 a month at Papaya Global, $325 at Deel and Remote, and from $399 at Multiplier.
- Employer of record starts at $199 a month at RemoFirst, against $599 at Deel.
Prices checked on vendor pages, September and October 2026.
Why do companies look for an alternative to Deel?
Companies usually leave Deel for one of three reasons: the price of a seat, the fees their contractors pay, or a product that does too much or too little.
- Seat price. Contractor management costs $49 a month per contractor, against $5 to $29 elsewhere.
- Contractor fees. Deel's contractors pay $5 to withdraw across borders and $5 to $10 over SWIFT, and need $100 on balance for a SWIFT withdrawal.
- Fit. A company that only sends money pays for agreements and onboarding it does not use. One that needs the platform to carry classification risk moves up to contractor-of-record at $325 a month.
None of these is a fault in Deel. Each is a point where a particular company outgrows the product or never needed all of it.
Which Deel alternative fits which reason for switching?
Match the reason to the model first and the vendor second. If you only send money, payment tools such as Wise and Payoneer. For a cheaper seat, contractor management at Papaya Global, Oyster, Remote or RemoFirst. For a platform that carries the classification risk, contractor-of-record at Kleos, Multiplier, Papaya Global, Remote or Rippling.
| If you want | Look at | What you get |
|---|
| Only to send money to contractors you already contract with | Airwallex, Payoneer, Wise | Payment accounts with batch payouts, without an agreement or classification layer |
| Lower fees on your contractors' side | Kleos; ask the others before switching | Kleos charges contractors nothing to withdraw; most others do not publish what contractors pay |
| Cheaper contractor management, with the risk staying on you | Oyster, Papaya Global, Remote, RemoFirst | Seat prices from $5 to $29 a month, or free management with a payment fee |
| A platform that carries classification risk | Kleos, Multiplier, Papaya Global, Remote, Rippling | Contractor-of-record, where the platform signs with the contractor |
| Contractors now, employees later on the same platform | Kleos, Multiplier, Oyster, Papaya Global, Remote, RemoFirst, Rippling | Contractor and employer-of-record products in one account |
| US payroll first, contractors abroad second | Gusto | US payroll with contractor payments abroad; employees abroad through Remote |
How do Deel alternatives compare on price?
Contractor management runs from $5 a month at Papaya Global to $49 at Deel, contractor-of-record from $50 per contractor at Kleos to $399 a month at Multiplier, and employer of record from $199 at RemoFirst to $699 at Oyster.
The model matters more than the headline: a cheap seat leaves the classification risk with you.
| Platform | Contractor management | Contractor-of-record | Employer of record |
|---|
| Deel | From $49 a month | $325 a month | From $599 a month |
| Gusto | Contractor payments in 120+ countries | Not listed on the pages checked | Through Remote |
| Kleos | Not offered separately | $50 or €50 per contractor | From $200 a month, by country |
| Multiplier | Not listed on its pricing page | From $399 a month | From $459 a month, annual billing |
| Oyster | $29 a month, first 30 days free | Not listed on its pricing page | From $699 a month |
| Papaya Global | $5 a month; $35 with penalty cover | From $199 a month | From $499 a month |
| Remote | $29 a month; Plus $99 | From $325 a month | $599 a month billed annually; $699 monthly |
| RemoFirst | Free; $25 a month to process payments | Not listed on its pricing page | From $199 a month, by country |
| Rippling | Quoted | Quoted | Quoted per country |
Payment tools price per transfer instead. Wise charges a fee from 0.33%, depending on currency, on the mid-market rate. Airwallex adds a margin to the interbank rate on each conversion.
Payoneer's fees fall on the contractor: $1.50 per same-currency withdrawal and up to 2% on conversion.
What do contractors pay to withdraw on Deel and its alternatives?
It depends on the platform, and it is the cost most comparisons leave out. Deel's contractors pay $5 to withdraw across borders and $5 to $10 over SWIFT, plus intermediary bank deductions Deel states it cannot predict, with a $100 minimum for SWIFT. Payoneer charges $1.50 per same-currency withdrawal and up to 2% on conversion. Kleos charges contractors nothing.
| Platform | What the contractor pays to withdraw |
|---|
| Deel | $5 cross-border, $5 to $10 over SWIFT, $100 minimum for SWIFT |
| Kleos | Nothing |
| Payoneer | $1.50 same currency, up to 2% on conversion |
| Wise, Airwallex | Not applicable, the sender pays |
| Others in this comparison | Not published on the pages checked |
Across forty contractors paid across borders, Deel's $5 fee is $200 a month leaving their side, before any intermediary bank deductions.
It never appears on your books, and your contractors notice it every month.
Most other platforms here do not publish what the contractor pays to withdraw on the pages checked. Ask before you switch. How five payout tools compare on the contractor's side covers the payment layer in more detail.
Which Deel alternatives take on misclassification risk?
Only contractor-of-record and employer-of-record tiers move the misclassification risk to the platform. Among Deel alternatives, contractor-of-record is sold by Kleos, Multiplier, Papaya Global, Remote and Rippling.
Under contractor management and on payment tools, you sign the agreement with the contractor and the risk stays with you, whatever the platform's templates say.
Among the contractor-of-record options compared here, Kleos has the lowest published price: $50 per contractor, against $199 to $399 a month elsewhere.
| Model | Who signs with the contractor | Who carries the misclassification risk | Examples |
|---|
| Payment tool | You | You | Airwallex, Payoneer, Wise |
| Contractor management | You | You | Deel $49, Gusto, Oyster $29, Papaya Global $5, Remote $29, RemoFirst free |
| Contractor management with penalty cover | You | You, with a capped cover | Papaya Global $35, up to $150,000 per contractor; Remote Plus $99, up to $100,000 |
| Contractor-of-record | The platform | The platform | Deel, Kleos, Multiplier, Papaya Global, Remote, Rippling |
| Employer of record | The platform, as employer | The platform | Kleos, Multiplier, Oyster, Papaya Global, Remote, RemoFirst, Rippling; Gusto through Remote |
Papaya Global and Remote both sell a tier between contractor management and contractor-of-record: you still sign with the contractor, but penalties are covered up to a stated amount, $150,000 at Papaya Global and $100,000 at Remote.
Contract software, contractor management and contractor-of-record explains how the three models differ.
What are the alternatives to Deel for employer of record?
Published employer of record (EOR) fees start at $199 a month at RemoFirst and $200 at Kleos, both depending on country. Deel lists from $599, Remote $599 on annual billing or $699 monthly, Multiplier from $459 on annual billing, Papaya Global from $499 and Oyster from $699. Rippling quotes per country.
Deel sells employer of record as well, and contractors often become employees, so this comparison covers that step too.
Fees also differ in what they include: some providers bundle a full HR system, others sell employment, payroll and compliance on their own. Compare the scope behind each price.
The fee sits on top of salary and employer contributions, which vary far more by country. At the senior engineer averages in our salary data, employer contributions add about 26% in Spain, 14% in the UK and nothing in Armenia. Senior software engineer salary by country, 2026 shows both for 15 countries.
If contractors may become employees, check that the move happens on the same platform. Since 1 May 2026, Gusto refers new customers hiring employees abroad to Remote. What happens when a contractor abroad becomes an employee covers the conversion.
What does each Deel alternative offer?
With the source page and date under each entry.
Payment tools
Airwallex
Airwallex is a business account with multi-currency wallets and batch payouts, built for companies that hold and move money across currencies.
Fits if: you hold balances in several currencies and already contract with your contractors directly.
Contractors: you contract with each contractor and collect their invoices; batch payouts by CSV upload. Airwallex adds a margin to the interbank rate on each conversion.
Employees abroad: no employer-of-record product on the pages checked.
Sources: airwallex.com transactional FX page, checked 21 September 2026.
Payoneer
Payoneer is a cross-border payment account and freelancer payment service.
Fits if: your contractors already receive money through Payoneer, for example from marketplaces.
Contractors: you contract with each contractor directly. The contractor pays $1.50 for same-currency withdrawals, $4 under $400 and up to 2% on conversion.
Sources: payoneer.custhelp.com and payoneer.com resources on conversion rates, checked 28 September 2026.
Wise
Wise is a multi-currency business account built around the mid-market rate with a separate, published fee.
Fits if: you pay a handful of contractors you already contract with and want the mid-market rate.
Contractors: you contract directly; BatchTransfer sends up to 1,000 payments from one upload. Fee from 0.33% depending on currency, paid by the sender.
Employees abroad: no employer-of-record product on the pages checked.
Sources: wise.com BatchTransfer page and help centre article on guaranteed rates, checked September and October 2026.
Contractor and employer-of-record platforms
Kleos
Kleos is a contractor-of-record and employer of record, with contractors and employees on the same platform.
Fits if: you want the platform to carry the misclassification risk and your contractors to withdraw without fees.
Contractors: contractor-of-record at $50 or €50 per contractor, which shifts the classification risk to Kleos. Kleos signs the agreement with each contractor, with terms tailored to the contractor's location, and pays in their local currency, showing the amount that will arrive before they confirm. Nothing is charged on the contractor's side. One invoice per top-up covers the whole team. In 200+ countries.
Employees abroad: employer of record from $200 a month per employee, depending on country, in 200+ countries.
Sources: kleos.io/contractor-of-record and kleos.io/solutions/employer-of-record, checked 2 October 2026.
Multiplier
Multiplier is an employer-of-record and contractor platform with tiered published pricing.
Fits if: you want contractor-of-record and employer of record on one platform with published tier prices.
Contractors: contractor-of-record from $399 a month per contractor. Multiplier states it charges no setup fees and no FX markups.
Employees abroad: employer of record from $459 a month on annual billing or $499 monthly; Growth tier from $519 annually.
Sources: usemultiplier.com/pricing and usemultiplier.com/faq, checked 9 October 2026.
Oyster
Oyster is an employer-of-record and contractor platform with a seat-based annual billing option.
Fits if: you manage contractors yourself now and plan to employ some of them later on the same platform.
Contractors: contractor management at $29 a month, first 30 days free, in 180+ countries. No contractor-of-record tier is listed on its pricing page.
Employees abroad: employer of record from $699 a month, in 120+ countries.
Sources: oysterhr.com/pricing and oysterhr.com/how-it-works/global-contractors, checked 28 September 2026.
Papaya Global
Papaya Global is a payroll and workforce payments platform with contractor and employer-of-record products.
Fits if: you want to choose how much contractor risk to hand over, from $5 management to contractor-of-record, on one platform.
Contractors: contractor management from $5 a month; Contractor Management+ at $35 with penalty coverage up to $150,000 per contractor; contractor-of-record from $199 a month, which Papaya describes as carrying uncapped indemnity. In 180+ countries and 130+ currencies.
Employees abroad: employer of record from $499 a month.
Sources: papayaglobal.com/pricing and papayaglobal.com/contractor-management, checked 9 October 2026.
Remote
Remote is an employer-of-record and contractor platform. Remote states it owns all of its legal entities.
Fits if: you want the provider to employ people through its own entities in every country it covers.
Contractors: contractor management at $29 a month; Plus at $99 with cover of up to $100,000 per contractor for penalties; contractor-of-record from $325.
Employees abroad: employer of record at $599 a month billed annually or $699 monthly, in 90+ countries.
Sources: remote.com/pricing and remote.com/global-hr/contractor-management, checked September and October 2026.
RemoFirst
RemoFirst is an employer-of-record and contractor platform priced for smaller teams.
Fits if: you want the lowest published employer-of-record starting price and keep contractor risk yourself.
Contractors: contractor management free, with no agreement between you and RemoFirst on that tier; $25 a month per contractor to process payments, across 150+ countries.
Employees abroad: employer of record from $199 a month, varying by country, in 185+ countries.
Source: remofirst.com/price, checked 9 October 2026.
Rippling
Rippling is an HR, IT and payroll platform with employer of record as one module.
Fits if: you already run HR, IT or payroll on Rippling, or plan to open your own entities later.
Contractors: global contractors with the risk on you, and contractor-of-record, both quoted per country. Rippling lists contractor-to-employer-of-record as a separate solution.
Employees abroad: employer of record quoted per employee per country. Rippling states employer-of-record employees move to direct hire without re-onboarding when you open an entity.
Sources: rippling.com/products/payroll/employer-of-record and rippling.com/products/global/global-payroll-and-hiring, checked 28 September 2026.
US payroll with an international layer
Gusto
Gusto is a US payroll and HR platform with contractor payments abroad.
Fits if: you run US payroll on Gusto and pay a few contractors abroad.
Contractors: contractor payments in 120+ countries, with the classification risk on you.
Employees abroad: through its partner Remote. Since 1 May 2026, Gusto refers new customers hiring outside the US to Remote, where they open a separate account.
Source: support.gusto.com articles on hiring non-US employees, checked 28 September 2026.
What should you check before switching from Deel?
Five things move with each contractor: the agreement, the rights in their work, the tax status form, the money still on balance, and the payment history. The balance is easy to miss, because Deel's withdrawal minimums can leave small amounts stuck.
- Balances. Ask contractors to withdraw before you close their Deel profiles. Below $100, a SWIFT withdrawal is not available on Deel.
- Agreements. A contractor-of-record signs its own agreement with each contractor, so the contract changes with the provider. Under contractor management you remain the contracting party.
- Rights in work. If Deel signed with your contractors, work done so far reached you through Deel's agreement with you. Keep both agreements on file: the new provider's assignment covers only work after the switch. How IP travels through a contractor platform covers the chain.
- Tax forms. For a US payer, a Form W-8BEN or W-9 is given to the payer. If the new platform becomes the payer, it collects its own. How US companies pay international contractors covers which form applies.
- Records. Export invoices and payment confirmations for every contractor before access ends. HR documentation for distributed teams covers how long to keep them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Deel?
It depends on why you are switching. For payments only, Wise or Payoneer. For cheaper contractor management, Papaya Global from $5, or Oyster and Remote at $29. For a platform that carries the misclassification risk, contractor-of-record from Kleos, Multiplier, Papaya Global, Remote or Rippling. For employer of record, Kleos from $200.
What is cheaper than Deel for international contractors?
Contractor management starts at $5 a month at Papaya Global and $29 at Oyster and Remote, against $49 at Deel. RemoFirst manages contractors free and charges $25 a month to process payments. Contractor-of-record starts at $50 per contractor at Kleos and $199 a month at Papaya Global, against $325 at Deel.
Is Gusto an alternative to Deel for hiring abroad?
For contractors, partly: Gusto pays contractors in 120+ countries, with the classification risk on you. For employees abroad, since 1 May 2026 Gusto refers new customers to Remote, where they open a separate account. Deel keeps contractors and employees on one platform.
How does Kleos compare with Deel?
Kleos charges $50 per contractor for contractor-of-record, against $325 a month at Deel, and charges contractors nothing to withdraw, where Deel charges $5 across borders. Kleos issues one invoice per top-up for the whole team, where Deel routes one invoice per contractor. For employer of record, Kleos lists from $200 a month by country and Deel from $599. Both keep contractors and employees on one platform.
Is Remote cheaper than Deel?
For contractor management, yes: $29 a month against $49. Contractor-of-record costs the same, from $325. For employer of record, Remote lists $599 a month on annual billing or $699 monthly, against $599 at Deel. Remote states it owns all of its legal entities; Deel states it owns entities in 130+ of the 150+ countries it covers.
What is the difference between contractor management and contractor-of-record?
Under contractor management, you sign the agreement with the contractor and keep the classification risk; the platform handles onboarding, invoices and payouts. Under contractor-of-record, the platform signs with the contractor and carries that risk. Contractor management usually costs $5 to $49 a month; contractor-of-record from $50 to $399.
What does a contractor pay to withdraw money from Deel?
$5 for a cross-border withdrawal and $5 to $10 over SWIFT, plus intermediary bank deductions Deel states it cannot predict. Minimums apply: $100 for SWIFT and $50 to Payoneer.
Write down the one reason you would switch from Deel, then price only the platforms in that row of the first table.
Last updated: October 2026.
.avif){kind=icon}
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
