Best Global Payroll Services & Software (2024)
These are the best global payroll services providers and software vendors, hand-picked by our HR tech experts. Get pricing, feature breakdowns & comparisons, and detailed platform reviews below.
.png){kind=logo}
Top Global Payroll Services
Global payroll services help businesses compensate employees while staying compliant, regardless of the country in which each worker is based. As remote work becomes increasingly commonplace, such an endeavor is best done through software.
A global payroll system lets companies pay and manage employee benefits, even if the software vendor also acts as an employer of record for full-time employees. Ideally, everything from payslips to tax information to health insurance is managed through this platform as if everyone were in the same city.
So, if you’re looking for a way to pay your remote international workers while having a single source of truth for all that data, you’ve come to the right place. The international payroll services featured below (handpicked by our in-house HR tech experts) are the best for employing people in different countries, guiding you through the process, and even providing additional HR services and features.
To find the best global payroll software, we demoed dozens of products and talked to our community of HR experts. We needed to understand what features worked for them, so we focused on products that would help many kinds of organizations while also providing detail on those that are great fits for specific applications.
The international payroll solutions below all score highly on usability, pricing, flexibility, and, of course, each company’s track record. In all cases, we thought of products with which it would be easy to make a switch, whether upgrading plans with the same vendor or migrating employee data elsewhere.
- Usability: Running payroll in a multitude of countries may not be the most fun thing on earth, but we favored tools that make it a smooth and relaxed experience thanks to their intuitive workflows and aesthetically pleasing dashboards.
- Pricing: This list covers all kinds of budgets, from free tools to get started with paying contractors overseas to enterprise plans on which you could migrate your entire international payroll to one tool.
- Flexibility: Among the dozens of products we tried, we favored those that offer a good variety of payroll options (like contractors and full-time or part-time) on an EOR or PEO scheme, with the ease to move from one to another.
- Track record: Some of these companies are unicorns in their field, others do great in the SMB segment, and you can see why if you talk to their users. For each, we made sure there were solid and steady growth markers for years to come.
If you’d like to read more about our methodology, like the stats we look at and how we go about talking to vendors and users, here’s an article on how we evaluate HR tech vendors.
Related HR Software Categories
PapayaGlobal
Deel
Multiplier
Remote
ADP
Rippling
Globalization Partners
TFY
WorkDay
Oyster
Need Help? Talk to an HR Software Advisor!
Tell us more about your company & an HR Software Advisor will help you find the right software
PapayaGlobal
Papaya Global made our list of best global payroll software providers for enabling distributed teams to legally auto-pay contractors and employees in 160+ countries while making sure their data is protected by leading security and compliance software.
PROS
- Papaya’s full-service payroll guaranteed payouts in 72 hours in over 160 countries.
- It has a straightforward pricing system with a 60-day money-back guarantee if you are unsatisfied with the platform’s performance.
- Offers a dedicated customer success manager or global payroll expert in your time zone who assists you in the local timezone and language. You also get access to their in-house specialists on global employment in 160 countries without extra fees.
- The latest starter monthly fee for the full-service payroll plan has dropped to $12 per employee (the previous one was $20).
- Provides four individual solutions (data and insights, supplemental benefits & immigration support, payment services, and employee data management) at an affordable starter price.
- Papaya Global packs the EOR services you need to do global payroll and employment compliantly in over 160 countries.
- Automated payments in over 100 currencies, 80 of them directly to the worker's bank account through its global banking partners.
- Dedicated customer support providing locations-specific knowledge regarding employment and payroll.
- End-to-end payroll guaranteed payouts in 72 hours.
- Offers four standalone solutions: data and insights, supplemental benefits & immigration support, payment services, and employee data management, making the platform more affordable and scalable.
CONS
- Lacks local entities in the countries where it sells services. We found no information regarding its tax penalty guarantee either.
- Doesn’t offer a free trial or free plan.
- There are a few additional fees, including a set-up fee per location, an onboarding fee, a cycle fee per employee, and a year-end fee for tax filing. There’s also a required deposit (refundable).
- There aren’t many existing integrations, but you can use the platform’s pre-built APIs, SFTP, and custom API integrations for free.
- No free trial or free plan.
- Doesn’t own entities in all the countries it serves. The platform forms relationships with existing local in-country partners to handle employment in a specific region on the client’s behalf.
- BI analytics reports and global immigration services cost additional fees.
- Charges extra fees for setup, onboarding, employee cycle, and tax filing. Also requires a refundable deposit.
- Built-in integration options aren’t very robust. However, the platform does offer pre-built APIs, SFTP, and custom API integrations for free.
Papaya Global is loved by several users we have talked to and also by our editorial team. It is one of a few vendors that provide a straightforward pricing point (no one likes hidden fee surprises!), a solid set of HR tools, robust BI analytics reporting, and in-country customer support.
We appreciate how the platform has kept both employers and staff in mind when developing its HR tools. As an employer, Papaya Global gives you access to payroll, payments, and workforce analytics in one unified platform. The global payroll software provides automated payments in local currency, country-tailored benefit packages, pay slips in the languages of employees across over 160 countries, and AI-based engines to audit invoices for payment accuracy. Papaya Global backs you with in-house benefits experts who advise you on the soundest plans for specific locations without costing you extra. As an employee, there is a self-service portal you can easily access and navigate through. You can find onboarding documents there, request time off, check your docs, and review payslips. The newly launched mobile app (February 2023) will soon allow you to do these things, plus access payment calendars, bank details, and company announcements on the go.
Papaya Global’s global equity management is another thing that sets it apart from other payroll software. With this tool, you can offer equity to employees as part of their compensation, regardless of their location. As we mentioned earlier, the platform does a great job of providing advanced analytics reporting. By "advanced," we mean that you can access dynamic and visual insights into not just payroll, but also HR, billing, and admin data.
However, there are a few things you should keep in mind when considering Papaya Global as your global payroll software. First and foremost, Papaya Global does not own any local entity where it provides services. The platform relies entirely on its third-party local partners. While its pricing is transparent, there are additional costs besides the plan’s price, including a set-up fee per location, onboarding fee, cycle fee per employee, year-end fee for tax filing, and refundable deposit. It is worth getting in touch with Papaya Global’s team to get a full quote for your specific requirements to evaluate the platform further.
Microsoft, Intel, Toyota, Wix, Fiverr, Johnson & Johnson, Deezer
Papaya Global has just added four standalone services to its offerings besides the three plans:
- Full-Service Payroll service: It starts from $20 per employee per month, depending on your operation. It includes its advanced payroll platform, embedded payments, global partner network, and employee portal.
- Payroll Platform License service: Starting from $20 per employee per location, it is for businesses that need to upgrade their payroll and payments tech without replacing the current payroll partners.
- Data and Insights Platform License service: Starting from $150 per employee per month, it includes tools for real-time analytics on payroll costs and headcount.
- Payments-as-a-Service service: Starting from $3 per employee per month, it provides an embedded platform designed for workforce payment.
- Global EOR plan: This plan is between $770 and $1000 per employee per month and lets you manage all your EOR locations on one platform.
- Contractor Management & IC Compliance plan: Particular services are outsourced to a domestic or foreign contractor for periods of rapid growth and the need to reduce labor costs. This plan starts at $25 per employee per pay cycle.
- Payroll Intelligence Suite plan: This plan lets you consolidate all workforce and payroll data from all your operations into a single dashboard, priced at $250 for an annual plan or $320 quarterly per location.
Best For
Those that want to automate global payroll in countries where they have entities can benefit from Papaya Global. The platform is also a go-to payroll software for businesses whose international hires (employees, contractors) are based within Papaya Global’s country coverage.
We started by using the payroll functions to consolidate our global payroll teams into a single platform that headquarters could manage. The success of this initiative led us to expand our use of Papayaglobal, incorporating additional functions such as global recruiting and the employer of record service. This allowed us to streamline our employee experience across all locations. Eventually, we added the employee portal feature, further enhancing the consistency and efficiency of our HR processes worldwide.
- The tool ensures compliance with employment legislation across different countries.
- It handles payroll functions, including currency and tax laws, specific to each country.
- The platform provides a unified experience for all employees globally, which can be managed from a central location.
The organization I worked for needed to streamline its payroll and HR platform to cover all global locations. We were struggling to manage payroll efficiently while complying with various employment laws. The financial burden of maintaining multiple teams to oversee these functions was also a concern, as it was costly to ensure accuracy and compliance. Payroll was our primary focus, so we sought a platform that could handle these tasks without requiring a large, expensive team in each country. We have used this tool for several years now, with significant improvements in efficiency and cost savings.
- The primary support is via chat, which can be inconvenient during urgent situations.
- The cost might not be suitable for startups or small businesses.
- The learning curve is steep for large companies, requiring significant time to implement and integrate fully.
Papayaglobal offers a globally integrated service that ensures compliance with employment and tax legislation. Compared to similar tools, it is user-friendly once you become familiar with it. The ability to manage all employee functions from headquarters on a single platform distinguishes it from others, making it a valuable investment.
Papayaglobal is ideal for large companies with multiple global locations seeking a unified platform for HR and payroll management. It is particularly beneficial if you want to manage these functions centrally while providing a consistent experience for all employees.
Papayaglobal has become more user-friendly and has expanded its support options. It now offers more integrations with other software, making it even more versatile and useful.
Papayaglobal is excellent for large, multi-location organizations. It is particularly useful for companies with global operations looking to consolidate HR and payroll functions into a single team at their headquarters.
Papayaglobal may not be suitable for startups or small businesses with limited locations. The cost may outweigh the benefits for smaller operations. However, it could be worth considering as part of a global expansion plan.
Deel
Deel can manage payroll compliance in 150+ countries and has a notably easy-to-use interface, using one platform for all countries.
PROS
- One of the best features of Deel is its customer service. They offer 24/7 in-app support and the fastest-in-class onboarding speed of 2-3 days. Users get access to local payroll experts in each jurisdiction, and support is available for contractors facing challenges setting themselves up as an LLC.
- Integrates seamlessly with common platforms like Quickbooks, Bamboo, Greenhouse, and more. They also offer custom integrations to automate and sync processes.
- Self-service approach; tech-enabled features so customers can jump in quickly and easily. Our user researchers found it quite easy to set up: the identity verification process consistently took less than 24 hours, and in some cases, it took mere minutes.
- Automated invoices, which are a breeze to do as long as they’re in English, both on the company and the contractor or employee’s side.
CONS
- Some of Deel’s best and most powerful services, like onboarding automation, appear to be add-ons, which might be too costly for some companies
- There is little to no flexibility when it comes to altering their contracts or service agreements, so many changes would require an addendum.
- There is a $5 fee per payout
- As far as we’ve seen, it’s not possible to generate invoices in another language.
With Deel, companies can hire employees in a multitude of countries without it getting messy. From the same dashboard, you can manage international payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance in over 150 countries.
Deel was one of the first companies to offer global payroll as their primary service. Their composite of contractor and freelancer management + EOR and PEO capabilities, as well as their sleek design, made them stand out early in the category's history.
Nowadays, they’re also notable for having expanded their tool quite a bit, adding Core HR capabilities to their platform. Other newer Deel features include immigration support, background checks, and their Shield module, devised to protect you against compliance issues.
- Brex
- Duffel
- Andela
- HomeLight
- Makerpad
A cool thing about Deel is that you can sign up for free and play around with the tool, not being charged until you pay your first team member. Once you do, pricing for Deel will vary as follows:
- Contractors: At $49 per contractor per month, Deel takes care of payroll and compliance for contracts in 150 countries.
- Full-time: From $500, this plan lets you hire full-time employees in a new country without having to set up a legal entity there. Deel becomes an Employer of Record and hires the employee for you.
Best For
Companies, big or small, who wish to stay compliant when hiring people in multiple countries. Great for those who wish for an EOR / contractor management balance.
We used Deel as a payment processor for our international employees. The system is customizable to pay contractors on a weekly, bi-weekly or semi-monthly basis. We were able to pay some contractors weekly, and another group semi-monthly. The system also allows for you to submit payments on behalf of the contractor or out of their usual payroll cycle in an off-cycle payroll. Reimbursements could be paid out by the use of the off-cycle payroll. They could be paid immediately after approval by the admin or included in the next payroll cycle run.
I liked the customization of contracts. I liked that our contractors could manage their funds after they were available. It was very easy to get help and a solution through their chat feature or by phone with a representative.
We were in search of an international HRIS tool to employ our international contractors and full employees temporarily. We chose Deel due to the ease of onboarding, customization, and 0 dollar up front cost to onboard our international contractors. We used the platform on a weekly basis to onboard and pay our contractors for 6 months. I especially liked that once a contract ended we could still pay out hours via an off-cycle payroll. This was helpful if a contractor missed a timesheet submission deadline. Another benefit to the platform that our contractors favored was the ability to withdraw their funds in their currency of choice; or split payments into various currencies. Once timesheets were approved and processed from an administrative perspective, funds were available, in most cases within 24hrs to the contractors Deel account.
As we were considering hiring international employees we could only do so by paying upfront cost before onboarding them, this was not ideal for us. I did not like that I couldn't set a semi-monthly rate for a few of our contractors. Onboarding manager wasn't easy to reach for quick questions when onboarding contractors.
The management fees were lower and contractors had more control over their funds.
If you are hiring contractors or employees and how many. Have a solid understanding of what countries they are located in, as this affects the management fee. Also, management fees are paid each payroll, which could get costly, so be sure the contractor or employee is aware of their pay schedule.
We only used this tool for about 6 months and did not see any significant changes during that time.
Remote first companies with employees or contractors across the world.
None
Multiplier
Multiplier’s global payroll solution helps you process payroll in over 120 currencies. You can also use the platform to administer benefit plans, give bonuses and grant equity to employees, among many other things.
PROS
- Multiplier offers a comprehensive platform that combines compliance, payroll, onboarding, and timesheets, providing a streamlined solution for managing these aspects.
- The platform supports multi-currency payments in over 150 countries, facilitating global business operations.
- Instantly generated multi-lingual contracts enhance efficiency and convenience for users.
- Multi-currency payments in local currencies
- Multi-lingual contracts made instantly
- Compliance, payroll, onboarding, and timesheets, all in one platform
CONS
- Integration options are currently limited, with Multiplier only integrating with BambooHR, Workday, Personio, and HiBob for HCM-type tools. However, they are actively working on expanding their integrations.
- Customers have expressed a desire for more customization options, particularly in relation to contract clauses and leave types, to better align with their specific needs.
- Some users have reported experiencing slow response times from the customer support team.
- Limited integrations. As of Summer 2024, Multiplier only integrates with BambooHR, Personio, Workday, and HiBob for HCM-type tools, although they are working on adding more.
Multiplier’s self-service global payroll solution is worth checking out if you’re looking to pay employees and contractors in local currencies and in compliance with local laws in over 150 countries.
Through the platform, employees and contractors can submit invoices for completed work for you to review and approve within the agreed-upon frequency. Employees are also able to access their payslips and contracts and track expense requests, bonuses, and other benefits from their accounts, which is quite handy.
From the employer side (admin account), you’re able to track the attendance of your global workforce, approve leave requests, and review timesheets for more context into what invoices/billable time are for.
Besides global payments, you can do quite a bit through Multiplier’s EoR platform, including hiring and onboarding employees, as well as giving them local health insurance and optional benefits such as bonuses and stock options.
Amazon, Fusion, Graphisoft, ServiceNow, Linklaters, and Korn Ferry are a few of the companies that use Multiplier’s global employment solution.
Multiplier’s pricing depends on who you’re hiring and paying; employees or freelancers. You get to cancel anytime, and no credit card is required for initial sign-up.
Be aware that apart from the mentioned plans, the employee insurance package is priced seperately. The basic coverage plan starts at $20 per employee per month, and the pricing may vary depending on the level of additional coverage required. Furthermore, pricing may also differ based on the geographical location.
Moreover, Global Payroll is offered as a standalone product suitable for businesses regardless of whether they have local entities or not. The pricing for Global Payroll also begins at $20 per employee per month
Best For
Multiplier is a great bet for organizations expanding their global workforce across the Asia-Pacific landscape, even though their reach extends beyond this domain. The platform's attributes cater to startups, mid-sized enterprises, and large corporations. An illustration of this versatility lies in their adeptness at managing a diverse array of contracts. Whether it involves nurturing an on-demand workforce, administering fixed-term arrangements, or orchestrating full-time engagements, Multiplier can adeptly navigate these intricacies.
I interact with the platform daily to manage and oversee various aspects of employee engagement across our international operations. Key workflows include onboarding new international crew members, handling global payroll in compliance with local regulations, and managing employee benefits packages. Additionally, we use Multiplier to maintain compliance documentation for our global staff, ensuring that all personnel operate within the legal frameworks of their respective countries. This tool is vital for supporting our global workforce efficiently and effectively.
- Global Compliance Ease: Multiplier simplifies compliance with international labor laws, making it much easier to manage our diverse global workforce.
- Efficient Payroll Processing: It streamlines payroll operations across different countries, ensuring timely and accurate payments.
- Robust Employee Management: Multiplier provides comprehensive tools for onboarding, benefits management, and maintaining employee records, enhancing HR operations.
LMC adopted Multiplier to streamline the complexities of managing a diverse, international workforce. With crews and support staff based globally, we needed a solution to handle payroll, compliance, and employee management across different countries. Multiplier was introduced over two years ago to address these challenges effectively. It has been instrumental in ensuring compliance with local labor laws, simplifying payroll processes, and managing employee benefits efficiently. The ability to onboard international employees without setting up local entities has been particularly beneficial, enhancing our operational flexibility and reducing administrative overhead.
- Complex Interface: The user interface can be complex and less intuitive, requiring a steeper learning curve for new users.
- Limited Customization Options: Some features lack the flexibility to be fully customized to meet the specific needs of our global operations.
- Response Times: Customer support response times can be slow, especially during critical payroll and compliance deadlines.
Multiplier stands out primarily due to its comprehensive handling of international labor compliance and the ability to manage payroll and HR functions across multiple countries without the need to establish local entities. Unlike other HR platforms that focus primarily on either payroll or compliance, Multiplier integrates these services seamlessly, which is particularly beneficial for companies like Liberty Maritime Corporation that operate globally. Its one-stop solution for international employment management makes it preferable for businesses looking to expand or maintain a global workforce.
- Global Compliance: Ensure the tool efficiently manages compliance with international labor laws, crucial for companies operating across borders.
- Integration Capabilities: Look for a platform that seamlessly integrates with your existing HR and payroll systems to streamline processes.
- Scalability: The tool should grow with your business, handling increases in employee numbers and geographic expansion without performance issues.
The platform has significantly improved its user interface to simplify navigation and reduce complexity. Additionally, it has expanded its customization options to better cater to the diverse needs of various industries and enhanced its integration capabilities with other HR tools for a more cohesive user experience.
It is ideal for businesses expanding internationally that need to onboard, pay, and manage employees across multiple jurisdictions efficiently. This makes it valuable for companies in industries such as technology, shipping, and consulting, where flexibility and compliance are critical.
Multiplier may not be a good fit for smaller organizations or startups that operate solely within a single country and have minimal international employment needs. These organizations might find the platform's comprehensive features for global compliance and payroll management more complex and costly than necessary for their limited scope of operations.
Remote
Remote global payroll software enables employers to hire and pay contractors and employees in locations around the world. They also offer IP protection, data security, 24/7 localized customer service, and ample platform customization.
PROS
- Flat fee structure. No deposit is required (conditions apply), and there is no extra charge for benefits administration.
- Mobile apps are user-friendly and frequently updated.
- 24/7 local support via email and live chat.
- Equity-based compensation available.
- Helpful HR tools and global employment guidelines are free to access via Remote’s website.
- Fast and compliant payroll in 170+ countries.
- Live chat support with local payroll experts.
- Flexible, localized benefit packages.
- Flat-rate pricing structure, no deposits or hidden fees.
- Mobile app streamlines expense reimbursement with autofill from receipt photos.
CONS
- It may be out of reach for small teams with limited budgets.
- Only supports direct deposit and wire transfers, and no off-cycle pay runs.
- No phone support is available.
- Remote has limited pre-built integrations, but you can access its custom API for free.
- Doesn’t have a free trial.
- Redundant for organizations solely recruiting within the U.S.
- Help center documentation isn’t easiest to understand.
Remote is one of our top picks for global payroll solutions.
Remote offers localized payroll services, handling benefits administration, payroll processing, and contractor payments. Remote owns legal entities in more than 60 countries, so it’s one of the most effective solutions for growing teams who employ and pay international employees and independent contractors.
As an Employer of Record (EOR), Remote handles employment's administrative and legal aspects, like payroll processing, benefits administration, tax, and legal compliance. For those who have handled tasks like these close to home, it’s not difficult to imagine how profoundly complicated and error-prone global payroll is. With the help of Remote, companies can focus on doing their actual work, whatever that may be, rather than learning the intricacies of payroll across the planet.
Loom, GitLab, DoorDash, HelloFresh, Workato, Semrush, Teamway
- Global Payroll: $50/employee/month
- Employer of Record: Starts at $599/employee/month (when paid annually)
- Contractor Management: $29/contractor/month
- Contractor Management Plus: $99/contractor/month (Everything in Remote Contractor Management with added indemnity coverage)
- Remote Talent: Starts at $119/month
- HRIS: Free
- Startup and nonprofit discount: Eligible startups and nonprofits can get 15% off EOR and Contractor Management services for 12 months.
Best For
Great pick for either remote-first businesses or those with distributed workforces.
I use remote.com to hire contractors in multiple countries for our company. Once we find a candidate we want to hire, we send an offer letter and start the onboarding process in remote.com. Employees create their invoices at the end of the month and we complete payment through remote.com immediately.
- Ease of use - ability to learn how to use the system in a day
- You are able to contract from over 100 countries in remote.com
- Reporting is clear and easy to understand
As a small organization we were looking to hire many contractors in various countries. Remote.com is extremely easy to use and makes hiring internationally simple. I have been using Remote.com since March 2023.
- Customer service was not helpful and very rude. I had to get a manager involved.
- The system is not very robust. It really is just a payment and time tracking services system, any organization would need an employee performance management system.
- The integrations are underdeveloped and could be improved.
This is the first contractor tool that I have used, and I am very impressed. Remote.com does everything we need so I do not see us needing to switch to a different product.
I think people should assess what countries they need to hire contractors in, and make sure that remote.com is able to hire in those countries. Furthermore the cost of remote.com is pretty reasonable for the price that it costs.
I have not really seen a difference since I have been using it since March 2023. I will say that the reporting is great and I am always happy to improve my process while using it.
Companies with multiple contract workers
Companies with the majority of their hires in the United States.
ADP
ADP GlobalView is the solution for international payroll from one of the most reputable and long-standing companies in the space.
PROS
- Native, all-in-one technology suite for recruitment, payroll, and compliance.
- 17 RPO service centers in 14 countries and provide services in 42 different languages.
- Dedicated team of AIRS-certified recruiting professionals.
CONS
- Technology options outside ADP’s dedicated HR tools are limited.
If you intend to manage global payroll for thousands of employees, ADP’s GlobalView should be on your list of vendors to consider. The payroll giant has put together a solution that’s specific to big businesses, providing them with a single system to unify all global employee payroll data while letting you stay compliant.
For this product, ADP also operates with local experts. You can process payroll yourself, or outsource most of the back office payroll functions to ADP’s team. Finally, GlobalView works only in 40 countries, but it can be combined with ADP Celergo to extend their coverage to up to 140 nations.
Among others, ADP’s global payroll solution is used by the likes of PayPal.
Like with most ADP products, pricing details aren’t available online, since they’ll likely provide a custom quote once you request and have a demo.
Best For
Large enterprises that want a single place from where to manage an international workforce.
We use ADP to manage payroll. It is also used to provide affordable benefits. The HRBP helps to ensure we remain compliant and provides resources as needed. In addition, the helpline is always available. The MyLearning tool has also provided hundreds of training sessions.
The pros of using ADP are having an HRBP and a Payroll Advisor who works directly with you. The HRBP has been great at ensuring that we are following the proper guidelines for our HR-related issues. Having a payroll advisor gives us direct 1:1 support while doing payroll. It has also been great for updating our employee handbook, I love the way they make sure our policies are up to date as new policies develop.
We have been using ADP since 2017. As a small nonprofit organization, it was important to find a PEO. This helped with lowering the cost of benefits for our staff as well as managing our payroll. It has also provided us with endless HR resources.
When thinking about buying this tool, think about your company’s specific needs. Take into account the size of your company and what your expectations are. Be sure to have a budget that shows what your company will pay for benefits versus your employees. Think about what HR resources you are interested in (will you solely rely on ADP or will you also have in-house assistance)? Thinking about these things will help you when speaking with the representatives.
Over time we have been able to upgrade from Total Source to WorkForce Now. This has allowed us to have better reposting and made it easier on our accounts when submitting payroll. It has saved us a ton of time with spreadsheets. ADP is great at keeping you up to date on ungraded to their system. They have also evolved their MyLearning tool which provides a ton of training and now they have more live training and even in-person leadership training.
I feel like ADP can be useful for any size organization, it all depends on the needs. Whether it’s for part of the platform or the entire platform they have something to suit everyone’s needs.
Rippling
Rippling stands out from other global payroll companies because it handles every aspect of the payment process. Very few global payroll companies directly administer all of the steps needed to pay employees across the globe.
PROS
- Nested within HRIS
- Hire, pay, and manage people under a single system of record
- All-in-one platform for employee management + PEO services offered, and even a suite of other IT products
- With 500 integrations, it’s very likely that they integrate with other key tools from your tech stack.
- Operates globally with any currency
- Workflow automation
- Analytics opportunities
- Provides a holistic view of company outflows—headcount costs included
CONS
- Not advisable for very small companies with slow growth
- While you can buy a base tier and add payroll, the real “magic” of this system requires total immersion in the Rippling environment
- Total buy-in to Rippling is essential
- Very SMB-oriented, in case you’re a larger company.
- New features tend to be buggy in ways that tech teams are not accustomed to fixing
Rippling went the extra mile on their global payroll product. They solved a business problem better and before anyone else in their weight class. At this point in their growth, they are agile enough to move quickly, but have just enough mass and inertia to put thousands of hours of labor into doing a complex thing right.
As we pointed out before, Rippling’s global payroll suite stands out from other global payroll companies because it handles every aspect of the payment process; from tracking hours to calculating and filing taxes. Very few global payroll companies directly administer these kinds of steps while also offering a full HRMS to plug it with.
With the exception of payroll titans like Workday, most businesses offering global payroll services are actually “aggregators” of other businesses– they arrange connections between an array of third-party vendors who are unified under one company name. This has some serious drawbacks. Like a game of telephone, a lot can be lost in translation as data is passed from one entity to another.
Built-in is better. This feature’s proximity to the HRIS means the integration process is simple. According to Rippling, it takes “about 90 seconds” to set up an employee for global payroll if you’re already using Rippling. Being built-in also results in seamless access across all dimensions of employee information.
Best For
I used the tool for managing workflows, onboarding, I-9 forms, and offer letters by refining existing processes to enhance usability. I gathered user feedback and identified pain points from our employees, focusing on streamlining workflows and making them more intuitive. I also looked into using engagement surveys with Rippling. Through iterative improvements and testing in controlled environments, I created smoother processes that supported efficient task completion. I documented best practices and provided training to ensure users could navigate the tool effectively and maximize its benefits.
Regarding Rippling, I appreciated its all-in-one capabilities. Another aspect I appreciated was their continuous development of new features. It also provides excellent compliance and management tools. The system's integration with other HR and IT tools is helpful for centralized management.
I assisted with implementing Rippling at the company where it was utilized and had signed on prior to my joining. Initially, they integrated it for approximately 3-6 months, followed by another 9 months, and continue to use it. Their objective was to streamline processes related to onboarding, HR, Carta, and IT solutions. My role involved configuring workflows, email reminders, setting up the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), and implementing Carta. Despite using it effectively for six months at Replit, they aimed for a more efficient onboarding experience but ultimately did not utilize Rippling as extensively as anticipated.
It was quite complex, requiring significant learning effort. The system was not as intuitive as expected, and even the representatives lacked comprehensive knowledge to ensure seamless integration. Rippling demanded considerable time for proficiency, and its compatibility with other systems was limited. Not all data was easily downloadable. If their team responded faster, it would improve the platform. Some workflows were clunky, and many features required explanation over calls, extending the time needed for implementation.
Rippling remains a strong choice for HRIS due to its comprehensive all-in-one functionality. Having multiple HR personnel benefits from its consolidated system, although updating information on one page may necessitate adjustments across other workflows, requiring careful attention. It also has the potential to add benefits and payroll, which are good options if required.
Factors to consider include the investment in financial resources, time from HR representatives, and overall resources dedicated to the software's success. It is crucial to have someone overseeing the broader strategic view and a team to manage the system comprehensively, including regular audits. Consider the level of customization and integration needed and ensure the tool aligns with your company's scale and complexity.
I believe their services are improving, but they need to respond more quickly and avoid giving basic customer service answers. They should show more curiosity about their customers' needs. Building features faster would also be beneficial.
Rippling is a good fit for medium to large enterprises.
Rippling might not be ideal for small companies still figuring out their needs due to its extensive features, which could be overwhelming and unnecessary at their scale. Smaller businesses may find the cost of Rippling prohibitive when simpler, more affordable solutions would suffice. On the other hand, very large companies might outgrow Rippling's capabilities and require more robust, enterprise-level solutions like Workday. As organizations scale, they often need faster response times, more advanced customization, and comprehensive integration options that Rippling may not fully provide.
Globalization Partners
Globalization Partners are the makers of a global Employer of Record platform, putting together professional services and AI for more than just payroll.
PROS
- Their G-P Meridian platform is heavily focused on the EOR space, but it’s offered in several plans that can cater to varying needs, even those that might only need to hire people as contractors.
- Using their tool also implies access to a team of HR and legal professionals with significant experience in each country they operate in.
- Their UX has evolved continuously and gotten more intuitive and modern each time we delve into the product.
CONS
- Customizing a contract is only possible with the G-P Meridian Prime plan.
- Features like background checks, equity management, and IT equipment— to name a few— are only available as add-ons.
- There is no way to try out the software product unless you sign up for a demo and request a proposal.
Globalization Partners combines professional HR and global payroll services with an AI-driven platform. Through their offering, you can hire team members in any of the 187 countries they operate in. Their platform & services go well beyond payroll, helping with onboarding, managing, benefits, and compliance.
Since they own a business entity in almost every country on earth, they can let you hire talent globally within a matter of days. Naturally, all this is done without you having to handle any legal, tax, or HR burdens yourself.
Zeeto
Pricing details are not provided by Globalization Partners. The best way forward is to request a demo and they’ll work with you to provide a custom quote.
Best For
Companies that want an employer of record provider with a platform to manage it all.
As a managing partner in HR, we use Globalization Partners daily. They handle all the compliance issues and make sure we don’t trip over local labor laws. They also manage payroll, ensuring everyone gets paid on time (we had issues with local banks before). Onboarding new hires has sped up considerably. We can now focus on strategic tasks instead of drowning in busy work.
Globalization Partners handles the time zone issues for us, making scheduling easy. Their platform provides updates on local holidays, so we never accidentally plan important meetings on a day off in another country. Their customer support is truly great, especially when we're dealing with urgent issues. They offer localized perks, like specific benefits that resonate with employees in different regions.
We jumped on board with Globalization Partners two years ago because we were overwhelmed by the chaos of hiring from different countries. The headaches of local labor laws and juggling international payroll were driving us crazy. Globalization Partners handled all the tricky aspects of global employment for us. They took care of compliance, payroll, and benefits, which saved us from countless sleepless nights. Thanks to them, we could manage more work with a smaller HR team, making everything more efficient. Now, we can focus on growing our team without getting bogged down in the details of international HR.
One downside is that their services can be pricey, especially for smaller companies or startups. It is expensive for us as well, and we intend to shop around. Another issue was that the platform's integrations with our existing HR systems were not as smooth as we hoped, causing some delays. Additionally, the customization options for reports and dashboards are limited, which can be frustrating when we need specific data.
I found the international payroll services quite good, which are always tricky. Other competitors advertise local entities that handle things seamlessly, but that was not always the case. Here, they truly are professional. The customer service is not just fast and lovely but also capable of solving issues, even at 7 PM on a Friday. Time zone and local holiday coordination make managing an international workforce easier.
When buying a tool like Globalization Partners, consider how well it handles compliance with local labor laws to avoid legal headaches. Look at the platform's ability to manage international payroll. Check the level of customer support—having not just quick but knowledgeable help can save you from a lot of stress. Also, think about how user-friendly the platform is and whether it integrates smoothly with your existing HR systems.
Over the last two years, Globalization Partners has introduced new features. Aside from the tool that helps us keep track of local holidays, they've improved their language support, making it easier for teams who speak different languages to get help and navigate the platform. Another addition is their cultural tips feature, which offers insights into local customs and etiquette—handy for building better relationships with our international team members.
It's perfect for mid-sized businesses and large enterprises that need to manage international employees. Startups with global ambitions will also benefit, especially if they want to hire talent from anywhere on the planet.
Globalization Partners might not be the best fit for tiny startups or small businesses with tight budgets who aren’t planning to go global anytime soon. If your hiring is all local and you don’t need to deal with international labor laws, you don't really need them.
TFY
TFY packs features for applicant tracking, freelance management, payroll and more in a single platform. Not only that, but the platform supports diversity hiring, and can support you in planning and running a host of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
PROS
- TFY offers features for applicant tracking, freelance management, payroll and more in a single platform.
- TFY’s platform supports diversity hiring, and can support you in planning and running a host of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
- TFY has simple and transparent pricing which is something software users always appreciate.
CONS
- According to user feedback, TFY’s UI feels outdated and takes some time to get used to.
- Interested users cannot create trial accounts on their own from TFY’s website.
- TFY doesn’t have prebuilt integration modules, but they do offer API access to connect with tools in your tech stack.
- TFY currently doesn’t have a mobile app.
TFY’s global payroll solution allows you to transfer payouts to your employees and independent contractors in over 150+ countries and over 130 currencies, including more than 20 cryptocurrencies. You won’t need to collect and store bank account details or monitor foreign currency exposures. Simply define the frequency for recurring payments, number of payouts, etc. All of these capabilities and more can be combined with TFY’s Employer of Record services and Vendor Management System, so you can hire seamlessly beyond your borders and have better visibility over your external workforce.
TFY serves companies of different industries. Some of their most notable customers are Zigurat Business School, Exante, Kissflow, WeWork, Revolut, B-caused, and RedHat.
TFY price their ATS and FMS separately as follows:
- FMS: $5 per team member, billed monthly. This includes everything you need to manage and pay remote teams, consultants, and freelancers.
- ATS: $50 per posted job. This plan provides insights into candidates’ skills and salary expectations.
Best For
TFY is best suited for companies looking to hire and manage over 100 freelancers. The platform would also make a good addition to companies looking to implement CSR activities.
I use TFY daily to streamline various essential workflows within the organization. I mainly use it for scheduling tasks, where I can create and manage employee shifts based on demand and availability. I also use the time and attendance tracking feature regularly to monitor attendance, manage overtime, and generate reports.
- It is easy to navigate and use, allowing me to efficiently manage schedules and track employee time without extensive training.
- The automation features, such as scheduling and time tracking, save me considerable time and reduce manual errors, ensuring smoother operations.
- It provides detailed reports on attendance, overtime, and scheduling metrics, empowering me to make informed decisions and optimize workforce management strategies effectively.
We implemented TFY due to the manual processes in the organization that were causing inefficiencies, specifically with scheduling and time tracking. These processes were time-consuming and prone to errors, frequently leading to payroll discrepancies. TFY allowed us to automate tasks and create optimized schedules quickly and efficiently. It has robust time tracking, which has significantly improved accuracy in employee hours, payroll, and overall operational efficiency. It has streamlined our workforce management, removed administrative tasks, and allowed us to focus more on strategic initiatives and employee productivity.
- Sometimes the customization options for specific scheduling rules or reporting formats can feel restrictive, making it less adaptable to unique organizational needs.
- Integrating with other existing systems or software can be complex and may require additional technical support to ensure seamless operation and data consistency across platforms.
- At times, the response time from the customer support team could be improved, especially during urgent situations or when needing assistance with complex issues that require immediate resolution.
It is easier to use than competitors and provides a much more streamlined approach, ensuring operational efficiency.
Prioritize functionality—evaluate whether the tool covers critical areas such as scheduling, time tracking, and reporting comprehensively. Assess the user interface for ease of use, as this impacts adoption rates and training requirements. Then look for customization options that align with your organization's unique workflows and policies. Integration capabilities with existing systems should also be a priority to streamline operations and data management. Also, evaluate the vendor's support services and maintenance to ensure ongoing reliability and assistance when needed. Taking these factors into account will help you choose a tool that enhances operational efficiency and meets long-term business objectives.
I’ve heard there are regular updates to provide the most up-to-date system, but not sure about the specifics as I haven’t used for a long time.
Small to medium companies can find TFY useful.
Large international companies may benefit better from other more robust tools than TFY.
WorkDay
Workday is a popular HR software that includes payroll functionality. It focuses on enterprise needs and offers international payroll solutions for the US, Canada, the UK, and France.
PROS
- Ability to make changes and update payroll in real time.
- Customizable automated calculation engine streamlines payroll processing.
- Provides audits for compliance and payroll accuracy.
- Employee self-service to pay slips, W-2s, W-4s, and payment elections.
- Offers pay on-demand.
- Automatic tax updates
- Support mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
- Accessible customer support from the community, live chat, and telephone.
- Compatible with 300 HR systems such as ERP/GL, CRM, HR, and PSA.
- Configurable dashboard with AI and ML-driven insights.
- Ability to maintain real-time alignment of budgets and workforce plans.
- SOC 2 Type 2 compliance.
CONS
- Enterprise-focus; not a great choice for smaller businesses.
- Time-consuming and complicated setup process.
- No free trial. Undisclosed pricing.
- Mobile app lacks stability and user-friendliness.
- Undisclosed pricing.
- No free trial for its talent management software.
- Time-consuming implementation period (average 4.5 months).
- Challenge navigating for first-time users may require training.
- Issues with logging in were reported by users.
Workday's payroll software is scalable, highly secure, and great for enterprise companies. However, user reviews on the mobile app and implementation vary. It covers the US, Canada, the UK, and France and integrates with Activpayroll for 140+ country coverage.
Workday's payroll software excels on the tech front. It ensures accurate deductions and tax information through automatic updates and audits. It offers flexibility with multiple pay cycles based on employee groups and supports workers' financial well-being by providing a pay-on-demand option for accessing accumulated wages before the scheduled payday.
Workday's mobile app offers customizable dashboards with access to payslips, time off, and time tracking. However, user feedback suggests that it lacks ease of use, with reports of app glitches and logging-in issues.
While Workday boasts impressive scalability and valuable HR features for large enterprises and global companies, it may not be ideal if your company is looking for a simple setup and a super-intuitive mobile app.
Quicken Loans, AstraZeneca, Target, Dell, Bank of America.
The exact pricing details of Workday are undisclosed. Contact Workday’s team for a quote.
Best For
Large enterprises looking for a global payroll solution within a broader HCM suite.
My organization uses Workday for everything within Talent Management. More specifically, we use Workday for compensation, advanced compensation, recruiting, onboarding, compliance, training, analytics, etc.
We also have custom processes built into the system for progressive discipline that we've created from scratch. Workday is used daily by most of our staff and our HR team is in Workday to support almost everything we do during the day. It truly is a one-stop shop for everything.
1. Ability to have all of our offerings under one system.
2. The user experience is easy to navigate and has a modern feel and approach.
3. The system allows for a ton of customization by the customer meaning a lot of configuration can be done without the support of Workday directly to meet your needs.
Our organization purchased Workday to bring all of our previous systems under one offering. We had four different vendors supporting our HR needs at the time and we were able to bring everything under Workday.
Our previous HRIS was lacking updates that supported our team's needs and we wanted to offer an experience to employees internally that was easy to navigate and understand. Workday is easy to use, understand, and looks and feels very modern.
Also, they allow us to have payroll, recruiting, onboarding, performance, training/compliance, etc. all under one offering. Personally, I have used Workday since the fall of 2019.
1. Everything is tied to one system meaning you are glued to the ecosystem making it hard to make a switch in the future, if needed.
2. The amount of customization available is a ton making it at times hard to understand for more complex business processes.
3. The cost. It's an amazing system, but the cost is steep if that is a concern.
Overall, it's different in that everything is able to be under one offering. It's amazing to have the ability to customize your Workday for what the organization needs and it's great that they only release two updates a year for system updates.
The updates are also pushed out to all Workday customers at the same time so everything is working off the same version, unlike other offerings we've used. The ease of use and modern feel is also much different from many of its competitors. It's a great offering!
Overall, when looking at an HRIS like Workday, it's important to consider whether you are looking for a system that can house all your offerings under one system - truly, that's the benefit of getting Workday.
If your organization does not want/need that, you could find alternative options that likely could offer a great experience at a more reasonable cost.
However, for our organization, this was something we needed, and have found great value in offering to create a better experience with more efficient processes.
Workday releases two system updates a year and they are pushed out to every customer at the same time. We have seen so many good updates since we implemented Workday and many of their updates come directly from Workday Community where Workday customers give feedback and ideas for recommended system changes.
For example, there have been significant improvements to the recruiting offerings in managing requisitions, which has really helped our team more efficiently manage requisitions. Another example is when Workday added COVID vaccine tracking very quickly to meet the needs of customers when the government was requiring employers to track vaccinations.
This was outside of the normal twice-a-year releases, which was really appreciated so we were in compliance. They care, listen, and make updates when needed to support their customers.
From my experience, Workday is great for larger organizations because it's such a robust offering. If you are a smaller organization, it may be a bit overwhelming and the expense may be hard to justify.
However, if you are looking for an offering that can be a one-stop shop for everything, offer an easy to navigate experience for staff, and the ability to customize the system for your needs, Workday is great!
If you are a smaller organization, concerned about budget, or if you are not concerned about bringing everything under one offering, Workday may not be a great choice.
Oyster
Among several global payrolls in the market, Oyster stands out for being flexible enough to manage payroll in over 120 currencies while integrating features for expense reimbursement, time-off request, and bonuses.
PROS
- Oyster’s global payroll supports salary payouts in over 120 currencies.
- You can sign up to explore the platform, help docs, and HR tools, only paying when you hire someone.
- Provides transparent flat rates for employees and contractors and a tool that can quickly calculate potential costs and risks of hiring in a new country.
- Whether your employees are in one country or 100, Oyster can accommodate them accordingly, and this is a feature few platforms can boast of.
- Helpful customer support and help center. Thorough guidance on global employment (available for only the highest-priced plan, though).
- Intuitive: The platform is easy to navigate and makes logical sense.
- competitively priced: The flat rate for employees and contractors makes cost comparisons simple, and is competitive in the market.
- Targeted for a remote workforce: Whether your employees are in one country or 100, Oyster can accommodate them accordingly, and this is a feature few platforms can boast.
CONS
- There may be some salary delays in transfers.
- Only supports bank transfers for payments.
- Monthly pricing varies by where the employees are based.
- Slight delays in processing times for payments in the local currency are somewhat common.
- Immediate communication via phone support is not an option, but they do offer live support via Zoom when necessary.
- An initial security deposit is necessary to begin the engagement and is refundable.
- The platform lacks native time-tracking functionality and provides only an in-app tool for managing time off.
- If you’re looking to co-employ your employees and partially outsource HR responsibilities, Oyster isn’t for you. They are more akin to employer of record services (EOR) than a Professional Employer Organizations (PEO).
Among several options in the space, Oyster is flexible enough to manage payroll in multiple currencies and locations globally and has integrated features for expense reimbursement for traveling employees. Running payroll on Oyster was easy. We could process both employee and contractor payroll in one platform and choose the preferred currency and payroll frequency (monthly/bimonthly), depending on country payroll regulations. We’re also happy with its simplicity in managing tax withholding and accounting. While Oyster did well in ensuring employees working under different currencies are paid correctly and compliantly, we wished to see more withdrawal options in the platform rather than just bank transfers.
Oyster is one of a few vendors that can accommodate teams hiring people in over 180 countries. The platform also provides a self-service portal where employees can request time off and reimbursements. We liked that each time one submitted a request, we instantly saw it in Oyster’s admin dashboard, highlighted under the Requiring Attention section. Related tools like the cost calculator, global recruitment guides, and invoice management were placed right in the dashboard, making it easier to access and get the needed help.
Some of Oyster's customers are Juno, Demodesk, Chili Piper, Quora, Wagestream, Impala, and Grover.
Oyster has three pricing plans:
- Contractor: It starts at $29 per contractor per month and includes hiring contractors in 180+ countries, drafting, editing, signing compliant contracts, processing invoices, and paying contractors in 120+ currencies.
- Employee: The plan starts at $499 per employee per month when billed annually and includes features for hiring full-timers in 120+ countries with compliance and liability coverage, automation, IP protection, global payroll, expenses, allowances, and bonuses in 120+ countries.
- Scale: The plan has custom pricing and includes a discounted rate, dedicated client service, and support to navigate global employment and bulk hiring.
- Local benefits plans are provided as add-ons for Employee and Scale plans.
- You can create an account, explore the platform, and access Oyster’s HR tools and resources for free. You’ll only pay once you’ve engaged a team member.
- Discounts are available for nonprofits and businesses hiring refugees.
Best For
Distributed teams whose current and future contractors, employees, or both are based in countries listed on Oyster’s 120+ country coverage. Nonprofits and businesses looking to hire refugees in countries where Oyster has local entities would also benefit from the platform’s special discounts.
We use Oyster to research hiring practices and culture in our target offshore destinations. It has great hiring guides and an inbuilt offshoring University, which we discuss at weekly meetings. We use the inbuilt cost calculator to properly plan and budget gross costs each time we want to hire. We source the talent ourselves, and then Oyster takes care of the onboarding process for us. It's automated, so we just need to add a new hire.
We generally use the "employee" option and don't use the "contractor" option, as we use gig workers on other platforms. We have also integrated our HR software to sync employee personal data and working time data.
It is very easy to use. The country-based information guides are well-researched and helpful. The onboarding process is slick and pain-free.
My organization was struggling to get reliable resources in overseas locations. Freelancers did not stay around long enough and were expensive. The organization wanted to reduce salary costs and increase staff retention by hiring actual employees instead of freelancers.
However, we were only hiring one or two employees in multiple locations, so it didn't make financial sense to establish an offshore legal entity. We needed to use an Employer of Record service to quickly and efficiently employ staff offshore. We wanted to convert some of our freelancers to employees as well.
Oyster impressed us as it offered this service in a unique SaaS format, making it transparent, quick, and great for remote collaboration. I have been using it for about six months and appreciate the easy onboarding process, cost calculator, and HR information per country, which is great for planning.
We have converted several existing freelancers to local employees and hired multiple employees into the local EOR entities via Oyster's one-stop-shop service.
I wish there was more information and guidance on offboarding. Some help with finding talent could be useful. Integration with sites like Upwork for contracting to hire via Oyster would be beneficial.
It's a one-stop-shop SaaS digital service, whereas I have used more analog organizations. I prefer the Oyster model as it's better for remote collaboration across different time zones.
People should consider cost and ease of use when buying this type of tool. Additionally, the global HR information guides provided are crucial to successful offshoring.
They have evolved into a one-stop global payroll tool that can save a lot of time if you have many workers in different locations that need to be paid.
Organizations that have good HR knowledge but want to hire just a few staff (1 to 5) in multiple locations around the world will find Oyster to be the best fit.
Oyster would suit most organizations. However, if you are a larger organization and only want to set up in one location with 10 or more staff, you probably don't need Oyster as it makes sense to do it yourself.
.jpeg)
Atlas
Atlas is an EOR and HR services-focused global payroll provider. They work well for teams of all sizes and offer a good combination of in-house expertise and a functional tech platform.
PROS
- Hire people through direct EOR entities in 160+ countries.
- They are a services-focused company with the tech to back it. For example, with the help of a locally-versed expert to guide you through the process, you can onboard employees and process their payroll in any of the 160+ countries they cover – and it can all be done online.
- Strong focus on compliance: regulations, taxes, local labor laws, etc.
- Atlas has legal entities in over 160 countries. They’ll help you take care of employee onboarding and payroll processing in any of those countries, eliminating the need to engage any local service providers.
- The platform simplifies how you hire, manage and pay employees and contractors abroad, without needing to set up an operation where they are located.
- Atlas helps you stay compliant with local labor laws and frees you from employer liability.
CONS
- Some users noted communication with support can be tricky. An individual expert (or one representing a small team) may be involved in addressing compliance issues specific to a geographic region. Though this has been reported to slow the process, our reviews suggest ongoing improvements.
- No native integrations, but they do have API
- Atlas currently doesn’t offer global managed payroll for non-employer of record (EoR) clients; so if your company doesn't need Atlas to take on from you as EoR, but need to use Atlas' global payroll services, you can't do so at this time. Do note though that the team at Atlas is planning to offer this service next year.
- Atlas currently has limited prebuilt integration modules but they do offer API access for users to plug in third-party tools.
Atlas is a comprehensive global payroll and direct employer of record (EOR) solution that empowers businesses to hire and compensate talent across the globe effortlessly. We’ve seen a demo of Atlas and tried the tool, finding them a solid company to entrust with your legal employer responsibilities.
What does this mean? We found that Atlas can dependably manage most of the operations aspects of the employee life cycle, for several employees, in several countries, from a single platform.
Atlas is used by over a thousand companies, including Toyota, CACI, Bath & Body Works, Coupa, PAE, and Namely.
- Essential: For $99 per month, this plan encompasses features and services that help users navigate the labor & employment laws in over 160 countries (+50 US States), manage employee lifecycle, compliance information between countries, be compliant with their accounting for travel and business expenses, receive personalized notifications, as well as have moderate access to expert insights and HR templates (which are priced separately).
- Premium: For $149 per month, this plan packs everything in the Essentials plan, plus compliance audit interactive checks, people analytics and planning features as well as dedicated account management.
- Enterprise: The pricing of this plan varies according to the number of purchased licenses and customer needs. You can reach out to Atlas’ Sales team for a custom price quote.
Add-ons:
- Contractor Pay: Starting at $49 per contractor per month
- Employer of Record: $595 per employee per month
- Visa & Mobility Sponsorship: Starting at $2,500 per visa
Best For
Companies of all sizes would find an ally in Atlas, but it’s especially good for those looking for a service-oriented offering rather than a DIY, employee-driven, self-service platform.
Atlas HXM is primarily used for two key purposes: managing our global payroll and ensuring compliance. I check it almost daily. The platform provides frequent compliance updates and streamlines both payroll and compliance processes, offering an overview of all compliance requirements in one place. Many companies use Atlas HXM as a one-stop solution for managing their global workforce.
Atlas HXM has an employee self-service portal, which reduces the daily headaches of HR. It is present in most prominent countries. It is very useful when it comes to global payroll and compliance, which used to consume a lot of HR's time, leaving little time for strategic discussions. It also gives country-specific labor and employment updates.
My organization was in the expansion phase when Atlas HXM was introduced. The main pain point for HR was maintaining global compliance and managing global payroll. Our organization was initially in the US and India, and we were planning to expand to the UK and South Africa.
Hence, we were looking for reliable options to help ease the admin-related activities of employees with respect to payroll and compliance. The best part of using Atlas HXM was that it provided country-wise labor and employment updates, which was always helpful. Since Atlas HXM helped us with compliance, HR had a lot more bandwidth for strategic activities.
There is a certain amount of time required for training and gaining acceptance for Atlas HXM. It could be simpler than it is currently. It might be a little costly for a small organization or a start-up. It doesn’t have many options for customization.
I haven't used any similar tools that could be implemented internationally so easily and in a way that gives us an overview of all the locations.
- How much are you ready to invest in compliance?
- If going international, how are you going to manage compliance?
- Which countries are you planning to expand to?
- Customer service of the tool.
- How much cost can you bear?
The firm has used Atlas HXM for a limited time and hasn't seen much evolution.
Organizations that have employees in multiple countries will find Atlas HXM to be a great fit.
A small organization that isn't planning international expansion won’t benefit from Atlas HXM.
Why Use Global Payroll Software
Multi-country payroll software is necessary when businesses of any size want to pay people abroad while staying fully compliant in each country. It’s not just about being able to process payments internationally, since there are a myriad of solutions for that (some of them used by international payroll companies), but about being able to run payroll in multiple countries as if you had a registered company in each of the nations that at least one of your employees calls home.
One could argue that you could do just that by having a payroll provider or a PEO/EOR in each country. However, global payroll software takes it to the next level. These tools help you avoid the extra costs and logistical headaches of having multiple providers. This can be especially challenging when you need a central repository from where to manage them all, and the data inherent to payroll processing is scattered across various systems.
A basic example of the simplicity of using a global payroll tool is that, at least with the ones we’ve mentioned here, you’re assumed to pay each worker in their local currency. They can literally decide this with a couple of clicks.
This ease of localization, to put it that way, extends beyond salary as well. Some of these tools can provide all the employee benefits required by law in each individual’s country as if they worked for a local company. Depending on the software vendor, these can include social security, health insurance, retirement funds, disability, and more. It also means that taxes are handled for them using the same tool. This is what global payroll software vendors mean when they tout full compliance.
Key Considerations & Pitfalls of Multi-Country Payroll
There are just certain considerations that you need to have before assuming that the right international payroll solution will do the heavy lifting for you, make sure your people are paid on time, and present everything in a user-friendly way.
- Knowing local laws: Just because a software company/services provider will be doing part of the work for you doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of what that work is. Like with any good manager, delegating doesn’t mean ignoring. As an employer or HR professional, you should know which laws and tax regulations you must adhere to in each country where you’ll pay someone. This not only helps with making sure that you’re staying compliant through the tool. It also aids when creating a budget, deciding whether to hire someone, shifting from contractor status to full-time, etc.
Note: Most of the top vendors put together resources to educate their user base on this. For example, Globalization Partners’ Globalpedia, Papaya Global’s super-detailed CountryPedia, Remote’s Country Explorer, and Deel’s Global Hiring Guide. - Know your costs: Fees for some of these international payroll companies may seem high compared to payroll software for small businesses or even some enterprise payroll software solutions. It helps to try and calculate how much you’d spend if you choose to go with individual providers in each country or even set up an operation there and handle it in-house. That should help determine how much is reasonable to spend on the project instead of trying to find the lowest-cost provider. Among these costs, you should also consider the fines you would incur if you stay non-compliant or even the potential cost of churn if your employees and/or contractors leave you for not providing the full range of benefits.
- Loading the project mainly into HR: Traditionally, human resources departments tend to have little time, lots of work, and few idle hands. Looking to them to solve the puzzle of international payroll and stick to a budget is one way of ensuring that the project’s outcome will be subpar. When choosing a global payroll solution, you should look towards those that do the most automation and outsourcing, freeing up some of HR’s time while keeping them in the loop. Also, choosing said solution should be taken into the hands of the finance team and upper management since it is, after all, an investment.
- Be mindful of data protection: Data protection laws, especially GDPR, should be one of your concerns if you hire people in new markets. When trusting a software company with your employees’ data, you should know which laws are being obeyed when it comes to said data’s safekeeping. You should also know what kind of practices are put into keeping it safe beyond the legal requirements.
Pricing: What Global Payroll Solutions Cost
Most multinational payroll providers charge a fee per full-time employee and a smaller fee for contractors. While not every vendor discloses its initial pricing scheme online, since many will provide a custom quote upon requesting a demo, we’ve put together the following chart for your convenience:
Note: All figures are in USD.
Worried about the cost of international payroll processing? Check out our eBook on how to get the best possible pricing when buying HR tech.
Key Components of Global Payroll Software
When we speak about global payroll, it means much more than paying people internationally, likely with a money transfer company, and using a different system to manage and onboard them. In the full sense of the term, global payroll should let you do all this while offering the following services or payroll models:
- Global employment services: This is when you don’t own a business entity where your remote employees live, so you can set up a legal entity in the country or use employer of record companies to employ workers on your behalf. This is essential if you intend to hire people full-time in a country and don’t plan on opening a new branch where they live. Precisely because of that, it’s an excellent way to go if you plan on hiring as little as one person or a bigger team.
Through this model, you'll get access to a team of payroll experts who are well-versed in the local regulations when hiring international employees. A thing to note here is that many companies in the global payroll space don't own the EOR entities they use but work with local firms in each country and aggregate their services in a software tool that presents it all as a streamlined version for you. While this can certainly work, we've been seeing more companies own as many EOR providers as they can (or only use the ones they own) in order to reduce risks and simplify payroll operations for everyone. - Contractor payment services: This type of service is suitable when one side prefers contractor status as opposed to full-time employment. Essentially, this means that the worker acts more as a service provider and is legally a self-employed person. An international payroll company should also offer this type of service, with a key component being the assurance of full legal compliance.
In other words, a global payroll provider (or contractor management tool, in this case) helps manage payments to an international contractor and ensures that all the local legal requirements of working with said worker are met and avoid non-compliance. If you plan to hire people overseas solely on this model, do check out our pick of the top freelance management systems. - Localized payroll services: Then we have the case of a company with a legal entity in a country that require a local payroll solution. Naturally, most global payroll providers can also help with this since they don’t need to employ the workers for you to process payroll for them. In that case, they can handle payroll and benefits just like any local payroll provider would. At the same time, you are the legal employer of your people and thus responsible for the legal obligations that stem from that relationship.
As you probably imagine, multi-country payroll partners can offer a mix and match of these services, letting you choose different methods for different countries depending on what’s more comfortable and efficient for you. Suppose you're unsure whether you will stick with hiring people overseas on a contractor status or eventually move into an EOR or PEO model. In that case, we'd recommend looking at tools that offer a good mix of both.
One way in which this software category has evolved is by having more players in the space that offer both models instead of focusing exclusively on one.
The same goes for the number of capabilities an international payroll provider can offer. Some of these cloud-based tools now also include a fully working HRMS, a benefits administration suite, or even an IT management product, in the case of Rippling.
Demo Questions: What To Ask To International Payroll Companies
As with any software purchase, once you select 2-3 options for your global payroll provider, you should try each of them, likely through a demo and maybe even by doing a free trial. With both scenarios, it’s a good idea to step into the process with a list of the critical questions you need to answer.
To put this list together, you should consult each stakeholder within your team, including remote employees and contractors overseas. This list should reflect your unique business needs when it comes to employing people in different countries, but we’ve put together a basic list to get you started:
- Which countries do we need payroll in, or do we plan on needing payroll in, and in which of those do we need the full service, such as EOR?
- What kind of benefits would I like to offer to my global workforce?
- What are the key features I want to try out and validate?
- What kind of workflows are possible and maybe automated?
- What kind of tax regulations do we need to be concerned with if we hire in X or Y country?
- How will this solution fit into the rest of my tech stack and therefore what integrations do I need?
- How will others in the organization use this solution?
- How can this tool improve the experience of our workers?
- What are the things that would make me or my coworkers nervous about switching our current processes to this platform?
- How is employee data kept safe if trusted to this vendor?
- What conclusions can I start to make about the quality of customer support? Is there a help center? Are the support articles clear and easy to read?
- How will this solution fit our current plans for global expansion?
Alternatives to Global Payroll Software
We’ll now expand into one of the points we touched upon above— what are your alternatives if you decide that global payroll software is not the way to go for you just yet? Mainly, these are the two following:
- Payroll services: Most of the vendors we mentioned offer a combination of payroll services and a platform to manage and keep track of them. But of course, you could also opt for partnering with a company and letting them take care of it themselves. This requires you to get more familiar with each kind of payroll service and the fees they charge. It will also require much more direct communication with those payroll professionals.
- Money transfer companies: The other option is to just solve the issue of an international money transfer. Suppose your contractors overseas are okay with handling taxes & benefits themselves. In that case, this can be a less costly and time-consuming option, particularly helpful while you figure out what to do in the long term. There are many ways to pay people internationally these days, but we’ve put together some of the more convenient and trustworthy ones:
Global Payroll FAQs
What is Global Payroll?
The term “global payroll” refers to the compensation that a company needs to make to its foreign employees, independent contractors, and freelancers. Typically handled by the HR or finance departments, it includes salaries, tax withholdings, invoicing, benefits, bonuses, PTO, overtime, commissions, and of course, international bank transfers.
What is an EOR?
EOR stands for ‘Employer of Record’. It is an essential component of an internationally compliant payroll since it’s what most providers use to be the legal employer of a worker in their country. Through this practice, a company doesn’t need to set up a legal entity in that country to stay compliant with the local labor laws.
What is a PEO?
Essentially, a PEO (Professional Employer Organization) is a company that offers a wider range of HR services to other businesses, including payroll operations, of course, but also benefits administration, HR consulting, hiring, onboarding, and even training. This can be quite helpful for companies that don't have a big internal HR team, as it allows them to stay compliant while focusing on other responsibilities for their in-house concerns.
So, PEO goes way beyond employing people on your behalf to ensure compliance but goes into the territory of absorbing more of your HR tasks.
Those last company roundups do include most vendors from this list, but also some new ones that focus specifically on each employment method. If, on the other hand, you're ready to do a vendor comparison, consider starting with our side-by-side overview of Deel vs. Remote.
Last Advice on Buying a Global Payroll Solution
Setting up an international payroll properly is quite a project. It’s not only about setting up direct deposits to people and staying within the boundaries of the law but investing in creating the best possible experience for them. If your workers feel that they’re properly taken care of, they will feel enabled to perform their best and stick with you in the long run.
Because of this, it is essential that you choose the provider that is right for your business needs. Take your time, ask a lot of questions, figure out what the right mix is for you and your team, and you’re likely to gain an edge over your competitors while saving time, cutting costs, and making your employees happier and more productive.
Lastly, to stay organized during the demoing process, use our HR and Payroll software buyer organizer.
About Us
- Our goal at SSR is to help HR and recruiting teams to find and buy the right software for their needs.
- Our site is free to use as some vendors will pay us for web traffic.
- SSR lists all companies we feel are top vendors - not just those who pay us - in our comprehensive directories full of the advice needed to make the right purchase decision for your HR team.
