10 Best Employer of Record (EOR) Services in the United States (2026)
There is no single US employment law.
Independently researched by Employ Borderless.
RemoFirst
#1
Low, flat pricing
EOR from $199 per employee per month, with flat pricing and fast human support across 193 countries.
- EOR from
- $199 per employee per month
- Countries
- 193
Also worth a look
Remote
Own entities, one platform
Own-entity model with strong IP protection, from $699 per employee per month.
Multiplier
Fast hiring and payroll
Fast (often same-day) global hiring, from $459 per employee per month.
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The best EOR providers for hiring in United States in 2026 are RemoFirst (starting at $199/mo), Remote (starting at $699/mo), and Multiplier (starting at $459/mo), scored on The Employ Borderless Standard, our 10-pillar framework, across 10 providers.
There is no single US employment law. There are 50 sets of state laws, and in some cases, city-level rules on top of those. California alone has over 50 employment-specific statutes that differ from federal law. For foreign companies hiring their first US employee, or US companies hiring across multiple states, an employer of record United States provider handles that patchwork so you do not have to register as an employer in every state where someone works.
The US is also a market where EOR pricing is harder to compare than elsewhere. Per-employee fees range from $199 to over $600 per month, and some providers layer benefits administration costs on top of that. For this guide I specifically looked at all-in pricing transparency, multi-state compliance coverage, and which providers handle equity compensation and benefits selection well, since those matter more in the US market than almost anywhere else.
I compared 10 EOR providers for the United States on state coverage breadth, pricing transparency, benefits quality, equity compensation support, and customer support responsiveness. I also looked at how each one handles California, New York, and Washington, the three states where compliance complexity is highest.
No single provider is the right fit for every company hiring in the United States. The right call depends on which states you are hiring in, your headcount, your budget, and whether benefits quality or pricing is your primary constraint. I always recommend comparing two or three options and booking demos before committing. I will break down all 10 providers below with full pricing and state-specific compliance notes to help you decide.
Which providers made our shortlist?
Here's how all 10 providers on our shortlist compare. They're ranked by overall fit for this guide, not by score alone, so the highest-scored provider isn't always first. The Employ Borderless Standard score for each provider is in its review.
Scored on The Employ Borderless Standard →
| # | Provider | Best for | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | teams where the monthly fee per employee decides it | From $199/mo | 193+ | Visit |
| 2 | | teams that will live in the software every day | From $699/mo | 186+ | Visit |
| 3 | | Companies looking for fast global hiring & payments | From $459/mo | 171+ | Visit |
| 4 | | Growing companies hiring internationally with a mix of contractors and full-time employees | From $599/mo | 153+ | Visit |
| 5 | | Companies hiring 5 or more international employees who want to keep costs low and predictable | From $179/mo | 193+ | Visit |
| 6 | | Mid-to-large companies hiring across multiple countries where compliance risk outweighs cost concerns | From $399/mo | 175+ | Visit |
| 7 | | Mid-size to large companies with complex, multi-country payrolls | From $499/mo | 163+ | Visit |
| 8 |  | Latin American companies making their first one to four hires in the United States who want a Spanish or Portuguese-speaking specialist rather than a self-serve platform | - | 1+ | Visit |
| 9 | | Growing companies looking for strong global compliance support and fast onboarding in all major markets | From $699/mo | 132+ | Visit |
| 10 |  | Companies with 50–1,000 employees that use multiple tools to manage HR, IT, and finance | - | 83+ | Visit |
Why you can trust our reviews
We combine structured research with real-world global hiring experience. Our methodology is built by operators who've spent years working with EOR, PEO, and payroll providers across multiple markets.
- 10+ years in global hiring - hands-on experience selecting and working with EOR providers
- 5-layer research methodology - demos where providers grant access, review platforms (G2, Trustpilot, Capterra), communities, and provider validation
- The Employ Borderless Standard - our 10-pillar rating framework, scored out of 5 in half steps across features, country coverage, pricing, UX, support, integrations, mobile, analytics, security, and compliance
- Weighted review analysis - platforms with more reviews have higher impact (e.g. 2000 > 30)
- Independent - rankings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships
Built by practitioners, not publishers - so you can rely on it for real hiring decisions.
What it costs to employ in United States
Employer contributions itemized, a worked cost example, statutory leave and public holidays, and termination rules by tenure. Every figure sourced and dated in our United States hiring guide.
See the United States dataRanked by fit for United States: hands-on testing, customer feedback from teams hiring here, and pricing. Where a lower-scored provider sits higher, it is because customer feedback from United States favours it.
RemoFirst
EOR from $199 per employee per month, with flat pricing and fast human support across 193 countries.
Why it ranks here: Best value: from $199 per employee per month, 193 countries.
- Pricing
- Country coverage
- Compliance
- Integrations
Third-party ratings
4.5(411)
4.1(74)
4.0(4)
3.8(36)Pricing and coverage
| Employer of record | From $199/mo |
| Contractors | From $25/mo |
| Country coverage | 193+ countries |
Pricing sourced from RemoFirst's pricing page · verified Sep 2026
Key features
Pros and cons
Pros
- One of the lowest published EOR prices
- You hire without setting up an entity
- Compliance handled end to end
- Free contractor management
- No setup fee, deposit or minimum term published
- One health insurance program
- A platform HR staff learn in a session
Cons
- Basic reporting
- Few integrations
- A young platform
- Limited contract customisation
RemoFirst runs EOR in the US 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 US picks. The US has no statutory 13th-month pay, so the salary you model is close to the salary you carry.
Remote
Own-entity model with strong IP protection, from $699 per employee per month.
Why it ranks here: Best platform: platform scored above the field, from $699 per employee per month.
- Pricing
- Country coverage
- Compliance
- Integrations
Third-party ratings
4.5(5,151)4.6(3,454)4.3(101)3.4(592)Pricing and coverage
| Employer of record | From $699/mo |
| Global payroll | From $29/mo |
| Contractors | From $29/mo |
| Country coverage | 186+ countries |
Pricing sourced from Remote's pricing page · verified Sep 2026
Key features
Pros and cons
Pros
- Own-entity model
- Superior IP protection
- Transparent flat-rate pricing
- Extensive human resources (HR) coverage
- Custom benefits packages
- Recently launched global payroll solution
Cons
- Costs more than budget options
- Limited customization options
- Basic reporting capabilities
Remote employs your US hires through its own local entity, which we confirmed in the GLEIF global entity register. That direct model runs from $699 per employee per month, the top of our US range.
Multiplier
Fast (often same-day) global hiring, from $459 per employee per month.
- Pricing
- Country coverage
- Compliance
- Integrations
Third-party ratings
4.7(1,484)4.9(2,870)4.4(44)4.2(352)Pricing and coverage
| Employer of record | From $459/mo |
| Contractors | From $40/mo |
| Global payroll | From $20/mo |
| Country coverage | 171+ countries |
Pricing sourced from Multiplier's pricing page · verified Sep 2026
Key features
Pros and cons
Pros
- Lower EOR rates
- Fast onboarding
- Multi-currency payroll
- Strong compliance handling
Cons
- Unintuitive platform layout
- Slower email support
- Limited customization
Multiplier covers EOR in the US and prices it from $459 per employee per month, the mid-point of our US picks between RemoFirst and Remote.
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Deel
Contractor of Record (COR), where Deel handles contractor classification, not just payments, from $599 per employee per month.
- Pricing
- Country coverage
- Compliance
- Integrations
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 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.
Onboarding
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.
Hire with Columbus
Employ people in 193 countries with clear, published pricing from $179 per employee per month, no surprises.
- Pricing
- Country coverage
- Compliance
- Integrations
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 on price by buying capacity in bulk.
When you use Hire with Columbus, they technically employ workers through their partner entities in 193 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
Hire with Columbus operates through strategic partnerships with established EOR providers, negotiating bulk rates based on aggregate client volumes. That is how the price is lower without the service being thinner, and compliance still runs through the partner in each country.
Pebl (formerly Velocity Global)
Backed by local legal teams and an AI assistant across 185+ countries, Pebl is built for compliance-heavy, multi-country hiring.
- Pricing
- Country coverage
- Compliance
- Integrations
Pebl is an AI-powered Employer of Record platform that rebranded from Velocity Global in September 2025. Founded in 2014 by Ben Wright, the company (as Velocity Global) was an early mover in the EOR category and now operates across 185+ countries through a mix of owned entities and trusted local partners.
When you hire through Pebl, it becomes the legal employer for your international team, handling contracts, payroll, taxes, benefits and compliance while you manage the day-to-day work. Its AI assistant, Alfie, automates compliance checks, gives instant cost estimates, and guides you through local regulatory requirements, which can bring time-to-hire down to as little as 24 hours.
The platform covers several core services:
EOR for companies without a local entity
Global payroll for existing operations
Immigration and visa support
Benefits administration worldwide
What sets Pebl apart is a decade of compliance expertise, backed by 200+ in-house legal and tax specialists and support in 50+ languages. That makes it a fit for mid-to-large companies hiring across multiple countries where compliance risk matters more than headline cost. Pebl lists EOR pricing at $399 per month per employee.
Papaya Global
Payroll and payments are unified on Papaya’s licensed platform, built on J.P. Morgan infrastructure, from $499 per employee per month.
- Pricing
- Country coverage
- Compliance
- Integrations
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 163+ 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 matched to 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.
Contrata con Norte
Employs your first US hires in all 50 states for one fixed monthly fee, built for Latin American companies.
- Pricing
- Country coverage
- Compliance
- Integrations
Contrata con Norte is a Spanish-first Employer of Record (EOR) that lets Latin American companies employ people in the United States without opening a US company. It covers all 50 states and was founded in 2026.
When you hire through Norte, a US entity becomes the legal employer of record: it signs a state-specific employment contract, runs twice-monthly payroll, files federal, state and local taxes, provides medical, dental, vision and 401(k) benefits at cost, and handles state registration. You direct the work day to day.
The service covers two needs: full EOR for US employees, and contractor management with a classification review and W-2 conversion for people who have drifted into employee territory. There is no published price. The fee is a fixed monthly amount per employee, quoted for your case with the full cost breakdown in writing before you sign.
Oyster
Oyster guides you through onboarding, then lets employees self-serve on pay, benefits, and compliance, in 116 countries from $699 per employee per month.
- Pricing
- Country coverage
- Compliance
- Integrations
Oyster HR is an Employer of Record (EOR) and a global employment platform that allows companies to hire and manage international workers in 132+ 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.
Rippling
Rippling connects HR, payroll, IT and finance in one platform, so your data never lives in disconnected tools.
- Pricing
- Country coverage
- Compliance
- Integrations
Rippling is a workforce management platform that runs HR, IT and finance off one employee record. Companies use it to manage payroll, benefits, devices and software access from a single system, and it acts as employer of record in 80 countries.
It was founded in 2016, is headquartered in San Francisco, and Parker Conrad is its CEO.
How Rippling works
The point of the shared employee record is that systems which normally run separately move together. Adding someone to payroll is also what provisions their laptop, their email and their software access, because all of it reads the same record rather than being keyed in three times.
What this means for you: the work you stop doing is the re-keying between tools. That is worth most to a company that currently runs HR, payroll and IT provisioning as three separate jobs, and worth least to one that has already solved it.
Who Rippling suits
The fit is a growing company with people in several countries that wants enterprise-grade HR and IT tooling without an enterprise IT department to run it. The breadth is the product.
What this means for you: that breadth is also the learning curve reviewers describe. Budget setup time, and be honest about whether you will use enough of the platform to justify configuring it.
How do these providers compare?
| # | Provider | Best for | EOR from | Countries | Support hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | teams where the monthly fee per employee decides it | $199 | 193 | 24/7 |
| 2 | | teams that will live in the software every day | $699 | 186 | 24/7 |
| 3 | | — | $459 | 171 | 24/7 |
| 4 | | — | $599 | 153 | 24/7 |
| 5 | | — | $179lowest | 193 | 24/7 |
| 6 | | — | $399 | 175 | 24/7 |
| 7 | | — | $499 | 163 | 24/7 |
| 8 | | — | n/a | 1 | Business hours |
| 9 | | — | $699 | 132 | Business Hours |
| 10 | | — | n/a | 83 | Business Hours |
Ranked by fit for United States; the Employ Borderless Standard score for each provider is in its review.
How do we evaluate EOR providers?
We ranked each provider on what actually decides a US hire: whether they employ through their own entity or a partner in the specific states you are hiring in, how they handle the state-by-state patchwork of payroll taxes, minimum wages and leave on top of FICA matching, how they guide you through contractor classification under the separate IRS and DOL tests, how they administer ACA health coverage and FMLA plus state leave, and how transparent their all-in per-employee pricing is.
Why use an EOR in United States?
Hiring in the U.S. looks straightforward until you get into the details. Employer social contributions sit at 8.1% on top of base pay, and you're also responsible for matching FICA contributions: 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare. That's before you factor in state-level payroll taxes, which vary by location and can add meaningful cost depending on where your employee lives.
Employment law in the U.S. is a patchwork of federal and state rules. At-will employment is the default, but states like California, Nevada, and New Hampshire layer on additional protections that can make termination more complicated than you'd expect. Misclassifying a worker as a contractor instead of an employee is one of the most common and costly mistakes foreign companies make, and the IRS and Department of Labor each run their own tests to determine status.
An EOR lets you hire compliantly without setting up a U.S. legal entity, which can take months and significant upfront cost. Most companies use one for their first 15 to 20 U.S. hires, then transition to their own entity once the market proves out. For a full breakdown of labor laws, payroll, and benefits, read our United States hiring guide.
How to evaluate an EOR for United States
Not every EOR handles the U.S. equally well. Here's what to check before you commit.
- State-level payroll coverage. The U.S. has 50 states, each with its own payroll tax rules, minimum wages, and leave requirements. Confirm the EOR can compliantly employ workers in the specific states you're hiring in, not just major ones like California or New York.
- Contractor misclassification support. The IRS and DOL use different tests to assess worker classification. Your EOR should be able to walk you through both and help you avoid the penalties that come with getting it wrong.
- Benefits administration under the ACA. If you reach 50 employees, the Affordable Care Act requires you to offer health coverage. Even below that threshold, benefits are a key hiring tool in the U.S. Check what health, dental, and vision plans the EOR can offer and at what cost.
- FMLA and state leave compliance. Federal FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for qualifying employees. Several states go further with paid leave programs. Your EOR needs to manage both layers correctly.
- Termination handling by state. At-will employment doesn't mean zero risk. California, for example, has strict rules around final pay timing and retaliation protections. Ask how the EOR handles terminations in your target state specifically.
- Own entity vs. partner network. Some EORs operate through third-party partners in certain states. That adds a layer of risk and can slow things down. Find out whether they employ workers directly or rely on local partners.
Questions to ask during provider demos
These questions will quickly show you who actually knows the U.S. and who's reading from a script.
- What are the employer payroll tax obligations in the specific state we're hiring in, and how do you handle states with additional payroll taxes beyond federal requirements?
- How do you determine whether our hire should be classified as an employee or contractor under both the IRS and DOL tests?
- The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, but many states are at $15 or higher. How do you keep up with state and local minimum wage changes throughout the year?
- How do you handle FMLA administration for our employees, and do you also manage state-level paid leave programs like those in California or New York?
- If we need to terminate an employee in California, what's your process and how do you make sure we meet the final pay timing requirements?
- What health insurance plans can you offer our U.S. employees, and what does that cost us as the employer?
- How do you handle permanent establishment risk, and do you provide indemnification if a compliance issue arises?
- Do you employ workers in the U.S. through your own entity, or do you use a partner network in some states?
- Can you walk me through your pricing structure? Are benefits, payroll taxes, and state-specific compliance costs included, or billed separately?
Tip: Book calls with at least 2-3 providers. A 30-minute conversation will tell you more about their U.S. expertise than any website or feature list.
Red flags to watch for
Here are the warning signs that a provider isn't the right fit for U.S. hiring.
- They can't explain the difference between the IRS behavioral control test and the DOL economic reality test for worker classification. Both matter in the U.S., and confusing them is a basic error.
- They quote a flat monthly fee without clarifying whether employer social contributions (8.1%), FICA matching, or state unemployment taxes are included. Vague pricing almost always means surprise costs later.
- They treat all U.S. states as identical. A provider that doesn't flag California's additional leave mandates, final pay rules, or retaliation protections isn't paying close enough attention.
- They can't tell you which states they cover through their own entity versus a third-party partner. Using partners in key states adds risk and reduces accountability.
- They offer no indemnification for compliance failures. If they get a payroll tax filing wrong or mishandle a termination, the contract decides who carries it.
- Long lock-in contracts with steep exit fees. If the relationship isn't working, you should be able to leave without a penalty that outweighs the cost of switching.
Common mistakes to avoid
These are the pitfalls we see most often when companies start hiring in the U.S.
- Hiring someone as a contractor when they should be an employee. The IRS and DOL both scrutinize this, and the back taxes, penalties, and benefits owed can be substantial. A good EOR will flag this before you make the hire.
- Assuming at-will employment means termination is always simple. State-specific rules, particularly in California, can create real legal exposure if you don't follow the right process. Your EOR should handle this by state, not with a one-size approach.
- Ignoring state minimum wage rates. The federal floor is $7.25 per hour, but 30 states plus DC have higher rates in 2026, and some cities go higher still. A reliable EOR keeps your contracts and payroll in line with the right local rate.
- Underestimating total employer cost. Base salary is just the start. Add 8.1% in employer social contributions, FICA matching, and benefits, and your real cost per employee climbs well above the $82,933 average wage. Your EOR should give you a full cost breakdown upfront.
- Not documenting performance issues before termination. Even in at-will states, poor documentation creates legal risk if a termination is challenged. The right EOR will guide you on keeping proper records throughout the employment relationship.
Your next steps
Here's how to go from this list to your first hire in the U.S.
Price matters, but it's not the right place to cut corners. A provider that mishandles FICA filings, gets state leave requirements wrong, or fumbles a California termination will cost you far more than the difference between a $300 and $500 monthly fee. Compliance expertise is what you're actually paying for.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does an EOR cost in the United States?
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Why does state law matter when hiring in the US?
How do I choose the right EOR for the United States?
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