China limits labour dispatch, where a worker employed by an agency works under a client's direction: it needs a licensed agency, is allowed only in temporary, auxiliary or substitute roles, and may not exceed 10% of the client's workforce, though a foreign company's representative office is exempt from the role and ratio limits.
Social insurance, the housing fund and the minimum wage are set by city. The best EOR for China explains how its model fits the dispatch rules and quotes the rates for the city where your hire will be registered.
EOR services in China at a glance
- The 5 providers shortlisted here publish starting fees of US$199–599 per employee per month (about CN¥1,300–CN¥4,000 at the US Treasury rate of 30 September 2026).
- Mandatory employer costs add about 33% on top of a salary of CN¥300,000.
- Key issue: Labour dispatch is limited to temporary, auxiliary or substitute roles.
- Hiring a team? Compare EOR fees with running your own Chinese entity in the EOR vs entity calculator.
- 1
Labour dispatch
Ask whether the provider employs through dispatch and how your hire's role fits the temporary, auxiliary or substitute categories.
- 2
City rates in writing
Ask for the pension, medical, unemployment and work injury rates, the housing fund rate and the contribution base for your hire's city.
- 3
Contracts and severance
Dispatched workers need fixed-term contracts of at least 2 years, and severance is a month's pay per year of service. Ask how the provider handles the end of a contract.
- 4
Foreign hires
Ask whether the provider can obtain a work permit for a foreign hire and what it charges.
Shortlist
EOR providers to consider in China
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Remote
From US$599 / employee / month (about CN¥4,000)
States it owns its entity in China; ask how its model fits the dispatch rules.
- Setup and onboarding fees:
- None. The Remote Platform is included at no extra cost on every plan.
- Deposit:
- No standard deposit or deposit fee. In certain circumstances Remote may require a refundable reserve, confirmed during onboarding before payment is due.
- Currency exchange:
- Remote sets one FX rate for each monthly billing cycle, shows it on the invoice and keeps it locked for the cycle.
Delivery model in China: Owned entity in China (provider's stated model). Remote pricing, fees and terms
- Get a quote
Deel
From US$599 / employee / month (about CN¥4,000)
Publishes a China hiring page; published EOR price from US$599 a month.
- Contract length:
- Month-to-month, with no long-term commitment required.
- Cancellation:
- Cancel at any time; for EOR employees, local labour law on notice and severance still applies.
- Other fees:
- Deel says local compliance, payroll and benefits administration are included in the quoted price, with no hidden fees.
Delivery model in China: Confirm with provider. Deel pricing, fees and terms
- Get a quote
Playroll
From US$399 / employee / month (about CN¥2,700)
Publishes a China EOR page with its starting price; check what it includes.
- Onboarding and offboarding fees:
- None.
- Deposit:
- A fully refundable security deposit equal to one month's salary when you onboard an employee.
- Minimum commitment:
- No minimum commitment and no minimum number of employees.
Delivery model in China: Confirm with provider. Playroll pricing, fees and terms
- Get a quote
RemoFirst
From US$199 / employee / month (about CN¥1,300)
Lowest published starting price; ask what it includes in China.
- Setup, onboarding and termination fees:
- None.
- Contract terms:
- No annual contracts and no minimum number of employees.
- Country pricing:
- The fee starts at US$199 and may vary with local requirements; RemoFirst says it gives a full cost breakdown before you commit.
Delivery model in China: Confirm with provider. RemoFirst pricing, fees and terms
- Get a quote
Atlas HXM
From US$599 / employee / month (about CN¥4,000)
States it uses its own legal entities; country service rate on top of the platform fee.
- What you pay:
- A monthly platform fee per employee, the country's Local Employer Services rate, foreign exchange where the invoice and local currencies differ, and premiums for any extra benefits.
- Billing:
- You only pay for active employees, on one consolidated monthly invoice.
- Currency exchange:
- Atlas describes its FX pricing as transparent, with wire and transfer fees included in the FX rate.
Delivery model in China: Own legal entities (provider's stated model). Atlas HXM pricing, fees and terms
For a CN¥300,000 salary, mandatory employer costs add about CN¥98,100 a year. With an EOR fee of CN¥4,016 a month, the total is roughly CN¥446,292 a year (1.49× salary). Every employer contribution is broken down in cost to hire an employee in China, and you can run your own numbers in the China cost estimator.
| Team at CN¥300,000 each | Salaries, employer costs and EOR fees a year |
|---|---|
| 1 employee | CN¥446,292 (about US$66,600) |
| 5 employees | CN¥2,231,460 (about US$332,800) |
| 25 employees | CN¥11,157,300 (about US$1,664,000) |
At some headcount, running your own Chinese entity costs less than the EOR fees. Find yours with the EOR vs entity calculator.
Before you request quotes, read the full Employer of Record in China guide for contribution rates, employment rules and official sources.
What is the best EOR for China?
How much does an EOR cost in China?
Is labour dispatch allowed for an EOR hire in China?
Related research
- EOR in China: full guideCosts, rules, providers and official sources.
- Cost to hire in ChinaEmployer costs at four salary levels, explained line by line.
- Deel vs RemoteThe two best-known EOR platforms, with similar headline prices. The real differences are in how they employ people locally and how much of the wider HR stack you want from one vendor.
- Deel vs RemoFirstRemoFirst has the lower published EOR price, by US$400 a month. Here's how the two compare on pricing, products and fit, from each provider's own information.
- How EOR pricing worksFees, deposits and hidden costs to check in every quote.