According to The Future of Jobs Report 2025, macro trends such as technological advancements and economic uncertainty are reshaping how companies approach international hiring.
At the same time, many efficiency-minded and cost-conscious businesses report that finding skilled talent remains a challenge.
And when you do finally pinpoint the right folks to hire? Well, people management remains, in a word, hard. Deciphering unfamiliar, country-specific labor laws and researching international payroll processing regulations can quickly become significant hurdles for your business.
On top of that, managing these steps often comes with a price tag. Workforce management tools can help, but they’re not cheap — and many companies find the fees add up quickly.
That’s why it’s worth looking at more affordable options before you start hiring and onboarding an international team.
Key takeaways:
- Global payroll platforms reduce fees by using existing international entities to manage employee payments across countries.
- Contractor management platforms (CORs) make onboarding and paying freelancers easier while remaining compliant with local employment laws.
- Human resources and compliance platforms simplify documentation and workflows, while payment platforms give startups a straightforward, low-cost way to handle global hiring and payroll.
Employer of Record (EOR) Platforms
An Employer of Record (EOR) can simplify the hiring and management process for global employees. How? By acting as the legal employer for your international staff in countries where your business doesn't have a legal entity.
This allows your company to build a global team — including full-time and freelance employees alike — without the expense and hassle of setting up a new legal entity or navigating unfamiliar local labor laws.
EORs take on the administrative burden of HR tasks such as:
- Employee onboarding and offboarding: Handling the hiring and departure processes
- Legal compliance: Staying up-to-date on local regulations and drafting compliant employment contracts
- Payroll and taxes: Ensuring employees are paid accurately and that taxes are remitted on time
- Benefits administration: Managing employee benefits, like health insurance
- Visa applications: Assisting with the necessary paperwork for visas and work permits
- Equipment shipping: Sending any necessary equipment to your new hires
- Background checks: Confirming you're hiring qualified candidates who are who they say they are
While an EOR takes care of these administrative tasks, your company retains complete control over your employees’ day-to-day work, responsibilities, and projects.
Wondering which EOR to choose? Here’s a brief overview of some of the options to consider:
- RemoFirst: Delivers EOR offerings built to seamlessly support compliance and help companies run payroll and manage payments. The platform consolidates all your global expenses into a single invoice, simplifying the payment process. Starting at USD 199 per person, per month, it’s also one of the most budget-friendly options available.
- Deel: Offers EOR services that help companies manage global employees. The platform provides locally compliant contracts and automates the collection of tax and compliance documents. Pricing starts at USD 599 per person, per month.
- Remote: Provides EOR capabilities that enable companies to compliantly hire internationally. It also helps businesses manage payroll and HR data, and offers legally vetted contract templates. Pricing starts at USD 599 per person, per month (annual plan only).
Global Payroll Platforms
Global payroll platforms are tools to help companies pay international employees in different countries.
They’re an excellent option for businesses with established international legal entities that don't need the full suite of services an EOR provides. Examples include:
- Rippling: An all-in-one payroll system that combines HR, IT, and financial tools for managing a global workforce. A solid option for companies that want to automate payroll, benefits, and device management in a single system. Pricing varies depending on the services you choose.
- Playroll: This is an HR platform for companies with existing legal entities that need to centralize and manage their global payroll operations. The service focuses on unifying multi-vendor payroll data and providing real-time analytics. Pricing available upon request.
- CloudPay: A unified, cloud-based platform that manages global payroll services. It's designed for enterprise companies that need analytics, real-time data, and integrations with existing HR systems. Pricing varies depending on the services you choose.
Contractor Management Platforms
Companies use contractor management platforms to streamline the process of hiring, onboarding, and paying freelancers across the globe.
Also known as a Contractor of Record (COR), these services can create legally compliant contracts and manage international payments in local currencies. CORs can also centralize all contractor data.
Utilizing these platforms helps businesses reduce the risk of misclassification and ensure legal compliance with different countries' labor laws.
Here are some notable COR platforms:
- RemoFirst provides a cost-effective solution for managing and paying contractors worldwide for only USD 25 per person, per month. It also features a contract agreement generator to ensure compliance with local labor laws in 150+ countries.
- Oyster supports companies hiring contractors in 180+ countries for USD 29 per person, per month. Users can manage expenses, time off, and more directly on the platform.
- Multiplier enables companies to hire and manage contractors for USD 40 per person, per month. Companies can choose to offer contractors benefits and insurance via the platform, and have the option to pay in cryptocurrency.
HR and Compliance Platforms
Companies use HR and compliance providers to manage people-related tasks and ensure they follow local laws and regulations. Basically, these tools help smooth out a company's day-to-day operations.
Businesses that already handle payroll internally, or with another vendor, may use these platforms for their remaining HR processes and features, such as:
- Onboarding workflows that guide new hires through paperwork, training, and introductions to their team. This helps ensure every new hire has a consistent and smooth start.
- Documentation management platforms that store employee information, contracts, and other essential documents in a secure, central location. This makes accessing and managing records easy for employees and HR teams.
- Compliance tracking to help companies organize certifications, training requirements, and other compliance details. The platforms often send automated reminders for upcoming deadlines.
- Employee self-service features that enable employees to access and update their information, request time off, and review company policies. This empowers teams and reduces HR’s administrative workload.
Here are a few popular options:
- BambooHR: This platform specializes in HR for small and medium-sized businesses. The company helps other businesses manage everything from hiring and onboarding to performance management and time tracking. Pricing starts at USD 10 per person, per month.
- Factorial HR: Factorial provides an all-in-one HR software solution, with a focus on Spanish-speaking businesses. The company helps businesses with time tracking, absence management, and document organization. Pricing starts at USD 8 per person, per month.
- Gusto: Gusto offers a complete HR solution for small businesses, including payroll, benefits, and hiring tools. The service gives companies a single, unified platform for their administrative needs. Pricing starts at USD 49 per month, plus USD 6 per person.
Payment Platforms with Onboarding Add-ons
Some platforms offer financial tools that primarily handle payments but also provide basic onboarding features. They help companies with their financial operations and also offer a way to get new contractors set up.
These financial platforms help with multi-currency transfers and provide streamlined invoicing. Some platforms also offer tools for collecting documents and generating contracts, which streamlines the process of managing and organizing information for international hires.
Because they provide a simple, cost-effective way to test the waters with global talent without the immediate need for a complete HR system, startups or small businesses may choose these platforms when they first begin hiring internationally.
Companies may also find them helpful if they only need to manage and pay a handful of international contractors or freelancers.
Here are some options:
- Revolut Business: This platform helps businesses manage their finances, with a focus on international transactions. It lets you create multi-currency accounts, issue virtual cards, and handle payments for remote teams. Pricing starts at GBP 10 per month.
- PayPal for Business: Companies use PayPal for its broad reach and support for international payments. The service can send and receive money in multiple currencies, create invoices, and monitor transactions. Pricing varies depending on the services you choose.
- Stripe Atlas + Stripe Treasury: Stripe Atlas helps companies incorporate a business in the U.S., and Stripe Treasury provides banking-as-a-service. These tools give startups a foundation for global financial operations, allowing them to open accounts and manage money movement, including paying international contractors. Pricing varies depending on the services you choose.
Affordably Onboard Your Global Team With RemoFirst
RemoFirst provides companies with a single platform to hire, onboard, and manage employees in over 185 countries and contractors in over 150. We help you save time and money by taking on the administrative burdens of international employment.
To simplify the process and minimize compliance risks, RemoFirst handles global payroll and legal compliance for full-time employees and independent contractors.
We onboard your new hires in days, not weeks, and help you with everything from localized benefits administration and time-off tracking to visa applications and equipment provisioning.
Our platform consolidates all your global expenses into a single, straightforward invoice. This allows you to pay your entire global team simultaneously, while they receive payment in their local currency.
Ready to learn more? Schedule a demo to discover how RemoFirst can make the onboarding process easier for you and your employees.
