Oyster HR is a global employment platform founded in 2020 by Tony Jamous and Jack Mardack, headquartered in San Francisco. It provides Employer of Record (EOR), contractor management, and global payroll services in 180+ countries. Oyster is the only B Corp-certified EOR provider in the category and holds G2 Leader status in four categories for Spring 2026 including Global Employment Platforms, Employer of Record, Multi-country Payroll, and HR Compliance.
Oyster’s EOR service is priced at $599/employee/month (annual billing) or $699/employee/month (monthly). A Scale plan for three or more simultaneous EOR hires is available with custom pricing negotiated directly, typically offering a discount for volume commitment. Contractor management costs $29/contractor/month, with a permanently free Lite plan covering management of up to 2 contractors at no cost. Global Payroll for companies with their own legal entities costs $25/employee/month.
Notable pricing features: No setup fees, no offboarding fees, and no hidden charges for talking to HR experts — all included in the EOR subscription. A 30-day free trial on contractor management is offered. A refundable deposit is collected in some circumstances, particularly for markets with higher employer risk. Oyster for Impact provides discounts for B Corps and certified nonprofits. A startup program offers savings on EOR fees for early-stage companies.
Oyster’s key differentiator within the EOR category is its combination of platform speed and human expertise — particularly for complex, sensitive employment situations like terminations in jurisdictions with strong employee protections. The platform claims 90-second automated onboarding for straightforward hires and has in-house HR experts who step in for complex compliance situations. An Oyster Academy provides professional development resources for global employees — uncommon at the EOR level.
The main weakness is cost: at $699/month per employee on monthly billing, it is at the higher end of the market. Budget EOR providers like RemoFirst ($199/month) and Multiplier ($400/month) offer comparable coverage at significantly lower cost, though with less platform polish and human support depth.