Many businesses are looking to take advantage of global markets and workforces, and international payroll services can help businesses process payroll for workers located in other countries. Using these services, you can be assured that your company complies with local tax and hiring laws. Most also provide, or connect companies with, professional employment organizations (PEOs) to hire, onboard, and manage foreign employees onsite.
We analyzed the popular nine global payroll services and chose the top six based on pricing, HR tools, reporting, payment features, and ease of use. If you need only stateside payroll support, consider our recommendations for best payroll services.
- Papaya Global: (Best overall) Optimal for businesses that plan to expand their global workforce
- ADP: Ideal for companies with 1,000+ employees or those already using ADP solutions
- Rippling: Small businesses that hire and pay international contractors
- CloudPay: Mid to larger businesses that have a global workforce
- Globalization Partners: Businesses looking for international compliance support and protection of digital assets
- SAP SuccessFactors: SAP customers looking to grow their global workforce
How We Evaluated the Best International Payroll Services
We started our research by comparing nine reputable international payroll services. We evaluated their features based on criteria such as transparency in pricing, PEO services, HR support, customer support, and payment options. After exploring their offerings thoroughly, we scored and ranked the services to narrow the list to the six best international payroll services.
Papaya Global scored the highest overall since it provides payroll and PEO services in over 140 countries. It supports all types of workers, including contract workers, paying them in their local currency with pay slips in their language. This international payroll service is associated with numerous partners that can help employers provide benefits to foreign employees.
SCORECARD CRITERIA:
25% of Overall Score
We looked for convenience features like automatic pay runs, tax filing (federal, state, and local levels), and the ability to pay contractors and employees with manual check capabilities and direct deposit. Providers ranked better if they are available in more than 100 countries with a team of in-country payroll compliance experts who can help employers be payroll and labor law compliant. All six payroll providers earned high scores for their robust payroll features for international employees and contractors.
20% of Overall Score
The best global payroll service includes at least simple HR features, such as onboarding, self-service portals, and benefits. We favored companies with advisors on hand to help with legal compliance issues. We considered HR features such as onboarding support, compliance and employment law support, PEO services, and benefit and deduction assistance. Papaya Global, ADP, Rippling, and Globalization Partners have top-notch HR features that allow companies to manage their global workforce.
20% of Overall Score
We highly favored providers that showed straightforward pricing with multiple plan options. In addition to each software’s pricing per employee, we checked if they require setup fees. We also gave more points to those that allow unlimited pay runs and multiple plan options. Both Papaya Global and Rippling have published their pricing details on their website, which will allow you to set aside an appropriate budget for your payroll needs.
20% of Overall Score
The global payroll software should have no setup fee and be easy to use. We also looked for an intuitive user platform, including live phone support, training options, and flawless integration with other software. CloudPay received a perfect score in our evaluation for its easy-to-use platform and live support.
10% of Overall Score
In addition to the number of payroll reports, we considered whether they are customizable or if you could create special reports for your specific needs. All software providers scored high for their own set of built-in and customizable reports that users find very useful in making their business decisions.
5% of Overall Score
We took the average review ratings from G2, Capterra, and Software Advice, which are also based on a 5-star scale; any option with an average of 4+ stars is ideal. We also favored software with 1,000+ reviews on any third-party site. With more than 1,000 positive reviews for its intuitive platform, responsive customer support, and value for money, only Rippling earned a perfect score here. Other providers scored as low as 0 out of 5.
Papaya Global
PROS
- Intuitive platform
- Transparent pricing
- Responsive local support
- Consolidated payroll reports
CONS
- No free trial
- No 24/7 support
- No check mailing support
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| HR tools | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 2.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payment Features | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
Papaya Global is a fast-growing, well-funded international payroll service that touts a 99% customer retention rate. It offers complete payroll services in over 140 countries and handles companies such as Microsoft, Toyota, Intel, and Wix.
This multi-country payroll service scored 4.55 out of 5 in our evaluation. Aside from its transparent pricing, Papaya Global is strong in payroll and HR features. It provides nearly any type of foreign payroll services your business may need, including in-country HR and onboarding support. Also, it can help with challenging tasks, like paying taxes and complying with local tax and employment laws. Papaya Global offers numerous automation tools and advanced reporting options. However, it scored lower on our popularity measure because of its few positive reviews posted on Capterra, compared with Rippling’s more than a thousand positive reviews.
If you want to know more about Papaya Global and how it can help your business, visit its website.
Papaya Global Pricing
Most services in our list require you to reach out to them by telephone or email to discuss pricing (like ADP and CloudPay).
The Payroll Plan runs from $20 to $100 per employee, per month and includes nearly all payroll features. The Global EOR Plan, which provides worker classification and compliance checks, costs anywhere from $770 to $1,000 per month, per employee. Its contractor and IC Compliance plan are at $25 per person, per pay cycle. If you’d like to add the Payroll Intelligence Suite, it is $250 per year, per location, or $320 per quarter, per location. Also, unlike the other providers, Papaya Global offers a 60-day money-back guarantee if you are unsatisfied with its performance.
Papaya Global Standout Features
- Robust payroll and tax filing feature: With Papaya Global, you can stay compliant with government and local tax laws. Aside from running payroll, it will also assist you with tax filing and process payments with third-party agencies like the IRS, national insurance, pension scheme, etc.
- Flexible HR tools: Papaya Global integrates with popular HRISes (SAP SuccessFactors and Workday), expenses management tools (Expensify and SAP Concur), and ERP solutions (NetSuite). It also handles hiring, onboarding, and management support, employment compliance support, benefits management, HR reporting, GEO, and EoR services.
- Advanced HRIS and data security tools: It has a state-of-the-art employee and document management system. It keeps employee data in one platform, which improves employee retention. Papaya Global also has a single sign-on (SSO) feature that makes sure your employee data is safe and private.
- Smart reporting: It has extensive human resources, payroll, and statutory reports, customized reporting, and a general ledger. It also has a Payroll Intelligence Suite with business intelligence reporting, which is unique to Papaya Global.
- Payment features: Payroll payments are made in the local currency and language; if possible, payments are made using bank transfers or direct deposits. Employers will also receive confirmation of payments.
- Extensive immigration services: Unlike ADP or Rippling, Papaya Global offers immigration services that include obtaining work permits for expatriates and short-term assignments, residence permits, and spouse and family permits.
Employee engagement portal: Papaya Global has a flexible self-service portal for employees and contractors. It allows them to view pay stubs, report PTO, track their time, and communicate with their managers. However, it is only available on Web App desktop platforms and Android mobile platforms. - Accessible and expert support: It has 24/7 phone and email support, online training documentation, and set up assistance. Papaya Global also has in-house experts on benchmarks, labor laws, and compliance to help you when needed.
ADP
PROS
- Automated compliant payroll
- Advanced reporting and management features
- Local HR support available
- Integrates with popular business solutions
CONS
- Not suitable for small companies (less than 50)
- Advanced features and services cost more
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 2.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| HR tools | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payment Features | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.88 | OUT OF | 5 |
ADP provides payroll services in over 140 countries and is suitable for large companies with over 1,000 global employees. As you’d expect, ADP is compatible with other ADP solutions, such as its human capital management (HCM) product which your company may already be using. It has nearly every international payroll feature we were looking for and earned 4.29 out of 5 in our evaluation. If your company is already an ADP customer, it may be simple to add its global payroll service to your existing payroll processes.
Although it ranked lower in pricing against Papaya Global, ADP offers full PEO services and has compliance and HR professionals located in key countries. Beyond payroll and local tax and compliance assistance, it also offers talent management, workforce management, and analytics and reporting tools that help in global workforce retention. It is a good choice since it has advanced administrative features to help companies view worldwide payroll in a single record and filter it by country or location. Users find the platform easy to use and its reporting features are robust, however, many of them complained about the unresponsive customer service, thus the low marks on popularity.
Read our ADP review to learn more about the software and how to maximize its functions for your business.
ADP Pricing
Unlike Papaya Global, ADP offers three payroll solutions that scale with you depending on the number of employees you have and the countries in which you operate. ADP has Global Payroll, Celergo, and Global View Payroll. Global Payroll is for managing payroll for over 1,000 payees; Celergo helps businesses manage payroll for 50–1,000 employees per country (140+ countries); Global View is intended for multinational companies (42 countries) with over 1,000 employees. ADP’s pricing is customized.
ADP Global Standout Features
- Fully automated payroll: ADP automatically processes your payroll, employees’ deductions for retirement, insurance, and wage garnishments.
- Tax filing and compliance: ADP keeps you compliant, from local jurisdictional taxes to state regulations, in the more than 140 countries in which it operates.
- HR tools: Full integration with ADP HR solutions is available, as are onsite HR outsourcing, PEO services, full HR solution, advanced HR reporting options, hiring, and onboard support, compliance, and tax support.
- Reporting: It has an on-demand ADP Global Insights Dashboard which is a unique ADP feature among the other providers on the list. This dashboard provides advanced business insights reporting across the entire company, as well as by country, location, or team.
- Payment features: In contrast with Papaya Global’s bank deposit and direct deposit options, ADP can pay employees in any manner the country supports whether through direct deposit, check delivery, manual checks, or pay card.
- Interactive, mobile-enabled employee access: It is an all-inclusive dashboard that lets employees access information on time, pay, benefits, and alerts or notifications. While HR administrators can customize the portal’s look and configure notifications and alerts for employees.
- Ease of use: ADP offers one-on-one setup, training and customer services, employee onboarding and training, and numerous integrations. It also has 24/7 live dedicated support that other international payroll solutions lack.
Rippling
PROS
- Integrates with over 400 business apps
- Onboarding and document management
- Supports small businesses
CONS
- No in-country payroll compliance experts
- No 24/7 telephone support
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 0.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| HR tools | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payment Features | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
Rippling offers payroll services, as well as HR and IT support, in more than 100 countries. It does have international payroll tools but is somewhat limited in some aspects like its in-country payroll compliance experts. Along with Papaya Global, Rippling published its pricing on its website, earning it points for transparency. Businesses that don’t have a full overseas workforce find it more useful, as they can usually hire and pay workers as contractors, which leaves the taxes up to each individual.
With 3.68 out of 5 in our evaluation, Rippling syncs all your business’ HR data with payroll to ensure accuracy. Also, it works seamlessly with over 400 business apps from accounting and time tracking tools which is more than the other providers’ integrations. It syncs flawlessly with Sage, QuickBooks, PayPal, and Expensify, as well as with popular 401(k), benefits, and investment services. Users liked that Rippling is easy to implement and navigate, however, it lacks live phone support to address issues immediately.
Read our Rippling review for a full breakdown of its functions.
Rippling Pricing
Like Papaya Global, Rippling’s starting price is published on its website and begins at $8 per month, per employee. You have to purchase its Core Employee Management product to get started. And payroll is an additional $8 monthly per employee. Additional modules and Rippling apps that work with global payroll tools are an additional cost:
- Employee benefits: $6 per employee, per month
- Flex HSA and FSA benefits: $6 per employee, per month
- HR Help Desk: $100 a month
- App management: $8 per employee, per month
- Device management: $8 per employee, per month
Rippling Standout Features
- Automated payroll and tax filing: Rippling syncs hours worked, PTO, benefits deductions, and taxes and withholdings automatically to process payroll in 90 seconds. Among the top international payroll providers on the list, only Rippling has a tax penalty guarantee for errors committed by its representative during tax filing.
- HR tools: It provides HR and IT tools for micro to large businesses, has benefits support, files US payroll taxes, and helps manage onboarding and HR documents.
- Reporting: Rippling includes HR, payroll, and tax reporting. You can either use its extensive library of pre-built reports or configure your own payroll report.
- Task management: Unlike ADP and Papaya Global, Rippling can automatically track your employees’ time in/out, location, and activities in real time. You can also change employees’ pay rates as they move from one job to another.
- Payment features: You can make payroll payments by check or direct deposit where available. Time worked and paychecks are calculated, and funds can easily be distributed in the appropriate currency via international wire.
- Device and app management: Rippling has a unique feature that allows employers to remotely manage and protect international employees’ devices. It can also help you set up, manage, and disable all of your employees’ apps like GSuite, Slack, and Office 365 automatically. This is another unique feature for Rippling which is not present with either Papaya Global and ADP.
- Password management: Rippling allows employees to generate strong passwords and securely store and share their login credentials for any app or website.
- Ease of use: Large companies can deploy in weeks and small companies within an afternoon; 1:1 HR support is available, along with open API and hundreds of integrations.
CloudPay
PROS
- Manages payroll and updates employee tax information
- Automated data validation framework to reduce errors
- Complete payroll runs in line with local and country-specific requirements
CONS
- Unresponsive customer service
- No live phone support
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 0.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| HR tools | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 2.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payment Features | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
CloudPay operates in over 130 countries and provides payroll support in multiple languages. It provides international payroll, global payments, and HR support in a single cloud platform. With a score of 3.65 out of 5 in our evaluation, it has a robust set of payroll features and it can even manage payment in 170 currencies, including beneficiary and local bank administration. It also processes third-party payments, even garnishments too, which other providers do not offer. However, it would have scored better if it had time and attendance features and live phone support.
CloudPay’s end-to-end payroll compliance framework ensures you get access to up-to-date, country-specific payroll and tax requirements. It also manages the generation and submission of statutory filings and payments and is equipped with auditable processes for SOX compliance and internal risk management, a unique CloudPay feature. There are just a few reviews about CloudPay; some users like that they can see their pay stubs and organize their documents easily through the platform. However, another complained that its customer service support is unresponsive.
To learn more about it and how it can help your business, visit CloudPay’s website.
CloudPay Pricing
Unlike Papaya Global and Rippling, CloudPay does not have fixed pricing. You have to contact the provider for a customized quote. Pricing varies depending on the services required, number of employees, and the countries your employees are in.
CloudPay Standout Features
- Structured and tailored implementation process: CloudPay has a structured planning and deployment process that is tailored for the client’s needs. Similar to ADP, your designated project representative will help you to have a successful transition and implementation until you go live.
- Multilingual, full-service payroll: Using its cloud-based payroll platform, you can process your payroll anywhere. It has automatic data validation and in-house teams and in-house country partners’ assistance. You will also stay updated with any payroll or tax legislative changes. Since the software is multilingual, employees and employers can communicate smoothly using this platform, a unique feature that sets CloudPay apart from the other providers.
- Unified end-to-end treasury services: CloudPay manages payments in 170 currencies and 200 countries. It also supports international and local banking payments including payroll cards, e-wallets, and even instant payments.
- Compliance and security: CloudPay’s in-country employees and local experts help you access up-to-date in-country payroll requirements, including schedules and filing deadlines.
Globalization Partners
PROS
- Full compliance and local tax support
- Processes payroll in 187 countries
- PEO and EoR services available
- GDPR-compliant
CONS
- Complex pricing structure
- Advanced support services cost more
- Requires two-month advance payroll deposit
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 0.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| HR tools | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 0.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payment Features | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.88 | OUT OF | 5 |
Globalization Partners provides payroll services in 187 countries, which is more than what Papaya Global, ADP, and Rippling can cover. It is also one of the best services for GDPR compliance, digital asset and personal information protection, and legal support. With 3.6 out of 5 in our evaluation, Globalization Partners has a solid team of local legal, HR, and tax experts worldwide to help satisfy local tax and employment laws. Also, it has robust reporting capabilities which users find very useful. However, the lack of pricing transparency and affordability lowered its score in our evaluation.
While Globalization Partners offers a payroll platform with administrative and employee features, its most valuable offer is its local partners. This service can find local candidates, hire and interview applicants, onboard new employees, manage payroll compliance issues, and assist with tax filing. Users commented that its setup and onboarding process, including its customer service, are excellent, however, there was a lot of paperwork to accomplish and it was quite expensive than the other providers.
To learn more about the provider and to understand how it can help your company, read setup our Globalization Partners review.
Globalization Partners Pricing
Globalization Partners’ pricing is customized just like ADP, CloudPay, and SAP SuccessFactors. It depends on the services you require, the country your employees are working in, and the employee salary. Hence, you’ll just have to request a demo and they’ll work with you to provide a custom quote to help you manage your budget more easily.
Globalization Partners Standout Features
- Extensive HR tools: Globalization Partners provides complete localized HR, PEO, EoR services, tax, and legal support. Also, unlike Rippling’s HR tools which serve both domestic and international hires, Globalization Partners offers these features solely for employees that were hired out of the country.
- Automatic payroll services and payment options: It handles payroll, deductions, and taxes. It pays employees in local currencies and pays your taxes according to each country’s schedule. Once Globalization Partners issues the payroll, it sends you the bill with all employee expenses included.
- Reporting: It provides a wide range of reporting options as well as exploratory tools.
- Payment features: It can pay your global employees through direct deposit or manual check.
- Ease of use and customer support: Setup, hiring, onboarding, security, compliance, tax, training, and legal support are available. It also has customer support available 24/7 for your needs. However, it does not have a dedicated support representative like ADP.
SAP SuccessFactors
PROS
- SAP integrations
- Localization support in 45 countries
- Centralized global core HR platform
- Work visa and permits management
CONS
- Limited PEO services
- Training and IT support may be required for successful implementation
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 2.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| HR tools | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Payment Features | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.88 | OUT OF | 5 |
SAP SuccessFactors is the best option for growing companies using other SAP services to handle international payroll and HR services. It provides full localization services in more than 45 countries with over 1,300 localized product experts who ensure that nearly 100 million people worldwide get paid. Although it has limited PEO features unlike Globalization Partners, it is equipped with insightful reporting options and automated payroll functions that scored high in our evaluation. Also, it has SAP reports that can help companies avoid the high costs (often millions) associated with non-compliance.
With 3.44 out of 5 in our evaluation, SAP SuccessFactors has solid automated payroll features and HR tools that help companies manage their international employees. Also, it can help them with compliance and legal issues in other countries. Moreover, many user reviews about using the platform and navigating through it said it was easy. They also observed that it is easy to integrate with other third-party applications. However, others experienced challenges during onboarding and some even find it difficult to customize the employee profiles.
To learn more about the service and its solutions, read our SAP SuccessFactors review.
SAP SuccessFactors Pricing
Like most HR and payroll software included in this list, SAP’s pricing is customized. You will need to speak with an SAP Payroll representative to discuss your specific needs so that they can configure the pricing for you. Keep in mind that the price of global payroll processing will be in addition to the cost of the SAP HR products your company already uses. This is completely different from Papaya Global, which offers both payroll and HR services in its four plans.
SAP SuccessFactors Standout Features
- Automated payroll: SAP SuccessFactors automatically runs payroll. It also has integrated time tracking tools, time off and holiday rules, and tax compliance. One of its best features is that it supports hourly, salary, and contract workers, although there is no contract-specific plan. SAP payroll processing tools can also manage complex deduction scenarios such as retirement investments, garnishments, and benefits.
- HR tools: SAP offers a full range of HR products that work with its payroll service, including recruitment and applicant tracking, employee onboarding, performance and compensation management, and employee document management.
- Reporting: Unlike CloudPay, SAP has extensive HR, payroll, compliance, visa and permanent, and legal reporting options.
- Payment features: SAP can pay employee and contract workers in most ways that are supported within the applicable country
- Ease of use: Software is fully supported 24/7/365, with training courses and learning hubs available online, on-site support, and setup support provided.
Not sure how to choose the best international payroll service for your business? Check out our guide on finding the right payroll solution.
Bottom Line
International payroll services can help businesses that are expanding their global workforce. They also help keep companies out of legal trouble by ensuring that local tax and employment laws are followed. If needed, they will also provide PEO and outsourced HR services locally.
If you are looking to expand your business beyond the US, consider partnering with Papaya Global. It is affordable and quickly expanding its international payroll services. If you would like to work with a large, well-established company that can help you expand into new markets, consider ADP which is also included in our best payroll software reviews.
