Remote Team Tools

Deel vs Oyster in 2026: EOR Price, Hidden Fees and Which One to Pick

Deel's EOR lists at $599 per employee a month and Oyster's at $699, and contractor pricing differs too. Here's the full cost, fees included, side by side.

By Engineer Foodie Desk Oct 21, 2026 ✓ Sources checked Oct 21, 2026

8 min read

Deel list prices checked Oct 15, 2026 on Deel’s pricing page (EOR, contractor and COR prices seen again Oct 21, 2026); Deel’s deposit rules and FAQ checked Oct 21, 2026. Oyster list prices and deposit rule checked Oct 19, 2026 on Oyster’s pricing page and Help Center; Oyster’s terms and annual EOR checked Oct 21, 2026. All prices in USD. No affiliate links on this page (how we work). This is pricing information, not legal or tax advice.

The headline: Deel’s EOR is $100 a month cheaper per employee on list price ($599 vs $699). That’s $1,200 per employee per year. Oyster flips it on contractors: $29 a month after 30 days free, against Deel’s $49.

The funny bit: Oyster’s startup offer is “save up to $1,200 on EOR subscription fees”, exactly one employee-year of that gap. For an eligible startup’s first hire, the difference can wash out in year one. After that, Deel is cheaper on EOR unless Oyster’s unpublished annual quote closes the gap.

The other cash mover is the deposit: 1 to 1.5 months of all monthly charges at Deel, normally about 1 month at Oyster. Both refundable. Neither small.

We haven’t run payroll through either platform; everything below comes from their own pages, help centers and terms.

TL;DR by situation

One full-time hire abroad: Deel on list price ($599 vs $699). If you’re a startup that qualifies for Oyster’s up-to-$1,200 offer, get both quotes; year one can come out close.
Contractors only: Oyster. $29 per contractor a month after 30 days free, against Deel’s $49.
Startup watching cash: Oyster has a published startup offer and a deposit that’s normally about 1 month. Deel publishes no startup offer for EOR and a deposit of 1 to 1.5 months.
10+ countries: both claim 120+ countries for EOR. Ask Oyster for an annual seat quote and compare it with Deel’s $599.
You need contractor of record: Deel publishes COR at $325 per contractor a month; for Oyster, ask.

Choosing among more than two? See our best employer of record roundup and Deel alternatives.

EOR price and the plans around it

Item	Deel	Oyster	Source
EOR	$599/mo	$699/mo	Both sites
Annual EOR	Not published	Quote only	Both sites
Contractors	$49/mo	$29/mo	Both sites
Free period	None stated	30 days	Oyster
COR	$325/mo	Ask Oyster	Deel
Global payroll	$29/mo	Ask Oyster	Deel
US PEO	Check price	Ask Oyster	Deel
Startup offer	Not published	Up to $1,200	Both sites

USD per employee or contractor per month. Deel checked Oct 15, 2026 (EOR, contractors, COR and PEO card seen again Oct 21, 2026); Oyster checked Oct 15, 2026 and seen unchanged Oct 19 and Oct 21, 2026. “Ask Oyster” means no Oyster price for it is in our checked notes.

Deel’s FAQ says it offers “flexible month-to-month pricing with no long-term commitments required”, and the pricing page shows no annual discount (checked Oct 21, 2026).

Oyster lists EOR at $699 per employee a month with “Annual discounts available”, and contractors at $29 a month after 30 days free. Its pricing FAQ says there are no extra setup, onboarding or offboarding fees, that “The Oyster subscription fee is charged per active Team Member”, and that there’s no minimum headcount (checked Oct 21, 2026).

On contractors the gap adds up: ten cost $490 a month on Deel’s list price and $290 on Oyster’s.

Deel’s own pricing page still shows two sets of prices for US PEO: $125 on the “Hire employees” card, and PEO Starter $110 / PEO Pro $120 on the Pay tab. We first logged that on Oct 15 and it was still there on Oct 21. A compliance company shouldn’t need you to reconcile its price list. If you need US PEO, check current price with Deel’s sales team and get it in writing.

Source: Deel pricing, checked Oct 15 and Oct 21, 2026

Deposits and the fees around the plan

This is where Don Draper changes the subject. The list price is the pitch; the deposit is what sits on your balance sheet.

Deel’s EOR deposit. Deel says “we charge a deposit for each EOR hired.” Its Help Center puts the standard deposit at “between 1 - 1.5 all monthly charges, including employee salary, employer costs, fixed allowances, and management fees.” It can be higher in higher-risk countries. It goes to two months if you remove probation, add PTO more than 8 days above the legal minimum, or transfer an EOR with accrued benefits. Each month of notice period beyond one month adds another month of deposit. It’s invoiced in the employee’s local currency and refunded after termination or resignation, once invoices are settled (checked Oct 21, 2026).

Oyster’s EOR deposit. Oyster’s Help Center says the deposit is normally a 1-month, fully refundable deposit, roughly one month of “Total Cost of Services”: salary, recurring bonuses and allowances, employer taxes and VAT, plus Oyster’s platform fee. In some situations it’s more than one month. The deposit invoice arrives about 2 business days after you submit the team member, payment is due at Service Agreement signature, and the refund comes after final invoices settle (checked Oct 19, 2026).

So for the same hire, Deel’s standard deposit runs from about the same as Oyster’s to 50% more, and both can climb with notice periods or risk. Being made to park a month or more of salary with a vendor is very Moira Rose: technically it’s still your money, you just can’t touch it.

Other fees. Oyster lists People Services at $300 an hour, and a currency-conversion fee applies only if you pay in a currency other than the contract currency. Deel’s deposit is invoiced in the employee’s local currency, which may not be the currency you pay in.

For each vendor’s full price sheet, see our Deel pricing and Oyster HR pricing pages.

Startup offers and annual plans

Oyster says startups can “save up to $1,200 on EOR subscription fees” (checked Oct 19, 2026). Eligibility rules weren’t in our notes, so confirm with Oyster.

Oyster’s annual EOR is seat-based, and the Help Center says it “costs less than our month-to-month pricing… The cost varies based on the number and location of Team Members”. That’s a quote, not a published number or percentage. You pay up front, it’s “non-refundable”, and seats can be reused. “At renewal, we guarantee to not increase your per-seat price by more than 5%.” Semi-annual and quarterly billing cost more per seat (checked Oct 21, 2026). An annual price you can only see after a sales call is the Pulp Fiction briefcase: everyone says it’s good, nobody shows you what’s inside.

Deel publishes no annual discount and no EOR startup offer on its pricing page. The only promotion shown is for US PEO: 3 months of platform fees credited on 2-year Order Forms signed Jul 15 to Dec 31, 2026, and you owe full list price if you end early (checked Oct 21, 2026).

Contracts and cancelling

Deel: month-to-month, cancel anytime, per its pricing page (checked Oct 15, 2026). Its FAQ repeats “no long-term commitments required” (Oct 21, 2026).

Oyster: no minimum term is stated. Its customer terms say “both You and Oyster may terminate the Agreement (or any Service Agreement) at any time, for any reason or no reason at all, on 30 days written notice”, subject to the section on what happens when you terminate (checked Oct 21, 2026). The annual EOR plan is the exception you choose into: it’s prepaid and non-refundable.

Both let you leave; Oyster just wants 30 days’ notice. Either way, a departing employee’s notice period and the deposit refund run on their own clock.

Coverage (vendor claims)

Deel says its EOR offers “Full legal employment in 130+ countries” (its stats block says 150+) and pays contractors “in 120+ currencies”. Oyster says EOR in 120+ countries, contractors in 180+ countries and payroll in 120+ currencies (both checked Oct 21, 2026). Check your specific country before you sign.

Here’s what I’d do

For one or two full-time hires at a company that doesn’t qualify for startup offers, I’d go Deel: $100 a month less per employee, month to month. Budget a deposit of up to 1.5 months of the hire’s total cost.

For an early startup making its first hire, I’d get quotes from both. Oyster’s up-to-$1,200 offer can cancel the first year’s list-price gap, and its deposit is normally about one month.

For a contractor-heavy team, I’d use Oyster: $29 against $49, with the first 30 days free. If you need a vendor to hold the contract and the classification risk, Deel’s COR at $325 is the published option. Our guide on how to pay international contractors covers the other routes.

At 10+ hires, I’d ask Oyster for an annual seat quote, then put it next to Deel’s $599. If Oyster’s per-seat price comes in under $599, with the 5% renewal cap, it’s the cheaper EOR on paper. If not, Deel.

For the other head-to-heads, see Deel vs Remote and Rippling vs Deel.

FAQ

Is Deel cheaper than Oyster? On EOR list price, yes: $599 vs $699 per employee a month; on contractors, Oyster is cheaper at $29 vs $49.

Does Oyster charge a deposit? Yes, normally a refundable deposit of about one month of Total Cost of Services, sometimes more.

Does Deel charge a deposit? Yes, the standard EOR deposit is 1 to 1.5 months of all monthly charges, refunded after the employment ends and invoices settle.

Which is better for contractors? Oyster on price, at $29 a month after 30 days free versus Deel’s $49, while Deel also sells contractor of record at $325.

Deel vs Oyster vs Remote? Deel lists EOR at $599, Remote from $599 and Oyster at $699 per employee a month.

Sources

Deel pricing (EOR, contractors, COR, Global Payroll, US PEO, month-to-month): https://www.deel.com/pricing/ (verified 2026-10-15; EOR, contractors, COR, PEO card, FAQ, US PEO promo and country claims verified 2026-10-21)
Deel Help Center, EOR deposit calculations: https://help.letsdeel.com/hc/en-gb/articles/15574494993297-About-EOR-Deposit-Calculations (verified 2026-10-21)
Oyster pricing (EOR, contractors, People Services, startup offer): https://www.oysterhr.com/pricing (verified 2026-10-15, seen unchanged 2026-10-19; FAQ and country claims verified 2026-10-21)
Oyster Help Center, why a deposit is required: https://support.oysterhr.com/hc/en-us/articles/34221683638289-Why-is-a-deposit-required (verified 2026-10-19)
Oyster Help Center, how EOR annual works: https://support.oysterhr.com/hc/en-us/articles/13566621374353-How-Does-EOR-Annual-Work (verified 2026-10-21)
Oyster customer terms and conditions: https://legal.oysterhr.com/legal/customer-terms-and-conditions (verified 2026-10-21)
Remote pricing (EOR from $599, FAQ comparison only): https://remote.com/pricing (verified 2026-10-15)