Best entity setup services 2026
The best entity setup services in 2026
Eight providers scored on five criteria, no overall winner. Teamed leads on the EOR-to-entity lifecycle and post-setup operations. Remote leads on self-serve and platform depth. Safeguard leads on managed services breadth. Deel leads on platform and EOR bridge. Two providers scored here are honest about not doing entity setup at all: read the scorecard, pick the column that matters to your situation.
Rated 4.8 on G2 for service
- 8
- entity setup services scored on one rubric, no overall winner
- 90+
- countries where GEMO can set up and run your own entity
- 4.8
- Teamed G2 rating, real HR and legal experts on every plan
Disclosure
This guide was produced by Teamed, one of the eight services scored below on the same rubric as the rest. We don't crown an overall winner, we don't claim to be the cheapest, and we say plainly where another provider is the better fit for your entity setup.
Which entity setup service is best for setting up a legal entity abroad in 2026?
Eight providers scored on five criteria, no overall winner. Teamed leads on the EOR-to-entity lifecycle and post-setup operations. Remote leads on self-serve and platform depth. Safeguard leads on managed services breadth. Deel leads on platform and EOR bridge. Two providers scored here are honest about not doing entity setup at all: read the scorecard, pick the column that matters to your situation.
What is an entity setup service?
An entity setup service incorporates a legal subsidiary or branch for your company in a foreign country, then handles the ongoing accounting, payroll, statutory filings and employment compliance that come with running an entity there. It is distinct from an Employer of Record (EOR), where a third-party provider is the legal employer. When you use an EOR, you hire fast with no entity. When you set up your own entity, you own the legal employer relationship outright.
The decision turns on headcount and permanence. Below a crossover point, EOR typically wins on speed and cost. Above it, your own entity wins on control, benefits design and total cost per seat. A good entity setup service models that crossover for you, bridges via EOR while incorporation takes place (typically two to sixteen weeks depending on jurisdiction), and then runs the entity operationally so you are not hiring in-house tax and payroll staff in every country. Ask any provider whether they run the entity after they build it, and whether they proactively tell you when EOR was the better structure all along.
Methodology
How we scored this comparison
Eight providers scored 1 to 5 on five criteria. There is no weighted total and no overall winner. Different providers lead different columns, and some lead strongly where others score 1 because they genuinely do not offer that service. Teamed is scored on the same criteria as the rest.
- Entity setup and coverage
- Can the provider actually incorporate a legal entity for you? In how many countries? Does it publish a verified entity-setup service, or is entity setup an informal advisory wrapped around the EOR product? Providers that do not offer entity setup score 1 here, which is not a criticism but an honest signal for this buyer type.
- Ongoing entity operations
- Setting up the entity is one day. Running it is every month after. Payroll, statutory filings, HR compliance, in-country legal changes: does the provider handle these ongoing operations for your entity, or does it hand you the keys and walk away? A provider that sets up the entity AND runs it scores higher.
- EOR bridge and crossover modelling
- Incorporation takes weeks or months. A provider that can bridge via EOR in the same country, on the same system, with no re-onboarding, removes the gap. Even better: a provider that proactively models when your headcount crosses the point where EOR stops making sense, and tells you without being asked.
- Platform depth and integrations
- Self-serve dashboard, integrations with the HRIS and payroll tools you already run, API access, real-time reporting. A provider that can plug into your stack without forcing you to replace it.
- Cost clarity
- Does the provider publish pricing for entity setup, or is everything quote-only behind a sales call? If EOR is also in the picture, does it show the applied FX rate on every invoice, or is the conversion cost buried in the rate?
How we gathered evidence
Every competitor figure on this page is read from the Teamed competitor fact-cache, last verified on 17 June 2026 against each provider's own pricing page and published product pages. Where a provider does not publish pricing (G-P, Safeguard Global for entity setup, Horizons for entity setup) we say so. G2 ratings carry a verification caveat where G2 blocked an automated read. Entity setup service availability is confirmed against each provider's own product pages; absence of a published entity-setup product is treated as honest 'not offered' rather than a gap to fill with speculation.
Considered & excluded
We scored the providers a company seriously evaluating entity setup would shortlist, from dedicated entity-setup-and-run partners to EOR-first platforms where entity setup is a bolt-on or not offered at all.
- Omnipresent, Multiplier, Oyster: No published entity setup service found on primary pages at time of scoring.
- Velocity Global (Pebl): Pebl explicitly positions EOR as an alternative to entity setup and offers no entity-setup or crossover-modelling product, per its own pages (verified 2026-06-17). Excluded to avoid a misleading entry.
How they score, criterion by criterion
There’s no overall winner. Each column is a different priority. Pick the ones that matter to you, then read the write-ups below.
| Provider | Entity setup and coverage | Ongoing entity operations | EOR bridge and crossover modelling | Platform depth and integrations | Cost clarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teamed(us) | Leads | Leads | Leads | Leads | |
| Remote | Leads | ||||
| Safeguard Global | |||||
| Atlas | |||||
| Horizons | |||||
| Deel | |||||
| Papaya Global | |||||
| G-P |
Scored 1–5 on each criterion from the published rubric above. The highlighted cell leads that column. Teamed is scored on exactly the same criteria as every other provider.
#1
Teamed
Us, scored on the same rubricBest for: fast-growing companies with an international footprint that want one partner to bridge via EOR, set up the entity, then run it on the same system, with honest crossover modelling and real HR and legal experts throughout.
Teamed is the advisory alternative for companies that want a path off EOR, not just onto it. Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) sets up your own legal entity in 90+ countries and then runs payroll, compliance and HR through it on the same platform as Teamed EOR, with no re-onboarding when you graduate. Most entity setup providers build the entity and hand you the keys. Teamed runs it.
The crossover wedge matters here. Teamed models the month your own entity starts to beat EOR on a per-seat basis, and tells you without being asked. That is structurally unusual: most EOR providers earn more when you stay on EOR. Teamed earns more when you move. Real HR and legal experts with country-specific employment-law depth handle the hard moments, a works council consultation, a complex termination, an employment-law change in a jurisdiction you have never touched. Access is on every plan, with no AI bot wall and no support tier to unlock.
Teamed is not trying to be your HRIS. It plugs into the major HRIS and payroll platforms you already run. The FX picture is honest too: on every invoice the applied rate sits next to the mid-market reference, absorbed at zero markup on the EOR fee. When you move to GEMO, the same transparency carries over. If EOR is genuinely the wrong answer for your situation, Teamed will say so. That is unusual in a category where most providers sell you the model they operate.
- Countries
- 180+ via EOR (57 owned entities + vetted partners); GEMO entity setup in 90+ countries
- Entity model
- Owned entities in 57 countries; vetted partners for the rest of the EOR footprint; GEMO builds client entities in 90+
- Onboarding
- Fast EOR bridge while entity incorporates, same team throughout
- Contractors
- Yes, Guard / Protect misclassification cover, on the same system
- Pricing
- $599 USD / £479 GBP per employee per month for EOR, flat, FX absorbed. GEMO entity setup priced by scope and country. · verified 2026-06-27
- G2
- 4.8/5
Strengths
- One system from first contractor through EOR to your own legal entity, with no re-onboarding. GEMO sets up and runs your entity in 90+ countries on the same platform. Teamed proactively models the crossover.
- Real HR and legal experts on every plan, country-specific employment-law depth on edge cases, no AI bot wall and no Enterprise tier to unlock. Rated 4.8 on G2 for service.
- Zero FX markup on the fee, shown against a mid-market reference on every invoice. You see the real cost of each hire, whether on EOR or through your own entity.
- Focused partner, not a HRIS replacement. Plugs into the tech you already run and is the partner you choose for your global team, not the platform you have to rebuild everything around.
Watch-outs
- Lighter self-serve dashboard and shallower API than Deel or Remote. The model is advisory and expert-led, not dashboard-first. Teams that want heavy self-serve will find the platform more limited.
- Smaller brand and review base than Deel, Remote or G-P. Less recognition with a procurement team that wants the market leader, and ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are aligned with accreditation in progress, not yet held.
- GEMO pricing is by scope, not a published flat rate. You need a conversation to get a number, which can slow the evaluation process versus providers with published entity-setup pricing.
Source: teamed.global/entity-management
#2
Remote
Best for: companies that want a polished self-serve platform, a strong Global Entity Setup product, and the ability to manage EOR, entity and contractor on one system without a heavy advisory relationship.
Remote is a category-leading global employment platform that offers entity setup as a named, productised service. "Global Entity Setup" covers incorporation, compliance mapping, banking coordination, project management and initial payroll/HR setup, framed as supporting the EOR-to-owned-entity journey. It is not an afterthought; Remote markets it as part of the full lifecycle. The Global Payroll product then handles the ongoing payroll and compliance once your entity is live.
The honest constraint is the crossover model. Remote offers the entity setup service, but it does not publish explicit crossover modelling on its own pages: no calculator, no per-seat threshold at which Remote will tell you that EOR is no longer the right structure. Remote's economics favour you staying inside its EOR and payroll model, so there is no structural incentive to push you toward your own entity. The service exists; the proactive modelling does not.
On platform depth, Remote leads in this group. Polished self-serve, a strong integration catalogue, equity management, IP protection and a broad suite that covers EOR, Global Payroll, Contractor Management and entity setup. If you want to run global hiring primarily self-serve with expert escalation available, Remote is the best platform here. The trade-off is a ticket-based support model at scale, with response times reviewers report at 24 to 48 hours for non-trivial questions.
- Countries
- 90+ for EOR (own entities); entity setup available in markets where Remote operates
- Entity model
- Remote markets a 100%-owned entity model for its 90+ EOR countries; entity setup for client-owned entities is a separate product
- Onboarding
- Fast, strong self-serve onboarding
- Contractors
- Yes, Contractor Management from $29/month, Contractor of Record from $325/month
- Pricing
- EOR from $599 annually / $699 monthly. Global Entity Setup pricing not published; contact sales. · verified 2026-06-27
- G2
- 4.6/5
Strengths
- Named, productised Global Entity Setup service covering incorporation through initial payroll setup, on the same platform as EOR and Global Payroll.
- The deepest self-serve platform in this group, with a strong integration catalogue and a broad suite covering EOR, entity, payroll, contractor and equity on one system.
- No setup or onboarding fees on EOR. Refundable deposit required but no hidden extra costs on the published pricing page. EOR from $599 annually, $699 month-to-month.
- Equity management and IP protection included in the suite, rare in this category and useful for high-growth tech teams with stock plans.
Watch-outs
- No published crossover modelling. Remote will set up your entity but will not proactively model the headcount threshold where EOR stops being the right choice. That advisory gap is real.
- Support at scale runs through a shared ticket queue, with reviewers citing 24 to 48 hour response times on non-trivial questions. Entity setup and compliance questions are rarely trivial.
- Entity setup pricing is not published. You get to the sales process before you see a number, which limits like-for-like comparison at the evaluation stage.
#3
Safeguard Global
Best for: enterprise buyers that want a full recruit-to-retire stack covering entity setup, EOR, managed global payroll, recruitment and finance/tax, with 17+ years of operational depth and 400+ in-house experts.
Safeguard Global is one of the few providers that explicitly markets entity setup as a distinct service inside a full "recruit-to-retire" managed stack. It has been doing this for 17+ years, operates in 187 countries via a mix of owned entities and local partners, and employs 400+ in-house experts. It is not a self-serve tool; it is a managed services model for buyers who want a human partner running things, not a platform they operate themselves.
The Global Pay product handles ongoing managed payroll across your entities, contractor management is available from $10/contractor/month, and the full stack runs recruitment through to entity operations. That breadth is unusual. Most entity setup providers set up the entity and then expect you to bring your own payroll team or buy another platform for ongoing operations. Safeguard bundles it.
The constraints for a fast-growing company are real. Safeguard is enterprise-leaning, quote-only across EOR and entity setup, with no published pricing that lets you do a side-by-side cost comparison at the evaluation stage. The managed-services orientation means you buy an ongoing relationship, not a self-serve tool you can spin up in a week. For buyers who want white-glove managed services and have the budget for an enterprise engagement, it is a strong contender. For buyers who want fast, transparent pricing and self-service, it is not.
- Countries
- 187 countries claimed, owned entities in a minority of markets, partner network for the rest
- Entity model
- Hybrid: owned entities in core markets, partner network for the broader 187-country footprint
- Onboarding
- Enterprise-paced, managed onboarding with in-country experts
- Contractors
- Yes, from $10/contractor/month (1-10 contractors), $5/contractor/month (11+)
- Pricing
- Quote-only for EOR and entity setup. Contractor management from $5 to $10 per contractor per month (verified 2026-06-17). · verified 2026-06-27
- G2
- 4.3/5
Strengths
- Entity setup is a named, distinct service with 17+ years of operational depth, 400+ in-house experts and a 187-country footprint. One of the most established entity setup players in the category.
- Full recruit-to-retire stack: entity setup, EOR, Global Pay (managed global payroll), recruitment, finance/tax/accounting and workforce analytics under one provider. Few competitors offer this breadth.
- Managed services model means a human expert team handles operations, not a self-serve dashboard. Rated 4.3 on G2. NelsonHall NEAT Leader 2025.
- Contractor management priced from $5 to $10 per contractor per month, one of the more transparent contractor rates in the enterprise segment.
Watch-outs
- Fully quote-only for EOR and entity setup. No published pricing means you cannot compare costs at the evaluation stage without engaging sales, which can slow procurement significantly.
- Enterprise-oriented managed services means slower-moving than fast self-serve alternatives. Not the right model if you need to incorporate an entity and run payroll in three weeks.
- FX practice not publicly disclosed. Currency-conversion margins were not shared with third-party reviewers either, so the full cost picture is hard to assemble from published sources alone.
Source: safeguardglobal.com
#4
Atlas
Best for: enterprise buyers who want a white-glove, dedicated-consultant EOR and expansion partner with deep owned-entity infrastructure across 160+ countries and no reliance on third-party partner entities.
Atlas calls itself the largest "Direct EOR" and positions its whole model around owning and operating its own legal entities rather than subcontracting to third-party partners. In 160+ countries it is the legal employer through an Atlas-owned entity, which means one layer of accountability, not two. A dedicated HR Employee Relationship Consultant is assigned to every engagement, and the 24-hour support claim across 50+ languages is what Atlas leads with.
On entity setup specifically, Atlas brings deep entity-model expertise from running its own infrastructure, but its primary product is EOR, not helping you build your own entity. Its value for an entity setup buyer is different: Atlas can run your people via EOR in the jurisdiction while you incorporate, and the compliance and employment-law knowledge it has from operating its own entities translates to advisory quality. Think of it as entity-adjacent rather than entity-setup-as-a-product. If you want Atlas to set up YOUR entity, you would need to confirm this directly; the published product is its own entity used as the EOR.
Pricing starts from $599 plus a country-specific Local Employer Services (LES) rate, benefits premiums and FX conversion, which makes the real cost harder to model at the evaluation stage than the headline suggests. Reviewers report a learning curve on the platform and some integration gaps with common HRIS tools. Third-party reviews on support response times average 2 to 3 business days for non-urgent issues, which sits in tension with the 24-hour claim.
- Countries
- 160+ countries, Direct EOR through Atlas-owned entities
- Entity model
- Atlas-owned entities in 160+ countries; no published third-party partner layer
- Onboarding
- "In as little as 2 weeks" per Atlas pages; enterprise-paced in practice
- Contractors
- No published contractor pricing; contractor features lag specialist competitors per reviewers
- Pricing
- From $599/employee/month (platform fee) plus Local Employer Services rate, benefits and FX. Volume discounts for 5+ employees (verified 2026-06-17). · verified 2026-06-27
Strengths
- Direct EOR through owned entities in 160+ countries, removing the third-party partner layer for clearer accountability and consistent compliance across markets.
- Dedicated HR Employee Relationship Consultant per engagement, white-glove service model included as standard with no support tiering.
- Deep entity-infrastructure expertise from operating its own legal entities; valuable for buyers who want an expansion partner with genuine owned-entity knowledge in your target markets.
- NelsonHall and Everest Group Leader recognition; strong enterprise analyst pedigree for procurement teams that want a named-market leader on the shortlist.
Watch-outs
- Published pricing is from $599 plus an unpublished Local Employer Services rate, benefits premiums and FX. The total cost is harder to model than the headline and third-party reviewers flag real costs meaningfully above the headline.
- HRIS integrations are limited. Reviewers explicitly cite gaps with common HRIS and ATS platforms requiring manual data transfers, which matters if you are plugging into an existing stack.
- Not primarily an entity-setup-for-clients service. If you want Atlas to incorporate your own entity, you need to confirm that scope directly; the published product is Atlas using its own entity as the employer.
Source: atlashxm.com/pricing
#5
Horizons
Best for: growth-stage companies that want a full-lifecycle partner from recruitment through EOR to entity incorporation advisory, at a lower EOR headline price than the tier-one providers.
Horizons rebranded to Remote People in February 2026 (joinhorizons.com now redirects to remotepeople.com). The combined proposition covers recruitment, EOR, contractor management, US PEO, global mobility and entity incorporation advisory under one roof. EOR Flex starts from $199/month per employee on monthly billing, which is the lowest published EOR headline in this group. Entity incorporation advisory is confirmed on the post-rebrand site, supporting the "recruit to incorporate" lifecycle.
The entity setup offering is advisory rather than fully productised in the way Teamed GEMO or Remote's Global Entity Setup are. No formal EOR-to-entity transition product or free migration service is published; the site lists entity incorporation advisory as a capability. For a buyer who wants a comprehensive entity-setup-and-run partner, that distinction matters. For a buyer who wants affordable EOR with the option to incorporate later and wants one provider for both, Horizons can cover the journey.
G2 ratings are complicated by the rebrand: multiple G2 slugs exist (new-horizons, horizons-global, a new remote-people listing) with conflicting figures. Treat any G2 number here as indicative until the consolidated post-rebrand profile settles. The $199 EOR headline is confirmed on the current site, but third-party reviewers note real costs rise with jurisdiction-specific fees. FX practice is not published.
- Countries
- 150-plus countries for EOR/global hiring (current site)
- Entity model
- Claims owned-entity model across 150-plus countries; some long-tail markets may use partners, per reviewer analysis
- Onboarding
- No published onboarding timeline for entity incorporation; EOR onboarding available with no setup fees
- Contractors
- Yes, Contractor Management from $29/month, Contractor of Record from $199/month
- Pricing
- EOR Flex from $199/month. EOR Plus from $399/month (annual commitment, 5+ employees, zero deposit). Entity incorporation advisory pricing not published. · verified 2026-06-27
Strengths
- Lowest published EOR headline in this group at $199/month (EOR Flex, monthly billing, no setup fees, no lock-in), with a $399 annual-commitment EOR Plus tier.
- Full lifecycle from recruitment through EOR to entity incorporation advisory and US PEO, with global mobility and visa support in 80+ countries.
- Contractor management from $29/month and Contractor of Record from $199/month, zero wire fees, payments in 120+ currencies.
- Post-rebrand, the Remote People platform covers the full "recruit to incorporate" story in one conversation, reducing the number of vendor relationships to manage.
Watch-outs
- Entity incorporation is advisory rather than a fully productised setup-and-run service. No published formal EOR-to-entity transition product. Buyers who want GEMO-style ongoing entity operations need to confirm scope before committing.
- G2 ratings are unresolved after the rebrand, with conflicting figures across multiple slugs. Reputation data is harder to verify than for providers with a single stable G2 profile.
- FX practice for EOR payroll is not published, and third-party reviewers note real costs include jurisdiction-specific fees not shown in the headline. Model total cost, not just the $199 fee.
Source: remotepeople.com/pricing
#6
Deel
Best for: teams that want the broadest all-in-one platform, a deep integration catalogue, a strong EOR bridge while their entity incorporates, and an entity setup service backed by the market-leading platform in the category.
Deel is the market-leading all-in-one global payroll, EOR and HR platform, and it offers an entity setup service alongside its EOR and contractor products. The platform has the deepest self-serve product and one of the broadest native integration catalogues in the category. For buyers who need an EOR bridge while their entity incorporates, Deel is one of the strongest options here: fast, deep self-serve EOR from $599 Standard, with mature contractor and equity tooling alongside.
The transparency gap matters for this buyer type. Deel does not publish a specific FX rate or spread on its pricing page, and entity setup pricing is not published. The dedicated support channel (Slack or Teams) sits behind the Enterprise tier at $899, while Standard support runs through a shared queue. Buyers evaluating entity setup costs need to go through sales to get a number for both the entity service and what the ongoing EOR bridge will actually cost once FX is added. Buyers tell us the all-in can be meaningfully above the headline.
The entity setup service exists and is backed by Deel's infrastructure and platform breadth, which is a genuine advantage over smaller or purely advisory providers. Deel holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 today, which a procurement team will note. For buyers who are primarily platform-led and want entity setup as one module in a large suite, Deel is a strong contender. For buyers who want proactive crossover modelling and a provider that tells you when EOR stops making sense, Deel does not publish that.
- Countries
- 150-plus reach, full legal employment in 110+
- Entity model
- A mix of owned entities and vetted partners across 150-plus countries; entity setup service available
- Onboarding
- Fast, deep self-serve EOR onboarding
- Contractors
- Yes, mature contractor and misclassification tooling
- Pricing
- EOR from $599 Standard, $899 Enterprise per employee per month. Entity setup pricing not published (verified 2026-06-17). · verified 2026-06-27
- G2
- 4.8/5
Strengths
- Market-leading EOR platform provides the strongest EOR bridge while your entity incorporates, from $599 Standard, with fast self-serve onboarding.
- Entity setup service backed by Deel's global infrastructure and the broadest platform in the category. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications held today.
- The broadest native integration catalogue of any provider here, covering most stacks without custom integration work.
- Mature contractor, equity and IP tooling alongside EOR and entity setup, so you can manage the full workforce in one platform throughout the incorporation period.
Watch-outs
- FX terms are not published on the pricing page. The salary-conversion cost is built into the conversion rate rather than shown, which makes total cost modelling harder than the headline $599 suggests.
- Entity setup pricing is not published. You need a sales conversation before you can compare costs at the evaluation stage. The dedicated support channel is gated behind the $899 Enterprise tier.
- No published crossover modelling. Deel offers entity setup but does not proactively model the headcount threshold where EOR stops making sense and your own entity becomes cheaper per seat.
Source: deel.com/pricing
#7
Papaya Global
Best for: enterprise companies that already operate multiple legal entities across countries and need a centralised, payment-grade payroll management layer, not a provider to set up new entities from scratch.
Papaya Global is an enterprise-grade global workforce payments platform, a Workforce OS built for companies that already have their own entities and need to consolidate payroll across them. It integrates with your existing HRIS or ERP rather than replacing it, and layers EOR, Contractor of Record, global payroll, and a licensed payments arm (Azimo) on top. It is a strong choice if you are post-entity and want one platform to run payroll across a multi-entity structure. It is a weaker fit if you want a provider to set up a new entity for you.
The entity setup question is honest: no productised entity-setup-for-clients service is published on Papaya primary pages. The EOR page links educational content on transitioning from EOR to a local entity, but Papaya does not offer a managed transition or entity incorporation service. EOR is available from $499/employee/month for the company that needs a bridge while it figures out its entity strategy, and the Contractor of Record is available at $295/contractor/month for fully compliant contractor engagement.
For multi-entity payroll management, Papaya is the strongest platform in this group. The payments arm processes in 160+ countries, a smart volatility buffer pre-funds payroll a few days early, and the connector catalogue spans Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, BambooHR, HiBob and more. G2 puts it at approximately 4.4 to 4.5. Enterprise buyers who already have entities and need to consolidate their payroll operations should put Papaya on the shortlist. Buyers who want to set up a new entity and need a provider to run it should look elsewhere.
- Countries
- 160+ countries for EOR/contractor reach; payroll managed across 160+ countries via owned entities and partners
- Entity model
- Owned EOR entities in 40 countries; partner network for the rest of the 160+ footprint
- Onboarding
- Enterprise-paced; implementation fee applies for Global Payroll product
- Contractors
- Yes, Contractor of Record from $295/month, basic contractor management from $5/month
- Pricing
- EOR from $499/employee/month. Contractor of Record from $295/month. Contractor management from $5/month. Global Payroll implementation fee plus recurring fee (not published). Verified 2026-06-17. · verified 2026-06-27
- G2
- 4.4/5
Strengths
- The strongest multi-entity payroll management platform in this group, built for companies already running entities across multiple countries. Integrates with Workday, SAP, Oracle, BambooHR, HiBob and more.
- Licensed payments arm (Azimo) processes in 160+ countries with a pre-funded smart volatility buffer, which reduces payroll funding risk across currency-volatile markets.
- EOR from $499/employee/month with no deposit required on Contractor of Record. "No surprise fees or hidden markups" is the published commitment.
- Enterprise-grade security and a connector catalogue spanning HCM, ERP, Financials, Expense Management, PTO, Vendor Management and more. G2 approximately 4.4 to 4.5.
Watch-outs
- No productised entity setup service. If you want a provider to incorporate a new legal entity for you, Papaya is not the right choice. Its strength is managing entities you already have.
- EOR and multi-entity payroll pricing: EOR from $499 is published; Global Payroll implementation fees and recurring fees are not. FX practice is described qualitatively but no percentage is published.
- Enterprise pricing and minimum engagements apply. Not designed for companies in the early stages of international expansion who want to move fast and at low cost.
Source: papayaglobal.com/pricing
#8
G-P
Best for: enterprise buyers that want the market-leading EOR as an alternative to setting up their own entity, not a provider that will build a new entity for them.
G-P (Globalization Partners) markets itself as the alternative to running your own entities, not the service that builds your entity for you. Its primary content positions EOR as the smart substitute: hire in a new country fast, let G-P carry the local employer obligations, and never touch entity registration, corporate law or ongoing statutory compliance. That is a legitimate choice. For buyers who have decided they want their own entity, G-P is honest about not being the right provider for that step.
What G-P does offer is a mature enterprise EOR product across 180+ countries, with two named packages: G-P EOR Core and G-P EOR Prime. Prime adds dedicated relationship management, direct access to HR and legal teams and expanded advisory services. The G-P AI assistant (G-P Assist) handles the routine at the Core tier; human CSMs, quarterly reviews and legal expert access are at Prime. The certifications stack is strong: ISO 27001, 27017, 27018, 42001 and SOC 2 Type II, which enterprise procurement teams notice.
G2 puts G-P at 4.4 from approximately 1,028 reviews, one of the larger review bodies in this comparison. It does not publish EOR pricing, which means the cost picture requires a sales engagement. The support model gates human relationship management behind the Prime tier, with G-P Assist (AI) the first line of response at Core. For the buyer who has decided they want their own entity, this page includes G-P because it is the most common answer to 'why are you looking at entity setup services?': the sales team recommended EOR instead. Whether that was the right advice depends on your headcount per country.
- Countries
- 180+ countries for EOR; no entity setup service offered
- Entity model
- G-P uses its own entities to be the employer; does NOT set up client-owned entities
- Onboarding
- Enterprise-paced, AI-assisted at Core tier; dedicated onboarding manager at Prime tier
- Contractors
- Yes, from $39/contractor/month
- Pricing
- EOR pricing quote-only (no published per-employee price). Contractor from $39/contractor/month. Verified 2026-06-17. · verified 2026-06-27
- G2
- 4.4/5 (1028)
Strengths
- One of the deepest enterprise EOR products in the category across 180+ countries, with two named tiers (Core, Prime) and a strong platform in G-P Meridian and Gia AI.
- ISO 27001, 27017, 27018, 42001 and SOC 2 Type II certifications held, the strongest certification stack in this group and a procurement shortlist necessity for regulated industries.
- G2 4.4 from approximately 1,028 reviews, one of the largest verified review bodies in this comparison. Analyst-decorated (referenced as a leader by multiple analyst firms).
- Contractor product from $39/contractor/month is the most transparently priced line item G-P publishes, and the Wise integration applies a published mid-market rate for contractor payments.
Watch-outs
- Does NOT offer entity setup as a service. If your goal is to incorporate your own legal entity abroad, G-P will not do that for you. It will provide EOR as an alternative. This is not a weakness per se; it is the product strategy.
- EOR pricing is fully quote-only. G-P does not publish an EOR per-employee price, so cost comparison at the evaluation stage requires a sales engagement before you can make a like-for-like comparison.
- Human relationship management, quarterly reviews and direct access to HR and legal teams are at the Prime tier only. Core relies on G-P Assist (AI) as the first line of response.
Source: globalization-partners.com
Why the shortlist matters
Behind every line item is a real person, in a real place.
The fee, the FX and the support model are not abstractions. They decide whether the person you hired in Barcelona or Rome is paid right, on time, by someone who knows their employment law. That is what the ranking is really measuring.
What each stakeholder evaluates
| Criterion | Legal | Finance | People Ops | Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total cost of setup and ongoing operation | Get the entity setup scope in writing before you engage: what is fixed-fee, what is scope-based, and what triggers a change order. A vague statement of work is where setup costs drift. | Ask every provider for a total-cost model that includes the EOR bridge fee, the FX margin and the entity setup fee, not just the headline. Confirm whether setup pricing is fixed or scope-based. | Check whether the same provider runs ongoing payroll and compliance after the entity is live, or whether you need a separate payroll vendor. Two vendors cost more than one and split accountability. | Confirm which system holds employee and payroll data once the entity is operating: the setup provider, a third-party payroll tool, or your own. Each hand-off adds a data-processing chain to review. |
| Owned entities versus local partners | Ask which countries are served by the provider's own entities versus third-party local partners. That distinction changes who is accountable, and the risk, materially. | A partner network can be cheaper to stand up but adds a margin and a counterparty in each market, while an owned-entity footprint concentrates accountability with one provider. GEMO covers 90+ countries on Teamed's own operations. | Find out whether your assigned contact has real employment-law expertise in your target country, or whether you are routed to a generalist queue once setup is done. | An owned entity means one data-processing chain. A local partner adds a sub-processor that needs its own review and a separate GDPR addendum. |
| Crossover, FX and what the MSA commits | Check FX treatment in the MSA: a zero-markup commitment written into the contract is different from a published price on a webpage. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are held by G-P and Deel today; Teamed is aligned with accreditation in progress. | Check whether the provider proactively models the crossover point where your own entity is cheaper per seat than EOR. Most will not, unless they also benefit from you moving. | Ask whether the provider bridges via EOR in the same country while the entity incorporates. A gap of weeks between entity formation and first payroll is a common, avoidable problem. | A zero-markup FX commitment with a timestamped mid-market reference on every invoice is an auditable record for finance and audit, not just a sales claim. |
Decision checklist
- Choose Teamed GEMO if you want one partner to bridge via EOR, set up the entity and run it on the same system, with proactive crossover modelling and real HR and legal experts throughout. GEMO covers 90+ countries.
- Choose Remote if you want the strongest self-serve platform and a productised Global Entity Setup service, with EOR and Global Payroll on the same system. Bear in mind there is no published crossover modelling.
- Choose Safeguard Global if you want a fully managed recruit-to-retire stack with 17+ years of operational depth, and entity setup is one module inside a larger managed engagement.
- Choose Deel if you want the broadest EOR bridge platform while your entity incorporates and want entity setup backed by the market-leading suite, and you are comfortable with quote-only entity pricing.
- Choose Papaya Global if you already have entities in multiple countries and need enterprise-grade payroll management across them. Do not choose Papaya to set up a new entity from scratch.
- Choose G-P if you have decided EOR is the right model and you want the most mature enterprise EOR product with the strongest certification stack. G-P will not set up your entity; it will tell you you don't need one.
- Ask every provider which specific countries in your expansion plan are served by their own entities versus third-party partners. That question is the real differentiator, regardless of the headline country count.
Honest take
When another provider is the better fit
- If you need the deepest self-serve platform with the broadest integration catalogue and want to manage global hiring largely without an advisory relationship, Remote or Deel will serve you better. Teamed is advisory-led, not dashboard-first.
- If your company is already operating multiple entities in multiple countries and you primarily need consolidated payroll management, not a new entity setup service, Papaya Global is the stronger choice for that specific problem.
- If you need the most complete enterprise EOR across 180+ countries with the strongest certification stack (ISO 27001 and SOC 2 held today) and your board has decided EOR is the permanent model, G-P or Deel carry more recognition with enterprise procurement teams than Teamed currently does.
- If you need to set up an entity in a country where Teamed's GEMO does not operate yet (outside the 90+ covered), you will need a specialist local provider or legal counsel for that jurisdiction.
Teamed is not the right answer for every entity setup situation. The scorecard is designed to show you which column matters to your situation, not to crown Teamed the winner of every row.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an entity setup service and an EOR?
An EOR (Employer of Record) is the legal employer in a foreign country on your behalf. You hire through the EOR and it carries the local employment obligations. An entity setup service incorporates your own legal subsidiary or branch in that country, so you become the legal employer. The key trade-off is speed and cost versus control. EOR is faster and requires no upfront incorporation cost, but you pay a per-seat fee indefinitely. Your own entity has higher upfront cost and a longer setup time, but the per-seat cost drops once you have enough headcount in that country. The crossover point varies by country and salary level.How long does it take to set up a legal entity abroad?
It depends heavily on the jurisdiction. A UK Ltd company can be incorporated in days. A German GmbH typically takes four to eight weeks, including commercial register filing, notarisation and bank account setup. A Brazilian LTDA can take three months or more. An Indian private limited company can take four to six weeks. The practical implication is that an EOR bridge in the target country, while incorporation is in progress, is almost always necessary. Any entity setup provider worth using should be able to run EOR in the same country on the same system while your entity forms.Does every EOR provider offer entity setup?
No. Several prominent EOR providers do not offer entity setup as a service. G-P explicitly positions EOR as an alternative to running your own entity and does not offer a service to help you build one. Papaya Global manages payroll across existing entities but does not set up new ones. Velocity Global (Pebl) positions EOR as a separate path from entity setup. Always check the specific provider's published product list before assuming entity setup is included.Should I use an EOR or set up my own entity?
The honest answer is: it depends on headcount and permanence. Below a crossover point (which varies by country, salary level and desired benefits package), EOR typically wins because you avoid upfront incorporation costs, ongoing accounting and compliance overhead, and the time it takes to incorporate. Above the crossover point, your own entity wins on total cost per seat and gives you full control over employment contracts, benefits design and IP. A good entity setup provider will model this crossover for you without waiting to be asked. Most EOR providers will not, because they earn more when you stay on EOR. Teamed models this proactively via GEMO. The crossover calculation tool at teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator is a starting point.What does "ongoing entity operations" mean and why does it matter?
Setting up a legal entity is one transaction. Running it is a continuous obligation. After incorporation you need to run a local payroll, file employer statutory returns, manage employment contracts, administer local benefits, handle HR compliance and navigate any changes in local employment law. 'Ongoing entity operations' means the provider does all of this for you on an outsourced basis, not just the initial incorporation. A provider that only incorporates the entity and then leaves you to manage it yourself is very different from one that runs the ongoing operations, which is the same difference as build-only versus build-and-run in any outsourcing relationship.
Common questions
Which entity setup service includes ongoing payroll and compliance after incorporation?
Teamed GEMO and Safeguard Global both run ongoing payroll and compliance after entity setup on the same engagement. Remote provides Global Payroll for ongoing operations post-setup. Deel and Atlas can manage ongoing operations but the scope depends on the engagement. Papaya Global is the strongest for ongoing multi-entity payroll if you already have entities. G-P does not do entity setup.How does an EOR bridge work when setting up an entity abroad?
While your entity is incorporating (two to sixteen weeks depending on the country), an EOR bridge lets you hire your people immediately on EOR in the same country. When incorporation completes, a good provider migrates those employees onto your own entity without re-onboarding. Teamed does this on the same system via GEMO. Remote does this via its EOR and entity setup products. Ask any provider whether the migration from EOR to own entity is handled on the same system or requires a full re-onboarding.Does Globalization Partners do entity setup?
No. G-P explicitly does not offer entity setup as a service. Its product positions EOR as an alternative to running your own entity. G-P will not incorporate an entity for you; it will provide EOR as the employer in your target countries instead. If you want entity setup, look at Teamed GEMO, Remote Global Entity Setup or Safeguard Global.
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