In today’s interconnected world, managing a global workforce can be a complex task, often requiring sophisticated HR software solutions. The top challenges you may face when managing global talent and HR operations includes compliance with diverse local laws, handling international payroll, and ensuring seamless communication across borders. This necessitates robust solutions that can streamline these processes and ensure smooth operation across different countries.
While Deel is a popular platform that provides Employer of Record (EOR) solutions for companies hiring a global workforce, it also has its drawbacks, prompting businesses to seek out alternatives. This blog will provide an in-depth comparison of top alternatives for global HR management, highlighting their features, pricing, reviews, and pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.
Deel is a prominent EOR solution that helps businesses hire, manage, and pay international employees with ease. It offers a range of services, including compliance, payroll, and benefits administration across multiple countries. Deel's comprehensive approach makes it a popular choice for companies looking to simplify their global HR operations.
Despite its popularity, Deel has been reported to have issues like payroll delays and lags, system errors and lack of customization options. These drawbacks highlight the need for exploring alternative HR software solutions that might offer more reliability and fewer operational disruptions.
While Deel facilitates global hiring and payments, its contractor management capabilities are limited compared to specialized freelancer management software. Deel primarily focuses on simplifying international payroll and compliance, but it lacks robust features for detailed task tracking and comprehensive project management.
When evaluating Deel alternatives, consider factors such as user interface and ease of use, which can significantly impact the efficiency of your HR operations. Look for platforms with comprehensive features and functions that cater to all your HR needs, including payroll, compliance, and benefits administration capabilities in the countries that are relevant to your business.
Customer support is another critical aspect – responsive and helpful service can make a significant difference in resolving issues promptly, especially across time zones and different local languages. Additionally, cost and pricing structures should be transparent and reasonable, allowing for better budgeting and financial planning. Do consider scalability and global reach too, so that the platform can grow with your business and support operations in multiple countries.
Atlas is a direct Employer of Record, ensuring compliance with labor and tax laws through fully owned legal entities in over 160 countries, delivering over 99% global payroll accuracy, and adhering to GDPR data protection standards.
Pricing: Atlas offers custom pricing based on business needs and employee count, making its services generally competitive with other global EOR providers. This flexibility allows businesses to tailor the services to their specific requirements.
Best Features: Atlas operates with their own legal entities guaranteeing 100% direct compliance. This enables businesses to hire compliantly across all regions without the need for third-party intermediaries. Atlas is strong in legal support, offering flexible solutions for businesses of all sizes.
TalentDesk’s new partnership with Atlas means users can now get all of TalentDesk’s onboarding, contractor management, project management, payment and Agent of Record (AOR) functionalities together with Atlas’ global EOR expertise – all through one comprehensive model.
Reviews: With a G2 rating of 4.5, users appreciate Atlas’s automation and efficiency. One reviewer noted that Atlas helped reduce the HR department's burden by automating repetitive tasks such as tax filing, calculation, and deductions while keeping local laws in mind, and providing real-time insights into payroll data.
What to Watch Out For: While Atlas excels in payroll solutions, companies looking for comprehensive freelancer management and contractor compliance solutions may have found Atlas less suited to those needs. However, with a new collaboration with TalentDesk, this gap is soon to be bridged.
Velocity Global is ideal for medium to large businesses that are expanding globally. They offer services that simplify and accelerate global growth with customer support, global hiring and onboarding, HR support and a global EOR service.
Pricing: Velocity Global offers custom pricing based on company size and needs, typically starting around $500 per employee per month. They have 5 pricing models that allow for a tailored approach. This makes the platform suitable for various business models and sizes, ensuring that companies only pay for the services they need.
Best Features: The platform provides comprehensive global compliance solutions, which are crucial for businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions. It also offers localized benefits and payroll management, ensuring that employees and contractors in different countries receive appropriate compensation and benefits. Additionally, Velocity Global’s solutions are scalable, making it suitable for businesses of various sizes.
Reviews: On G2, Velocity Global has a rating of 4.7 out of 5. Users have praised its accessibility and fast support, with one review noting that "a question or solution is deployed in less than one day (maximum)," highlighting the platform's efficiency and responsiveness.
What to Watch Out For: While Velocity Global boasts extensive global coverage and strong compliance, its pricing and system integration can be more complex compared to other companies. Some users may find that other platforms offer more user-friendly interfaces and greater customization options, which could be a deciding factor for businesses in niche industries or those with specific needs.
Globalization Partners helps businesses grow internationally. It's ideal for companies expanding overseas as they make it easy to hire and manage teams in 180+ countries — without setting up entities.
Pricing: Globalization Partners operates with a minimum 15% markup on each employee's monthly salary, along with various additional fees such as country setup, wiring, per-employee setup, and offboarding fees. They have 3 pricing models to choose from. This pricing structure can be quite comprehensive, covering numerous aspects of global HR management.
Best Features: The platform excels in quick onboarding across over 180 countries, leveraging local expertise to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations, and offering specific perks and benefits that cater to the needs of employees across geographies. It offers a comprehensive suite of services, including payroll, benefits, and legal support, making it a robust solution for managing international employees.
Reviews: Globalization Partners holds a G2 rating of 4.7 out of 5 and a 4 out of 5 rating on SelectSoftware. Users have praised its ability to simplify international hiring, with one reviewer stating, "having Globalization Partners makes it much easier to onboard, ensure compliance, pay in local currency, and offer the correct benefits."
What to Watch Out For: The primary consideration is the higher cost associated with its extensive service offerings. Some users also report process dependencies, where system updates cannot be managed independently and have to be tackled through the G-P support team. Large multinational companies that already possess the necessary expertise in payroll, HR, benefits, and compliance may find these services less essential.
Justworks is an EOR and PEO solution targeted towards small to midsize businesses (SMBs). It provides payroll processing, payroll tax management, benefits, HR consulting, time tracking, global contractor payments, and international hiring and payment services.
Pricing: Justworks offers three pricing tiers: Payroll & HR Tools at $8 per month per employee plus a $50 base fee, Professional Employer Organization Basic at $59 per month per employee, and PEO Plus at $109 per month per employee. Their EOR service pricing starts at $599 per employee per month.
Best Features: The platform is known for its quick onboarding processes and local expertise, which help businesses comply with regulations and manage HR tasks efficiently. It offers a comprehensive suite of compliance and legal support services, making it easier for companies to navigate the complexities of international HR management. Their easy-to-use mobile app is a major pro for those looking to manage HR operations on the go.
Reviews: Justworks has a G2 rating of 4.6 out of 5. Users appreciate its simplicity, ease of use and the effectiveness of its basic HR tools, with one reviewer stating, "It just gets the job done—easy, intuitive, and covers the basics."
What to Watch Out For: Despite its strengths, Justworks comes with higher costs compared to competitors and they have a complex pricing structure, which may be overwhelming for smaller businesses. The range of features, while comprehensive, might be too extensive for some companies, and the time-tracking feature requires an additional fee. Similar to Deel, they lack workflow capabilities and the ability to track tasks on a granular level.
Rippling is ideal for growing small businesses, offering scalable payroll, HR and IT functions. It also supports in-house international payroll, perfect for global operations.
Pricing: Rippling’s pricing includes $8 per employee per month for app, device, and computer inventory management, $20 per employee per month for global payroll, and $599 per employee per month for EOR services. This comprehensive pricing covers a wide range of HR, IT, and finance management needs.
Best Features: Rippling offers a comprehensive platform that combines HR, IT, and finance management. It provides highly customizable workflow automation, advanced payroll processing with integrated tax filings, and employee self-service tools for updating personal information and managing benefits. Its global payroll support is ideal for businesses with international employees. What makes it stand out is its integration capabilities with over 500 third-party systems, giving users a truly comprehensive experience.
Reviews: Rippling holds a G2 rating of 4.8 out of 5. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface and extensive integrations. One reviewer mentioned that the interface is easy to navigate, even for those who are not tech-savvy, and praised its ability to automate recurring tasks and integrate with accounting software.
What to Watch Out For: While Rippling offers robust features, there isn’t much clarity on pricing. Some of the features and add-on apps are charged extra, and some users noted that this can drive up costs, particularly for smaller businesses. This, combined with the platform’s lack of a free trial, might make initial commitment challenging. Additionally, it currently supports only English and French, which might not cover all international teams' needs.Remote provides solutions for international payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for businesses of all sizes. However, some reviews suggest it may be better suited for medium to larger businesses. They offer robust payroll features, reliable customer support, and comprehensive employer-of-record services.
Pricing: Remote’s pricing includes $599 per month for Employer of Record services, $50 per employee per month for global payroll, and $29 per contractor per month for contractor management. Additional services like HRIS and remote talent management come with their own pricing.
Best Features: Remote offers fast onboarding, excellent support, and extensive global coverage, making it ideal for managing international employees and contractors. It features automated payment processing in local currencies and comprehensive benefits management.
Reviews: Remote has a G2 rating of 4.6 out of 5. Users praise its excellent and quick customer support and its flexibility, with one reviewer noting that the process of switching employment countries was made simple and understandable thanks to the support team.
What to Watch Out For: While Remote offers extensive features, it can be expensive for startups and small businesses. Its complex pricing structure often requires custom quotes, which might be overwhelming for smaller businesses. Some advanced functionalities like AI-powered analytics are not included.
BambooHR is perfect for small businesses needing a straightforward HR solution. This HRIS efficiently handles diverse aspects of personnel administration like onboarding, payroll, benefits and more. While it doesn't offer EOR services in itself, its integration with Remote enables it to offer global workforce management capabilities.
Pricing: BambooHR offers flat rate pricing to companies with fewer than 25 employees, and a monthly per employee fee for companies with over 25 employees, making it a cost-effective option for businesses looking for a scalable HR solution. Their basic pricing starts at around $6 per employee per month, with custom pricing available for additional features.
Best Features: The platform offers a user-friendly HR management system with excellent employee self-service tools, which help streamline HR processes. It also provides comprehensive reporting and analytics, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions regarding their workforce.
Reviews: BambooHR has a G2 rating of 4.4 out of 5. Users find it helpful in streamlining and standardizing onboarding processes, with one reviewer mentioning that it ensures all employee information is received and documented efficiently.
What to Watch Out For: While BambooHR is intuitive and effective, some users state that payroll reporting can be complex. Additionally, some advanced HR features are only available in higher-priced tiers, which may limit accessibility for all users.
Breezy HR is a solution that streamlines every aspect of the recruitment process. It has capabilities to help businesses attract top talent, qualify and manage candidates, and hire them in a compliant way. Its integration with top HRIS tools enable users to enjoy a full suite of HR functionalities as well.
Pricing: Breezy HR’s pricing starts at $157 per month for small teams and scales up based on the number of active positions and features. This scalability makes it suitable for businesses of various sizes looking to manage their recruitment processes more effectively. Its annual pricing gives users the benefits of 2 free months, making it an attractive solution over the long term.
Best Features: The platform features an intuitive applicant tracking system, customizable pipelines and workflows, and integration with various HR tools. These features make Breezy HR an excellent choice for businesses looking to streamline their recruitment processes.
Reviews: Breezy HR holds a G2 rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface and efficient candidate tracking capabilities. One reviewer highlighted the ease of creating customizable applicant pipelines that automate the recruitment stages.
What to Watch Out For: Breezy is primarily focused on recruitment and may lack comprehensive HR functions like payroll and benefits administration. Additionally, some advanced customization options are limited.
Gusto’s user-friendly payroll services and benefits designed for small businesses and their employees distinguishes it among all-in-one HR software platforms, making it a suitable option for startup owners looking for comprehensive and accessible HR solutions.
Pricing: Gusto offers three pricing plans: Simple at $40 per month plus $6 per employee, Plus at $80 per month plus $12 per employee, and Premium with $180 per month plus $22 per employee. This tiered structure allows businesses to choose a plan that best fits their needs and budget.
Best Features: Gusto is praised for its comprehensive payroll and benefits administration, user-friendly platform, and automated features. It also offers time tracking and PTO management, making it a robust solution for small to medium-sized businesses.
Reviews: Gusto has a G2 rating of 4.5 out of 5. Users appreciate its smooth payroll process and the variety of features and account options it offers, with one reviewer noting that the platform’s interactive animations have been delightful and entertaining to use.
What to Watch Out For: While Gusto excels in basic HR functions, it may lack advanced HR features needed by larger companies. For example, Gusto Global’s EOR service is available internationally only in a handful of countries like Canada, Philippines, India and Mexico at the moment and they also don’t support payroll for employees that live abroad.
Wise is a payment processing software targeting small to midsize businesses and freelancers, offering multi-currency transfers, secure online payments, and comprehensive financial management tools including customizable invoices, expense tracking, and a centralized dashboard.
Pricing: Wise operates on a pay-as-you-go basis with no subscription or monthly charges. Sending money starts at 0.33%, and additional features like Wise debit cards cost €7, with free ATM withdrawals up to €200 per month.
Best Features: Wise provides a user-friendly platform for international money transfers and multi-currency account management. It offers fast and cost-effective money transfers at actual exchange rates, and comprehensive features for both individuals and businesses, including batch payments and direct debits.
Reviews: Wise has a GetApp rating of 4.3 out of 5. Users appreciate its straightforward and efficient platform for international money management. One reviewer highlighted the ease of transferring money between bank accounts internationally at the best rates.
What to Watch Out For: While Wise is generally cost-effective, some users find the fees for certain transactions higher than expected. Additionally, customer support hours are not 24/7, which might be inconvenient for some users. This is mainly a payment processing platform, so users looking for HR management capabilities will need to opt for additional integrations.
Choosing the right platform for global HR management depends on your business’s specific needs. While Deel offers a solid solution, exploring alternatives like Velocity Global, Globalization Partners, Justworks, Atlas, BambooHR, Breezy, Gusto, Remote, Wise, and Rippling can provide better-suited options for managing or paying your international workforce. Consider factors like pricing, features, and customer support to find the best fit for your company.
For those seeking a specialized solution in contractor or freelancer management, TalentDesk stands out with its user-friendly interface, advanced time-tracking features included without additional fees, tailored to remote workforce management. Unlike some alternatives, TalentDesk is purpose built for companies who use independent contractors.