Our view: G-P for moving an existing team, Oyster for building a new one
We rate Oyster 4.5/5 and G-P 4.2/5, so Oyster is ahead overall. The more useful question is whether you are transferring people who already work for you or hiring someone new.
Start with G-P when employees need to stay in place after a deal or the closure of a local entity. G-P supports workforce transfers and entity wind-downs from a base of 100+ owned entities, and its EOR service includes HCM integrations and API access.
Start with Oyster when you are hiring and the package has to persuade the candidate. Its local benefits packages and Allianz-linked global health option give HR something concrete to offer, and its subscription includes setup, onboarding, routine HR expert access and termination processing.
For one straightforward new hire, G-P’s transfer experience adds little, and Oyster charges the higher fee. Let the two country quotes decide.
G-P vs Oyster at a glance
Our provider ratings reflect our recommendation order for providers overall.
Question
G-P
Oyster
Question
Advertised EOR entry fee
G-P
From US$599 per employee/month, a flat platform fee across its listed countries, with volume pricing for larger teams.
Oyster
USD 699 per employee/month billed monthly; annual seats are quoted, prepaid, non-refundable and reusable.
Question
Deposit and refund
G-P
Taken at hiring, 1–2.5 months of gross salary plus employer costs; no standard refund deadline is published, so write one into the contract.
Oyster
About one month of gross salary plus employer costs and Oyster’s fee, due at signing; credit note about 60 days after the end date.
Question
Where it fits best
G-P
Moving or keeping an existing workforce through an acquisition, restructuring or entity closure.
Oyster
New hires where benefits affect whether the candidate accepts the offer.
Question
What must be confirmed
G-P / Oyster
Check before signing: confirm named country employer, deposit amount and refund date, annual-seat terms, benefit premiums, transfer plan, client notice and final employment costs in writing.
G-P lists background checks, visa support, equity payroll, an employee assistance program, and office space and IT equipment as EOR add-ons, so ask for each one you need to be priced. Oyster’s annual seats are prepaid and non-refundable, though a vacant seat can take a replacement hire.
Compare G-P’s EOR starting fee with Oyster’s EOR fee for the same hire. Both are US dollar service fees. Add salary, employer contributions and benefits separately.
Moving an existing workforce
G-P supports employee transfers after acquisitions and entity wind-downs. After SonicWall separated from Dell, G-P helped it keep employees in Europe and Asia, including small offices where SonicWall found setting up its own entity impractical.
A transfer is judged on detail. Give both providers an anonymized employee list with service dates, leave balances, benefits and variable pay. Ask which terms carry over, which need the employee’s agreement and who runs the first payroll in each country.
Oyster’s strengths sit earlier, at the offer and onboarding stage. Hiring templates and local benchmarks help you prepare the offer, and Muse Group used Oyster to hire 30 people in eight countries, including markets where it had no entity of its own.
If a transfer is the main job, still ask Oyster to answer the same employee list. The better proposal resolves the awkward cases, such as someone on leave or on variable pay, before the transfer date.
Fees, commitments and deposits
G-P’s EOR starts at US$599 per employee per month, with volume pricing for larger teams. EOR hires have no minimum contract length, but G-P’s public terms don’t set the client notice period, the deposit-return timetable or employee termination costs. Ask for the EOR service agreement before signing.
Oyster charges USD 699 per employee per month, billed monthly. Annual seats are negotiated, prepaid and non-refundable. Either party can end the agreement on 30 days’ written notice, but fees and transition costs continue until the local termination process is complete.
G-P has taken deposits at hiring to cover obligations such as statutory notice pay, and the amount for your hire is set in the quote. G-P publishes no standard refund deadline, so put the deductions and the return date in the agreement.
Oyster normally takes a refundable deposit of about one month of the hire’s gross salary plus employer costs and Oyster’s platform fee, due when you sign. It usually issues a credit note about 60 days after the employee’s end date, once final payments clear, and may offer a cash refund if no team members remain.
When to consider each provider for a new hire
Benefits are Oyster’s strongest card for a new hire. Its local packages range from essential statutory cover to Competitive and Best-In-Class upgrades, and the Allianz-linked global option reaches 165+ countries. Optional packages cost extra, so get the schedule and premium before promising cover. One employee in Colombia described paying medical costs upfront and waiting for reimbursement, so check how claims work locally.
G-P can still compete for a new hire, especially if your HR system matters. HCM integrations and API access come with its EOR service, and its catalog includes Workday, BambooHR and HiBob. The BambooHR connection covers new-employee setup, not two-way syncing of pay changes, so test the fields you need.
G-P’s published response objectives are two minutes for live chat and eight hours for webform requests, as averages rather than guarantees. Oyster offers local-expert support and a ticket workflow, with dedicated account access depending on the plan. Ask both who handles an urgent pay issue.
G-P offers EOR in 180+ countries and Oyster in 120+. Both employ through a mix of their own entities and partners, including Oyster’s Direct+ network, so ask each for the registered employer for your hire.
Two situations where the choice is clear
Hypothetical example: a buyer acquiring a company with 25 employees in four countries where it has no entity. The employees need to keep their service dates and benefits. Start with G-P’s transition proposal and require a named transfer team, a first-payroll date for each country and a plan for anyone who can’t move on time. Ask Oyster to answer the same employee list.
Hypothetical example: a startup hiring its first three employees abroad over the next year. Each offer needs a benefits package that holds up against local employers. Start with Oyster’s monthly quote and benefits schedules, then ask whether annual seats would pay off once all three roles are filled. Ask G-P to price the same three hires.
Before signing either agreement, ask what you owe if a hire is delayed, how the deposit comes back and which charges continue during an employee’s local notice period.
When price or recruitment support matters most, RemotePeople, our top-rated provider (4.9/5), is worth a quote: EOR Global starts at USD 499 per employee per month and EOR Select at USD 199 in selected countries and salary ranges, and it can recruit the candidate too. See how it compares with G-P. For other pairs, read Deel vs G-P, Deel vs Oyster or the EOR comparison directory.
Basis for the recommendation
This comparison draws on our hands-on tests of both providers and on the fee, deposit and contract findings in our G-P review and Oyster review. We checked the linked official pages on 8 November 2026. Ratings follow our methodology. The examples are hypothetical, and a quote for your country, salary and headcount decides the final cost.