Oyster vs Rivermate (2026): EOR Pricing & Fit Compared

Summary

Oyster publishes an EOR price of US$699 and Rivermate US$319 per employee per month, so Rivermate's headline fee is US$380 a month (US$4,560 a year) lower per employee. Country costs, benefits and add-ons can outweigh that difference. Rivermate publishes a range rather than one price, from US$319 to US$639 depending on the country and hire.

Oyster: Global employment platform aimed at small and mid-sized distributed teams, with EOR, contractor payments and benefits administration.

Rivermate: Amsterdam-based EOR provider publishing a price range rather than a single figure, with contractor of record and visa support, growing by acquisition.

At a glance

Feature	Oyster	Rivermate
Published EOR price	From US$699 / month	From US$319 / month
Pricing model	Per employee / month	Per employee / month (published range)
Products	Employer of Record, Contractor management, Benefits, Payroll	Employer of Record, Contractor payments, Contractor of record, Visa and immigration support, Global consulting
Coverage	180+ countries (provider claim)	180+ countries, through 38 owned entities and local partners (provider claim)
Headquarters	Fully distributed (incorporated in the USA)	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Founded	2020	Not stated

Key differences

Factor	Oyster	Rivermate
Published EOR price	US$699 / employee / month	US$319–US$639 / employee / month
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 EOR range of US$319 to US$639 per employee per month, varying by country, headcount, project and expat vs local hire. Contractor of Record from US$149 per contractor per month; visa and immigration support priced on request.

Fees, deposits and terms

What each provider's own website says. Where it doesn't say, ask in your quote.

Item	Oyster	Rivermate
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 through owned entities or local partners in 180+ countries; Payroll in 120+ currencies; No onboarding or offboarding costs; Global health insurance as an option
Setup and offboarding fees	None: Oyster says these are included in the subscription fee.	None, according to its pricing page ("No hidden fees").
Deposit	Oyster requires a refundable deposit for EOR team members to start the engagement.	One month's payroll plus the first month's costs upfront, 100% refundable.
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.	Month-to-month, with 30 days' termination notice; the service ends once the employee's notice period has run.

Published fees for a team

Annual EOR fees at each provider's published starting price, before employment costs, benefits or add-ons. Rivermate's published price is lower by US$4,560 per employee a year.

Employees	Oyster	Rivermate	Difference a year
1	US$8,388	US$3,828	US$4,560
5	US$41,940	US$19,140	US$22,800
10	US$83,880	US$38,280	US$45,600
25	US$209,700	US$95,700	US$114,000

Oyster and Rivermate by country

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. Rivermate isn't in our country guides yet. Ask both for country-specific quotes.

Products compared

Both offer: Employer of Record.
Only Oyster lists: Contractor management, Benefits, Payroll.
Only Rivermate lists: Contractor payments, Contractor of record, Visa and immigration support, Global consulting.
Pricing model: Oyster: Per employee / month; Rivermate: Per employee / month (published range).

Our price checks

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).
Rivermate, 22 October 2026: EOR from US$319 to US$639 per employee per month; Contractor of Record from US$149; visa and immigration support on request.

Which should you choose?

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

Get a Oyster quote

Consider Rivermate if…

You want the lower published EOR price (US$319 vs US$699 per employee per month)
You want a published price range rather than a quote-only provider
You need visa sponsorship or contractor of record alongside EOR

Get a Rivermate quote

Questions to ask both providers

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.

Frequently asked questions

Is Oyster or Rivermate cheaper?

On published prices, Rivermate is cheaper: US$319 vs US$699 per employee per month. Compare itemised quotes for your countries, since deposits, currency conversion and benefits affect the total. Rivermate publishes a range rather than one price, from US$319 to US$639 depending on the country and hire.

What's the main difference between Oyster and Rivermate?

Rivermate has the lower published EOR price, by US$380 a month per employee. Oyster prices on a "Per employee / month" basis and Rivermate on a "Per employee / month (published range)" basis. Only Oyster lists Contractor management, Benefits, Payroll. Only Rivermate lists Contractor payments, Contractor of record, Visa and immigration support, Global consulting.

Do Oyster and Rivermate 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 Rivermate?

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 Rivermate over Oyster?

Rivermate may suit you better if you want the lower published EOR price (US$319 vs US$699 per employee per month); you want a published price range rather than a quote-only provider; you need visa sponsorship or contractor of record alongside EOR. Compare written quotes for your countries before deciding.

Sources

1
Oyster pricing
Oyster
Oyster's pricing page, checked 2026-10-17.
2
Rivermate pricing
Rivermate
Rivermate's pricing page, checked 2026-10-22.

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