# Best Employer of Record Italy: Top 8 EORs of 2026 > Machine-readable page from Employ Borderless (https://employborderless.com/), an independent advisory platform for global hiring solutions. > Canonical page: https://employborderless.com/review/best-employer-of-record-italy/ > Methodology: how providers are researched, tested and scored is documented at https://employborderless.com/methodology/. > Disclosure: Employ Borderless is free to use. We may earn a referral fee from some providers; this never affects a score or ranking position (https://employborderless.com/disclosure/). > Last updated: 2026-07-16 We independently research and review the top providers so you don't have to. **Top pick: RemoFirst.** Of the 8 providers ranked for Italy, RemoFirst places first with an overall score of 9.3/10. Best for: Cost-led Italy hires where a from $199 platform fee matters more than a provider-owned local entity.. Full review: https://employborderless.com/review/remofirst/ Italy has over 900 national collective agreements covering different industries. Your EOR needs to know which one applies to your hire before they write the contract. Some do. Some ask you to figure it out first. This guide compares eight providers. You'll leave this page knowing which one is actually equipped for the Italian market. ## The ranking | # | Provider | Score | Pricing | Best for | |---:|---|---:|---:|---| | 1 | RemoFirst | 9.3/10 | $199/mo | Cost-led Italy hires where a from $199 platform fee matters more than a provider-owned local entity. | | 2 | Remote | 8.9/10 | $699/mo | Italy teams that want a provider-owned local entity and will pay from $699 for it. | | 3 | Multiplier | 9.1/10 | $400/mo | Companies looking for fast global hiring & payments | | 4 | Deel | 8.9/10 | $599/mo | Growing companies scaling internationally with a mix of contractors and full-time employees | | 5 | Hire with Columbus | 8.9/10 | $179/mo | Companies hiring 5 or more international employees who want to keep costs low and predictable | | 6 | Rippling | 9/10 | — | Companies with 50–1,000 employees that use multiple tools to manage HR, IT, and finance | | 7 | Oyster | 8.7/10 | $699/mo | Growing companies looking for strong global compliance support and fast onboarding in all major markets | | 8 | Papaya Global | 8.8/10 | $599/mo | Mid-size to large companies with complex, multi-country payrolls | ### 1. RemoFirst RemoFirst runs EOR in Italy through vetted in-country partners rather than its own local entity, and from $199 per employee per month it is the lowest headline rate of our Italy picks. Italy mandates a statutory 13th-month payment, which your EOR administers on top of the platform fee. Third-party rating average: 9. Full review: https://employborderless.com/review/remofirst/ ### 2. Remote Remote employs your Italy hires through its own local entity rather than a partner, which takes a layer out between you and the legal employer. That direct model runs from $699 per employee per month, the top of our Italy range. Third-party rating average: 9.3. Full review: https://employborderless.com/review/remote/ ### 3. Multiplier Multiplier covers EOR in Italy and prices it from $400 per employee per month, the mid-point of our Italy picks between RemoFirst and Remote. Third-party rating average: 9.6. Full review: https://employborderless.com/review/multiplier/ ### 4. Deel Deel is an Employer of Record (EOR) and a global payroll platform. Companies use it to hire, pay, and manage international contractors and full-time employees without setting up local entities. Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang, and Ofer Simon founded the company in 2019. Deel is headquartered in San Francisco and has raised more than $980 million in seven funding rounds. The platform is now valued at $17.3 billion. How Deel works Deel supports hiring and payroll across more than 150 countries. Companies typically use the platform for the following services: - Employer of Record (EOR): Deel becomes the legal employer in the target country while you manage the day-to-day work - Contractor management: Allow clients to hire, manage, and pay independent contractors in multiple countries through a single platform. - Contractor of Record (COR): Deel takes on the liability, manages all HR/admin, and handles the risk for you. - Global payroll: Clients submit payroll data and approve it in one dashboard, and Deel handles taxes, deductions, and currency conversions automatically. Note: The main difference between contractor management and Contractor of Record services is who bears the legal risk and responsibility: you (with a standard Deel contractor service) or Deel (with COR). What stood out in my tests In my tests of the platform, the onboarding stood out for its simplicity and speed. In most cases, contracts are generated automatically based on the country, reviewed right on the platform, and approved in a few steps. What this means for you: you can hire in established markets within days. They’re also likely to find better contract standardization, clear compliance guidance, and faster onboarding compared to smaller regional providers. Third-party rating average: 9.5. Full review: https://employborderless.com/review/deel/ ### 5. Hire with Columbus Hire with Columbus is an Employer of Record (EOR) service that enables companies to hire and pay international employees without establishing local legal entities. Operating as a high-volume discount provider, Columbus has positioned itself as the most affordable EOR solution by leveraging bulk purchasing power. When you use Hire with Columbus, they technically employ workers through their partner entities in 185+ countries. Columbus manages the legal employment paperwork, local tax compliance, payroll processing, and benefits administration, while you handle day-to-day work management. This arrangement saves the 3-6 months and $15,000-$50,000 typically required for foreign entity establishment. The platform serves two primary functions: - Full EOR services for companies hiring employees internationally - Contractor management for businesses working with global freelancers What distinguishes Columbus is their pricing model, at $179 per employee per month, they offer a 10% discount on standard market rates through volume aggregation. This approach makes enterprise-level EOR services accessible to smaller businesses that previously couldn't afford international expansion. Hire with Columbus operates through strategic partnerships with established EOR providers, negotiating bulk rates based on aggregate client volumes. This model allows them to offer premium services at significantly reduced costs while maintaining compliance standards across all jurisdictions. Third-party rating average: 10. Full review: https://employborderless.com/review/hire-with-columbus/ ### 6. Rippling Rippling is an all-in-one workforce management platform that connects HR, IT, and finance functions through a unified employee database. Companies use it to manage payroll, benefits, devices, and software from one system. Parker Conrad (former Zenefits CEO) and Prasanna Sankar founded the company in 2016. Rippling now supports businesses operating in 83 countries. How Rippling works The platform automates workflows across business systems that normally operate separately. Rippling’s onboarding stood out in my research because users consistently describe it as efficient. For example, adding someone to payroll triggered their laptop order, email setup, and software provisioning right away. There are no (or fewer) manual steps since one employee database feeds all systems at once. What this means for you: It means automating tasks that normally require switching between multiple tools. Who uses Rippling Rippling works best for medium-sized technology and growing businesses with members across the world. These companies need advanced systems but lack enterprise-level IT departments. The Rippling platform provides just that: enterprise-grade tools without massive IT investments. What this means for you: Companies automate work that normally requires multiple tools and manual coordination. Third-party rating average: 9.5. Full review: https://employborderless.com/review/rippling/ ### 7. Oyster Oyster HR is an Employer of Record (EOR) and a global employment platform that allows companies to hire and manage international workers in more than 180 countries without setting up local legal entities. Founded in 2020, the company focuses on supporting distributed teams. Oyster’s services include international employment contracts, payroll processing, benefits administration, and ongoing local compliance in each country where it operates. Focus on employee experience Oyster places more emphasis on the employee experience than traditional EOR providers. Alongside core employment services, the platform includes Oyster Academy for professional development, as well as tools designed to support onboarding and cross-cultural collaboration. What this means for you: Oyster acts as more than a compliance partner. The platform is designed to help companies build and maintain engaged global teams, not just employ them on paper. Typical customers Oyster primarily serves mid-market and enterprise companies with 50 or more employees, but I've also seen a few startups in their customer base. The limiting factor here is the higher rate for Employer of Record (EOR) services. The platform attracts companies that value consistency, employee satisfaction, and long-term retention, even when that means paying more than low-cost EOR alternatives. Third-party rating average: 8.9. Full review: https://employborderless.com/review/oyster/ ### 8. Papaya Global Papaya Global is a global workforce platform that helps companies manage payroll, payments, and employment across multiple countries. Founded in 2016 by Eynat Guez, Ruben Drong, and Ofer Herman, Papaya Global later raised roughly $440 million, including a $250 million Series D in 2021. On the product side, Papaya covers: - Global payroll: Runs payroll and workforce payments in more than 160 countries - Employer of Record: Allows companies to hire employees in countries where they don’t have a legal entity - Contractor management: Supports compliant onboarding and payments for international contractors - Compliance support: Handles local tax rules, labor laws, and reporting requirements - Benefits administration: Offers benefits for employees (including health coverage) that are aligned with each country - Integrations: Connects with tools like Workday, NetSuite, and other HRIS and ERP systems Note: HRIS (Human Resources Information System) manages employee data, payroll, benefits, and HR functions. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) integrates core business processes, including finance, accounting, supply chain, and human resources, into one platform. Third-party rating average: 8.9. Full review: https://employborderless.com/review/papaya-global/ ## Selection criteria We weighted each provider on what actually decides an Italy hire: whether they employ through their own local entity or a partner, whether they can reference the correct sector CCNL and keep up with its renewals, how accurately they run payroll across the 31.6% employer contributions and TFR severance accrual, how they handle a dismissal across just cause, justified subjective and justified objective reasons, and whether they flag fixed-term contracts before misuse converts them into permanent ones. Country hiring guide: https://employborderless.com/eor/countries/italy/ ## Frequently asked questions ### How much does an EOR cost in Italy? EOR providers usually charge from $199 to $699 per employee per month for the platform fee. Italy has some of the highest employer costs in the OECD, with employer social contributions of 31.6% that push the total tax wedge to 41.9% on the average wage. You also accrue mandatory severance, known as TFR, so budget well beyond the base salary. ### Do I need an EOR to hire in Italy? Only if you do not have an Italian entity. Every hire needs a written agreement that references the correct sector collective bargaining agreement, sets probation terms, and meets minimum leave entitlements. An EOR handles all of this as the legal employer, which is especially useful for your first few hires while you test whether Italy is a long-term market. ### Why is termination expensive in Italy? Italy's termination framework can expose you to 6 to 36 months of salary in compensation if you get a dismissal wrong. Fixed-term contracts come with strict justification requirements, and misusing them can lead a court to convert the arrangement into a permanent contract with full obligations. An EOR that knows the rules keeps these mistakes from happening. ### How do I choose the right EOR for Italy? Ask whether the provider can identify the correct sector collective bargaining agreement, called a CCNL, for your industry, since the contract must reference the right one. Italy has dozens of them. Check how it handles TFR severance accrual, probation terms, and fixed-term contract rules. Deep local knowledge matters more than a lower monthly fee in Italy.