Remote.com Review: Pricing, Features & Alternatives

Remote offers human resource (HR) solutions and services for managing international payroll, taxes, benefits, and compliance for all business sizes. Benefits packages tailored to specific countries are also available, plus its employer of record (EoR) services allow it to handle payroll and hiring needs in countries where you don’t have business entities. It also offers low-cost contractor payroll and management tools.

In our review of the best international payroll services, Remote earned an overall score of 4.59 out of 5. What brought its score down was its popularity. Although those that were able to use it rained it with positive reviews, the total number of online reviews it received were far fewer than what most other payroll services have.

What We Recommend Remote For

Businesses that need to pay international employees

Remote is one of our recommended international payroll services because, aside from its EOR services, it also has a standalone global payroll solution that streamlines employee payment processes. In addition to managing local employment taxes and processing payroll in multiple local currencies, it comes with automated payments and built-in compliance tools.

Employers with plans to expand globally or have employees spread across countries where they don’t have business entities

Remote’s EOR service makes it easy for you to hire, onboard, offer benefits, and pay local employees without setting up business entities in locations outside your home country. Through its owned legal entities and in-house legal, payroll, and HR teams, Remote acts as the legal employer and manages local employment responsibilities.

Companies that hire refugees

If your business wants to support refugees getting back on their feet, Remote helps you hire qualified refugee talent, provided they have the legal right to work in a country where Remote offers EOR services. Through its Remote for Refugees program, the provider offers a 15% EOR discount for qualifying businesses hiring refugees, available with annual billing and subject to eligibility requirements.

Global employers looking for low-cost international contractor payroll services

Remote, which is included in our list of best contractor payroll solutions, has a contractor management module that lets you onboard and pay U.S.-based and international contractors in supported currencies. Plans start at $29 per active contractor per month.

Global companies that want robust invention rights and intellectual property (IP) protection

While some global employment providers may not offer in-house IP protection tools, Remote provides built-in protection through its IP Guard solution. It helps businesses establish ownership of employee-created intellectual property through documented transfers from employees to Remote's local employing entities and then to the client, subject to applicable laws. Remote also monitors changes in IP laws and works with local legal experts to review and update its IP agreements and protections.

When to Use Something Else

• Companies that only need basic U.S. payroll and HR software: Although Remote offers U.S. PEO services alongside its international employment solutions, its broader capabilities may be more than your business needs if you don't plan to hire abroad. If you're looking for straightforward domestic payroll and HR tools, check our best HR payroll software guide for alternatives.
• Employers that need 1099 year-end reporting and filing: Remote's Contractor Management and Contractor Management Plus plans generate 1099-NEC forms for eligible U.S. contractors, but businesses are responsible for filing them with the IRS. If you primarily hire U.S.-based contractors and want automated year-end 1099 filing, consider Gusto. Its contractor-only plan includes 1099 filing and costs $35 per month plus $6 per contractor, with promotional discounts sometimes available. Read our Gusto review for more information.
• Global businesses looking for lower-cost international payroll: Remote's Global Payroll starts at $29 per employee per month, which may be expensive for startups and small businesses managing payroll across multiple countries. Businesses with tight budgets should compare the total costs of alternative providers, including any implementation fees and additional charges.

Top Remote Alternatives Compared

	Best for	Paid Plans Start at	Setup Fees	Dedicated Representative
Remote	Companies looking for low-cost contractor payroll services	$29/contractor/month for global payroll;$699/ month for EoR	✕	✓*
	Visit Remote
Papaya Global	Small international businesses looking for affordable global payrol	Call for a quote	Onboarding fees(Call for a quote)	✓
	Visit Papaya Global		Read our Papaya Global Review
Gusto	Employers needing 1099 reporting	$49 per month + $6 per person per month	✕	✓*
	Visit Gusto		Read our Gusto Review
Oyster	Businesses needing employee onboarding assistance	$599/employee/month for EoR services$29/employee for Contractor**	✕	✓
	Visit Oyster		Read our Oyster Review

*Available in higher-priced plans only

** Oyster’s Contractor plan is $0 for the first month

Remote Deciding Factors

Remote Pricing

5.00 / 5

In our evaluation, Remote’s pricing got a perfect score for this criterion given its multiple plans, reasonable fees, and separate payroll option for global contractors. It also doesn’t charge setup or client onboarding fees. Additionally, Remote’s pricing details are all available on its website.

Remote has an inexpensive Contractor Management solution for onboarding and paying international contractors. It also offers a Global Payroll module at $29 per employee monthly and an EoR option with hiring, payroll, benefits, and compliance functionalities. Those fees range from $599 or $699 per employee monthly, depending on whether you select an annual or monthly plan.

For those needing an HR solution, Remote has a free HRIS tool that allows you to manage your employee onboarding and offboarding, time and PTO tracking, employee profile, and document management.

*Contractors may be charged 1% to 2% of their payment if they require currency conversions via Remote’s payment partner.
**Remote also offers an annual-billed option that costs $599 per employee monthly (paid in a lump sum).
***Consists of HR, legal, benefits, tax, and immigration professionals.

Remote’s prices are the management fee only and are on top of the total cost of employment for your employee, which includes their wages and any government-required additions like Social Security, as well as the price of benefits packages. Remote offers competitive rates on benefits with no additional administration costs.

Discounts

Remote offers special discounts for businesses hiring refugees, qualifying startups, and nonprofit or social purpose organizations:

• Companies that hire refugees: Through its Remote for Refugees program, eligible businesses receive 15% off EOR services for 12 months when hiring qualifying refugees. The discount applies to annual billing and requires proof of refugee status and legal work authorization.
• Qualified startups: Pre-seed, seed, and Series A startups can receive 15% off EOR and Contractor Management service fees for an unlimited number of hires during their first 12 months. The EOR discount applies to annual plans only.
• Nonprofits and social purpose organizations: Eligible nonprofits, charities, trusts, social enterprises, and benefit corporations can receive 15% off EOR and Contractor Management services for 12 months through the Remote for Good program. The EOR discount applies to annual plans only, while Contractor Management discounts apply to active contractors. No minimum employee count is required.

Annual subscription

Remote offers discounted EOR rates with annual billing, starting at $599 per employee monthly compared with $699 for month-to-month billing. However, annual plans require upfront payment of the management fees for the full subscription period. Remote invoices customers after they accept the annual plan, even if the employee hasn't started working yet. Annual management fees are nonrefundable if an employee leaves before the subscription ends. For monthly billing, Remote also charges the full management fee for any month in which an employee is active, even if their employment ends before the end of the month.

Billings

Remote bills you for employment costs, such as salaries, Social Security contributions, and benefits, plus applicable management fees. You can select your preferred billing currency during onboarding, and Remote will issue invoices in that currency. It supports 12 billing currencies: AUD, CAD, CHF, DKK, EUR, GBP, JPY, NOK, NZD, SEK, SGD, and USD.

Remote charges a 3.5% processing fee for credit or debit card payments and a $5 fee (or local currency equivalent) for bank transfers. Direct debit payments are free, although available payment methods depend on your billing currency.

Remote Payroll Features

5.00 / 5

Companies with globally distributed teams will find Remote’s payroll solutions and services helpful and convenient to use. It got a perfect score in this criterion because of its comprehensive payroll processing tools, local compliance support, extensive Global Payroll coverage (100+ countries), and access to in-house payroll experts who help businesses navigate country-specific requirements.

Payroll

Remote users said they appreciated how it handles payroll for them. Remote manages payroll and country-specific employment taxes through its global payroll infrastructure and in-house expertise. It can process bonuses and incentive payments for international employees and supports approved applications under the Netherlands' 30% ruling, which provides tax benefits to eligible foreign workers.

Remote's standard payroll cutoff is 11:59 p.m. UTC on the 11th of each month, although some countries have different deadlines. Employers must submit and approve bonuses, commissions, incentives, and expense reimbursements before the applicable cutoff for inclusion in that month's payroll. The deadline also affects onboarding, as new hires must complete onboarding before their country's cutoff to be included in the current payroll cycle.

Requests submitted or approved after the deadline are generally processed in the next payroll cycle. Remote offers off-cycle payroll for certain situations, such as onboarding and payment corrections, but availability depends on the country and circumstances, and additional fees may apply. Countries with semimonthly payroll schedules have separate cutoff dates and payment timelines.

Remote typically pays employees in their local currencies through bank transfers. Euro payments may be processed through the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), while U.S. dollar payments may use domestic bank transfers or ACH. Where local bank transfers aren't available, Remote may use international wire transfers (SWIFT). Payment timelines vary by country and transfer method.

Contractor Payments

Remote helps businesses approve and pay contractor invoices in 200+ jurisdictions worldwide. It offers invoicing tools that allow contractors to create and submit invoices directly through its platform. This is particularly useful for businesses with long-term contractor agreements, as they can review, approve, and pay invoices online. Remote also supports automated invoice approvals and recurring payments to reduce repetitive administrative work.

Businesses can fund contractor payments using credit or debit cards, ACH, SEPA, or bank transfers, depending on their billing currency and payment setup. Remote supports payouts in more than 160 currencies through Wise, although available currencies and payment methods vary by country. When currency conversion is required, fees may be paid by either the employer or contractor, depending on the invoicing and payout arrangement.

Remote also integrates with Stripe Connect, allowing eligible contractors to receive payments through connected accounts. Contractors can link their Stripe Connect accounts to Remote to manage payouts and track payment activity directly through the platform.

For U.S.-based contractors, Remote's Contractor Management plans generate year-end 1099-NEC forms, but businesses are responsible for filing them with the IRS. Its separate Contractor of Record service handles 1099 filing. Contractor payslips are also unavailable because payments are processed through invoices rather than employee payroll.

Remote HR Features

5.00 / 5

Remote earned a perfect rating for its HR functionalities given its online onboarding solutions, localized employee benefits plans, and international employment compliance tools. It handles essential HR administration tasks, from managing paid time off (PTO) and local employment taxes to helping businesses navigate statutory benefits requirements and tax regulations. As an EOR, Remote can legally employ candidates selected by your business in countries where it operates through its own legal entities, without requiring you to establish local entities.

Onboarding

Remote provides onboarding tools for both employees and contractors, including contract management and document collection. For EOR employees, Remote prepares employment agreements and conducts right-to-work checks and medical examinations where required by local regulations. It also reduces administrative work by assigning employees a dedicated onboarding specialist who guides them through the process and answers questions about their contracts and onboarding requirements.

Remote also provides customizable employment contract templates tailored to local labor laws and employment requirements.

Users found the onboarding tools easy to use, but some complained of delays when their dedicated specialist was unavailable.

PTO Requests

Employees can submit PTO requests directly through Remote's platform, which automatically tracks leave balances and approved time off. Remote bases time off on an eight-hour workday, and employees can request partial days or vary the number of hours taken over multiple days in a single request. In countries where unpaid leave is available, employees can also submit requests through the platform, with approved leave resulting in salary deductions during payroll processing.

Remote sends email notifications when PTO requests are approved or declined. Employees can also view their available leave balances, request statuses, and paid or unpaid time-off records directly through the platform.

Benefits

Remote offers localized benefits packages for international employees, with options varying by country. Contractors can also access discounted health coverage through Remote's benefits partners in supported locations. Some of the employee benefits available through Remote include:

• Health insurance
• Dental and vision insurance
• Retirement and pension plans, including 401(k) options
• Life and disability insurance
• Mental health support
• Paid time off and sick leave
• Stipends and allowances, where available

Remote also manages employee benefits administration, including enrollment and statutory Social Security contributions where applicable. Its local experts help businesses navigate country-specific benefits requirements and provide coverage that aligns with local regulations. Remote also promotes consistent benefits offerings for employees within the same country, although available plans and options may vary. If you want to offer an additional benefit to an individual employee, Remote's team can help you explore options based on local requirements and plan availability.

Equity Programs

Offering stock and stock options to employees can help give them a stake in the company's success. For employees hired through its EOR service, Remote provides equity administration support, including country-specific tax withholding and reporting. Remote also offers a free 30-minute equity planning consultation through its startup partner program to help eligible businesses review their equity plans and explore stock options for international employees.

IP Protection

Remote offers intellectual property (IP) and invention rights protection through its Remote IP Guard solution. It supports businesses across industries such as finance, manufacturing, technology, and energy, using a two-step process to transfer applicable employee-created IP rights from employees to Remote's local employing entities and then to clients. Remote also works with local and international legal professionals to develop and maintain agreements that help protect IP ownership under applicable laws.

Contractor Management

In addition to contractor hiring and onboarding tools, Remote provides customizable, localized contract templates to help businesses document contractor arrangements and manage potential misclassification risks. These templates are available across supported countries, subject to certain exclusions. Users say they appreciate knowing upfront what's required in each country.

Understanding country-specific rules for engaging contractors can be challenging, but Remote provides online guides to help businesses navigate local requirements. Developed with input from its HR and employment law experts, these resources explain relevant regulations and common misclassification risks, helping businesses make more informed decisions about contractor agreements.

Remote Reporting

5.00 / 5

This is another criterion where Remote received a perfect score in our evaluation. Payroll and tax reports are available, and users can download reporting data into CSV files. Remote also lets businesses export contractor invoice summaries and generate expense reports for individual employees or their entire workforce. Its reporting tools support customizable invoice breakdowns, allowing businesses to review employment costs and other payroll-related expenses.

Remote Ease of Use

3.50 / 5

Remote's relatively user-friendly platform, customer support resources, and helpful online guides contributed to this provider's high score in this criterion. It lost points because it doesn't offer standard phone support, while access to dedicated account-level support may depend on the service plan.

• User-friendly interface
• Dedicated onboarding specialist for each new EOR hire
• Local employment compliance tools
• Owned legal entities and in-house EOR expertise
• Access to customer support and local specialists

Remote helps simplify hiring, onboarding, and paying international employees and contractors. Unlike some global payroll and EOR providers that rely on third-party partners, Remote operates through its own legal entities for EOR services, without third-party handoffs. This gives businesses a clearer line of accountability for international employment and access to built-in IP protection. Remote also assigns each new EOR employee a dedicated onboarding specialist who can answer questions about their contract and onboarding requirements.

Its interface is simple to learn and use, with built-in compliance tools that include customizable, localized contractor agreements. While it doesn't offer standard phone support, Remote provides 24/5 live messaging, 24/7 RemoteAI assistance, and support tickets. Its online help center also includes how-to guides covering topics from new hire onboarding to payroll and contractor management.

Remote integrates with third-party software such as Greenhouse, BambooHR, and HiBob. It also supports eligible contractor payouts through Stripe Connect. With its application programming interface (API), businesses can build custom integrations with other HR, finance, recruiting, and payroll systems.

Remote Expert Score

4.38 / 5

In our expert assessment of Remote's overall pricing, features, and software intuitiveness, this provider earned a 4.38 out of 5 score. It offers essential tools for managing international employee and contractor payments, along with onboarding, time tracking, expense management, and other HR administration features. However, businesses seeking a more comprehensive domestic HR and payroll solution may find Gusto better suited to their needs, particularly for its U.S. payroll, benefits administration, and employee management capabilities.

Remote Reviews—What Users Think

2.50 / 5

Remote generally receives positive feedback on third-party review sites like G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. It now has thousands of customer reviews across these platforms, with G2 and Trustpilot each exceeding 1,000 reviews. Given this increase, Remote's user popularity score should be recalculated under our evaluation methodology.

Users who work in HR or manage businesses frequently praise Remote's straightforward interface and accessible tools. Many also appreciate its helpful customer support team. However, some reviewers report onboarding delays, inconsistent support response times, and difficulties resolving country-specific employment or payroll questions.

Employees generally appreciate the platform's usability, although some have reported challenges with onboarding, benefits administration, and getting timely answers about employment contracts. A few also describe difficulties reaching the appropriate specialist for complex requests.

As of October 23, 2026, Remote has the following third-party ratings:

• G2: 4.5 out of 5 based on almost 5,400+ reviews
• Capterra: 4.3 out of 5 based on nearly 100+ reviews
• Trustpilot: 4.6 out of 5 based on about 4,000+ reviews

Bottom Line

Hiring and paying international employees can be challenging because each country has different labor laws, statutory benefits requirements, and employment tax regulations. Remote helps simplify these processes by managing payroll, benefits, and local employment administration. Through its EOR service, Remote acts as the legal employer in 90+ countries, helping businesses manage the employee lifecycle and navigate local employment requirements without establishing their own legal entities. Sign up for a Remote plan today.