OysterHR Pricing Model Explained: How Much Does it Cost in 2026?

Oyster HR's Employer of Record starts at USD 699 per employee per month on its official pricing page. This headline rate covers platform services but excludes salary, employer taxes, and statutory benefits.

Real employment costs vary based on the country of hire, employee salary level, mandatory benefits, and cross-border payment margins.

Here we are going to look into the following aspects, all the information that we have included here is from research into customer feedbacks, community discussions and talking to Gloroots customers who have switched from OysterHR

• How Oyster structures EOR and contractor pricing across different employment models
• What actually increases your total monthly workforce cost beyond advertised rates
• When companies evaluate alternatives like Gloroots for transparent global employment pricing

What Is Oyster HR and Who Is It Built For?

Oyster is a global employment platform offering Employer of Record and contractor management services across 180+ countries. The platform enables companies to hire and pay international workers without establishing local entities.

Oyster primarily serves mid-market and enterprise companies with 50 or more employees, though startups also use the platform for global expansion.

Key Features & Use Cases:

• Hire employees legally without establishing foreign subsidiaries in 120+ countries via EOR
• Manage global contractors with compliant agreements and payments in 180+ countries
• Run multi-country payroll through a centralized dashboard with automated calculations and reporting
• Administer statutory benefits based on local regulations including social security and pensions
• Handle onboarding, employment documentation, and compliance filings with legal and HR expert support

How Oyster HR's Employer of Record Pricing Actually Works

Oyster distinguishes between Employer of Record for full-time employees, Global Contractors for independent workers, and Global Payroll for employees hired through your own entities. 

Each pricing model reflects different compliance responsibilities and service scope.

Advertised fees represent Oyster's platform charges only, excluding salaries, employer social contributions, mandatory benefits, and currency conversion costs.

Pricing Structure Table:

Companies often underestimate total costs when planning multi-country hiring, focusing only on service fees rather than statutory obligations.

Oyster HR Pricing Plans Explained (2026)

Employer of Record (Full-Time Employees)

Who This Is For:

• Companies hiring full-time employees in countries where they lack legal entities or entity setup infrastructure
• Mid-market and larger companies building distributed teams across 5-20+ countries, prioritizing compliance and employee experience

Oyster's official pricing page lists Employer of Record at USD 699 per employee per month, with annual discounts available. Some independent reviews cite USD 599-699 monthly or USD 499 when billed annually through Scale plans.

What's Included:

• Drafting locally compliant employment agreements with 100% legal review for each jurisdiction
• Processing payroll and handling statutory tax filings with local authorities monthly
• Administering mandatory local benefits including social security, pensions, and health insurance
• Managing leave, holidays, and documentation through centralized HR platform tracking
• Supporting termination processes in line with labor laws including severance calculations

Where It Starts Breaking Down:

• Costs increase significantly when hiring across multiple high-tax countries like France (45-50% employer contributions) and Germany (~40%)
• FX margins and benefit markups reduce long-term budget predictability when payment currency differs from contract currency

Contractor Management

Who This Is For:

• Companies hiring freelancers, consultants, or project-based talent globally without immediate employment commitments
• Teams testing new markets, filling short-term skill gaps, or running pilot projects before full-time conversion

Oyster charges USD 29 per contractor per month after a 30-day free trial. Contractors remain independent, with misclassification risk staying with the hiring company unless Shell protection is purchased.

What's Included:

• Compliant contractor agreements with country-specific legal templates for 180+ countries
• Cross-border payment processing in 120-140+ currencies with consolidated invoicing
• Basic documentation management for invoices, expenses, and contract terms
• Optional misclassification guidance through Employee Misclassification Analyzer and Shell add-on

Where It Breaks Down:

• Contractor-to-employee conversion introduces substantial cost increases from USD 29/month to USD 599-699/month EOR fees plus benefits
• Misclassification risk remains with hiring company; Shell coverage caps at USD 50,000 per claim, USD 500,000 aggregate

What Actually Drives Your Total Global Employment Cost

1. Country of Employment

Employer social security and payroll tax contributions vary from under 1% in Denmark to over 30% in France, Sweden, and Czechia according to OECD data. 

France requires employer contributions around 45-50% of gross salary, while UK employer National Insurance increased to 15% from April 2025.

2. Employee Salary Level

Higher salaries increase statutory contributions proportionally in most countries. Employer contributions calculated as percentages of gross salary drive total employment cost multipliers to 1.2-1.4× in moderate countries.

3. Mandatory Benefits & Insurance

Germany requires employer contributions to statutory health insurance, pensions, and unemployment totaling significant percentages of salary. 

Countries including Brazil, Philippines, Mexico, Italy, and Portugal mandate 13th-month salary payments, adding one extra month annually.

4. FX & Cross-Border Payment Margins

Traditional banks embed 2-5% FX markup above mid-market rates on cross-border payments. Oyster charges currency conversion fees when invoice currency differs from contract currency, creating budget unpredictability.

5. Contractor vs Employee Classification

Misclassification can result in back taxes, retroactive social security contributions, fines, and penalties. 

Oyster Shell provides up to USD 50,000 per claim and USD 500,000 aggregate coverage for USD 49/contractor/month additional.

Real-World Pricing Examples

Example 1 – Hiring 1 Employee in the UK

A startup hiring its first UK employee avoids GBP 15,000-30,000+ entity setup costs and 3-6 month delays by using Oyster EOR for 48-hour employment.

Cost Breakdown:

• Gross salary: GBP 30,000 annually (example rate)
• Employer taxes: 15% National Insurance on earnings above GBP 5,000/year plus 3% pension contributions (16-18% total on-costs)
• EOR platform fee: USD 699/month (approximately GBP 560/month at current exchange rates)
• Total monthly employment cost: Base salary + 16-18% statutory costs + platform fee

Oyster's UK calculator emphasizes that total cost includes salary, employer NIC, pension, statutory benefits, and EOR fee—many companies budget only for salary and service fees initially.

Example 2 – Hiring 5 Employees Across 3 Countries

A company scaling across Europe faces varying employer social security rates: UK 15.05-18.05%, France 25.25-35.7%, Germany approximately 40.9% of gross wages according to employer tax guides.

Country Variation Table:

EOR service fees scale linearly with headcount, but statutory costs grow non-linearly based on each country's tax rules, creating unpredictable expansion costs.

Example 3 – Contractor to Employee Conversion

A company converting a long-term contractor handling core work to full-time employment reduces misclassification risk but faces substantial cost increases beyond platform fees.

Breakdown:

• Previous contractor cost: Contractor invoice amount + USD 29/month Oyster fee (+ optional USD 49/month Shell)
• Conversion fee: Oyster's conversion process involves risk assessment and legal review; specific fees not publicly disclosed
• New EOR monthly fee: USD 599-699/employee/month plus pass-through employer taxes and benefits
• Revised total employment cost: Adds mandatory social contributions, health, pension, and potential 13th-month pay in relevant jurisdictions

Contractor classification offers lower upfront costs but higher misclassification exposure; employee status via EOR increases fixed costs while reducing legal risk.

Where Oyster HR Pricing Gets Expensive as You Scale

Oyster's EOR pricing is categorized as premium, starting at USD 599-699 per employee monthly, higher than budget competitors offering USD 199-399 rates. Multi-country expansion compounds costs as employer social security in high-contribution jurisdictions exceeds 30-40%.

• Multi-country statutory variations complicate cost forecasting when hiring across France, Germany, and other high-contribution markets simultaneously
• FX margins of 2-5% reduce payroll predictability; Oyster charges conversion fees when payment currency differs from contracts
• Benefit requirements differ significantly across regions; add-ons like visa sponsorship and benefits setup can add 30-40% to advertised rates

Companies need transparent global pricing models to forecast distributed workforce costs accurately.

How Gloroots Approaches Pricing Differently

Gloroots is a transparent, compliance-first global HR platform serving 140+ countries with predictable multi-country workforce scaling. Starting rates are USD 299 per employee monthly for EOR and USD 29 per contractor monthly.

• Clear breakdown of statutory and service costs with line-item invoicing by country and employee
• Transparent contractor and EOR pricing separation with no hidden setup or offboarding fees
• Dedicated compliance support across supported countries with transparent FX handling and no surprise charges

Companies transition from opaque pricing to predictable workforce planning when total employment cost visibility becomes essential for financial forecasting.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oyster HR Pricing

What is Oyster HR's starting price for Employer of Record?

Oyster's official pricing page lists USD 699 per employee per month for Employer of Record services. Some independent reviews cite USD 599 monthly or USD 499 with annual seat-based billing.

This fee covers platform services, compliant contracts, payroll processing, and benefits administration. It excludes gross salary, employer social contributions, mandatory benefits, 13th-month pay, and currency conversion fees which significantly increase total employment cost.

Does Oyster charge setup or onboarding fees?

Oyster states it does not charge additional setup, onboarding, or offboarding fees; these activities are included in subscription fees. However, Oyster requires a refundable deposit for each EOR Team Member to initiate engagement.

Some third-party sources indicate this deposit may equal one month's service cost per hire, though Oyster's current official pricing page does not specify the exact amount or formula publicly.

How much does Oyster charge for contractor management?

Oyster charges USD 29 per contractor per month after a 30-day free trial. This covers compliant contract templates for 180+ countries, identity verification, invoice management, and payments in 120-140+ currencies.

Optional Oyster Shell misclassification protection costs an additional USD 49 per contractor monthly, providing coverage up to USD 50,000 per claim and USD 500,000 aggregate. Contractors remain independent; hiring companies bear misclassification risk without Shell coverage.

What's included in Oyster's EOR pricing?

Oyster's EOR fee includes locally compliant employment agreements, payroll processing, statutory tax filings, benefits administration, HR platform access for leave and documentation, and ongoing legal support. Onboarding can occur within 48 hours in supported countries.

The fee excludes gross salaries, employer social security contributions (ranging from under 1% to over 40% depending on country), mandatory health insurance, pensions, 13th-month payments where required, and FX conversion charges when invoice currency differs from contract currency.

How does Oyster's Global Payroll pricing work?

Oyster's Global Payroll is priced per employee per month, with sources citing USD 25, USD 29, or USD 50 depending on the review. This service handles payroll calculations, tax withholdings, payslips, and expense management for employees hired through your own legal entities.

The employer retains full legal liability and employment responsibilities. Global Payroll is available in 26+ countries according to Oyster's payroll FAQ content, significantly fewer than the 120+ countries supported for EOR services.

‍