Best Remote Alternatives in 2026
A sourced shortlist of the top Remote competitors: Deel, Oyster, Papaya Global and Rippling. Each is compared with Remote on pricing, free plan, features and fit, using dated vendor and independent sources. No rankings and no paid placement.
- 4 alternativesEach with its own sourced profile
- Updated 13 Nov 2026Every source is dated
- 8 sourcesDrawn from each sourced profile
- No rankingBest fit depends on your priorities
What are the best alternatives to Remote?
The main alternatives to Remote covered here are Deel, Oyster, Papaya Global and Rippling. Deel may suit companies hiring contractors or employees in other countries, while Oyster may suit distributed startups. None is best for everyone: the right HR & payroll software depends on team size, budget and which Remote limitation you are trying to solve.
Teams usually start looking beyond Remote for documented reasons: employer costs extra; startup discount ended. Remote remains a reasonable fit for startups hiring abroad, so an alternative is not automatically better, only different.
Below, every option is compared with Remote in one table, then described with its strengths, trade-offs and pricing, each taken from its own sourced profile. Anything the sources do not document is marked as unknown.
Why teams look for Remote alternatives.
Each reason is a limitation documented on the Remote profile, with its source cited there.
Cost and pricing
Employer costs extra.
Plan limits
Startup discount ended.
Feature gaps
EOR expensive at scale.
Fit and focus
Pricing changes often.
According to its profile, Remote may be less suited to: companies with their own entities needing only payroll; very large enterprises.
Remote vs its top alternatives at a glance.
Remote is shown first for reference. Summaries come from each sourced profile; suitability depends on company size, budget, use case and technical requirements.
| Product | Best for | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Remote (current tool) | Startups hiring abroad | Per user, seat or unit | No | EOR $599 per employee a month; contractors $29. | Web, iOS, Android |
 Deel | Companies hiring contractors or employees in other countries | Per user, seat or unit | Free version for small teams (reported) | Contractors $49 a month each; EOR $599 per employee a month; global payroll $29 per employee. | Web, iOS, Android |
 Oyster | Distributed startups | Per user, seat or unit | No | Contractors $29; EOR $699 per employee a month. | Web |
 Papaya Global | Multinationals with entities in many countries | Custom quote | No | Quote; payroll reported from about $20 per employee a month. | Web |
 Rippling | Growing companies that want HR, payroll and IT on one platform | Custom quote | No | Reported from $8 per employee per month; modules and minimums quoted. | Web, iOS, Android |
Each Remote alternative described.
Pricing, strengths and trade-offs are taken from each product's profile, where every point is linked to a dated source.
Deel
Deel · Global payroll, EOR and HR platform (SaaS)
Deel is a global employment platform for hiring and paying contractors and employees in other countries, offering contractor management, employer of record (EOR), global payroll and Deel HR.
- Pricing
- Contractors $49 a month each; EOR $599 per employee a month; global payroll $29 per employee.
- Free plan
- Free version for small teams (reported)
- Team size
- Small teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- Core products have published per-worker prices.
- One platform covers contractors, EOR and global payroll.
- EOR costs $599 per employee a month.
- There is no free trial, only a demo.
Oyster
Oyster HR · Employer of record and contractor platform
Oyster is a global employment platform that lets companies hire full-time employees through its Employer of Record service in 120+ countries and pay contractors in 180+ countries, with benefits, compliance and people services.
- Pricing
- Contractors $29; EOR $699 per employee a month.
- Free plan
- No
- Team size
- Small teams, Mid-size teams
- Wide country coverage.
- No minimum team size.
- EOR higher than Remote’s new price.
- Deposits and FX fees.
Papaya Global
Papaya Global · Global payroll and workforce platform (enterprise)
Papaya Global is a workforce management platform that runs global payroll, Employer of Record, contractor payments and workforce payments across many countries, sold by quote per employee or contractor.
- Pricing
- Quote; payroll reported from about $20 per employee a month.
- Free plan
- No
- Team size
- Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- Built for multi-country payroll.
- Payments and reporting together.
- No public prices.
- Implementation fees per country.
Rippling
Rippling · Workforce platform: HR, payroll, IT and spend (SaaS)
Rippling is a modular workforce platform that combines HR, payroll, benefits, IT device and app management, and spend management on one employee record, with pricing built per module per employee.
- Pricing
- Reported from $8 per employee per month; modules and minimums quoted.
- Free plan
- No
- Team size
- Small teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- HR, payroll, IT and spend share one employee record.
- A low reported entry rate of $8 per employee per month.
- Module prices and the platform minimum are not published.
- The per-employee rate multiplies across every module you add.
Which Remote alternative should you choose?
No single alternative is best for everyone. Match the scenario to your own requirements, then test two or three options against a real process.
Consider Deel if you are…
- Companies hiring contractors or employees in other countries
- Startups without local entities abroad
- Multinationals consolidating global payroll
Consider Oyster if you are…
- Distributed startups
- Companies hiring contractors globally
- Teams wanting benefits support
Consider Papaya Global if you are…
- Multinationals with entities in many countries
- Enterprise payroll teams
- Companies consolidating payroll vendors
Consider Rippling if you are…
- Growing companies that want HR, payroll and IT on one platform
- IT-heavy teams that provision devices and apps by role
- Companies with employees in several countries
Stay with Remote if you are…
- Startups hiring abroad
- Companies paying global contractors
- Teams without foreign entities
How to switch from Remote.
Moving off Remote usually means exporting your core records, rebuilding settings, automations and templates in the new tool, and reconnecting the integrations you rely on. Migrate active work first and archive the rest rather than moving everything. Run one live process with its real users in each shortlisted tool before deciding.
- Export a sample of your Remote data and test an import into the new product.
- List the automations, integrations and permissions you would need to rebuild.
- Compare total cost for your real users or volume, including add-ons, onboarding and taxes.
- Pilot with one team before a full cut-over.
- Check contract terms, renewal dates and notice periods with Remote.
General guidance, not specific to any vendor. Confirm migration options with the vendors.
Remote alternatives: questions and answers
What is the best alternative to Remote?
No single alternative is best for everyone. The alternatives covered here are Deel, Oyster, Papaya Global and Rippling. Deel may suit companies hiring contractors or employees in other countries. Oyster may suit distributed startups. Papaya Global may suit multinationals with entities in many countries. Test two or three against your own process before deciding.
Is there a free alternative to Remote?
Deel document a free plan or free tier. Free tiers usually have user, volume or feature limits, so check them against your needs.
Why do teams switch from Remote?
Documented reasons include: Employer costs extra. Startup discount ended. EOR expensive at scale.
Which Remote alternative is best for small businesses?
Deel, Oyster and Rippling are documented as fitting small teams. Compare free plans, minimums and starting prices in the table above.
Which Remote alternative suits large organisations?
Deel, Papaya Global and Rippling are documented as fitting large enterprises. Check security, administration and support terms with each vendor.
How much do Remote alternatives cost?
Deel: Contractors $49 a month each; EOR $599 per employee a month; global payroll $29 per employee. Oyster: Contractors $29; EOR $699 per employee a month. Papaya Global: Quote; payroll reported from about $20 per employee a month. Rippling: Reported from $8 per employee per month; modules and minimums quoted.
Is Remote still worth using?
Remote remains a reasonable fit for startups hiring abroad. Published per-employee prices. Compare it with the alternatives before renewing.
How do I switch from Remote?
Export a sample of your Remote data, test an import into the new tool, rebuild automations and integrations, pilot with one team and check your contract’s notice period before cancelling.
Where this shortlist comes from.
- Remote cuts Employer of Record price to $599 PricingSaaS Third-party Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Remote pricing Remote Official Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Deel Pricing Guide 2026: Tiers, Costs, & Value People Managing People Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- Oyster vs Remote pricing Costbench Third-party Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Oyster pricing Oyster Official Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Papaya Global pricing 2026 South Third-party Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Papaya Global Papaya Global Official Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Rippling Pricing 2026: What Each Module Costs Activepieces Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
Alternatives are summarised from the linked profiles and their sources: all sources for Remote and the main sources for each alternative. Confirm current details with each vendor. Stack18 has not tested these products.
Evaluating Remote alternatives?
Compare your shortlist side by side, read the full profiles, or talk to Stack18 if off-the-shelf software is not the answer.
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