Top 8 Deel Competitors & Alternatives
Tools like cloud computing and video conferencing apps have blown the global labor market wide open. They allow easy file sharing and smooth communication anywhere in the world and that means employers are no longer limited by geography when they bring talent onto their teams. At the same time, employers also need solutions that allow them to hire international employees legally and compliantly.
Deel is one of these solutions, an Employer of Record (EOR) service provider that helps clients hire globally. In this review, we’ll look at what Deel is, what it does, and the pros and cons of using its service.
More importantly, we’ll look at the top eight alternatives to using Deel and help you judge whether any of them is a better choice for your organization.
Deel as an Employer of Record
Deel is a service provider that deals with international hiring and related services. This San-Francisco-based company was founded in 2019 and was built on a global employment platform (GEP) model. This means that it bases its service delivery on an online, cloud-based platform that clients can access from anywhere. This platform acts as an HR management system (HRMS) through which the client can organize employees and independent contractors and manage their HR needs.
Deel’s main service is an Employer of Record. This means that it helps clients legally hire employees in locations where they don’t own registered entities. Instead, Deel uses its network of subsidiaries and third-party partners to act as the full legal employers of clients’ workers in other countries. Deel’s entities enter into contracts with the employees directly and therefore manage legal compliance. It also takes care of their payroll, benefits administration, leave management, and other HR needs on behalf of the client.
Deel offers many other services as well that are related to international hiring including (but not limited to):
Deel's Main Advantages
To give you a better idea of what Deel does, we’ll next look at the advantages you can gain from choosing this company as your EOR partner. Its main advantages include:
Global Coverage
Deel is a large company with a reported 2024 annual recurring revenue of over $500 million. As such, it offers both EOR and contractor management services in over 150 countries. It can also support global payroll services in over 100 countries.
Convenient Payments
Using Deel, you can pay employees in over 120 local currencies. For contractors, you can choose from 18 payment options that include bank transfers, Deel Card, Wise, Payoneer, and PayPal.
Built-in Time and Attendance Tool
Clients can enter time and attendance data directly into the Deel platform. This information is then shared directly with payroll.
Easy-to-use Software
Deel’s platform has been rated very highly by users for ease of setup, and they are also very happy with the support they receive. Deel also has a mobile app that helps both admins and employees access the system conveniently.
Integrations
While it has an API to allow developers to build integrations, Deel also integrates right out of the box with 100 popular HR, accounting, and communications applications. This can help with quick and seamless data transfer between the Deel platform and the other tools you’re already using.
Deel's Main Drawbacks
While Deel has a lot of positive attributes, it also has drawbacks. These are the main disadvantages you might experience if you choose it as your EOR provider:
Pricing
Deel’s starting price for EOR services is moderate at $599/employee per month. However, its contractor price of $49/person per month is one of the highest in the industry. Its US PEO (professional employment organization) price is similarly high at $89/person per month.
REMOTE PEOPLE FURTHER READING
Discover all the details in our in-depth guide and thorough breakdown of Deel’s pricing options.
Recruitment
Despite its extensive global reach and the importance of sourcing talent in international hiring, Deel doesn’t provide recruitment services. Recruiting tools like an applicant tracking system (ATS), interview software, and candidate screening tools that can help clients perform this work on their own are also noticeably absent from its platform.
Benefits
Like all EORs, Deel administers mandatory benefits like social security contributions and paid time off (PTO) in all the countries where it works. It also offers equity package management in over 110 countries.
However, outside of its PEO services in the US, Deel doesn’t directly offer benefits like health insurance and private pensions.
Top 8 Deel Alternatives
While Deel is a top EOR provider, there are several reasons why it might not be the best fit for your organization. For that reason, it’s worth taking the time to explore alternatives to this company so you can find the best partner for your needs. Here are our top eight recommendations:
| Company | Description |
|---|---|
| Horizons | Offers tailored EOR and PEO services for businesses expanding internationally. |
| Remote | Specializes in global employment solutions, offering localized expertise in payroll, compliance, and benefits to streamline managing international teams. |
| Velocity Global | Provides workforce solutions, including EOR, for seamless global expansion. |
| Rippling | Combines HR, payroll, and IT management into a single platform for global teams. |
| Global Expansion | Specializes in EOR and global mobility services to streamline international hiring. |
| Safeguard Global | Focuses on payroll and workforce management for international businesses. |
| Multiplier | Offers EOR and HR solutions with a focus on compliance and employee benefits. |
| Remofirst | Affordable EOR service aimed at startups and growing companies worldwide. |
To help you with this, we’ve prepared a list of the top eight alternatives to Deel for EOR services, including:
1
Horizons
Horizons is one of the top alternatives to Deel in the international hiring industry. This provider has designed its platform as a complete HRIS or human resources information system that helps clients manage their employees in one central space.
Crucially, Horizons provides some important things that Deel is missing. Most especially, it provides recruiting services and extensive benefits packages for employees that include medical and retirement insurance.
Horizons is also much cheaper than Deel for most services. Its EOR service starts at just $299/employee per month and contractor management at $29/person per month, making it a highly affordable employment service provider.
Horizons Key Features:
- Horizons employs recruiters who can help source talent for clients based on their hiring needs.
- This provider works in over 180 countries for essentially total global coverage.
- When hiring with Horizons, the EOR administers both mandatory benefits and additional benefits you may wish to offer your employees.
- Valuable add-on services like background checks, immigration support, equipment provisioning, and workspace access are all available.
2
Remote
Remote has a different take on the global employment industry with its wholly-owned EOR model. This means it owns all the entities it uses to hire employees for clients around the world and doesn’t use third parties. This gives it more control over the quality and speed of its operations, but it’s also limited to a lower number of countries.
While it can hire contractors in over 180 countries, it only supports employee hiring in around 100. Like Deel, Remote also doesn’t provide active recruitment services. As an alternative, however, it offers paid access to talent pools and support from an AI assistant who can help clients match candidates with their job openings.
Remote’s starting price is the same as Deel’s for EOR services ($599/employee per month), but it challenges Horizons with a price of $29/person per month for contractor hiring.
Deel Key Features:
- Remote manages both mandatory and optional benefits like health insurance and pensions.
- It has introduced AI-powered candidate matching as part of a self-service recruitment tool.
- The platform is accessible via a mobile app for employers and admins.
REMOTE PEOPLE FURTHER READING
Explore our detailed guide for an in-depth comparison between Deel and Remote, highlighting their features, strengths, and key differences.
3
Velocity Global
Velocity Global is a hybrid EOR that owns some entities and partners with third parties as well. This allows it to provide hiring services in over 185 countries around the world. This platform integrates with a small number of human capital management (HCM), HRIS, and ATS apps to help smooth workflows. It also provides extensive benefits packages around the world.
Velocity Global, like Deel, doesn’t offer active recruitment services… directly. It does, however, work with a network of pre-vetted recruitment agencies around the world which it can link clients to. This provider doesn’t publish its prices, however, so they may be higher than Deel’s.
Velocity Global Key Features:
- Velocity Global manages additional benefits like health insurance and retirement packages.
- It covers the globe with services in over 185 countries.
- It also lets contractors opt in and out of benefits programs.
4
Rippling
Rippling is another popular EOR option that can make a good alternative to Deel.
This provider began as an HRIS and offers one of the most comprehensive platforms in that space. It later added contractor management in up to 188 countries and, more recently, EOR services though these are limited to just 29 countries presently.
Rippling’s EOR service price is also $599/employee per month, but its contractor management price is not publicly available. This provider doesn’t offer active recruitment services, but it does include an ATS with tools that greatly simplify this function for clients who want to source talent on their own.
Rippling Key Features:
- Rippling offers EOR services in a limited number of countries.
- This Rippling platform is extensive and includes talent management, analytics, and over 600 pre-built integrations.
- The platform automates offer letters and onboarding to get new hires working fast.
REMOTE PEOPLE FURTHER READING
Check out our detailed guide on Deel vs. Rippling, where we break down their core features, strengths, and how they support businesses managing global teams.
5
Global Expansion
As an alternative to Deel, Global Expansion (GX) offers EOR, contractor, HR, and payroll services around the world.
If you want to hire employees and offer them additional benefits, GX can produce tailored packages to take care of your needs. This provider also features recruitment services through its international recruitment agency partners.
GX costs significantly more than many competitors at $850/employee per month. You can also add medical and life insurance to this price for $59/person per month. It charges $39/person per month to help clients manage contractors.
Global Expansion Key Features:
- Global Expansion offers EOR services across 214 countries and territories – essentially everywhere.
- It offers recruitment services to help clients source talent internationally.
- GX provides additional benefits packages for health coverage and employee equity.
6
Safeguard Global
If you’re looking for a service provider that does more than Deel, Safeguard Global might be your choice.
This provider offers EOR and contractor management services in over 170 countries worldwide and also manages payroll and outsourced HR for its clients globally. Safeguard also offers extensive recruiting services internationally whether clients are looking for employees or temporary staffing solutions. It even allows them to outsource this entire function through recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) offerings.
While it charges a rock-bottom price for contractor management of between $5 to $10 per person per month, depending on an organization’s number of contractors, its other prices aren’t publicly available.
Safeguard Global Key Features:
- Safeguard Global provides recruitment services globally.
- It manages payroll and HR for companies that own entities in other countries.
- Unlike most EORs, Safeguard Global also provides entity setup services to help clients move further into international markets.
7
Multiplier
Multiplier is an alternative to Deel that offers a limited number of services and solutions to keep things simple.
It focuses on EOR, contractor management, and global payroll services as well as immigration support for when employees relocate. It works in a fairly extensive 150+ countries around the world. Multiplier doesn’t do recruitment or include any recruitment tools with its platform. It does, however, provide packages for additional benefits like retirement savings, equity, and health insurance.
Multiplier charges a competitive $400/employee per month for EOR services as a starting fee and $40/contractor per month.
Multiplier Key Features:
- Multiplier manages EOR services in 150+ countries and can provide clients with optional benefits packages for their employees.
- It provides visa management and support in over 140 countries.
- Multiplier offers several payment options for contractors, including over 120 currencies and cryptocurrency payments.
REMOTE PEOPLE FURTHER READING
Discover our in-depth comparison of Deel vs. Multiplier, highlighting their unique offerings, key features, and how they support seamless global workforce management.
8
Remofirst
If you’re simply looking for a service provider that charges a lot less than Deel, Remofirst is another possibility you can partner with.
Its EOR service price starts are $199/employee per month. It charges nothing to manage contractors unless you want to pay them, which of course, you will, and then it charges a competitive $25 per person per month.
Remofirst has a simple and easy-to-use platform with limited features. It doesn’t provide recruitment services or include any self-help tools for this function. However, it can still help you hire employees in over 180 countries and manage contractors in more than 150.
Remofirst Key Features:
- Remofirst manages global payroll services in over 180 countries for clients who already own international entities.
- Remofirst offers RemoHealth benefits packages for employee medical, vision, dental, and wellness coverage.
- This provider also performs background checks for new hires and can help with equipment provisioning and immigration if needed.
REMOTE PEOPLE FURTHER READING
Explore our comprehensive analysis of Deel vs. Remofirst, uncovering their standout features, benefits, and how they simplify global hiring and team management.
How to Choose the Best Alternative to Deel
If you want to choose an alternative to Deel that is a better fit for your organization, it’s important to look at the drawbacks of using Deel and then search for a provider that addresses them. Some of the main criteria to look for in an alternative include:
1. Pricing
Deel’s pricing is moderate at $599/employee per month for EOR and $49/contractor per month, there are more affordable competitors out there. Its contractor price is particularly high and if you work with a large team of international contractors, these fees can really add up.
2. Integrations
While Deel can integrate out-of-the-box with over 100 applications, some competitors can integrate with hundreds of apps. If you have a particular tech stack that you need all of your software to work smoothly with, you may need to look for a more integrative provider.
3. Benefits
If you want to offer your employees the most competitive compensation packages possible, they should include great benefits. Deel doesn’t help with additional benefits so if this is your goal, you might look for a provider that gives you a wide choice of retirement savings, health insurance, equity, and other benefits packages.
4. Recruitment
Remote provides adequate tools to help you manage your recruitment function by yourself. If you need more assistance, however, you can look for an EOR that offers active recruitment services and even complete RPO or recruitment process outsourcing to help with sourcing, interviews, selection, and even training.
5. Global Coverage
If you need to hire employees in some of the world’s more obscure, faraway countries, Deel may not cover them. Other providers have services in over 180 or 200 countries and territories and should include just about everywhere.
Horizons as Your Employer of Record Deel Alternative
Deel is a big, international service provider that helps with EOR, contractor management, performance management, payroll, HR, and IT solutions.
However, it has its weaknesses and is definitely not the best choice for every organization. If you’re looking for a provider that offers an extensive range of services at a high level of quality and for a much cheaper price, try Horizons as your EOR choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Deel not only leaves recruitment out of its service offering, but it also doesn’t provide clients with an ATS or other useful tools they can use to recruit on their own. It essentially ignores the issue of talent sourcing and assumes clients can find their own workers internationally.
Deel calls its platform a human resources information system or HRIS. It’s certainly an extensive system that includes employee engagement, performance management, and learning management in addition to payroll and benefits management. However, it’s not comprehensive as it’s missing recruitment tools.
While Deel works in over 160 countries, it only provides global payroll services for clients who own entities in 100 of them. In the remaining countries, Deel may be able to help with employee and contractor hiring.
Yes. Deel, like many competitors, has begun to leverage AI technology. Deel AI works as a consulting system that can answer payroll questions and give data-based insights. This feature is currently in beta testing mode and can be used for no extra charge.
Exploring Deel Alternatives In-Depth
Our Solutions
- EOR from $199
- Employee Benefits
- Global Payroll
- International Recruitment
- Contractor Management
- Company Incorporation