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Employer of Record (EOR)

Remofirst vs. Deel: A Simple and Honest Comparison

September 10, 2024

Companies expanding their teams globally often face the challenge of hiring employees in other countries while remaining compliant with local regulations. 

One option is to establish an entity, which is costly and time-consuming. Plus, you risk getting into legal trouble if you make mistakes trying to handle it on your own.

However, companies can streamline the process — and avoid running afoul of local compliance issues — by working with an Employer of Record (EOR).

As Employers of Record, Deel and Remofirst can help businesses with HR management tasks, such as hiring, onboarding, and paying international teams in multiple locations without the hassle of establishing a local entity.

Below, we'll dive into both hiring and payroll solutions from an honest perspective so you can make the right choice for your business.

Key takeaways: 

  • Deel and Remofirst have a broad global reach, allowing businesses to hire and pay remote workers in 150+ countries (Deel) and 180+ countries (Remofirst). 
  • Remofirst’s affordable rates make it easy for companies to start hiring immediately, even if it’s just one employee or contractor, making them a good choice for startups.
  • Deel offers a significant range of HR and payroll tool integrations, making it a good choice for businesses that utilize multiple software platforms.

Remofirst or Deel For Global Hiring and International Payroll Management

Remofirst and Deel are competitors that provide a lot of the same services. But each has its unique differentiators, too. 

Before we dive a bit deeper into both platforms and services, here’s a quick overview of how they compare to one another:


Remofirst Deel
Best for Startups, entrepreneurs, and cost-conscious businesses Companies with broad integration needs
Global reach 180+ countries 150+ countries
Differentiator Low pricing and quick onboarding API integrations
Employee pricing Starts at $199 per person/month Starts at $599/month + fees per employee
Contractor pricing Starts at $25 per person/month Starts at $49 per person/month
Hidden fees None Unknown
Employee onboarding 1-5 days, but often under 24 hours 2+ days
Global payroll processing Yes Yes
Payment options Bank transfers, digital wallets Bank transfers, PayPal, cryptocurrencies
Employee benefits RemoHealth Local benefits
Customer support Dedicated account manager and 24/5 customer service 24/7 live chat and a web form
Reporting A single dashboard tracks and displays team members’ hours, time off, holidays, bonuses, and commissions, Standard reports required by local labor laws, as well as custom reports to meet each company’s reporting needs
Background checks Yes Yes
Equipment Will ship to new hires Will ship to new hires

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When to Choose Remofirst or Deel.

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Remofirst Features

Remofirst’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to manage complex EOR features including:

Simultaneously paying employees and contractors in multiple currencies, regardless of how your talent is globally distributed.

Payroll in Remofirst.

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Managing the complex and time-consuming visa process to ensure compliance in more than 85 countries.

Countries Remofirst helps provide visas in.

Onboarding and managing a global team through a single, easy-to-read dashboard.

Remofirst dashboard.

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Deel Features

Key features Deel offers include:

Integrations with apps such as Slack, including plugins for software your company already uses.

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Deel Engage, which uses AI to help offload the work of fine-tuning your company’s culture.

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Custom automations for onboarding, offboarding, and communications with remote teams.

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Remofirst Pricing

Remofirst offers straightforward, competitive pricing with no hidden fees. 

The free contractor management tier allows employers to onboard and manage contractors at no charge. Other benefits include free identity checks and contract generation and management. Pricing starts at $25 per person per month for companies to pay contractors on the Remofirst platform, with no minimums.

EOR services start at $199 per person per month with no minimum number of contracts, and enables companies to hire and pay employees in 180+ countries.

Deel Pricing

Deel’s contractor rate starts at $49 per person per month and is available in 150+ countries. There doesn’t appear to be a free version.

For EOR services, pricing starts at $599 per employee per month.

The pricing model scales up based on company size. This means you pay a fee per employee contract, and the amount you pay may change depending on where your talent lives and works.

This can be an issue for small businesses and startups. In particular, those with fluctuating or expanding workforces may find dynamic pricing makes it difficult to maintain a consistent burn rate or accurately forecast month-to-month payroll.

Remofirst Customer Support

Remofirst supports employers and their teams with a dedicated account manager and 24/5 customer service. 

Need assistance with benefits management, visas, or any other HR-related matter? The platform's embedded chat function provides direct, real-time access to the customer support team that is accessible 24/7.

Deel Customer Support 

Deel’s customer support options include 24/7 live chat and a web form. Employers who utilize the web form will experience wait times of up to eight-hours.

Remofirst Contractors

Remofirst makes it easier for companies to employ and manage contractor payments for international contractors, seamlessly navigate complex local laws, mitigate the risk of misclassification, and file 1099-NEC forms for U.S. contractors onboarded through the platform.

Deel Contractors

Deel offers what the company calls Continuous Compliance™ — a service product that reduces administrative work and powers HRIS integrations.

Remofirst Visas and Work Permits

Remofirst’s RemoVisa helps businesses navigate the complicated and often confusing process of obtaining visas and work permits and ensuring compliance with local labor laws in over 85 countries.

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RemoVisa Quote.

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Deel Visas and Work Permits

Deel’s work visa and immigration product helps streamline the application process in 20+ countries, specializing in managing simultaneous, large-volume applications.

Remofirst or Deel: Which is Right for Your Business?

That depends on the level of customer service you expect, what you can afford to pay (and how consistent you need financial forecasting to be), and how you integrate other technology tools into your company’s workflow. 

Basically, the right Employer of Record for your company depends on your specific needs. 

Consider factors such as budget, the number of employees you need to manage, preferred technology tools, if integrations are necessary, and the countries where you want to recruit and employ a global workforce.

Deel:

  • Extensive Integrations: Deel offers a wide range of integrations with popular HR and payroll tools, making it a good choice for businesses that rely on multiple software systems.
  • Free Calculator Tools:  Estimate the cost of an international employee and compare different country costs to see the required benefits and withholdings.
  • Mobile App: Deel’s user-friendly app provides a range of features to help businesses efficiently manage their employees.

Remofirst:

  • Cost-Effective: Remofirst’s pricing makes it a budget-friendly option for cost-conscious companies or those only planning on hiring just a handful of employees. It’s the best pricing on the market with unique priority partners located in 180+ countries.
  • No hidden fees:  Operates at a fixed flat rate. (Many providers in the space have other fees not explicitly advertised). 
  • Ease of Use: The Remofirst platform is intuitive, streamlining the process of onboarding and managing employees.
  • Quick Onboarding: Remofirst’s onboarding often can take less than a day, providing the ability to respond to evolving staffing needs quickly.

Ready to onboard, manage, and pay global employees or contractors? Remofirst might be the perfect choice for you. 


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