Oyster 🧾 Service

What you get

Oyster lets you hire and pay people worldwide without your own entity in their country. The pricing page lists:

• Global Contractors: free for 30 days, then $29 per contractor per month.
• Employer of Record: $699 per employee per month at monthly list price. The page says annual discounts are available but does not give the annual price.
• People Partner Services: $300 per hour, project based.

Creating an account and exploring the platform is free; fees start once you engage a contractor or employee.

Who qualifies

Any company hiring internationally. The startups page targets pre-seed to Series A companies and bootstrapped startups with fewer than 50 employees.

Good to know

• Startup discount: the Oyster for Startups page offers savings of up to $1,200 per team member on EOR subscription fees, applied for the first 12 months from the date of hire. You request it when you sign up; there is no minimum number of hires. The page does not say which base price the saving is measured from.
• A currency conversion fee applies only if you pay in a currency different from the contract currency.
• Nonprofits and B Corps can get discounts through Oyster for Impact.

Verdict

Oyster's list prices are in line with other EOR providers, but the startup discount can make it noticeably cheaper for your first international hires. If you qualify, ask for the discount in writing and compare the net price with Deel and Remote.

1. Check you fit the startup criteria (pre-seed to Series A, or bootstrapped with under 50 employees).
2. Open the Oyster for Startups page and click Get Discount.
3. Create your free Oyster account and request the startup discount when you sign up.
4. Add a contractor (first 30 days free) or start an EOR hire.
5. Confirm the discounted EOR fee before the first payroll.