Our recommendation: start with RemotePeople for a lean team’s first hires
For a lean team making its first international hires, we would begin with RemotePeople. Both of its EOR plans start below Borderless AI’s USD 579 standard fee, and the deposit is one month of the employee’s gross salary.
The cash needed before the start date is where the two differ most. Borderless AI’s customer policy asks for 1.5 months of gross salary plus employer costs and fees paid by ACH, or three months by wire, while its marketing FAQ advertises no deposit. Settle that in writing before you build a budget.
Borderless AI still earns a place on the shortlist. Our Borderless AI review found its clearest fit in hiring in Canada and in moving a small team from another EOR, with a named support contact throughout.
RemotePeople vs Borderless AI at a glance
Our provider ratings reflect our recommendation order for providers overall.
Question
RemotePeople
Borderless AI
Our rating
Question
Advertised EOR entry fee
RemotePeople
Global from USD 499 and Select from USD 199 (selected countries and salary ranges) per employee/month; the proposal sets any commitment.
Borderless AI
USD 579 standard, or USD 399 for eligible companies headquartered outside Canada on fees billed through 31 December 2026.
Question
Deposit and refund
RemotePeople
One month of the employee’s gross salary, due before the contract goes out; unused balance refunded within 5 days of the final payment.
Borderless AI
1.5 months of gross salary plus employer contributions, benefits and platform fees by ACH, three months by wire; no fixed refund deadline.
Question
Reason to shortlist
RemotePeople
You need an employment service and may also need help finding the candidate.
Borderless AI
A lean HR team hiring in Canada or moving a small team from another EOR.
Question
What must be confirmed
RemotePeople / Borderless AI
Check before signing: confirm country acceptance, Select eligibility, offer dates, currency, commitment, deposit amount or written waiver, refund timing, named employer, support response times and exit charges in writing.
Borderless AI’s USD 399 rate covers fees billed in 2026 only. From 1 January 2027, USD 579 applies to every customer, including those who joined during the offer, and some countries and employment types are priced separately. Canadian-headquartered companies have their own offer: a $0 service fee through 31 December 2027 on a fixed 12-month contract signed by 31 December 2026.
Compare RemotePeople’s Global and Select plans with Borderless AI’s pricing and its 2026 offer conditions for the same hire. The figures here are US dollar service fees. Add salary, employer costs and benefits separately.
If you already have the candidate
Check first whether your hire qualifies for RemotePeople’s EOR Select plan from USD 199. If not, compare EOR Global from USD 499 with Borderless AI’s quote. For a company based outside Canada, Borderless AI’s USD 399 offer is lower than EOR Global on fees billed through 31 December 2026, so price the full first year at each provider’s rates.
Next, plan the cash due before the start date. RemotePeople bills one month of the employee’s gross salary before the contract goes out for signature. Borderless AI’s deposit policy requires cleared funds before the employee starts: 1.5 months of gross salary plus employer costs and fees by ACH, or three months by wire. A balance unpaid for 15 days, or more than two late payments, can move the account to a six-month deposit.
Ask both who employs the person. Borderless AI employs through its own entities, so ask for the registered company name in your hiring country. RemotePeople names the employer before the hire and runs its own entities in its highest-volume markets.
If you still need to find the employee
RemotePeople can search for the candidate and then employ them. Its recruitment and EOR service charges 2% of annual salary each month for 12 months, 24% in total, on top of EOR fees. Recruitment on its own costs 20% of annual salary, payable on the hire’s first day.
Our Borderless AI review covers EOR, payroll and contractor services but lists no recruitment offer. Plan to find the candidate through your own channels or a separate recruiter, then pass the accepted offer to Borderless AI.
Ask RemotePeople for a named recruiter, a shortlist timetable and the terms if the hire leaves early. Keep the recruitment fee on its own line when you compare the two budgets.
When Borderless AI could justify the choice
Borderless AI fits two projects best: hiring in Canada and moving a small team from another EOR. Its customer stories cover both, including Rewind’s move of three employees with a dedicated customer success manager. A Canadian-headquartered company signing in 2026 should also price the $0 service-fee offer.
Its HR tools are another reason to look. HRGPT answers HR questions with links to the sources behind each answer, and Contract Generator produces a draft you review before signing. The HRGPT page still marks chat-based payroll management, automated reviews and expense reimbursements as Coming Soon, so test only what your account can use today.
Support is direct. Each client gets a named contact from the in-house team, with payroll experts available through the app and Slack. No response-time guarantee comes with it, so write the commitments you need into the agreement.
Two situations where RemotePeople deserves priority
Hypothetical example: a founder hires one specialist abroad and needs to keep cash free. The business has chosen its candidate and wants a predictable outlay before the first payday. Start with RemotePeople’s country quote and check EOR Select eligibility. A deposit of one month’s gross salary is easier to fund than 1.5 to three months of gross salary plus employer costs and fees. Ask Borderless AI for its deposit, or any waiver, in writing before comparing totals.
Hypothetical example: a small company needs its first international hire and has no recruiter. The hiring manager knows the role but lacks time for a local search. Start with RemotePeople’s combined proposal and require a named recruiter, an interview timetable and the full recruitment fee. With Borderless AI, add a separate recruiter’s fee to its quote before comparing.
Before signing either agreement, ask who handles a payroll correction, a delayed start, an employee’s pay question and an early departure. If neither provider fits, use the EOR comparison directory to choose another pair.
Basis for the recommendation
Our comparison draws on our hands-on tests of both providers, set out in our RemotePeople review and Borderless AI review. We checked the linked official pages on 8 November 2026. Our preference for RemotePeople is specific to the situations above and rests on its published fees, deposit terms and service scope. The examples are hypothetical, and a country quote for your hire decides the final cost and terms.