Oyster publishes an EOR price of US$699 and Lano €499 (about US$566) per employee per month, so Lano's headline fee is US$133 a month (US$1,596 a year) lower per employee. Country costs, benefits and add-ons can outweigh that difference.
Oyster: Global employment platform aimed at small and mid-sized distributed teams, with EOR, contractor payments and benefits administration.
Lano: Berlin-based global payroll and EOR platform built for mid-market companies, pricing in euros, with payroll consolidation, contractor management and integrated payments.
| Feature | Oyster | Lano |
|---|---|---|
| Published EOR price | From US$699 / month | From US$566 / month (€499 published) |
| Pricing model | Per employee / month | Per employee / month (published in euros) |
| Products | Employer of Record, Contractor management, Benefits, Payroll | Employer of Record, Contractor management, Multi-country payroll, Payroll consolidation, Integrated payments, Visa and immigration support |
| Coverage | 180+ countries (provider claim) | EOR in 170+ countries without an entity (provider claim) |
| Headquarters | Fully distributed (incorporated in the USA) | Berlin, Germany |
| Founded | 2020 | 2018 |
| Factor | Oyster | Lano |
|---|---|---|
| Published EOR price | US$699 / employee / month | US$566 / employee / month (€499 published) |
| What the price covers | Published EOR price of USD 699 per employee per month; contractor management is priced separately (USD 29 per contractor per month). | Published price of €499 per employee per month for EOR (about US$566 at the US Treasury rate for 2026-09-30), with volume discounts. Contractor management from €19 per contractor per month; multi-country payroll from €19 and payroll consolidation from €3 per employee per month. |
What each provider's own website says. Where it doesn't say, ask in your quote.
| Item | Oyster | Lano |
|---|---|---|
| What the EOR fee includes | Compliant employment in 120+ countries; Multi-country payroll in 120+ currencies; Automated expenses, time off and reports; Onboarding and offboarding specialists; End-to-end support by local experts; Setup, onboarding, HR expert advice and processing terminations, with no extra charge | Employment in 170+ countries without an entity; Locally compliant, customisable contracts; Access to local tax and HR expertise; Visa and immigration support; Paid-time-off tracking and expense management; HRIS and finance integrations |
| Setup and offboarding fees | None: Oyster says these are included in the subscription fee. | Not stated on its pricing page |
| Deposit | Oyster requires a refundable deposit for EOR team members to start the engagement. | Not stated on its pricing page |
| Contract and billing | Seat-based annual billing at a reduced fee; an empty seat can be reused for a new hire or backfill at no extra cost. | Not stated on its pricing page |
Annual EOR fees at each provider's published starting price, before employment costs, benefits or add-ons. Lano's published price is lower by US$1,596 per employee a year.
| Employees | Oyster | Lano | Difference a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$8,388 | US$6,792 | US$1,596 |
| 5 | US$41,940 | US$33,960 | US$7,980 |
| 10 | US$83,880 | US$67,920 | US$15,960 |
| 25 | US$209,700 | US$169,800 | US$39,900 |
Our country guides don't yet list both providers for the same country. Oyster appears in our guides for Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. Lano isn't in our country guides yet. Ask both for country-specific quotes.
- Both offer: Employer of Record, Contractor management.
- Only Oyster lists: Benefits, Payroll.
- Only Lano lists: Multi-country payroll, Payroll consolidation, Integrated payments, Visa and immigration support.
- Pricing model: Oyster: Per employee / month; Lano: Per employee / month (published in euros).
- Oyster, 17 October 2026: Unchanged: EOR USD 699 per employee per month; contractors USD 29.
- Oyster, 15 October 2026: Unchanged: US$699 per employee per month.
- Oyster, 8 October 2026: US$699 per employee per month; contractors priced separately at US$29 (previously listed here: From about US$699, described as plan tiers).
- Lano, 22 October 2026: EOR from €499 per employee per month, published in euros (about US$566 at the US Treasury rate for 2026-09-30); contractors from €19; multi-country payroll from €19; payroll consolidation from €3.
Consider Oyster if…
- You are a small or mid-sized team hiring a handful of people abroad
- You want a published EOR price rather than quote-only pricing
Consider Lano if…
- You want the lower published EOR price (€499 (about US$566) vs US$699 per employee per month)
- You're a mid-market company that also needs payroll across your own entities, not just EOR
- You budget in euros and want prices published in euros
- What is the all-in monthly fee for my specific countries, on annual and monthly billing?
- Do you employ through your own entity or a partner in each country?
- What deposit is required, and what currency margin applies to invoices?
Use our provider due-diligence checklist for the full list. To check the employment cost on top of either fee, see our country guides.
Is Oyster or Lano cheaper?
On published prices, Lano is cheaper: €499 (about US$566) vs US$699 per employee per month. Compare itemised quotes for your countries, since deposits, currency conversion and benefits affect the total.
What's the main difference between Oyster and Lano?
Lano has the lower published EOR price, by US$133 a month per employee. Oyster prices on a "Per employee / month" basis and Lano on a "Per employee / month (published in euros)" basis. Only Oyster lists Benefits, Payroll. Only Lano lists Multi-country payroll, Payroll consolidation, Integrated payments, Visa and immigration support.
Do Oyster and Lano use their own entities?
Delivery models (owned entity or local partner) can vary by country. Ask each provider to confirm in writing for the countries you hire in.
Why choose Oyster over Lano?
Oyster may suit you better if you are a small or mid-sized team hiring a handful of people abroad; you want a published EOR price rather than quote-only pricing. Compare written quotes for your countries before deciding.
Why choose Lano over Oyster?
Lano may suit you better if you want the lower published EOR price (€499 (about US$566) vs US$699 per employee per month); you're a mid-market company that also needs payroll across your own entities, not just EOR; you budget in euros and want prices published in euros. Compare written quotes for your countries before deciding.
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- Oyster pricing explainedWhat Oyster publishes about its EOR fees, add-ons and billing.
- Oyster alternativesProviders to compare with Oyster.
- Lano pricing explainedWhat Lano publishes about its EOR fees, add-ons and billing.
- Lano alternativesProviders to compare with Lano.