Compare the whole bill: the employee’s costs, the provider’s fees and the cash you must fund upfront. A low advertised fee is useful only when the rest of the quote is clear.
What are you actually paying for?
Keep three amounts separate. Only the first two are costs; a refundable deposit is money tied up until the agreed return conditions are met.
01 · Employment
Your employee’s costs
Salary, employer National Insurance, pension and agreed benefits. These exist even if you employ directly. A statutory charge is not a hidden provider fee.
02 · Service
The EOR’s charges
Management fee, conversion margin, payment charges and any onboarding, benefit administration or exit service. Ask what is included.
03 · Funding
Cash paid in advance
Payroll prefunding, reserves and refundable deposits. Ask how much, where it sits, what can be deducted and when it comes back.
One shared example
What might a £50,000 UK hire cost?
For a £50,000 employee in England, the basic annual employment budget is about £58,063 before the EOR fee. This example uses 2026/27 rates, standard employer National Insurance and the minimum employer pension on qualifying earnings.
Annual cost of one £50,000 UK employee, excluding EOR fees
Cost
Calculation
Annual amount
Gross salary
£50,000 salary
£50,000.00
Employer National Insurance
15% × (£50,000 − £5,000)
£6,750.00
Employer pension
3% × (£50,000 − £6,240)
£1,312.80
Employment subtotal
Before service fees and extras
£58,062.80
Assumes a full year, an eligible enrolled employee, no salary sacrifice, no National Insurance relief or Employment Allowance, and no bonus or enhanced benefits. Pension scheme rules and payroll rounding can change the result. This is a budgeting illustration, not a payroll calculation.
Next add 12 months of the agreed EOR fee, any benefits and confirmed one-off charges. Convert foreign-currency fees at the agreed rate. Show taxes and any deposit separately. This gives you a fair twelve-month comparison without pretending every provider has the same contract.
Why do some pound prices say “est.”?
All comparison prices are shown in pounds. Teamed publishes its fee in GBP. Where a provider advertises in US dollars, we show an estimated pound equivalent, rounded to the nearest pound.
We used the European Central Bank reference rates dated 22 September 2026. One US dollar was about £0.7483. This makes the starting fees easier to compare; it is not a provider’s GBP offer or the rate your bank will use. Check the invoice currency, conversion margin and final UK fee in your written quote.
How can FX change the total?
Exchange-rate movement and an EOR’s conversion margin are different things. The market rate can change between quote and payment even when a provider adds no markup.
Ask for the benchmark rate, the time it is fixed, the markup and the amount it applies to. For budgeting, apply the markup to the full employment amount being converted, including salary, employer costs and any benefits in that payment. Bank and payment-processing charges may be separate again.
Budget for FX on the full employment cost. At 2.5–3%, a markup on the whole £58,062.80 annual employment budget adds £1,451.57–£1,741.88 a year for one employee.
The calculation includes salary, employer National Insurance and employer pension. This example has no additional benefits; include them in the conversion base if your contract does. The EOR service fee and refundable deposit remain separate.
Illustrative FX markup applied to the full annual employment cost
FX markup
Annual calculation
Extra per year
Monthly equivalent
2.5%
2.5% × £58,062.80
£1,451.57
£120.96
3%
3% × £58,062.80
£1,741.88
£145.16
The 2.5–3% range is an illustrative budgeting scenario, not a verified charge for every provider. It assumes the full employment cost is converted. Check your provider’s actual rate, conversion base and any separate charge on service fees.
Request a sample invoice in your actual funding currency. If you fund in GBP and the employee is paid in GBP, ask whether any other conversion still takes place in the payment chain.
What extra fees should you check?
These notes separate published provider statements, unresolved terms and customer experience. “Not established” means the checked evidence does not settle the point. It does not mean free, and it does not prove a provider concealed a charge.
Teamed
Cost 4.6/ 5 · Top 20 total 4.7/ 5
Flat £479per employee / month
Teamed gives HR leaders local expertise, clear answers and personal support when decisions get difficult. For CFOs, it offers payroll without an FX markup. Its promise: the confidence to grow globally, knowing who to turn to and what comes next.
Price conditions
Published GBP price. Monthly terms; employment costs are separate.
FX & payments
Teamed adds no FX margin to payroll currency conversion. Market-rate movement can still change the amount converted. Confirm the conversion reference and timing in your agreement.
Additional services
No setup or hidden provider fees. Salary, statutory employment costs, benefits and any separately agreed services are itemised rather than included in the flat EOR fee.
Deposits & funding
A refundable deposit equal to one month of the employee’s salary is held separately from the service fee. Confirm the calculation, permitted deductions and refund date.
Commitment & exit
No exit or early offboarding fee. The service agreement is monthly; employee notice and final payroll remain separate employment obligations.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
Sampled G2 accounts praise personal help and prompt responses. Others describe onboarding or communication delays and ask for clearer payslips or fewer contacts. Country and case circumstances vary.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Remote
Cost 4.7/ 5 · Top 20 total 4.7/ 5
From £523 est.per employee / month
Remote suits teams that value a structured EOR platform and clear employment administration. Its advertised US-dollar fee is about £523 per employee each month here. The global assessment is strong in legal support and technology, while the UK quote must still settle currency and funding terms.
Price conditions
Standard advertised management fee; negotiated terms may differ.
FX & payments
Remote publishes a monthly Remote FX rate. Its terms allow a margin and transaction charges, but no universal percentage was established. Ask for your actual rate.
Additional services
Ask which benefits, immigration services and specialist work are outside the EOR management fee for this hire.
Deposits & funding
Payroll is funded in advance and later reconciled. Extra reserves can depend on risk; request the UK funding amount and release conditions.
Commitment & exit
Confirm cancellation notice, final reconciliation, deposit release and any service charge for ending or transferring employment.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The score evidence supports established employment workflows. Treat general platform reviews separately from UK EOR delivery. For urgent problems, confirm the human contact route and resolution ownership.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Deel
Cost 5.0/ 5 · Top 20 total 4.7/ 5
From £448 est.per employee / month
Deel suits companies that want EOR employees, contractors and wider workforce tools in one platform. Its advertised starting fee is about £448 per employee each month here, before UK-specific costs. Deel has the highest approved global overall score in this group, with strong technology and flexible workforce tools.
Price conditions
EOR starting fee. Ask for UK terms and included support.
FX & payments
Deel explains forward exchange rates but does not publish one EOR margin for every case. Ask for the rate, conversion base and timing. Payment-method fees are separate.
Additional services
Confirm any immigration, non-local-currency payroll and payment-method charges for this UK hire. A promotion for another product does not set EOR terms.
Deposits & funding
A deposit may be required. Its release depends on termination and final settlement; get the amount and refund deadline in the agreement.
Commitment & exit
Ask for any offboarding or legal service charges. Keep those separate from employee notice, accrued holiday and final payroll obligations.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The existing evidence supports platform breadth. Customer reports also raise specific invoice-escalation and case-ownership problems. These accounts do not establish how often a UK customer would experience them.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Rippling
Cost 4.5/ 5 · Top 20 total 4.5/ 5
Price on requestTailored EOR quote
Rippling suits employers that want HR, IT access and EOR employment in one platform. It has no verified standalone EOR price here, so a base software fee cannot price a UK hire. Its global technology score is strong, but you need one quote covering the required platform and employment service.
Price conditions
Core platform and chosen modules affect the package price.
FX & payments
No UK EOR margin was established. Ask for the funding currency, reference rate, markup and amount converted; unknown does not mean zero.
Additional services
Core software and selected modules affect the package price. Ask which are required for EOR and which can be removed.
Deposits & funding
Confirm payroll prefunding, reserves and any deposit in the EOR agreement. General HR software pricing does not answer this.
Commitment & exit
Review EOR employment terms and platform renewal together. Ending a hire may not cancel every module or commitment.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
General Rippling reviews cover HR, payroll and IT products as well as EOR. They include praise for consolidation and concerns about navigation or mobile features; these cannot be read as a UK EOR service rating.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Oyster
Cost 4.3/ 5 · Top 20 total 4.3/ 5
From £523 est.per employee / month
Oyster suits distributed teams that want guided onboarding and employee administration. Its advertised starting fee is about £523 per employee each month here, before UK employment costs. The global assessment is solid on payroll and technology, but annual-seat terms can change the total if a role ends early.
Price conditions
Annual discounts advertised; compare the commitment before accepting.
FX & payments
Oyster says conversion charges can apply when invoice and contract currencies differ. The margin for a UK proposal needs to be quoted.
Additional services
Benefits, visa services and specialist People Services advice may be charged separately. Ask what is included and the price beyond that allowance.
Deposits & funding
Confirm the advance funding or deposit for this UK hire. No universal amount was established in the checked material.
Commitment & exit
Prepaid annual seats can be non-refundable, although Oyster describes reuse. Confirm seat reuse, employee notice and the service-fee end date.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
G2 accounts in the existing sample describe helpful local guidance and onboarding, alongside slow email responses, ticket-closure concerns and reporting limitations. Several are incentivised and concern countries outside the UK.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Remofirst
Cost 4.6/ 5 · Top 20 total 4.3/ 5
From £149 est.per employee / month
Remofirst suits a small team that wants monthly EOR terms and a low starting fee. Its advertised US-dollar price is about £149 per employee each month here, before any UK-specific changes. Ask for the full cost of FX, benefits and upfront funding.
Price conditions
Country-specific quote. No annual contract advertised.
FX & payments
No fixed EOR FX margin was established. Ask which rate applies, when it is fixed and whether it covers the full employment bill. Contractor-payment terms are separate.
Additional services
Remofirst advertises no setup or termination service fee. Benefits, immigration and other optional services may add cost; request each line in the UK quote.
Deposits & funding
Offboarding guidance describes a refund after final costs are settled. The standard deposit amount and refund deadline were not established for a UK hire.
Commitment & exit
No annual EOR commitment is advertised. Employee notice, final payroll and any transfer work still need to be covered in the UK agreement.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The sampled G2 accounts praise helpful support and timely pay. Some ask for clearer benefit information and better self-service. The recent sample was seller-invited or incentivised; it is not a UK service test.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
PPapaya Global
Cost 4.0/ 5 · Top 20 total 4.1/ 5
From £373 est.per employee / month
Papaya Global suits companies buying EOR alongside payroll and payments in several countries. Its advertised starting fee is about £373 per employee each month here. The platform brings workforce records, payroll and payments together, but the UK delivery model and currency terms need an itemised quote.
Price conditions
EOR starting fee; scope and country pricing require a quote.
FX & payments
Papaya publishes different currency policies for EOR funding and payment transfers. Processing charges or buffers may apply; ask which rate and base your quote uses.
Additional services
Request the exact EOR package and any implementation, benefits, immigration or payment charges. Payroll-only prices describe a different service.
Deposits & funding
Ask for the UK deposit and payroll funding schedule, including deductions and release conditions. Another customer’s terms are not a standard offer.
Commitment & exit
Get the notice, final-pay process, transfer steps and any fees for the signed EOR package. Contractor-plan terms do not establish EOR costs.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The existing G2 material includes both praise for payroll visibility and requests for simpler access to local partners. Some criticism concerns historical cases; it does not establish current UK performance.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Multiplier
Cost 4.0/ 5 · Top 20 total 4.0/ 5
From £343 est.per employee / month, billed annually
Multiplier suits buyers prepared to take an annual EOR plan for a planned hire. Its Core headline is about £343 per employee each month here when billed annually, not a monthly-pay price. The shared platform covers payroll and employee administration, but required additions must be priced before comparing it with monthly offers.
Price conditions
Core plan. Mandatory additions and implementation may apply.
FX & payments
Terms allow provider-set conversion rates and currency shortfalls. No universal percentage cap was established; ask for the rate and amount converted.
Additional services
Pricing identifies mandatory compliance additions and a possible implementation fee. Benefits administration may add further cost.
Deposits & funding
Request deposit, payroll and benefits prefunding as separate lines, with the return date for each refundable amount.
Commitment & exit
The displayed Core rate is billed annually. Confirm cancellation notice, remaining service fees and benefits commitments before signing.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
Sampled G2 accounts praise payroll self-service and helpful support. Other accounts raise invoicing, benefit or hand-over issues. Incentives and country gaps limit how far these experiences can be generalised.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Native Teams
Cost 3.8/ 5 · Top 20 total 3.9/ 5
From £74 est.per employee / month
Native Teams has the lowest advertised EOR fee here, about £74 per employee each month here. It suits buyers testing a low-cost option if a written UK quote confirms the legal employer, included services and full invoice. The headline alone does not establish the lowest total cost.
Price conditions
Advertised starting price; UK scope and service terms need a quote.
FX & payments
General terms put exchange-rate changes and payment-gateway fees on users. No fixed public EOR margin was established; confirm which terms govern the UK service.
Additional services
Check which payment, benefit and administration charges are included in UK EOR rather than a wallet or contractor product.
Deposits & funding
Published guidance describes mandatory deposit tiers, but no universal UK EOR amount or fixed refund deadline was established.
Commitment & exit
General subscription terms mention a three-month minimum and refund limits. Confirm whether the EOR agreement replaces those terms.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The sample includes smooth EOR onboarding and helpful support, alongside billing or communication complaints. Many reviews concern freelance payments or wallets; these are different services and are kept separate.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
Remote People
Cost 3.1/ 5 · Workbook total 3.6/ 5
From £149 est.per employee / month
Remote People suits employers who need help sourcing a hire as well as employing them. Its Flex plan starts at about £149 per employee each month here and advertises monthly terms. Keep recruitment costs separate from EOR, and do not apply the higher-priced Plus plan’s terms to a Flex quote.
Price conditions
Flex plan. Plus has different price, headcount and annual terms.
FX & payments
No UK Flex FX margin was established. Ask for the rate, timing and full conversion base in the chosen plan.
Additional services
Recruitment and specialist advice are separate from the EOR fee. Ask which benefits administration costs apply to this UK employee.
Deposits & funding
Flex deposit terms need confirmation. Plus advertises no deposit, with a higher fee, annual payment and at least five employees.
Commitment & exit
Refund timing follows final settlement, not just the last working day. Confirm transfer work and any post-exit charges for your plan.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE · CONTEXT, NOT A GUARANTEE
The G2 sample praises organised onboarding and named help. Other buyers describe delayed documents, limited reporting or late disclosure of mandatory costs. Evidence spans countries and includes material from the former Horizons brand.
Commercial and review evidence was captured in September 2026. The full evidence record preserves dates, country, product scope and provider responses. No hands-on payroll test was performed.
What can poor service cost you?
Unclear answers can mean more time chasing an invoice, correcting payroll inputs or explaining a payslip to an employee. A slow offboarding response can also make it harder to meet deadlines. We do not attach invented monetary losses to review complaints.
Look for the person who owns a case, the human support hours and the escalation route. A promise to reply in one day is different from a promise to fix the problem in one day. Balance complaints with positive experiences and check whether the reviewer used EOR in the UK.
What should your written quote answer?
One employee, twelve months
All monthly fees, mandatory extras and optional benefits, using the same salary and start date.
Every currency conversion
Benchmark, timestamp, full margin, conversion base and separate payment fees.
Upfront cash and refunds
Deposit formula, payroll funding dates, deductions and the deadline for returning unused money.
A realistic exit
What you owe after three months and twelve months, including notice, unused commitments and transfer charges.
Teamed
