Deel Versus the Competition

Deel’s main advantage is that they offer a full range of global operations services rolled into one user-friendly platform. Their tool covers compliance, insurance, payroll, and taxes. As a start-up having spent the last three years in hypergrowth, it offers a technology-driven approach to operations.

If you're ready to get a Deel demo, we suggest getting in touch for a look at the product and quote. Otherwise, read on!

Ratings

4.2

Ease of Use

Best For

Key Differentiator

Price

From $599 per employee per month

Free Trial

No

PROS

  • Excellent 24/7 customer service with fast onboarding (2-3 days) and local payroll experts in each jurisdiction.
  • Seamless integration with platforms like QuickBooks, BambooHR, and Greenhouse, plus custom integration options.
  • User-friendly, self-service features enable quick setup; identity verification often takes under 24 hours.
  • Automated invoices simplify payments, provided they're in English.

CONS

  • Key features like onboarding automation are add-ons, which may increase costs.
  • Limited flexibility in modifying contracts or service agreements; changes often require an addendum.
  • Invoices cannot be generated in languages other than English.

Need Help? Talk to an HR Software Advisor!

Get 1:1 help from an HR Software Advisor
Save time with recommendations in less than 20 minutes
Save up to 30% with our pricing insights

Tell us more about your company & an HR Software Advisor will help you find the right software

Phil Strazzulla
HR Tech Expert, Harvard MBA, Software Enthusiast

Need Help? Get Custom Recommendations for Top Global Payroll Services

Talk to An Advisor
Over 3 million HR leaders trust our advice

Deel Review

We first came across Deel in early 2021, relatively shortly after their foundation in 2019, in the midst of the pandemic. Back then, they were amongst a small-but-growing group of exciting new companies spearheading the category of Global Payroll Software.

While researching those companies and testing their products, Deel immediately stood out for their crisp and sleek design, ease of use, intuitive workflows, and highly attentive customer support and sales team.

Years later, it’s great to still see them among the now ‘usual suspects’ when it comes to international payroll software. That being said, they’ve also expanded and are currently among the top companies developing HR software specific to remote teams.

We last tested their tool in 2026, and it was immediately clear that it had grown quite a bit since the last demo. While initially focused on hiring and payroll, the platform has expanded its functionality to include a wider range of capabilities, such as Core HR tools, equity management, flexible workspaces, benefits, and other perks like discounts from brands.

The main modules, like hiring, have also acquired a new level of sophistication. The product's core now includes immigration support, background checks, and a module called “Shield”, which provides further advice on the best way to avoid fees when hiring team members and freelancers overseas.

Deel is notable for having a good balance of EOR and contractor focus. This flexibility is part of what we find great about the international payroll platform. For instance, we know of small businesses that started their Deel journey using it only to hire contractors globally. After a while, if their business is ready, they can use the same tool to hire people locally via the EOR offering.

For EOR customers, their international team helps with navigating local labor laws, compliance documents, essentially hiring the employee on your behalf and acting as the legal entity. One thing to note is that, depending on the country, the legal entity might not be Deel itself but one of their partners.

Lastly, the previously-mentioned “Shield” module is worth a closer look. It’s basically an extension of their contractor hiring workflow that includes an expert assessment for individual workers to determine whether, given the particular set of factors, the worker and employer would be better served by the individual working as a contractor, or as an employee. At the same time, engaging people this way means that Deel will absorb all the liability should there be any compliance issues.

Between this flexibility and their transparent pricing, we’ve always been happy to include Deel among our selection of the best Global Payroll, EOR, PEO software, and other software categories related to human resources software.

What users think of Deel

Reviewer's Rating
9/10

We use it to track our contractors, pay their invoices, collect W9s. As our EOR, it allowed us to bypass the financial and time costs with establishing a subsidiary overseas. It keeps us in compliance with international labor laws, includes global payroll, offers benefits/participates in local social welfare programs and ultimately retains key employees we would have lost as 1099 contractors.

What do you like about Deel?

I like that the process and layout is very similar regardless of which product and service you use from them - quite intuitive. It supports employers ability to maintain compliance by listing out requirements and flagging missing items or expired items. Lastly, being able to file 1099s digitally is a luxury I hadn't had previously. A total time saver.

Why did your organization buy Deel, and how long have you used it for?

We implemented Deel initially as a way to pay our onshore 1099 contractors, track their contracts and contact information outside of our HRIS. After two years, we had a new problem to address and changed our Deel platform to include an EOR. We had offshore contractors that we wanted to bring on as full-time employees to retain them and ensure compliance with the IRS. The change was seamless and the EOR is intuitive, informative and our offshore employees have been satisfied with the service from their end.

What do you dislike about Deel?

I think there is room to improve the connection between employer and the EOR service representatives in that a dedicated point-of-contact that is in house with Deel and not an international partner. Another consideration for EOR is having to pay a month's salary deposit up front for payroll is not ideal for cash flow. Lastly, I would love to see more employee and contractor features that you might find on a traditional HRIS because I believe it would be a better and more enriched experience for them.

How is Deel different than their competitors?

For 1099 contractor management, oftentimes you use an ERP or accounting SaaS which has limitations. Deel bridges the gap between accounting SaaS/ERPs and an HRIS. For EOR, Deel is middle of the road in value. It is a great option for smaller OPEX budgets, but there are other EOR companies who offer more desirable features and better in-house service partners.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Consider the number of contractors or employees you would need for the upfront and annual costs to be justified. Whether or not you are familiar with global payroll, consider how much compliance support you need or is desirable for you. Lastly, consider whether you are up to converting your local currency to the international currency. Deel does not currently offer this in the employee profile, they only show the employee's local currency.

How has Deel changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

There is better customer service and help tutorials. Further, I have found there is an increase in the amount of educational materials available through Deel in order to stay current on contractor and global payroll trends and compliance.

What specific type of user or organization is Deel very good for?

I have known it to be used by HR and Finance professionals alike. Payroll administrators, regardless of where they fall organizationally, will find this tool beneficial. I believe organizations where these contracts or payrolls are relatively straightforward can benefit. Running payroll and paying invoices takes 10 mins or less per pay period.

What specific type of user or organization would Deel not be a good fit for?

I believe complex and large organizations may not find Deel to be scalable to their needs. At volume, Deel is not the best for tracking or reporting. For smaller teams, these features are acceptable and function appropriately.

Reviewer's Rating
8/10

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.

What do you like about Deel?

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.

Why did your organization buy Deel, and how long have you used it for?

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.

What do you dislike about Deel?

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.

How is Deel different than their competitors?

The management fees were lower and contractors had more control over their funds.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

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.

How has Deel changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

We only used this tool for about 6 months and did not see any significant changes during that time.

What specific type of user or organization is Deel very good for?

Remote first companies with employees or contractors across the world.

What specific type of user or organization would Deel not be a good fit for?

None

Reviewer's Rating
10/10

Deel was used on a daily basis for us. It was used to manage all of our international contractors, manage contracts, payments, and payroll, and we used their employer-of-record model to hire in certain areas as well. Being able to run international payroll for various countries outside of the US using one system was extremely helpful. The customer support for Deel is also great, as you get an employment advisor as well who will help you understand how to best use Deel's international PEO/Employer-of-Record services. To summarize, hiring, international payroll, understanding employment/payroll laws of various countries, and making it digestible are the highlights of using Deel. It saved us a lot of time, money, and energy.

What do you like about Deel?
  • I like that you can use one platform to run multiple payrolls for different countries.
  • I like that they make hiring contractors in other countries easier.
  • I like that they make understanding other countries' payroll and employment laws easy with all sorts of helpful resources.
Why did your organization buy Deel, and how long have you used it for?

Our small start-up company of under 50 employees was looking to hire international consultants in various areas, mainly Canada, Brazil, and later Poland and Ireland. We've used Deel for about 2 years now mainly for contract management and international payroll, and used their PEO and Employer of Record services as well. The key benefit is being able to hire great talent outside of the US and being protected and advised around payroll and employment laws for various countries.

What do you dislike about Deel?
  • I dislike their reporting function as it's essentially just Excel and doesn't allow for advanced filtering/reporting.
  • I dislike that the integration with Rippling is a bit wonky. Some employee info will flow in, but not all.
  • I dislike that making changes in contracts can be difficult and that the e-signature capability is not great.
How is Deel different than their competitors?

I believe that Deel is the best in class in terms of international hiring/payroll/compliance/PEO. They have a great team behind getting the system of hiring set up in each individual country. Their customer service is really great and they are great consultants that help you meet your goals. If you use their PEO or Employer of Record service it can be costly depending on where you're hiring.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?
  • Location of Hiring - Depending on where you're hiring, Deel may not support that region so it's important to take a look at which areas they cover. They do cover most major areas of international hiring.
  • Cost - Overall it's an affordable and effective system for international payroll. It does sit outside of the HRIS ( if you use one) so that's something to think about as an additional cost.
  • HRIS Compatibility - It's also important to think about the compatibility with your HRIS, otherwise you have a lot of data sitting outside of your HRIS which you can manually upload through CSV reports.
How has Deel changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

In the time that I used Deel, they developed their PEO availability regions. I believe they do a good job at customer listening, and their team is extremely attentive.

What specific type of user or organization is Deel very good for?

Deel is great for small to medium-sized businesses that are looking to quickly expand internationally. It's also important to note that in each new location you're hiring in, if you're looking to have a hiring hub of 20+ more employees in that particular company, using Deel may only be a short-term solution. But for quick hires, small hiring hubs, and hiring consultants across countries, it's a great platform.

What specific type of user or organization would Deel not be a good fit for?

I imagine it may not be the best for a very well-established company with a significant number of hires in particular locations. For example, having 20+ employees in one country would not be the best fit for Deel.

Deel Alternatives:

Native Teams

Native Teams impressed us with one of the most flexible and affordable global payroll lineups we’ve seen. Starting at as little as $19 per month, this platform supports payroll for all types of workers, from full-time employees to freelancers and gig workers.
Popularity Score
4.5 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5
Visit Website

Native Teams

Native Teams impressed us with one of the most flexible and affordable global payroll lineups we’ve seen. Starting at as little as $19 per month, this platform supports payroll for all types of workers, from full-time employees to freelancers and gig workers.
Popularity Score
4.5 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5
Learn More

Deel

Deel can manage payroll compliance in 150+ countries and has a notably easy-to-use interface, using one platform for all countries.
Popularity Score
4.4 / 5
User Score
4.6 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5
Visit Website

Deel

Deel can manage payroll compliance in 150+ countries and has a notably easy-to-use interface, using one platform for all countries.
Popularity Score
4.4 / 5
User Score
4.6 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5
Learn More

ADP

ADP GlobalView is the solution for international payroll from one of the most reputable and long-standing companies in the space.
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5
Visit Website

ADP

ADP GlobalView is the solution for international payroll from one of the most reputable and long-standing companies in the space.
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5
Learn More

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.
Popularity Score
4.3 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.4 / 5
Visit Website

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.
Popularity Score
4.3 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.4 / 5
Learn More

G-P

G‑P helps companies hire, pay, and manage workers in 180+ countries without setting up entities, handling everything from EOR and contractor payments to payroll taxes and compliance. The G‑P Meridian platform and AI assistant G‑P Gia bring automation and clarity to cross-border employment, making it easier for teams to grow internationally with confidence.
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.7 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5
Visit Website

G-P

G‑P helps companies hire, pay, and manage workers in 180+ countries without setting up entities, handling everything from EOR and contractor payments to payroll taxes and compliance. The G‑P Meridian platform and AI assistant G‑P Gia bring automation and clarity to cross-border employment, making it easier for teams to grow internationally with confidence.
Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.7 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5
Learn More

Who shouldn't buy Deel

Deel might be a bit pricey for companies who want to use their Employer of Record services, which start at $599. And since this vendor is best suited for teams engaged in multinational or multistate hiring and payroll, it’s less ideal for organizations without such needs.

Deel Customers

Deel serves over 10,000 customers, including big names like Nike, Shopify, Dropbox, Notion, Reddit, and Airtable. Their client roster also has a strong contingent of SMBs and start-ups.

Deel: Balance between EOR & Contractor focus
visit Deel

Deel Key Features

  • Employee Onboarding & Offboarding: Deel claims that you can “onboard or offboard anyone in minutes” with its platform. Collect and send documents, background checks, and other necessary documents to maintain compliance.‍
  • Global Payroll: Operate payroll for contractors and full-time employees alike in over 90 countries. Deel has entities in over 200 countries with in-house payroll experts who can provide direct, country-specific support. Deel also provides tax services to make paying taxes a breeze. It almost goes without saying, but you can pay international employees in their currencies of choice.
  • Employer of Record: For countries where your company does not have a local entity, Deel offers EOR services and can hire employees on your behalf.‍
  • Global HR Management Tool: Deel HR combines onboarding, time off, expenses, documents, compensation changes, and more in its user-friendly self-serve platform. Additionally, they also offer org charts and searchable personnel directories.‍
  • In-house Open API: Deel can help leverage your existing tech stack to automate tedious and time-consuming HR operations like contract creation, timesheet syncing, and more.

Deel Key Integrations

Deel offers pre-built integrations with 15+ HRIS, accounting, and ATS platforms like Quickbooks, Bamboo, Greenhouse, and more. According to their website, an integration with Lever is coming soon. The Deel API allows HR managers to build custom integrations to automate across their tech setups.

Deel Pricing

Deel offers pricing tailored to specific business needs across its products:

  • Deel Contractor: $49/month, covering compliance, payments, and contractor management in 150+ countries.
  • Deel EOR (Employer of Record): $599/month, enabling international hiring without an entity, including payroll, taxes, and benefits in 150+ countries.
  • Deel Payroll (Global Payroll): $29 per employee/month, for payroll services in businesses with existing entities across multiple countries.
  • Deel US Payroll: Custom pricing, for US-specific payroll, tax calculations, and compliance across all states (no current public starting rate).
  • Deel US PEO: $95 per employee/month, for HR, payroll, and benefits in the US under a co-employment model.
  • Deel Engage: $20 per employee/month, for performance, learning, career, and feedback management tools.
  • Deel IT: Pricing varies by module (insufficient public data to quote a single flat rate), for device lifecycle management, app provisioning, security, and IT support.
  • Deel HR: $5 per employee/month, offering global HR management, compliance, and automation tools.
  • Deel Immigration: Custom pricing for relocation, visa sponsorship, and immigration management in 40+ countries.

Custom quotes are available for enterprise and specialized needs.

Deel is Best For

Deel is best for SMBs that are growing and want to explore different global markets and talent pools, though there is also a large market for mid-market and enterprise companies.

How has Deel Changed Over Time?

As a new product, Deel has changed a lot since its inception. Its newest offering, DeelHR, allows companies to complete most of their HR operations tasks in Deel.

Deel Implementation

Deel is quite quick to implement if you choose to hire people solely as contractors. It’s somewhat of a self-service process if you go at it like this, but we do recommend getting a demo and emailing their support team as much as you need, especially if it’s your first time setting up a global payroll solution for a remote team.

You’d start by signing up, inviting team members to join, and having them onboard themselves by signing a contract, validating their ID, and choosing a fund withdrawal method. We found the process to be quite straightforward. One notable thing is how strong the platform is with GDPR compliance and security. For instance, they send a verification code each time you sign in, right to your email, which is far more convenient than having to use a separate app for it.

For the EOR part, implementation is more complex, but you certainly get more hand-holding from the Deel team in the process. So, you’d get an estimated timeline upon beginning.

Deel Customer Success

Deel has a fairly comprehensive searchable FAQ section accessible to current and prospective customers. For current clients, they offer 100% in-house support with a 1.25 min first response time from local country experts. Additionally, they have a large database of video tutorials explaining how to utilize their software.

About Deel

Deel was founded in 2019 by Shuo Wang and Alex Bouaziz. After they graduated from MIT in 2014, the pair began to notice a common occurrence among their friends; they would get rejected from high-skilled jobs that they were great fits for only because of visa and immigration hurdles.

Years later, as the trend continued to hold true, they decided to create an EOR and couple it with the right tech that could let people hire an employee overseas in a few minutes. As they say around the Bay Area, where the company was founded, they ate their own dog food, using Deel to hire people wherever they needed.

The product continued to expand with the vision of becoming a global HR and payroll platform. Their payroll services are now available in 100+ countries while contractor management are in over 150 countries.

As of this writing, Deel has grown to 4,500+ employees across 110 countries, with an ARR of over $500 million.

Company HQ

SF Bay Area

Number of Employees

4,500+ employees across 110 countries

Year Founded

2019

Amount Raised

Series D, current total raised $679M

FAQ

About SSR

We spend hundreds of hours researching the best HR and recruiting software so you don’t have to. We never take money from vendors during our research phase and rely heavily on practitioners and experts to help us recommend the right software. However we may earn a small fee if you click on vendor links on this page.

Learn More

Deel Alternatives

Native Teams

Low-cost global payroll for contractors, employees, and gig workers

Popularity score
4.5 / 5
user score
4.5 / 5
Product score
4.5 / 5
ADP

Best for global payroll processing and HR at large enterprises

Popularity score
4.3 / 5
user score
4 / 5
Product score
4.1 / 5

Review Methodology

We take our research process seriously and want to make sure we are presenting our readers with the very best solutions in a given software category. Check out this guide to learn how we evaluate vendors before featuring them in our buyer guides.

Learn More