How should a consultancy handle a contractor converting to an EOR employee?

Ideally on the same platform without re-onboarding. A split-platform model can create an uncovered gap for tax and employment-law purposes. Ask whether contractor management and EOR share the same employee record and whether conversion is handled in-platform. Teamed, Deel, Remote, Oyster and Rippling all run both products; the depth and ease of conversion differs.

Can a consultancy pass EOR costs through to a client invoice?

Yes, but the invoice needs to be readable. An undisclosed FX margin appears as unexplained overrun. Teamed absorbs FX at zero markup and shows the applied rate against mid-market on every invoice. Deel, Rippling, Pebl and G-P don't publish FX terms. Remote shows the rate after the fact. Oyster applies a conversion fee with no rate disclosed. If costs are client-billable, the FX policy is a procurement question.

What is the contractor misclassification risk for consultancies, and which EOR handles it best?

Misclassification risk is higher for consultancies because project-based models create ambiguous employment relationships. The clearest cover: Teamed Guard (up to $10,000 per case) or Protect (Teamed takes on the liability), Remote Contractor of Record (uncapped indemnity, $325/month), Oyster CoR with misclassification tooling. Deel Shield is mature but reported as opt-in rather than default. Verify cover is in place before the engagement starts.

Do I need an EOR or a contractor management platform for my consultancy?

Probably both. Contractor management handles payments and IP for self-employed people. EOR employs people where you have no entity. A consultancy needs both; the risk in keeping them on separate platforms is a gap in the classification chain. Ask any provider whether the two products share an employee record and how easy the conversion path is. Teamed, Deel, Remote, Oyster and Rippling have the most joined-up models.

How current is this comparison, and how was it scored?

Every competitor figure verified on 17 June 2026 against each provider pricing page and G2; security re-checked 22 July 2026. Eight providers scored 1 to 5 on six consultancy-focused axes, no overall winner. G-P pricing quote-only; Rippling pricing on its own blog only. We review quarterly and re-verify pricing monthly.

Best EOR for consultancies · 2026

The best EOR providers for consultancies in 2026

Q: Which EOR is best for a consultancy or professional services firm in 2026?

No single answer. Teamed leads the service model and employment intelligence and the path to your own entity. It contests pricing transparency with Remote and consultancy coverage with G-P. Deel and Rippling lead platform. Oyster leads onboarding speed. Remote suits owned-entity and IP-protection buyers. Papaya and G-P suit large advisory firms; the certified providers lead security. Key questions for any provider: can I see the FX, can a contractor convert to EOR on the same system, and who handles a misclassification claim?

No single winner. We scored eight EOR providers on a published six-axis rubric built for consultancies: mixed contractor-and-employee workforces, cost visibility you can pass to clients, fast project ramp-up, and the month your own entity beats EOR. Teamed leads the service model and employment intelligence and the path to your own entity. It contests pricing transparency with Remote and consultancy coverage with G-P. Rippling and Deel lead on platform, and the certified providers lead on security.

Talk to an expert

Rated 4.8 on G2 for service

8
EOR providers scored on one consultancy-focused rubric: $599
Teamed flat fee, same headline as Deel, FX absorbed at zero markup: 6
Consultancy-focused rubric axes, no overall winner

Disclosure

This guide was produced by Teamed, which is one of the eight providers 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 Deel, Oyster or another provider is the better fit for your consultancy.

Last reviewed 22 July 2026By Tom Price-Daniel, Co-founder, Teamed

Which EOR is best for a consultancy or professional services firm in 2026?

What is an EOR for consultancies?

Consultancies live with a workforce problem most other companies don't face: the same person can be a contractor on one engagement and an employee on the next, in a different country, billed to a different client. An Employer of Record (EOR) legally employs your people in the countries where you don't have an entity, issuing the local contract, running payroll, remitting taxes and statutory contributions, and carrying the legal employer obligations while you direct the work. For a consultancy, that means you can put someone on the ground in a new market within days, without incorporating locally or exposing a client project to a solo contractor's misclassification risk.

The consultancy case for EOR goes beyond a quick first hire. Billing models matter: if employment costs pass through to a client invoice or an internal P&L, an undisclosed FX margin on salary conversion shows up as unexplained project overrun. Worker classification matters: a misclassified contractor can create a tax and employment-law liability that outlasts the engagement. And lifecycle matters: a market that starts as a one-person project can become a permanent practice, at which point an owned entity may be cheaper than EOR. The providers below differ most on how they handle those pressures, which is what the six-axis rubric scores.

Methodology

How we scored this comparison

Each provider is scored 1 to 5 on six axes built for how consultancies actually hire. There's no weighted total and no overall winner. Different providers lead different columns. Teamed is scored on the same axes as the rest: it leads the service model and employment intelligence and the path to your own entity, contests pricing transparency and consultancy coverage, and concedes platform and security.

Pricing transparency: Whether the all-in cost of an EOR hire (the fee, the deposit, onboarding, and offboarding or termination) is stated up front and predictable. Scored on clarity, not on price level: a flat published fee you can read beats a lower base with unstated setup, notice and exit terms. For a consultancy passing costs to a client, the FX rate on salary conversions is one clause of that test, not the whole frame.
Consultancy coverage and compliance: Depth and legal robustness of in-country coverage for a mixed contractor-and-employee workforce: the owned-entity versus partner structure behind each market, published misclassification cover on contractor populations, and how fast a real HR or legal expert responds when a contested classification or a country edge case outlasts the engagement that created it. Broad-network players lead raw breadth; the depth question is per country.
Platform and self-serve: Product surface, self-serve flows, integration and API depth, and speed to first payroll, including how well contractor management and EOR run on one system for a consultancy staffing projects at pace.
Security and certifications: ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II held today: the certifications a client procurement or security review asks to see, checked against each provider on 22 July 2026.
Service model and employment intelligence: Ongoing human employment expertise plus AI assistance across the lifecycle (for Teamed, the Ted layer): whether real HR and legal experts own the hard classification and country moments directly, and how well the system flags law changes and the crossover point before they reach you.
Path to your own entity: Whether the provider moves you from first contractor to EOR to your own entity on one system, models the crossover point, and can set up the entity through a service like Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) when a project becomes a permanent practice.

How we gathered evidence

The six axes are pricing transparency, consultancy coverage and compliance, platform and self-serve, security and certifications, service model and employment intelligence, and the path to your own entity. Pricing came from each provider's own pricing pages and G2, last checked 17 June 2026. Where a provider does not publish pricing (G-P) or publishes it only on a blog (Rippling), we say so. Security reflects each provider's current published ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II status, re-checked 22 July 2026. Teamed's claims come from teamed.global. Owned-entity and partner status comes from each provider's own published pages.

Considered & excluded

We scored the providers a consultancy evaluating EOR for a mixed contractor-and-employee workforce would realistically shortlist, from all-in-one platforms to enterprise compliance specialists.

Payoneer Workforce Management (formerly Skuad), Multiplier, RemoFirst: Capable but more startup- or SME-focused; the consultancy buyer typically shortlists the providers above first.
Native Teams: The entry price from $99 and smaller country set suit micro-businesses more than consultancies managing multi-country projects.

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	Pricing transparency	Consultancy coverage and compliance	Platform and self-serve	Security and certifications	Service model and employment intelligence	Path to your own entity
Teamed(us)	Leads	Leads			Leads	Leads
Deel			Leads	Leads
Remote
Oyster
Rippling
Papaya Global
Globalization Partners (G-P)
Pebl (formerly Velocity Global)

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.

Teamed

Us, scored on the same rubric

Best for: consultancies and professional services firms that need a readable invoice for client pass-through billing, real HR and legal experts on every plan, and one partner from first contractor through EOR to their own entity.

Teamed is the advisory alternative, built for rapidly growing companies with an international footprint, including consultancies that run a mix of contractors and employees across multiple markets. The wedge for consultancies is honesty on two counts: the FX rate shown against the mid-market reference on every invoice, absorbed at zero markup on the fee, and a proactive model for when EOR stops making financial sense. Both matter when employment costs are client-billable.

The contractor story is built for the consultancy model. Guard covers up to $10,000 per case in misclassification liability while you remain the engager. Protect has Teamed engage the contractor directly and take on the liability. Both sit on the same system as EOR, so converting a contractor to an employee does not require a new platform or a fresh onboarding. Real HR and legal experts handle the classification questions directly, with no AI bot wall and no Enterprise tier to unlock.

Teamed is not trying to be your HRIS. It connects to the platforms you already run and is the partner you choose for your global team, from your first contractor through EOR to your own entity. Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) sets up and runs your own entity in 100+ countries on the same system, with proactive per-country crossover modelling so you know the month your own entity starts to beat EOR. Rated 4.8 on G2 for service.

Countries: 187+ countries covered through owned entities plus vetted partners (owned entities in 57 countries including France, the UK, the US, Australia and Singapore)
Entity model: Owned entities in 57 countries, vetted partners for the remainder of the 187+ footprint; sets up your own entity via GEMO in 100+ countries
Onboarding: Expert-guided, with real HR and legal experts through the transition; as little as 24 to 48 hours to first payroll
Contractors: Yes, Guard (misclassification cover up to $10,000 per case) and Protect (Teamed takes on the liability directly)
Pricing: $599 USD / £479 GBP / employee / month, flat, FX absorbed at zero markup · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.8/5

Strengths

Shows the applied FX rate against the mid-market reference on every invoice and absorbs it at zero markup. For a consultancy billing to a client, the FX line is the difference between a cost you can defend and one you cannot.
Real HR and legal experts with country-specific employment-law depth on every plan, backed by DLA Piper as global counsel and vetted in-country partners, with no AI bot wall and no tier to unlock. Guard and Protect misclassification cover on contractor populations sit on the same system as EOR.
One system from first contractor through EOR to your own entity. GEMO sets up and runs your own entity in 100+ countries with no re-onboarding, and proactive crossover modelling flags the right moment to move.
Proactive advisory: Teamed models the point where your own entity makes more sense than EOR and tells you, and advises on the right model wherever you start rather than keeping you on one that no longer fits.

Watch-outs

Lighter self-serve platform and shallower API than Deel or Rippling. The model is advisory, not dashboard-first, so it concedes the platform column here. That suits a firm that values a real expert over an automation catalogue.
Smaller brand and review base than Deel or Remote. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are aligned with accreditation in progress, not held today the way Deel, Remote or Rippling hold them, so it concedes the security column for now. If your client procurement review needs the certificate issued today, ask each provider for current reports and dates.
The advisory model earns its weight across multiple countries or a growing headcount. A one-country, one-person engagement with no growth plans may suit a lighter self-serve platform better.

Source: teamed.global/pricing

Deel

Best for: consultancies that want the broadest all-in-one contractor and EOR platform, the deepest integration catalogue and the strongest brand, and can absorb an unpublished FX line in the invoice.

Deel is the market-leading all-in-one global payroll, EOR and HR platform and the default shortlist entry for most buyers. For consultancies it has a particular draw: contractor management and EOR sit on the same platform, both mature, with Deel Shield misclassification tooling and a deep integration catalogue that connects to most project-management and accounting stacks. The contractor tooling is among the most complete in the category, which is why Deel leads the platform column here alongside Rippling.

The reasons consultancies look past it are consistent. Deel does not publish its FX terms, so the salary-conversion cost is built into the rate rather than shown on the invoice. For a consultancy that passes employment costs to a client, that undisclosed line is a reconciliation problem. Deel does not publish which plan includes its dedicated Slack or Teams support channel, so consultancies need to confirm what their rate includes. Buyers also report an undisclosed six-month salary deposit demanded for a long-notice UK hire, though we frame that as a buyer report, not a published Deel term.

Against the rest of this list Deel keeps the broadest platform: native integrations across the largest range of HRIS and accounting tools, mature equity and IP tooling alongside contractor management and EOR, and the longest enterprise track record. It holds current ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certifications, near the top of the security column. For a consultancy already inside the Deel ecosystem that does not need to show its clients the FX line, switching for cost transparency alone may not be worth the disruption.

Countries: 150-plus reach, full legal employment in 130+
Entity model: A mix of owned entities and vetted partners
Onboarding: Fast, deep self-serve with a dedicated onboarding manager on Enterprise
Contractors: Yes, mature contractor management with Deel Shield misclassification tooling
Pricing: From $599 / employee / month, a starting rate · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.8/5

Strengths

The broadest all-in-one contractor + EOR platform in the category, with mature misclassification tooling (Deel Shield) and one of the broadest native integration catalogues covering most stacks.
One of the strongest contractor-management products: cross-currency payments, IP agreements, contractor onboarding, and conversion to EOR on the same platform.
The market-leading brand and the longest enterprise track record, with current ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II held today, which clears a procurement shortlist on recognition and security posture alone.
Deep self-serve platform and one of the largest native integration catalogues in the category, covering most project-management and accounting tools without custom work.

Watch-outs

Does not publish its FX terms on the invoice. For a consultancy billing employment costs to a client, the undisclosed conversion margin cannot be itemised.
Dedicated Slack or Teams support channel not published per plan; confirm what your rate includes before you rely on a real person for a classification question.
Buyers report a six-month salary deposit demanded for a long-notice UK hire, though Deel does not publish deposit terms publicly, so we frame this as a buyer account.

Source: deel.com/pricing

Remote

Best for: consultancies that want a polished self-serve platform, strong IP protection tooling and owned entities across their core markets, and can work with a variable FX rate shown after the fact.

Remote is the product-led alternative with the strongest IP protection story in the category, relevant for consultancies whose engagements involve client IP or proprietary work product. It markets a 100%-owned entity network across its 90+ EOR countries and runs a tiered contractor product, Contractor Management at $29 per contractor per month rising to Contractor of Record with uncapped misclassification indemnity. Total reach extends to 190+ locations across all products.

The FX picture is more transparent than Deel but not fully open. Remote applies a variable FX rate to cross-currency invoice lines and shows the rate used in-platform that month, but publishes no percentage. The $599 headline needs annual billing; month to month is $699. A dedicated onboarding specialist and a named customer success manager are included on the EOR plan. Buyers at the higher end of the market report multi-day SLA responses; support experience varies.

Remote suits a consultancy that wants to run global hiring as a product rather than a service. The IP protection model, a two-stage IP transfer through owned entities with indemnification, is a genuine differentiator for engagements where IP chain matters. It holds current ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications, at the top of the security column. Ask which of your countries fall on the owned-entity side and which are partner-served, since the 100%-owned claim applies to the 90+ EOR core, not the full 190+ map.

Countries: 190+ locations, 90+ for owned-entity EOR
Entity model: Owned-entity led in its core 90+ EOR countries; other products extend to 190+ locations
Onboarding: Dedicated onboarding specialist and a named CSM on the EOR plan
Contractors: Yes, three tiers from $29 to Contractor of Record with uncapped indemnity
Pricing: $599 / employee / month on annual billing ($699 month to month) · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.6/5 (591)

Strengths

A 100%-owned entity network across its core 90+ EOR countries, with a strong IP protection product that chains IP through owned entities to the client, relevant for consultancies whose people work on client IP.
A polished, well-designed self-serve platform with strong benefits administration, published contractor tiers from $29 to uncapped CoR indemnity, and no setup or onboarding fees. It holds current ISO 27001 and SOC 2, near the top of the security column.
Published pricing in full, $599 on annual terms against $699 month to month, plus contractor tiers. You can budget it without a sales call.
A dedicated onboarding specialist and a named CSM on the EOR plan, backed by in-house HR, legal and tax experts with an average of ten years of operational experience.

Watch-outs

The $599 rate needs annual billing. Month to month is $699, so the comparable cost depends on the commitment you can make.
Applies a variable Remote FX rate shown after the fact on the in-platform invoice breakdown, with no published percentage and no zero-markup option.
The owned-entity story covers the core 90+ EOR countries; beyond them delivery runs through partners and other products. Ask per country before assuming owned status.

Source: remote.com/pricing

Oyster

Best for: consultancies that need to staff a project fast, want a published flat price, a B-Corp supplier and a strong contractor product, and are comfortable with the deposit and conditional currency-conversion fee.

Oyster is the automation-and-onboarding pick and a certified B-Corp. It publishes a 24-hour response SLA with resolution guaranteed under 72 hours, a flat EOR price of $699 per employee per month, and strong contractor tooling at $29 per contractor per month with a free misclassification test and country-specific IP agreements. For a consultancy standing up a team quickly for a new engagement, Oyster is among the fastest routes to a first payroll on this list.

The watch-outs sit in the fine print. Oyster requires a refundable deposit to start an EOR engagement, with no amount published. A currency-conversion fee applies if you pay in a currency different from the contract currency, again with no rate disclosed. White-glove HR advisory is billed separately at $300 per hour rather than included. These costs matter for a consultancy passing charges to a client: the invoice will carry fees that are not visible on the headline price page.

The B-Corp certification carries real weight with procurement teams that score suppliers on values, and the human, expert-led support model gives Oyster a layer the pure self-serve platforms lack. There is no productised path from EOR to your own entity, so a consultancy opening a permanent practice in a market will outgrow the model. Against Deel you trade platform breadth and integration depth for onboarding speed, a published flat price and a human support relationship.

Countries: 180+ all products, 120+ for EOR
Entity model: Hybrid, owns or partners with local entities; no published split
Onboarding: Fast, automated, with a dedicated hiring success manager and a published 24h response / 72h resolution SLA
Contractors: Yes, $29 / contractor / month, with free misclassification test and IP agreements
Pricing: $699 / employee / month, flat (annual discounts available) · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.4/5 (1447)

Strengths

A published 24-hour response and sub-72-hour resolution SLA, plus automated onboarding guided by a dedicated hiring success manager. Consultancies staffing a project can act on it.
A certified B-Corp with a flat published EOR price of $699 and no setup, onboarding, HR-expert-access or termination charges included in the subscription. Procurement teams that score on values get a straightforward yes.
Strong contractor tooling at $29 per contractor per month with payments in 120+ currencies, a free misclassification test and country-specific IP agreements, useful for a consultancy managing a mixed workforce.
A large, healthy G2 review base of roughly 1,447 reviews, plus SOC 2 Type II and GDPR posture, giving it a solid security story alongside the speed.

Watch-outs

Requires a refundable deposit for EOR with no amount published, and charges a currency-conversion fee on any currency mismatch with no rate disclosed. Both are costs that do not appear on the headline pricing page.
White-glove HR advisory is billed separately at $300 per hour rather than included. For a consultancy that needs classification advice on a complex engagement, that is an add-on cost.
No productised path from EOR to your own entity, so a consultancy whose project becomes a permanent practice in a market will need to move platform.

Source: oysterhr.com/pricing

Rippling

Best for: consultancies that want HR, IT and payroll on one platform and treat EOR as part of a bigger workforce system, with a published entity-versus-EOR calculator when the time comes.

Rippling is the alternative if you want to run HR, IT and payroll on one system and treat EOR as one module in a wider workforce platform. It publishes 600+ integrations on a single employee graph, which puts it among the deepest platforms in this list and level with Deel on the platform column. For a consultancy managing contractors and employees across multiple countries and billing to projects, the consolidation thesis is real: one record, one platform, one place to run the numbers. Rippling also publishes a live entity-versus-EOR cost calculator on its own site, one of the only providers here that makes the crossover visible.

EOR is the newer part of the product, built as a module rather than a pure-play. Country coverage is materially lower than the dedicated EOR providers, 80 countries against roughly 180. No EOR price appears on its primary pages; a $499 per employee per month figure surfaces in a Rippling-owned blog comparison table, not a checkout or quote, and a separate HR-platform base fee sits on top. Buyers also report an undisclosed security deposit, though that is a buyer report, not a published Rippling term.

The consolidation case is the point. If you are buying an HRIS, device management and payroll anyway, EOR rides the same employee record and the entity calculator is already in the platform. Get the all-in monthly number in writing: platform base fee plus EOR per-employee fee. Against Deel you trade EOR maturity and country coverage for a unified people-and-IT system. For a consultancy that standardises its entire stack on one tool, that trade may be worth it.

Countries: 80 for EOR (185+ for contractor payments)
Entity model: Hybrid, owned subsidiaries plus partners; no split published
Onboarding: Fast, heavily automated self-serve; white-glove reserved for enterprise
Contractors: Yes, Contractor of Record plus global contractor payments in 185+ countries
Pricing: Not published on primary pages; approximately $499 per employee per month on its own blog, plus an HR-platform base fee · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.8/5

Strengths

The most powerful unified HR, IT and payroll platform on this list, with 600+ integrations on one employee graph. Level with Deel at the top of the platform column on this rubric.
A live entity-versus-EOR cost calculator on its own site, giving a consultancy a published model for when its permanent practice makes the transition worth making.
Strong self-serve automation: onboarding in minutes, payday in days, published rolling 90-day support metrics and human-staffed chat, email and video. It holds one of the broadest certification sets in the category, including ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II.
Contractor payments in 185+ countries on the same platform as EOR and HRIS, with a Contractor of Record product for managed contractor engagements.

Watch-outs

EOR is less mature than the core product. Country coverage of 80 is materially lower than the dedicated EOR providers at roughly 180, which limits the markets a consultancy can staff into.
No EOR price on primary pages. The $499 figure is a Rippling-owned blog comparison table entry, not a checkout price, and a separate HR-platform base fee sits on top.
Built to replace your HR stack, which adds cost and complexity a consultancy that wants a focused EOR relationship does not need. Buyers report an undisclosed security deposit.

Source: rippling.com

Papaya Global

Best for: large consultancies or advisory firms with multi-country payroll at scale, a Workday or SAP stack, and a finance team that needs one reporting layer across all their markets.

Papaya Global is the payroll-at-scale alternative, built for Fortune-500-scale buyers. It reaches 180+ countries, runs a strong data-and-payroll backbone with 130+ payment currencies and a licensed payments arm, and sits alongside rather than replacing a Workday, SAP or Oracle stack. For a large consultancy consolidating multi-country payroll, the backbone is the draw: one reporting layer, 130+ payment currencies and audit-ready filings with certifications including ISO 27001, SOC 1 and SOC 2.

The EOR base now starts from $499 per employee per month on its own pricing page. Most of the EOR footprint is partner-delivered: Papaya owns full EOR entities in only 40 countries against its 180+ reach, so most edge-case employment questions route through a vetted in-country accounting firm. An FX processing fee applies on conversion with no percentage published, and the wallet must be pre-funded with a buffer before each payment run. The Contractor of Record product starts at $295 per contractor per month.

Price the full stack rather than the headline. If your payroll already runs through multiple local vendors and you want to consolidate reporting, the saving on vendor management can pay the premium. The depth of certifications (ISO 27001, ISO 27701, SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR) clears most enterprise procurement gates without a fight, putting it at the top of the security column. Against Deel you trade self-serve simplicity for finance-grade payroll consolidation. For a consultancy running fewer than 50 people in fewer than five markets, this is usually more platform than the job requires.

Countries: 180+ reach, owned full EOR entities in 40
Entity model: Hybrid, owned entities in 40 EOR countries, certified accounting-firm partners for the rest
Onboarding: Weeks, enterprise-paced
Contractors: Yes, Contractor of Record (COR) from $295 per contractor per month
Pricing: From $499 / employee / month (EOR); COR from $295 / contractor / month; FX processing fee not published · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.5/5 (55)

Strengths

A strong enterprise payroll and data backbone across 180+ countries and 130+ payment currencies, plus a licensed payments arm. Few providers consolidate multi-country payroll data at this scale.
Deep certification stack for enterprise procurement: ISO 27001, ISO 27701, SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II and GDPR, plus global equity administration through payroll. Near the top of the security column.
Named connectors for Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM and NetSuite, with a self-serve integration and mapping layer that slots into an enterprise stack.
Mature automation and audit-trail reporting for finance teams running complex multi-country payroll, purpose-built for the scale a large advisory firm requires.

Watch-outs

Most of the EOR footprint is partner-delivered: owned full EOR entities in only 40 of its 180+ countries, so employment edge cases route through a vetted accounting-firm partner.
An FX processing fee applies on conversion with no percentage published, and the wallet must be pre-funded with a buffer before each run, adding cash-flow overhead.
Built for Fortune-500 scale rather than smaller or mid-sized consultancies. The G2 review base is roughly 55 reviews, and onboarding is enterprise-paced in weeks.

Source: papayaglobal.com/pricing

Globalization Partners (G-P)

Best for: large consultancies and advisory firms where analyst recognition, a deep certification stack and a broad in-country legal team matter more than published pricing or speed.

G-P is the analyst-decorated enterprise incumbent, marketing 180+ country coverage, 100+ legal entities and 200+ global partners with a long track record. For a large advisory firm whose procurement team requires certifications and analyst recognition, G-P clears those gates on brand alone. Its owned-entity footprint is among the widest in the category, which is why it contests the consultancy coverage column. Its contractor product starts at $39 per contractor per month with Wise-powered payments and published mid-market-rate language, one of the few transparent contractor prices on this list.

For a fast-growing consultancy it is usually heavyweight. EOR pricing is quote-only with no per-employee figure on any of its own pages, only a demo request and 'Request a proposal'. Base-tier support leans on the G-P Assist AI assistant; a dedicated customer success manager, quarterly reviews and direct access to G-P's HR and legal teams are reserved for the higher EOR Prime tier. Buyers report a pre-funding model of roughly one to two months' salary per employee, though G-P does not publish deposit or pre-funding terms.

The case for G-P is governance at scale. Its certification stack (ISO 27001/27017/27018/42001, SOC 2 Type II) and large in-country legal team pass enterprise security and legal reviews without a fight, putting it at the top of the security column. If your procurement process is the blocker rather than speed or price, G-P is worth the quote. Against Deel you trade published pricing, speed and base-tier human support for enterprise breadth, analyst recognition and the deepest certification posture on this list.

Countries: 180+ coverage, 100+ legal entities plus 200+ partners
Entity model: Owned entities plus an extensive partner network; among the widest owned footprints in the category
Onboarding: Enterprise governance, AI-led base-tier support (G-P Assist); human relationship management on EOR Prime
Contractors: Yes, starts at $39 per contractor per month with Wise-powered payments
Pricing: Quote-only; no per-employee EOR price published. Contractor from $39 per contractor per month. · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.4/5 (1028)

Strengths

Genuine enterprise-scale reach, 180+ country coverage, 100+ legal entities and 200+ global partners over a long track record, with analyst recognition that clears procurement shortlists.
The deepest certification stack on this list: ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018 and ISO 42001, plus SOC 2 Type II, on a self-serve trust portal. At the top of the security column.
A transparent contractor product at $39 per contractor per month with Wise-powered payments and published mid-market-rate language, one of the clearest contractor prices here.
A large in-country HR, legal and compliance team and strong analyst recognition, a decisive trust signal for large advisory-firm procurement.

Watch-outs

Publishes no EOR per-employee price on any of its own pages, only a demo request and Request a proposal. A like-for-like cost comparison requires a sales call.
Base-tier support leans on the G-P Assist AI assistant; a dedicated CSM, quarterly reviews and direct HR and legal access are reserved for the higher EOR Prime tier.
Buyers report a pre-funding model of roughly one to two months salary per employee, though G-P does not disclose deposit or pre-funding terms publicly.

Source: globalization-partners.com

Pebl (formerly Velocity Global)

Best for: consultancies that want broad reach and a simple flat headline, and are comfortable with an AI-first support model and a quote-led contract for anything beyond the standard.

Velocity Global rebranded to Pebl in September 2025 and repositioned as an AI-first global hiring platform. It has broad reach across 185+ countries, owned entities in roughly 65 of them, and publishes a single flat $399 per employee per month on its own pricing page, one of the lowest published EOR headlines on this list. The compliance posture is enterprise-grade, with an in-house legal team backed by Baker McKenzie and a certification set including ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II.

Most of the 185+ reach is partner-served. Pebl owns entities in around 65 countries against that 185+ footprint, so the balance runs through in-country partners. Day-to-day support is AI-first through the Alfie assistant, which smart-routes to a human specialist when needed, backed by 200+ in-country experts. No FX terms and no contractor price are published on its pages. Buyers and reviewers report an undisclosed FX spread and a refundable security deposit, though neither appears on company pages.

The consultancy case for Pebl is straightforward reach at a low headline. If you need to staff into a broad set of markets and the AI-first support model suits your operating style, the flat headline rate and the Baker McKenzie-backed compliance posture are a competitive combination. The customer experience is still settling after the September 2025 rebrand. Against Deel you trade a settled product experience and base-tier human-first support for a lower headline and broad reach.

Countries: 185+ reach, owned entities in roughly 65
Entity model: Owned entities in roughly 65 markets, in-country partners for the rest
Onboarding: AI-led via the Alfie assistant, with routing to human specialists
Contractors: Yes, 180+ countries (no price published)
Pricing: $399 / employee / month, flat (FX terms and contractor price not published) · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.6/5

Strengths

One of the widest published footprints in the category, 185+ countries including all 50 US states, with owned entities in roughly 65.
A simple flat headline of $399 per employee per month on its own pricing page, one of the lowest published EOR rates on this list.
Enterprise-grade compliance with an in-house legal team backed by Baker McKenzie, plus ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II, near the top of the security column.
A centralised Global Work Platform with a broad integration catalogue across HRIS and finance tools, including contractor and global equity products.

Watch-outs

Publishes no FX terms and no contractor price; buyers and reviewers report an undisclosed FX spread and a refundable security deposit not shown on public pages.
Most of its reach is partner-served, roughly 65 owned entities against 185+ countries. Ask which of your markets are owned before assuming compliance consistency.
Day-to-day support is AI-first through the Alfie assistant, and the customer experience is still settling after the September 2025 rebrand to Pebl.

Source: hellopebl.com/eor-pricing

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
Contractor-to-EOR conversion	Ask whether the provider handles a contractor-to-employee switch on the same legal framework or requires a completely new engagement agreement. One contract chain is a smaller audit trail.	A conversion mid-engagement should not trigger setup fees or a new deposit. Teamed handles Guard/Protect-to-EOR on the same system; most others treat the switch as a new engagement with fresh onboarding costs.	The person should not have to repeat their onboarding. Ask whether the employee record and payroll history carry through the conversion or whether the system starts from scratch.	A single employee record means one data-processing chain, not two supplier relationships with separate data controllers.
Billable-cost transparency	Ask for the FX policy in writing before signing. An undisclosed margin on salary conversion is a cost that lands in your P&L or a client invoice without a line item.	Teamed shows the applied rate against the mid-market reference and absorbs FX at zero markup. Deel, Rippling, Pebl and G-P do not publish their FX terms. Remote shows the rate after the fact. Oyster applies a currency-conversion fee with no rate disclosed.	Itemised invoices reduce per-project reconciliation time. A FX line you can name is a line you can explain to a client.	A timestamped FX rate against a published mid-market reference is an auditable record for a client who asks.
Misclassification cover	Ask whether the cover is on by default or an opt-in add-on, what the per-case cap is, and who takes on the liability if a claim arises. Default-on cover is the only safe option for a consultancy that moves people between models.	Teamed's Guard caps cover at $10,000 per case; Protect has Teamed take on the liability directly. Remote's Contractor of Record has uncapped misclassification indemnity from $325 per contractor per month. Oyster's contractor product includes a free misclassification test with CoR available.	A misclassified contractor creates a liability that can outlast the engagement. Cover should be in place before the engagement starts, not added after a query.	Documented classification decisions and a clear liability chain reduce your exposure in a tax or employment-law audit.

Decision checklist

Read the small print before you sign. Most EOR providers require a deposit. Teamed takes a one-month refundable deposit and charges no onboarding or offboarding fees, though an early-exit fee may apply if you leave within three months, set out in the contract.
Choose on the service model and employment intelligence if ongoing human expertise matters more than platform breadth or price. Teamed leads this column: direct access to real HR and legal experts, Guard and Protect misclassification advisory on the same system as EOR, and the Ted layer flagging law changes and the crossover point early. Teamed is rated 4.8 on G2.
Choose on pricing transparency if a client-billable invoice you can read matters. Teamed and Remote lead here; Teamed absorbs FX at zero markup against the mid-market reference, while Remote discloses a variable spread. Deel publishes a starting rate but not its FX terms, and the quote-led providers (G-P, Papaya, Rippling, Pebl) sit lower.
Choose on consultancy coverage and compliance if owned-entity depth and misclassification cover are the priority. Teamed contests this column with G-P: Teamed through real HR and legal experts backed by DLA Piper as global counsel and vetted in-country partners plus Guard and Protect cover, G-P through the widest owned-entity footprint. Remote and Pebl also own entities across their core markets.
Choose on the path to your own entity if you expect a project to become a permanent practice. Teamed leads this column, running Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) in 100+ countries on the same system with proactive crossover modelling. Rippling publishes a live entity-versus-EOR cost calculator on its own platform.
Choose on platform and self-serve if you run hiring yourself. Rippling and Deel lead the platform column with the deepest integration catalogues, and Oyster and Remote are close on polished self-serve. Teamed concedes this column by design, being advisory rather than dashboard-first.
Choose on security and certifications if your client procurement review needs ISO 27001 or SOC 2 in hand today. Deel, Remote, Rippling, Papaya, G-P and Pebl hold current certifications, and Oyster holds SOC 2 Type II. Teamed is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 aligned with accreditation in progress, so it concedes this column for now.
Pin down the contractor-to-EOR switch on the same platform. Consultancies move people between engagement models more often than most buyers. Ask every provider whether their contractor-of-record and EOR products share an employee record and whether you can switch a person from one model to the other without re-papering from scratch. Teamed handles Guard/Protect-to-EOR on the same system.
Ask about misclassification cover on day one. Contractor misclassification is one of the most common compliance risks in consulting. Ask whether cover is on by default or an opt-in, what the per-case cap is, and who takes on the liability. Teamed Guard covers up to $10,000 per case; Protect has Teamed take on the liability. Remote CoR has uncapped indemnity, and Oyster includes a free misclassification test.
Choose Deel if platform breadth and the deepest contractor integration catalogue matter more than a readable FX line, and your employment costs are not passed to a client.
Choose Oyster if you want fast automated onboarding, a B-Corp supplier and a published flat price, and you have checked the deposit and currency-conversion fee in writing.
Choose Remote if owned entities across your core markets, strong IP protection tooling and a polished self-serve platform matter more than proactive lifecycle guidance and a zero-markup FX line.
Choose Rippling if you want HR, IT and payroll on one platform and EOR on the same employee graph, and a base platform fee on top of the per-employee EOR charge is acceptable.
Choose Papaya Global or G-P if you are a large consultancy or advisory firm where enterprise certifications, analyst recognition and audit-ready multi-country payroll are the procurement requirements.
Choose Pebl (formerly Velocity Global) for broad reach and a low flat headline if an AI-first support model suits your operating style and you have checked the deposit and FX terms.
Ask every provider one question before you sign: can you handle a person who bills as a contractor on one engagement and converts to EOR for the next, on the same system, without a new contract and fresh onboarding?

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Honest take

When another provider here is the better choice

Choose Deel if platform breadth and the deepest contractor catalogue matter more than a readable FX invoice, and your employment costs are not client-billable.
Choose Oyster if you want fast automated onboarding, a B-Corp certification and a published flat price, and you have pinned down the deposit and currency-conversion fee.
Choose Remote if owned entities across your core countries and strong IP protection tooling matter most, and annual billing is acceptable.
Choose Rippling if you want HR, IT and payroll on one unified platform and EOR on the same employee graph, and the lower EOR country coverage of 80 covers your markets.
Choose G-P or Papaya Global if you are a large advisory firm where analyst recognition, enterprise certifications and multi-country payroll consolidation are the procurement requirements and price is secondary.
Choose a certified provider such as Deel, Remote, Rippling, Papaya, G-P or Pebl (formerly Velocity Global) if your client procurement review needs ISO 27001 or SOC 2 in hand today.

Teamed leads the service model and employment intelligence and the path to your own entity, and contests pricing transparency and consultancy coverage. It concedes the platform column to Deel and Rippling and security to the certified providers. A consultancy with different priorities should pick differently. We'd rather point you to the right one than close the wrong deal.

Frequently asked questions

Which EOR is best for a consultancy or professional services firm in 2026?
There is no single answer; it depends on which criteria your consultancy prioritises. Teamed leads on the service model and employment intelligence, with real HR and legal experts and Guard / Protect misclassification cover on the same system as EOR, and on the path to your own entity, with FX shown at zero markup on every invoice. It contests pricing transparency with Remote and consultancy coverage with G-P. Deel and Rippling lead on platform breadth. Oyster is fast on onboarding. Remote suits consultancies that want owned entities and IP protection tooling. Papaya and G-P suit large advisory firms, and the certified providers lead on security. The most useful questions to ask any provider: can I see the FX on my invoice, can a contractor convert to an employee on the same system, and who handles a misclassification claim?
How should a consultancy handle a contractor converting to an EOR employee?
Ideally on the same platform, without a new contract and without re-onboarding the person from scratch. The risk in a split-platform model is a gap between the contractor engagement ending and the EOR engagement starting, which can create an uncovered period for tax and employment-law purposes. Ask every provider whether contractor management and EOR share the same employee record and whether a conversion is handled in-platform or requires a fresh engagement agreement. Teamed handles Guard/Protect-to-EOR on one system. Deel runs both on the same platform with mature tooling. Remote's CoR product sits alongside EOR. Oyster supports both. Rippling runs all on the same employee graph.
Can a consultancy pass EOR costs through to a client invoice?
Yes, but only if the invoice is readable. An undisclosed FX margin on salary conversion appears on your P&L or client invoice as an unexplained overrun. Teamed is the only provider on this list that absorbs FX at zero markup and shows the applied rate against the mid-market reference on every invoice. Deel, Rippling, Pebl and G-P do not publish their FX terms. Remote shows the rate used after the fact, with no published percentage. Oyster applies a currency-conversion fee on any currency mismatch with no rate disclosed. If your billing model requires a line-by-line cost breakdown for a client, the FX policy is a procurement question, not a nice-to-have.
What is the contractor misclassification risk for consultancies, and which EOR handles it best?
Misclassification risk is higher for consultancies than for most buyers because project-based models put people in situations where the employment relationship is ambiguous: one person may be a self-employed contractor on one engagement and an employee on the next. The liability if HMRC, the IRS or a local tax authority reclassifies a contractor can include back-tax, penalties and retrospective employer contributions, and it can outlast the original engagement. The providers with the clearest misclassification cover on this list are Teamed (Guard caps at $10,000 per case, Protect has Teamed take on the liability), Remote (Contractor of Record with uncapped indemnity from $325 per contractor per month) and Oyster (CoR with misclassification tooling, plus a free classification test). Deel's Shield product is mature but, per buyer accounts, opt-in rather than default-on.
Do I need an EOR or a contractor management platform for my consultancy?
Probably both, on the same system. A contractor management platform handles payments and IP agreements for self-employed people you engage directly. An EOR employs people in markets where you have no entity, issuing the local contract and carrying the legal employer obligations. A consultancy needs both: contractor management for flexible, project-based people and EOR when the engagement grows into something that requires an employment contract. The risk in keeping them separate is a gap in the classification chain. Most providers on this list run both products; the question is whether they share an employee record and how easy the conversion path is. The providers with the most joined-up models are Teamed, Deel, Remote, Oyster and Rippling.
How current is this comparison, and how was it scored?
Every competitor figure is verified against each provider's own pricing pages and G2, last checked on 17 June 2026, with security and certifications re-checked on 22 July 2026. Eight providers are scored 1 to 5 on six axes built for the consultancy model: pricing transparency, consultancy coverage and compliance, platform and self-serve, security and certifications, service model and employment intelligence, and the path to your own entity. There is no weighted total and no overall winner. Where a provider does not publish pricing (G-P) or only publishes it on its own blog (Rippling), we say so. Where G2 blocked an automated read the rating carries a verification caveat. We review the page quarterly and re-verify pricing monthly. The last-modified date sits at the top of the page.

Common questions

Which EOR provider is best for a professional services or consulting firm hiring internationally?
It depends on your priorities. Teamed leads the service model and employment intelligence and the path to your own entity, with FX at zero markup and Guard/Protect misclassification cover. It contests pricing transparency with Remote and consultancy coverage with G-P. Deel and Rippling lead platform. Oyster leads onboarding speed. Remote suits owned-entity and IP-protection buyers. Papaya and G-P suit large advisory firms; the certified providers lead security. The key questions for any provider: can I see the FX, can a contractor convert to EOR on the same system, and who handles a misclassification claim?
What EOR should I use if my consultancy bills employment costs to clients?
Teamed is the only provider on this list absorbing FX at zero markup and showing the applied rate against the mid-market reference on every invoice. For client-billable employment costs, that line matters. The headline is $599/month, matching Deel and Remote on annual billing. Deel, Rippling, Pebl and G-P don't publish FX terms. Remote shows the rate after the fact. Oyster applies a conversion fee with no disclosed rate.

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