The global Employer of Record (EOR) market has settled into an uncomfortable pricing equilibrium: $599 per employee per month has become the industry standard, with providers competing on features rather than fundamentally rethinking the cost structure. During my recent briefing with David Hughson, Chief Revenue Officer at RemoFirst, I discovered a company that’s taking a contrarian bet—that many businesses would rather save thousands of dollars monthly than pay for features they don’t need.
An EOR (Employer of Record) — a service that becomes the legal employer for your workforce, handling everything from local compliance to payroll and benefits — traditionally comes with enterprise-level pricing that puts global talent out of reach for smaller organizations. RemoFirst’s $199 starting price represents a 60-75% cost reduction compared to established players, potentially saving companies $48,000 annually for a 10-person international team. This type of cost-benefit analysis is exactly what we at Brandon Hall Group™ help organizations evaluate through our advisory services when they’re assessing expansion strategies.
The Market’s Premium Pricing Problem
The EOR industry emerged as the solution to a painful problem: companies needed months and tens of thousands of dollars to establish legal entities in each country where they wanted to hire. EOR providers offered a faster alternative, but most positioned themselves as premium services with premium pricing.
Today’s market leaders have built impressive capabilities, but each comes with constraints:
Deel • Comprehensive platform covering 150+ countries with strong integrations • Pricing starts at $599 per employee monthly for EOR services • Additional costs for benefits administration and visa support • Requires deposits in some countries
Remote • Owned-entity model providing potentially stronger compliance management • Standard EOR pricing at $599 per employee monthly • Standardized approach offers less flexibility for unique arrangements • Basic reporting capabilities compared to enterprise HR platforms
Oyster • Focus on employee experience with cultural tools and engagement features • Premium pricing model similar to Deel and Remote • Limited coverage in certain emerging markets • Phone support not available in all regions
Globalization Partners • Pioneer in the space with extensive experience • Premium pricing often exceeding $600 per employee • Longer onboarding times in some markets • Complex pricing structure with various add-on fees
Rippling • Integrated HR platform beyond just EOR services • Higher costs due to comprehensive feature set • Primarily focused on US market with international capabilities • Requires technical setup for full platform benefits
TotalTech® by Brandon Hall Group™ offers unparalleled insights into leading HCM providers, empowering you to make informed decisions tailored to your organization’s unique needs. Leverage our decades of expertise to find your perfect HCM match today.
The Partner Network Advantage Nobody Talks About
RemoFirst’s technical approach contradicts conventional wisdom in the EOR space. While competitors rushed to build their own legal entities in every country — a capital-intensive strategy that takes years to execute — RemoFirst stuck with vetted local partners in all 185 countries they serve.
This isn’t just about cost savings. Here’s what the partner model enables:
- Visa and immigration support from day one: Local partners already have the established presence and employee base needed to sponsor visas in 90+ countries — something entity-owning EORs need years to develop
- Deep local expertise without the overhead: Each partner focuses exclusively on their home market, maintaining current knowledge of employment law changes, tax updates, and compliance requirements that affect maybe dozens of employees rather than thousands
- Flexibility in service delivery: Partners can offer locally-standard benefits packages (like Plum insurance in India or Vitality in the UK) rather than forcing global solutions that don’t match local expectations
The Speed Factor: From Job Offer to First Day in 48 Hours
During our briefing, Hughson demonstrated the platform’s ability to onboard employees in certain markets within the same day. While the typical timeline runs 2-7 business days depending on the country, this represents a significant acceleration from the industry norm—a capability that’s particularly valuable for companies competing for scarce technical talent.
The platform’s intelligence shows in its constraint system:
- Automatic compliance warnings: Try to set a German employee’s hours above 48 per week, and the system blocks it • Real-time cost transparency: Enter a gross salary and immediately see total employer costs including all local taxes and mandatory benefits • Dynamic guidance based on location: The platform adjusts requirements and recommendations based on the selected country, preventing costly compliance mistakes
The recent ADP Workforce Now integration signals RemoFirst’s understanding that most companies don’t want to rip and replace their existing HR infrastructure — they want EOR services that plug into what they already use. This integration-first approach is something we consistently see winning in our Excellence Awards, where seamless ecosystem connectivity often matters more than standalone functionality.
Finding the Right Fit: Where RemoFirst Makes Sense
Based on my analysis and the patterns we observe through our research and advisory work, several organization types stand out as ideal candidates:
Bootstrapped Startups and Small Teams • Operating with limited runway where every dollar matters • Need to hire specialized talent regardless of location • Can’t justify $600+ monthly fees for basic employment infrastructure • Benefit from dedicated support despite smaller team size
Professional Services Firms • Require project-based talent in specific markets • Need quick onboarding for client engagements • Value transparent, predictable pricing for project budgeting • Appreciate local expertise for navigating client country requirements
Companies Testing New Markets • Want to validate market opportunity before major investment • Need flexibility to scale up or down without long-term commitments • Require local benefits and visa support to attract talent • Value month-to-month contracts without setup fees
Budget-Conscious Scale-ups • Managing burn rate while expanding internationally • Employing 10-50 international workers where savings compound quickly • Prioritizing core functionality over advanced HR features • Need reliable service without enterprise pricing
Organizations with Simple Global Needs • Require employment infrastructure, not HR transformation • Have existing HR systems they want to keep using • Value straightforward pricing over complex feature sets • Want consistent service quality across all markets
Solution providers in the EOR space looking to understand how their positioning compares to RemoFirst’s approach might consider joining our Smartchoice Preferred Provider Program to gain insights into buyer preferences and market positioning strategies.
Beyond the Price Tag: Strategic Implications for Global Hiring
RemoFirst’s positioning reveals an emerging segmentation in the EOR market. Just as the cloud infrastructure market split between AWS’s comprehensive platform and focused providers like DigitalOcean, we’re seeing the EOR space divide between full-featured platforms and focused, affordable solutions. This market evolution is exactly the type of trend we track through our continuous research, helping both buyers and providers understand where the market is heading.
The company’s growth trajectory — including recognition as the 85th fastest-growing company in America and inclusion in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2025 — suggests strong market validation for this approach. With $40 million in funding but a commitment to maintaining low prices, they’re betting that volume and efficiency will win over margin maximization.
What’s particularly intriguing is what RemoFirst chooses not to do. While competitors expand into learning management systems, performance management, and broad HRIS functionality, RemoFirst maintains focus on core EOR and contractor payment services. This discipline might limit their total addressable market, but it also prevents the feature bloat that drives up costs — a strategic decision that aligns with the focused excellence we often see in our award-winning organizations.
The bigger picture here extends beyond pricing. RemoFirst’s model democratizes access to global talent for organizations that previously couldn’t afford it. When a small marketing agency can hire a designer in Portugal or a developer in Poland without breaking their budget, it fundamentally changes the competitive dynamics of the global talent market.
For HR leaders evaluating EOR providers in 2025, the calculation has shifted. The question is no longer just “which provider has the most features?” but rather “what do we actually need, and what are we willing to pay for it?” Organizations struggling with this evaluation can leverage Brandon Hall Group’s technology selection services to ensure they’re making the right choice for their specific needs and budget constraints. For many organizations, RemoFirst’s answer — core functionality at a fraction of the cost — might be exactly right.
