Deel vs Remote: which is cheaper for your first hires abroad?

If you are about to hire your first person in another country, Deel and Remote are the two names you will hear first. Both will employ that person for you through an employer of record, both pay contractors, both can run US payroll through a PEO, and both publish their prices, which is rarer than it should be.

The short version: Deel and Remote charge the same per employee, and Remote is cheaper per contractor. So the choice comes down to where you are hiring, how much cash you can tie up in deposits, and how much risk you want covered. The rest of this article covers each of those, what each fee includes, and the costs that don't show up on either pricing page.

Prices side by side

These are the published monthly list prices per person, from Deel's pricing page and Remote's pricing page, checked on October 13, 2026.

The fees cover the platform and the provider's work. The person's salary, the employer's taxes and contributions in their country, and benefits are paid on top, and they vary far more by country than these fees do.

Which is cheaper for your team

On list prices, two numbers settle it.

• Each EOR employee costs the same, $599 a month, on either.
• Each contractor costs $20 a month less on Remote.

So Remote costs the same as Deel or less for any mix of employees and contractors. One employee and three contractors costs $746 a month on Deel and $686 on Remote. Ten contractors cost $5,880 a year on Deel and $3,480 on Remote, a difference of $2,400.

With the employee fee level, the monthly price is no longer the biggest difference for a small team. The deposit is, and so is whether the provider employs people in the country you need. Check the country first. If Remote doesn't employ people where your hire lives, its price doesn't matter, and Deel's longer list may be the only one that includes them.

The hiring-abroad cost calculator does this sum for your own numbers.

What the employer-of-record fee includes

The headline EOR fee is the line most founders compare, so it helps to know what each one buys.

Deel lists onboarding and local compliance, payroll processing and tax filings, and benefits administration such as health care and pensions, in 130+ countries.

Remote lists onboarding with a dedicated specialist, local payroll, compliance protections, localized benefits and in-house experts for ongoing support, in 90+ countries, with its platform included at no base fee.

In practice the two cover the same core job: a local employment contract, payroll in the local currency, tax withholding, statutory benefits and the paperwork when someone leaves. The differences are in coverage and in who does the work. Deel reaches more countries. Remote says it owns its own entity in every country where it employs people and never relies on third parties to employ workers for you, which matters to some companies handling sensitive employee data.

Deposits and cash flow

This is the cost that never appears on a pricing page, and for a small company it can matter more than the monthly fee.

Deel asks for a deposit for each EOR employee. Its help center puts the standard amount at one to one and a half times all monthly charges for that person: salary, employer costs, fixed allowances and the management fee. In countries where ending employment is expensive, the deposit can be higher. It is refunded when the employment ends, after the final invoice is settled.

Remote says deposits are required only for "select businesses that meet certain financial criteria," based on external data and industry factors, and that any deposit is refundable.

To see what that means in dollars, take an engineer whose total monthly cost, salary plus employer contributions plus fee, comes to $8,000. A deposit of one to one and a half months on Deel ties up $8,000 to $12,000 until that person leaves. Hire three people and you may be holding $24,000 to $36,000 in deposits. If cash is tight, ask both providers for a written answer on deposits before you compare anything else.

If you also hire in the US

Many US companies hiring abroad also have employees at home. Both providers sell a US PEO, which co-employs your US staff, runs payroll and gives access to large-group health plans.

• Deel's PEO is $125 per employee a month.
• Remote's PEO starts at $99 per employee a month. It pays in US dollars only and needs a US bank account.

A PEO is not your only option for US payroll. Plain payroll software costs less if you don't need the PEO's benefits, so compare the two before you assume a PEO is the right fit.

Contractors: what the extra money buys

Both providers sell three levels of contractor service, and the gaps between them are about who carries the risk if a contractor turns out to look like an employee.

• Contractor management ($49 on Deel, $29 on Remote) gives you contracts, invoice approval and payouts in the contractor's currency. You remain responsible for classifying the person correctly.
• Remote's Contractor Management Plus ($99) adds coverage of up to $100,000 per contractor for misclassification penalties. Deel has no published equivalent at this level.
• Contractor of record ($325 on Deel, from $325 on Remote) means the provider engages the contractor directly. Remote lists uncapped indemnity and help transferring intellectual property at this level.

If you have a long-standing contractor who works only for you, the jump from $29 or $49 to a covered tier is cheap insurance next to the back taxes and penalties a reclassification can bring.

Where Deel is stronger

• Country coverage. Deel's pricing page lists employer-of-record coverage in 130+ countries. Remote's lists 90+.
• Breadth. Beyond EOR and contractors, Deel sells recruiting (Deel Hire, at $14 per worker a month), so one vendor can cover more of the hiring job.

Where Remote is stronger

• Price. The same $599 per EOR employee as Deel, and $20 a month less per contractor.
• Contractors. A Plus tier at $99 with up to $100,000 of penalty cover per contractor.
• Deposits. Most customers pay none.
• How the work is done. Its own entity in every country it covers, rather than third parties.

What stays your job either way

An employer of record takes on the legal side of employment, not the management. Whichever provider you choose, a few things remain yours.

• The work itself. You set goals, run reviews and decide on raises. The provider puts your decisions into the local contract and payroll.
• Equipment and access. Laptops, software accounts and what happens to them when someone leaves are yours to arrange, unless you buy an add-on.
• Where the person works from. If an employee moves to another country, the arrangement has to move with them, often to a new contract. Tell the provider before the move, not after.
• Your company's tax position abroad. A senior employee who negotiates or signs deals for you can, in some countries, create a taxable presence for your company. Neither provider can take that risk off your hands, so raise it with your CPA once someone abroad starts selling for you.

Questions to ask on the sales call

Both companies will offer a demo. Use it to get answers the pricing pages don't give.

1. What is the total monthly cost, fee plus employer contributions, for this salary in this country?
2. Will you ask for a deposit for this hire, and how much?
3. How long from signed offer to the person's first paid day?
4. What notice period and severance apply if the role ends in the first year?
5. Which exchange rate do you use to pay salaries in local currency, and what margin is added?
6. Is there a discount for an annual contract or for several hires at once?

Ask for the answers in writing. The two quotes, side by side, will tell you more about your real cost than this or any other comparison can.

Who should pick which

• Pick Deel if you are hiring somewhere Remote does not cover, or if you want recruiting and employment from one vendor.
• Pick Remote if the countries you need are on its list. It costs the same per employee and less per contractor, most customers pay no deposit, and the Plus tier covers misclassification penalties.

Not sure whether your first hire should be an employee or a contractor at all? Read employer of record or contractor first. That choice decides more of your cost than the provider does.