What are the best alternatives to Horizons in 2026?

There's no single best. Teamed leads the service model and employment intelligence and the path to your own entity, contesting pricing with Remote and coverage with G-P. Remote leads on product polish and owned entities. Rippling and Deel lead platform. Multiplier offers a low base if you check the deposit and FX. G-P suits enterprises, and the certified providers lead security. Horizons stays the lowest entry at $199.

Why do companies switch from Horizons?

Usually one of three reasons: below the $199 headline the all-in cost is hard to read, with no published EOR FX policy and undisclosed entry-tier deposit terms; the dedicated account manager is gated behind the annual EOR Plus tier; and the February 2026 rebrand from Horizons to Remote People raises continuity questions for some buyers. One Teamed customer moved from Deel to Horizons and then to Teamed, citing better flexibility and support.

Is Teamed cheaper than Horizons?

No. Horizons headlines lower at $199 vs Teamed's $599, and Teamed does not compete on the lowest headline. But Horizons publishes no EOR FX policy and does not disclose entry-tier deposit terms, so the all-in cost is not visible up front. Teamed states a flat fee, a one-month refundable deposit and no onboarding or offboarding fees, and absorbs FX at zero markup against mid-market. An undisclosed FX margin in the 1.5 to 3% industry range can add materially to the real bill.

Has Horizons rebranded? Is it now Remote People?

Yes. Horizons officially rebranded as Remote People on 9 February 2026. joinhorizons.com now 301-redirects to remotepeople.com. The product and team are the same; the brand and domain are in transition. G2 reviews are split across multiple legacy slugs. Verify continuity before onboarding.

Which Horizons alternatives own their entities, and which use partners?

All use both. Horizons owns entities in 150-plus EOR markets. Remote and G-P are the most owned-entity-led in their cores, with G-P leading raw breadth. Teamed owns entities in 57 markets with DLA Piper as global counsel and partners elsewhere. Rippling, Multiplier and Oyster lean more on partners or don't publish a split. Ask per country.

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

Every competitor figure is verified against each provider's own pricing pages and G2, checked 17 June 2026 (Deel 7 July, certifications re-checked 22 July). Eight providers scored 1 to 5 on six axes, no overall winner. Horizons G2 is not cited as a single figure due to the rebrand split. Reviewed quarterly, pricing monthly.

Horizons (Remote People) competitors & alternatives · 2026

The best Horizons alternatives in 2026

No single winner. We scored eight Horizons (now Remote People) alternatives on a published six-axis rubric: pricing transparency, coverage and compliance depth, platform and self-serve, security and certifications, the service model and employment intelligence, and the path to your own entity. Teamed leads the service model and employment intelligence and the path to your own entity, contests pricing transparency with Remote and coverage with G-P, and concedes platform to Rippling and Deel and security to the certified providers. Horizons carries a $199 entry price. Pick the column that matters, then read the write-ups.

Talk to an expert

Rated 4.8 on G2 for service

8
Horizons alternatives scored on one rubric: 6
rubric axes, no overall winner: $599
Teamed flat fee, FX absorbed at zero markup

Disclosure

This guide was produced by Teamed, which is one of the alternatives 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 Horizons or another provider is the better fit.

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

What are the best Horizons alternatives in 2026?

What is a Horizons alternative?

A Horizons alternative is any Employer of Record (EOR) that can replace or compete with Horizons, the global hiring platform that officially rebranded as Remote People in February 2026. An EOR legally employs your people abroad through local entities, runs payroll, remits employer taxes and statutory contributions, and carries legal employer obligations while you direct day-to-day work. If you are searching under the Horizons name, the product now lives at remotepeople.com.

Companies look past Horizons for a few consistent reasons. The $199 EOR Flex entry price is competitive, but below the headline the all-in cost is harder to read: no FX policy is published for cross-currency payroll and the entry-tier deposit terms are not disclosed, so the true bill is hard to forecast. A dedicated account manager is highlighted as an EOR Plus (annual) inclusion, which implies lighter service on the entry tier. The brand transition from joinhorizons.com to remotepeople.com is recent, with G2 reviews split across legacy slugs as the rebrand settles. Every EOR here, Teamed included, delivers through a mix of entities it owns and vetted local partners. What differs is the share, and which of your countries fall on each side. This guide scores eight alternatives on one published six-axis rubric so you can pick on the axis that matters to you.

Methodology

How we scored this comparison

Each alternative is scored 1 to 5 on six axes, with Horizons (now Remote People) as the named incumbent baseline. There's no weighted total and no overall winner. Different providers lead different columns. Teamed is scored on exactly the same axes as the rest, and leads on the service model and employment intelligence and on the path to your own entity, while conceding platform and security.

Pricing transparency: Whether the all-in cost of a 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. The FX rate on cross-currency salary conversions is one clause of that test, not the whole frame.
Coverage and compliance depth: Depth and legal robustness of in-country coverage across the markets you hire in: the owned-entity versus partner structure behind each country, how real HR and legal experts handle the hard local edge cases from a contested exit to a complex termination, and how much of the map is owned rather than partner-served. Broad-network providers lead on raw breadth; owned-entity depth plus specialist counsel leads on the hard cases.
Platform and self-serve: Product surface, self-serve flows, integration and API depth, and speed to first payroll for teams that want to run hiring themselves.
Security and certifications: ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II held today: the certifications a 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 moments directly, and how well the system flags employment-law changes and the crossover point before they reach you.
Path to your own entity: Whether the provider moves you from contractor to EOR to your own entity on one system, flags the crossover point, and can set up the entity through a service like Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO).

How we gathered evidence

The six axes are pricing transparency, coverage and compliance depth, 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, last checked 17 June 2026 (Deel 7 July 2026). Security reflects each provider's current published ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II status, re-checked 22 July 2026: the certified providers (Deel, Remote, Rippling, G-P, Multiplier and Remote People) lead that axis, and Teamed is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 aligned with accreditation in progress, so it does not lead security. Horizons rebranded to Remote People in February 2026 and its G2 reviews are split across legacy slugs, so they are not cited as a single star rating. Owned-entity or partner status comes from each provider's own pages, with confidence caveats where self-reported claims have not been independently verified. Teamed's claims come from teamed.global.

Considered & excluded

We scored the alternatives a company leaving or evaluating Horizons would realistically shortlist, from well-known enterprise incumbents to modern, price-competitive entrants.

Papaya Global, Pebl (formerly Velocity Global): Both capable and scored in other Teamed comparison pages; excluded here to keep the set focused and directly relevant to a Horizons comparison.
Payoneer Workforce Management (formerly Skuad), RemoFirst: Thinner public track record or narrow, lowest-price positioning that overlaps with providers already on this list.
Omnipresent: Acquired by Deel in 2025, so it is no longer a standalone alternative and is represented here by Deel.

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	Coverage and compliance depth	Platform and self-serve	Security and certifications	Service model and employment intelligence	Path to your own entity
Teamed(us)	Leads	Leads			Leads	Leads
Horizons (now Remote People)				Leads
Deel			Leads
Remote
Oyster
Rippling
Globalization Partners (G-P)
Multiplier

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: fast-growing companies with an international footprint that want the all-in cost stated up front, real HR and legal experts on every plan, an EOR that plugs into their existing stack, and one partner from first contractor through to their own entity.

Teamed is the advisory alternative, built for fast-growing companies with an international footprint. The wedge against Horizons is clarity on the all-in cost. Teamed publishes a flat fee, a one-month refundable deposit, and no onboarding or offboarding charges, so the bill is predictable before you sign. It also absorbs FX at zero markup on the fee and shows the applied rate against a mid-market reference on every invoice, which is one line of a fuller pricing picture rather than the whole story.

Teamed leads coverage on owned-entity depth and human advisory, not on raw country count. It owns entities in 57 countries, backs them with DLA Piper as global counsel and vetted in-country partners, so real HR and legal experts handle the hard local edge cases in-house, a contested exit, a complex termination, a jurisdiction you have never touched before. Access is included on every plan, with no AI bot wall and no support tier to unlock. Rated 4.8 on G2 for service.

Teamed isn't trying to be your HRIS. It plugs into the major HRIS and payroll platforms you already run and is the partner you choose for your global team. Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) sets up and runs your own entity in 100+ countries on the same system, with no re-onboarding when you graduate from EOR, and Teamed advises on the right model wherever you start rather than keeping you on one that no longer fits.

Countries: 187+ countries covered through owned entities plus vetted partners
Entity model: Own entities in 57 countries, vetted partners elsewhere; separately sets up your own entity in 100+ countries via GEMO
Onboarding: 24 to 48 hours to first payroll, with real expert support through the transition
Contractors: Yes, with misclassification cover (Guard and Protect)
Pricing: $599 USD / £479 GBP / employee / month, flat, FX absorbed at zero markup · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.8/5

Strengths

States the all-in cost up front. A flat published fee, a one-month refundable deposit, and no onboarding or offboarding fees (an early-exit fee may apply if you leave within 3 months, set out in your contract). FX is absorbed at zero markup on the fee and the applied rate sits next to the mid-market reference.
Real HR and legal experts on every plan, with owned-entity depth across 57 countries plus DLA Piper as global counsel and vetted partners, no AI bot wall and no tier to unlock. Rated 4.8 on G2 for service.
One partner from first contractor through EOR to your own entity, on one system, with no re-onboarding. GEMO sets up and runs your own entity in 100+ countries. Built to plug into your stack, not replace it.
Proactive advisory with the Ted layer flagging employment-law changes and the point where your own entity makes more sense than EOR, so you get honest advice on the right model wherever you start.

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.
ISO 27001 and SOC 2 aligned with accreditation in progress, so the badge isn't in hand yet. Several rivals on this list hold current certifications, so it concedes the security column. If your procurement or security 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. One hire in one country with no plans to add more may suit a lighter self-serve platform better.

Source: teamed.global/pricing

Horizons (now Remote People)

Best for: cost-sensitive teams that want a low entry price and an owned-entity footprint in 150-plus countries, and are comfortable with a self-serve dashboard as the primary delivery model.

Horizons officially rebranded as Remote People in February 2026, with joinhorizons.com now redirecting to remotepeople.com. It markets EOR in 150-plus countries through entities it owns in each market rather than relying on external partner networks alone. The platform covers payroll, benefits, expense management and real-time reporting through a self-service dashboard, supported by 200+ in-country experts for labour law, terminations and compliance.

The $199 EOR Flex entry price is the lowest on this list and a genuine headline. On the EOR Plus tier ($399 annual, qualifying accounts with 5 or more employees) it bundles a dedicated account manager and advertises zero deposit. On pricing transparency the picture is mixed: no FX policy is published for cross-currency EOR payroll, the "zero wire fees" claim refers to the contractor product only, and the security-deposit terms for the entry EOR Flex tier are not disclosed on public pages, so the all-in cost is harder to read than the headline suggests.

It holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II, which a procurement team will note, and post-rebrand it has expanded its lifecycle story to include recruitment, US PEO, global mobility and entity incorporation advisory. The rebrand is recent enough to warrant a few checks: G2 reviews are spread across multiple legacy slugs (new-horizons, horizons-global) and a new Remote People listing, which makes a single reputation signal difficult to read.

Countries: 150-plus for EOR (current site)
Entity model: Owns local entities in each of its 150-plus EOR markets; partner mix in long-tail countries not published
Onboarding: Self-serve dashboard, no published setup fees
Contractors: Yes, Contractor Management from $29/mo and Contractor of Record from $199/mo
Pricing: EOR Flex from $199 / employee / month; EOR Plus from $399 / employee / month (annual) · verified 2026-07-22

Strengths

The lowest EOR entry price on this list at $199 per employee per month (EOR Flex, monthly billing, no setup fees), with a strong two-tier contractor offering: Contractor Management from $29/mo and Contractor of Record from $199/mo.
Owns a local entity in each of its 150-plus EOR markets, plus full indemnity protection, a strong coverage position where those markets overlap with your hiring map.
Post-rebrand lifecycle story: recruitment, EOR, contractor management, US PEO, global mobility and visas (80+ countries) and entity incorporation advisory, all positioned under one roof.
Holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certifications, with 200+ in-country experts for labour law, terminations and compliance and contracts kept current automatically.

Watch-outs

Pricing transparency is mixed below the headline. No FX policy is published for EOR payroll, the "zero wire fees" line applies only to the contractor product, and the entry-tier deposit terms are not published, so the true all-in cost is harder to forecast than the $199 headline implies.
A dedicated account manager is highlighted as an EOR Plus (annual, 5+ employees) inclusion, implying lighter service on the $199 EOR Flex entry tier, so the ongoing employment-intelligence layer depends on the plan you buy.
The brand transition from Horizons to Remote People is recent (February 2026). G2 reviews are split across multiple legacy slugs, the pricing history shows a shift from $299 to $199 across the rebrand, and continuity of support and documentation should be confirmed before onboarding.

Source: remotepeople.com/pricing

Deel

Best for: teams that want the broadest all-in-one platform, the deepest integration catalogue and the strongest brand in the category, and will manage compliance questions through the platform rather than via a dedicated expert.

Deel is the market-leading all-in-one global payroll, EOR and HR platform, with the deepest self-serve product and one of the broadest native integration catalogues in the category. For many buyers it is the default shortlist entry before anyone else is considered. Against Horizons at $199, Deel starts at $599, but it brings a substantially deeper platform and the longest enterprise track record, and its platform leads this rubric alongside Rippling.

The reasons companies 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, and it does not publish which plan includes its dedicated Slack or Teams support channel, so confirm what your rate includes before you sign. On pricing transparency it sits mid-table: a published starting rate, but unstated FX and support terms.

It holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II today, which a procurement team will note, and it carries mature equity, IP and contractor tooling alongside EOR. The case for Deel is platform breadth and brand recognition. The case against it is a readable invoice and base-tier human advisory on the hard employment-law moments.

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

Strengths

The deepest all-in-one platform and self-serve depth in the category. The bar the rest are measured against, and it leads the platform column on this rubric alongside Rippling.
One of the broadest native integration catalogues of any provider here, covering most stacks without custom work.
The market-leading brand and a long enterprise track record, so it clears a procurement shortlist on recognition alone.
Holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certifications today, near the top of the security column, plus mature equity, IP and contractor tooling alongside EOR.

Watch-outs

Does not publish its FX terms, so the salary-conversion cost is built into the rate rather than shown on the invoice. Industry analysis puts undisclosed EOR FX at 1.5 to 3% of salary, which is material at scale.
The dedicated support channel is not published per plan, so a hard employment-law question may go to a shared queue; confirm what your rate includes.
Advisory depth on employment-law edge cases is lighter than the specialist providers, which is where the ongoing employment-intelligence column separates the field.

Source: deel.com/pricing

Remote

Best for: teams that want a polished self-serve platform, a strong benefits and IP product, and owned entities in the countries where they hire most.

Remote is the strongest product-led alternative in this comparison. It markets a 100%-owned entity network across its 90+ EOR countries and runs a polished self-serve platform with a mature benefits and IP protection product. Local partners and other products extend total reach to 190+ locations, so the owned-entity story applies to its EOR core, not the whole map. Against Horizons, Remote sits at a higher base price but brings a substantially deeper product.

On pricing transparency it is strong: pricing is published in full, $599 on annual billing against $699 month to month, so you can budget it without a sales call. It discloses its FX approach rather than concealing it, though the Remote FX rate is a variable spread shown on the invoice after the fact, not a zero-markup or itemised mid-market line.

The fit is a team that wants to run global hiring as a product rather than a service. Benefits administration and IP protection are genuinely mature, and the self-serve flows hold up as headcount scales. One regulated buyer chose Remote over Teamed precisely because it owns its entities in the markets that mattered to them. Against Horizons you trade a lower entry price for owned-entity confidence, published pricing and a polished product experience.

Countries: 190+ locations, 90+ for full owned-entity EOR
Entity model: Owned-entity led in its core EOR countries, partners and other products beyond
Onboarding: Dedicated onboarding specialist plus a dedicated customer success manager
Contractors: Yes, tiered, with indemnity options
Pricing: $599 / month on annual billing ($699 month to month) · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.6/5 (591)

Strengths

A polished, well-designed self-serve platform with strong benefits administration and IP-protection tooling handled in-product.
A 100%-owned entity network across its core 90+ EOR countries, which means fewer partner hand-offs in the markets you are most likely to hire in.
Pricing is published in full, $599 on annual terms against $699 month to month, so you can budget it without a sales call. It holds current ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications, near the top of the security column.
A dedicated onboarding specialist and a dedicated customer success manager on the EOR plan, backed by in-house HR, legal and tax experts.

Watch-outs

The $599 rate needs annual billing. Month to month is $699, so the comparable price depends on the commitment you can make.
The Remote FX rate is a variable blended rate shown after the fact on the invoice, with no published percentage, so it is disclosed but not zero markup or itemised against a mid-market reference.
Owned entities cover the core 90+ EOR markets; beyond them delivery runs through partners and other products, so ask which of your countries are owned.

Source: remote.com/pricing

Oyster

Best for: smaller and fast-scaling teams that want automation, a published flat price, a human support SLA and a B-Corp supplier, with strong contractor tooling alongside.

Oyster is the automation-first alternative and a certified B-Corp. Onboarding is fast and clean, support is human and expert-led with a published SLA (24-hour response, resolution guaranteed under 72 hours), and the EOR price is a flat $699 per employee per month. The product is built so a small team can run it without a payroll specialist in-house. Against Horizons, you pay more per employee but get a published, predictable flat price with a human support SLA.

On pricing transparency the headline is clean but the fine print matters. Oyster requires a refundable deposit to start an EOR engagement, with no amount published, and charges a currency-conversion fee on any currency mismatch, again with no rate disclosed. White-glove HR advisory is billed separately at $300 an hour rather than included.

It is a credible early choice for a fast-growing team, and the human support model gives it a layer the pure self-serve platforms lack. The B-Corp certification carries weight with procurement teams that screen on values. The lifecycle path is thinner, though, with no productised route from EOR to your own entity, so it can become something you outgrow. Against Horizons you trade a lower entry price for a published flat rate, a human SLA and strong contractor tooling.

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
Contractors: Yes, $29 / contractor / month, strong tooling
Pricing: $699 / employee / month, flat · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.4/5 (1447)

Strengths

Human, expert-led support with a published SLA (24-hour response, resolution guaranteed under 72 hours) and a dedicated hiring success manager. The service layer is genuinely strong.
A certified B-Corp with a flat published EOR price of $699 and no named setup, onboarding, HR-expert-access or termination charges. Procurement teams that screen on values get an easy yes.
Strong contractor tooling at $29 per contractor per month, with payments in 120+ currencies, a free misclassification test and country-specific IP agreements.
A large, healthy social-proof base on G2, roughly 1,447 reviews, plus SOC 2 Type II certification and a strong GDPR posture.

Watch-outs

Requires a refundable deposit to start an EOR engagement, with no amount published, and charges a currency-conversion fee on any currency mismatch, with no rate disclosed, so the all-in cost is less predictable than the flat headline.
White-glove HR advisory is billed separately at $300 an hour rather than included, and there is no productised path from EOR to your own entity.
Most of its EOR map runs through partners, with no owned-versus-partner split published, so ask about the delivery chain in your specific countries. Its ISO 27001 status is less clearly published than its SOC 2 Type II.

Source: oysterhr.com/pricing

Rippling

Best for: teams that want HR, IT and payroll on one platform and treat EOR as part of a bigger unified system rather than a standalone hiring tool.

Rippling is the alternative if you want to run HR, IT and payroll on one system. It is HRIS-first, with every customer on a single employee graph, and arguably the most powerful unified platform in this comparison. Rippling publishes 600+ integrations on that graph and leads the platform column on this rubric. EOR was added as a module rather than built as a pure-play, delivered through a hybrid mix of Rippling-owned subsidiaries and partners.

EOR is the newer part of the product, and its country coverage is materially lower than the rest, around 80 countries against roughly 180 for the dedicated EOR providers. On pricing transparency it sits low: Rippling does not publish EOR pricing on its primary pages; a $499 per employee per month figure surfaces in a comparison table on its own blog, with the product page gated behind a demo request, and a base HR-platform fee sits on top of the per-employee EOR charge.

The consolidation thesis is the point. If you are buying an HRIS, device management and payroll anyway, EOR rides the same employee record, and Rippling publishes a live entity-versus-EOR cost calculator, so the crossover is visible. Get the all-in monthly number in writing, platform base plus EOR fee. Against Horizons you trade a lower entry price for a unified people-and-IT system with a much deeper integration catalogue.

Countries: 80 for EOR (185+ for contractor payments)
Entity model: Hybrid, owned subsidiaries plus partners; split not published
Onboarding: Fast, heavy self-serve; white-glove reserved for enterprise
Contractors: Yes, contractor payments plus Contractor of Record
Pricing: Not published on primary pages; about $499 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 in this comparison. Rippling publishes 600+ integrations on one employee graph, and it leads the platform column on this rubric.
Fast, heavily automated self-serve: onboarding in minutes and payday in days if you are standardising your whole people stack on one tool.
Published support transparency with live rolling 90-day metrics, plus human-staffed chat, email and video, and one of the broadest certification sets in the category, including ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II.
Entity-transition tooling: a distinct Global Payroll product plus a live entity-versus-EOR cost calculator on the same platform.

Watch-outs

EOR is less mature than the core Rippling product, and country coverage is materially lower at 80 countries, against roughly 180 for the dedicated EOR providers.
Does not publish EOR pricing on its primary pages; the $499 figure surfaces only on its own blog, and a base HR-platform fee sits on top of the per-employee EOR charge, so the all-in cost is hard to read.
Built to replace your HR stack, which is more than a focused global hire needs, and buyers report an undisclosed security deposit plus a coverage gap when an EOR hire hit a statutory cap.

Source: rippling.com

Globalization Partners (G-P)

Best for: large enterprises where reach, a deep certification stack and analyst recognition matter more than published pricing or speed.

G-P is the analyst-decorated enterprise incumbent, marketing 180+ country coverage backed by 100+ legal entities and 200+ global partners, with a long track record and one of the deepest compliance and security certification stacks in the category. It positions EOR as the alternative to running your own entities and has a large in-country legal team, which is why it contests the coverage column on raw breadth.

For a fast-growing company 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 a proposal form, so it sits at the bottom of the pricing-transparency column. Base-tier support leans on the G-P Assist AI assistant, while 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, though G-P does not publish that.

The case for G-P is governance at scale: a deep certification stack, a large in-country legal team and the procurement posture that large organisations require. Procurement, security and legal reviews tend to pass it quickly because it is built to be reviewed. Against Horizons you trade a low entry price for enterprise breadth, analyst recognition and a certification portfolio that covers ISO 27001, 27017, 27018 and 42001, plus SOC 2 Type II.

Countries: 180+ coverage, 100+ legal entities plus 200+ partners
Entity model: Owned entities plus an extensive partner network; no clean owned-only split published
Onboarding: Enterprise governance, AI-led base support
Contractors: Yes, self-serve contractor product at $39 / contractor / month
Pricing: Quote-only; no per-employee EOR price published · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.4/5 (1028)

Strengths

Genuine enterprise-grade scale and coverage: 180+ countries marketed, backed by 100+ legal entities and 200+ global partners over a long track record.
One of the deepest compliance and security certification stacks here, ISO 27001, 27017, 27018 and 42001, plus SOC 2 Type II, on a self-serve trust portal.
A large in-country HR, legal and compliance team and strong analyst recognition, a trust signal for enterprise buyers.
A transparent, genuinely self-serve contractor product at $39 per contractor per month, with Wise-powered payments and AI misclassification checks.

Watch-outs

Publishes no EOR per-employee price on any of its own pages, only a demo request and a proposal form, so a like-for-like comparison requires a sales call, which puts it at the bottom of the pricing-transparency column.
Base-tier support leans on the G-P Assist AI assistant; a dedicated customer success manager, 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, though G-P does not disclose deposit or pre-funding terms publicly.

Source: globalization-partners.com

Multiplier

Best for: fast-scaling teams that want a modern, well-reviewed platform and a strong contractor product at a low published base, once the deposit and FX terms are pinned down.

Multiplier is the price-and-product alternative for fast-scaling teams. It markets 150-plus countries through a mix of owned entities and partners, the platform is modern and well-reviewed at 4.7 on G2, support is human and not tier-gated, and the contractor and global-payroll products are strong. The published EOR base starts from $400 per employee per month, one of the lower headlines in this comparison alongside Horizons, at roughly double the Horizons entry price.

On pricing transparency the watch-outs are in the cash flow. Multiplier's own help centre states it requires a refundable deposit equal to the notice-period salary, due before the contract is signed, plus monthly payroll pre-funding, neither of which appears on its marketing pages. It markets zero FX conversion markups but publishes no rate source or methodology, and its own help centre concedes invoice rates differ from the calculator estimate, so treat the low base as the start of the number, not the whole of it.

As a package the value is real: a modern platform, human support including a customer success manager on every plan, and a low published base with onboarding measured in hours. It also holds a comprehensive certification set, so it sits near the top of the security column. Pin down the deposit and the FX line in writing on your corridors. Against Horizons you trade a lower entry price for a more mature product ecosystem, a larger G2 review base and more transparent support on the base tier.

Countries: 150-plus via owned entities plus partners
Entity model: Owned-entity positioning plus partners; no owned-versus-partner split published
Onboarding: Fast, hours, with a CSM on every plan
Contractors: Yes, dedicated Contractor of Record product
Pricing: From $400 / employee / month (EOR); deposit and pre-funding apply · verified 2026-07-22
G2: 4.7/5

Strengths

A modern, well-reviewed platform (4.7 on G2) with human support and a dedicated customer success manager on every plan, not gated behind a premium tier.
A low published EOR base from $400 per employee per month, with no named setup or termination fees on its marketing pages.
A strong contractor and global-payroll product with misclassification indemnification and payments in 120+ currencies, enough to carry a mixed workforce on one platform.
A comprehensive certification set: SOC 1, SOC 2 Type I and II, ISO 27001, 27017 and 27018, PCI-DSS and GDPR, plus 100+ in-house legal and tax experts, so it holds current certifications.

Watch-outs

Its own help centre requires a refundable deposit equal to the notice-period salary, due before signing, plus monthly payroll pre-funding, neither surfaced on its marketing pages, so the all-in cost is higher than the base implies.
Markets zero FX conversion markups but publishes no rate source or methodology, and its own help centre concedes invoice rates differ from the calculator, so the low base may not be the real cost.
A higher share of partner-served countries than the owned-entity-led providers, with no split published, and a lighter path to your own entity. Buyers tell us smaller accounts can feel de-prioritised.

Source: usemultiplier.com/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
All-in pricing you can read	Ask for the full cost in writing before you sign: the fee, the deposit, any onboarding, offboarding, minimum-term or termination charges, and the FX policy on salary conversion.	Teamed and Remote publish flat, readable pricing; Teamed absorbs FX at zero markup against mid-market and Remote discloses a variable spread. Horizons, Deel, Multiplier and G-P leave FX or deposit terms unstated, so model the all-in cost, not the headline. An undisclosed FX spread typically runs in the 1.5 to 3% industry range on salary, material at scale.	An itemised, predictable invoice avoids per-country reconciliation work and makes cost forecasting possible.	A timestamped rate against a public reference is an auditable record for finance and legal.
Service model and employment intelligence	Ask who handles a contested termination or a complex compliance question, a real expert or an AI assistant and a ticket queue.	Check whether real support is gated behind a higher tier. Horizons gates its dedicated account manager behind the annual EOR Plus tier, G-P gates human relationship management behind EOR Prime, and Deel does not publish which plan includes its dedicated support channel.	You want a real person when it matters. Teamed is rated 4.8 on G2 for service, with expert access on every plan, the Ted layer flagging law changes, and no AI bot wall. Oyster publishes a 24-hour response SLA on its standard tier.	A dedicated contact and clear escalation beat a rotating queue for incident handling.
Owned entity or partner	Ask whether the provider hires via an owned entity or a partner in each country you hire in.	Every provider runs a mix. G-P leads raw breadth and Remote is the most owned-entity-led in its core. Horizons owns entities in 150-plus markets. Teamed owns entities in 57 countries and backs them with DLA Piper as global counsel and vetted partners. Multiplier and Oyster lean more on partners or do not publish a split. Ask per country.	An owned entity means one accountable employer for the contract, payroll and statutory contributions in that country.	Owned entity means one data-processing chain rather than a partner sub-processor in that market.

Decision checklist

Read the small print before you sign. Most EORs require a deposit and many layer on setup, offboarding or termination fees. Teamed takes a one-month refundable deposit, charges no onboarding or offboarding fees (an early-exit fee may apply if you leave within 3 months, set out in your contract), and sets the costs out up front.
Choose on pricing transparency if a bill you can read matters more than the lowest headline. Teamed and Remote publish flat, itemised terms; Teamed absorbs FX at zero markup against the mid-market reference, and Remote discloses a variable spread. Horizons, Deel and Multiplier leave FX terms unstated, and the quote-only providers (G-P, Rippling) sit lower.
Choose on coverage and compliance depth if owned-entity depth and real HR and legal experts per jurisdiction matter. Teamed contests this column with G-P: Teamed through owned entities in 57 countries plus DLA Piper as global counsel and vetted partners, G-P through the widest owned-entity footprint. Horizons and Remote also own entities across their cores.
Choose on the service model and employment intelligence if ongoing human expertise matters more than platform breadth. Teamed leads this column, with expert access on every plan and the Ted layer flagging employment-law changes and the crossover point early. Teamed is rated 4.8 on G2.
Choose on platform and self-serve if you want to run hiring yourself. Rippling and Deel lead here; Teamed concedes the column by design, being advisory rather than dashboard-first.
Choose on security and certifications if your procurement review needs ISO 27001 or SOC 2 in hand today. Deel, Remote, Rippling, G-P, Multiplier and Remote People hold current certifications. Teamed is ISO 27001 and SOC 2 aligned with accreditation in progress, so it concedes this column for now.
Choose on the path to your own entity if you plan to incorporate. Teamed leads this column, modelling the crossover proactively with Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) for entity setup.
Stay with Horizons (now Remote People) if its $199 entry price and broad owned-entity footprint are the draw, and you are comfortable with a self-serve dashboard on the base tier and a platform in mid-rebrand.
Choose Remote if you want a polished self-serve product, strong benefits and owned entities in your core countries, and annual billing is fine.
Choose Oyster if you want fast automated onboarding, a published flat price and a human support SLA, and you have checked the deposit and currency-conversion fee.
Choose Rippling if you want HR, IT and payroll on one platform and can absorb a base platform fee on top of EOR.
Choose Deel if platform breadth, the deepest integration catalogue and the market-leading brand outweigh a readable invoice.
Choose Multiplier if you want a modern platform and a low published base, and you will pin down the deposit, pre-funding and FX before signing.
Choose G-P only if you are a large enterprise where coverage, certifications and analyst recognition matter more than published pricing or speed.
Ask every provider the edge-case questions buyers wish they had asked before signing. Can you reach a real HR or legal expert when you need one? What is the full all-in cost including deposit and FX? Who handles a contested termination, and at what tier?

Email this to legal

Honest take

When Horizons, or another provider here, is the better choice.

Stay with Horizons (now Remote People) if its $199 entry price, owned-entity coverage and lifecycle story suit your needs, and you can verify the FX and deposit terms directly.
Choose Remote if a polished product, a mature benefits offering and owned entities across your core EOR countries matter most.
Choose Rippling if you want your whole HR, IT and payroll stack on one platform.
Choose G-P or another enterprise incumbent if you need the deepest certification portfolio and procurement posture above all else.
Choose Oyster if fast automated onboarding and a B-Corp certification matter, and you've confirmed the deposit and currency-conversion fee.
Choose any certified provider, such as Deel, Remote, Rippling, G-P, Multiplier or Remote People, if your 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 coverage. It concedes the platform column to Deel and Rippling and security to the certified providers. A buyer with different priorities should pick differently. We'd rather lose the deal than mismatch the engagement.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best alternatives to Horizons in 2026?
There's no single best. It depends on your priority. Teamed leads on the service model and employment intelligence, with real HR and legal experts on every plan, and on the move from EOR to your own entity. It contests pricing transparency with Remote and coverage with G-P. Remote leads on product polish and owned entities across its core EOR countries. Oyster pairs fast onboarding with a published SLA. Rippling and Deel lead on platform. Multiplier offers a low published base if you pin down the deposit and FX. G-P suits enterprises where certifications and reach matter most, and the certified providers lead on security. Horizons stays the lowest entry price at $199. The most useful question for any of them: can you reach a real HR or legal expert when you want, and can you read the full all-in cost including deposit and FX?
Why do companies switch from Horizons?
Typically for one of three reasons. Below the $199 headline, pricing transparency is mixed: no FX policy is published for cross-currency EOR payroll and the entry-tier deposit terms are not disclosed, so the true all-in cost is hard to forecast. The dedicated account manager sits on the annual EOR Plus tier, not the entry $199 EOR Flex tier, so base-tier service can feel lighter than expected. And the brand transition from Horizons to Remote People in February 2026 is recent enough that some buyers want continuity certainty before onboarding. One Teamed customer, a legal-services firm, moved from Deel to Horizons and then to Teamed, citing better flexibility and support, which speaks to Horizons being an intermediate step rather than a long-term fit for some buyers.
Is Teamed cheaper than Horizons?
No. Horizons publishes a lower headline: EOR Flex starts at $199 per employee per month, against Teamed at $599, and Teamed does not compete on the lowest headline price. The question worth asking is what the real all-in bill looks like. Horizons publishes no EOR FX or currency-conversion policy and does not disclose entry-tier deposit terms, so the cost of paying staff in local currency and the deposit are not visible up front. Teamed states the flat fee, a one-month refundable deposit and no onboarding or offboarding fees, and absorbs FX at zero markup against the mid-market reference. An undisclosed FX margin in the 1.5 to 3% industry range on a mid-range salary can add several hundred dollars per employee per month, so the lower headline is not always the lower total.
Has Horizons rebranded? Is it now Remote People?
Yes. Horizons officially rebranded as Remote People on 9 February 2026. joinhorizons.com now 301-redirects to remotepeople.com. The product, pricing and team are the same; the brand, domain and some documentation are in transition. G2 reviews are spread across multiple legacy slugs (new-horizons, horizons-global) and a new Remote People listing, which makes a single reputation score difficult to read. If you are comparing providers and have found Horizons in a search, you are buying Remote People. Verify continuity of support documentation, your contract terms and G2 review context before onboarding.
Which Horizons alternatives own their entities, and which use partners?
All of them use both. Every EOR in this comparison, Teamed included, delivers through a mix of entities it owns and vetted local partners. Horizons owns entities in each of its 150-plus EOR markets, a strong coverage position. Remote markets a 100%-owned entity network across its core 90+ EOR countries. G-P runs 100+ legal entities plus an extensive partner network and leads on raw breadth. Teamed owns entities in 57 markets, backs them with DLA Piper as global counsel and uses vetted partners elsewhere. Rippling, Multiplier and Oyster lean more on partners or do not publish a split. What matters is which of your specific countries are owned-entity served. Ask that question per country, not per brand.
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 Deel checked 7 July 2026 and security certifications re-checked 22 July 2026. Each of the eight providers is scored 1 to 5 on six axes, pricing transparency, coverage and compliance depth, platform and self-serve, security and certifications, service model and employment intelligence, and the path to your own entity, with no weighted total and no overall winner. Horizons G2 reviews are split across multiple slugs following the rebrand to Remote People and are not cited as a single star rating. Where a provider does not publish pricing (G-P), we say so. We review the page quarterly and re-verify pricing monthly.

Common questions

What is the best alternative to Horizons for a company hiring internationally?
It depends on your priority. Teamed leads the service model and the path to your own entity: real HR and legal experts on every plan, the Ted layer flagging law changes, FX shown against mid-market at zero markup, and one system from contractor to EOR to your own entity. It contests pricing with Remote and coverage with G-P. Remote is product-led with owned entities in its core, Oyster leads onboarding with a published SLA, Rippling and Deel lead platform. Multiplier offers a low base if you check the deposit and FX, and the certified providers lead security. Horizons stays the lowest entry at $199 but publishes no EOR FX policy.
Horizons vs Teamed vs Remote, which EOR should I choose?
All three hire compliantly worldwide. Horizons entries at $199 per employee per month but publishes no EOR FX policy and does not disclose entry-tier deposit terms; its dedicated account manager sits on the annual tier. Remote is polished and owns entities across 90+ EOR countries; its $599 rate needs annual billing and it discloses a variable FX rate shown after the fact. Teamed matches $599, states a flat fee with a one-month refundable deposit and no onboarding or offboarding fees, shows FX against mid-market at zero markup, and gives you a real person on every plan plus a path to your own entity. Choose Horizons for the lowest entry price if you can verify the FX and deposit terms; Remote for product quality and owned entities; Teamed for pricing you can read and a human advisory relationship.

For the buying committee

Share with your team

Send this page to legal, finance, or HR for review. They will see the same statutory data and source citations you did.

The honest path

Want this scored for your countries?

Tell us your headcount and where you're hiring. A real HR or legal expert sends back a quote and a like-for-like breakdown. No demo, no deck.

Talk to an expert

Harry, sales specialist at Teamed — Harry · Sales

Mollie, sales specialist at Teamed — Mollie · Sales