Want to jump straight to the answer? The best international payroll service for most people is Papaya Global or Remote.

Not every payroll solution supports cross-border payments. Companies with employees in different countries must also understand payroll compliance and tax laws in multiple jurisdictions. 

The best international payroll services make it easy for any business to pay employees and remain compliant with legal regulations regardless of their location.

The Top 11 Best International Payroll Services

We review each of these 11 brands and explain how to choose the best international payroll service for you below.

  • Papaya Global — Best global payroll solution
  • Remote — Best for startups and hiring internationally
  • Remofirst — Best affordable EOR service
  • Oyster — Best for businesses expanding internationally
  • Rippling — Best for fast international payroll runs
  • ADP Global Payroll — Best for international payroll compliance
  • Deel — Best for international background checks with payroll
  • Lano — Best for hiring in europe
  • Multiplier — Best for hiring in Asia
  • Immedis — Best for administrative payroll tasks
  • Payoneer — Best for paying international contractors

Papaya Global — Best Global Payroll Solution

Papaya Global company logo.

Papaya Global is an all-in-one solution for international hiring, onboarding, and cross-border payroll. This award-winning payroll provider is trusted by global brands like Microsoft, Toyota, Canva, Wix, and more.

They offer full compliance and bank-grade security for international organizations.

Beyond basic payroll, Papaya Global also comes with a fully integrated workforce management platform that has everything you need to manage your global team.

Papaya Global homepage with a man wearing glasses in a white button-down shirt, highlighting its ability to run payroll in over 160 countries
As the name implies, Papaya Global is truly an international payroll solution.

Papaya Global doubles as an Employer of Record (EOR). This means you can hire employees internationally without establishing a local entity and still remain compliant. This starts at $650 per employee per month, but it’s significantly cheaper than establishing a new entity in a foreign country.

The platform makes it easy for you to streamline the hiring process and standardize international onboarding procedures. Papaya Global even has the tools you need for employee relocation, work permits, residence permits, and other immigration solutions. 

In addition to international payroll, Papaya Global supports HR and benefits administration in more than 160 countries. 

The payroll solution ensures that employees will be paid in their local currencies and receive pay stubs in their native languages. Papaya Global takes the stress out of cross-border payments with automation, built-in compliance, and payroll reports from a single source of truth.

Beyond payroll and back office simplicity, Papaya Global has one of the best employee-facing apps on the market. Staff can use it to access pay slips, HR documents, and year-end statements—24/7/365.

Papaya Global HRIS software
Papaya Global’s payroll solutions give you total control and visibility over your global workforce.

The employee self-service app can also be used for time and attendance tracking. It’s available on iOS, Android, and through a web-based portal.

One of our favorite parts about Papaya Global is that you can use them for just one two small things, such as international contractor payments, or rely on them to fully offload your payroll to a PEO provider.

If you want to keep your existing payroll network and just upgrade your software, you can get Papaya Global’s platform license for $3 per employee per month. But the vast majority of you will likely want the full-service payroll option, which starts at $12 per employee per month.

You can also add international contractors to your payroll for just $2 per contractor per month.

To get the most out of Papaya Global, we recommend the Global Expertise Service, starting at $190. This will help you with international benefits packages, employee immigration, and more.

Request a tailored quote to learn more.

Remote — Best for Startups and Hiring Internationally

Remote company logo.

Remote is a global employment service that allows businesses to hire internationally with minimal risk. It offers all-inclusive employer of record (EOR) services in dozens of countries and the ability to pay contractors in 190+ countries.

This is a very strong all-around option for people in need of an international payroll service. We like it especially for startups for a few reasons. 

First, startups can get 15% off Remote’s employer of record services for international hires. They can also get 15% off monthly contractor management services. That represents a fairly significant savings for startups where every dollar counts.

The other main reason is that Remote gives you a lot more control over compensation and benefits than many other international payroll services.

You’ll be able to offer health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, as well as Mental health support, retirement plans, remote relocation, and stock options.

Remote home page
Remote specializes in helping you create high-quality benefits packages for employees.

Creating a benefits package that stands out from the crowd is a critical part of attracting or retaining the A-level talent around the world. 

For example, you could use Remote to offer equity incentives to employees. This could include restricted stock units, non-qualified share options, and more. 

Remote helps make sure that any stock options you offer are compliant with all local regulations and tax law.

Although we recommend Remote as our top choice for startups, it’s a fine choice for businesses of any size or maturity. They have a full range of services for startups, small businesses, and enterprise organizations.

Some noteworthy features and capabilities of Remote’s international payroll system include:

  • Integrated time and attedence
  • Integrated HRIS system
  • Complete payroll visibility
  • Ability to approve PTO, expenses, and incentives
  • Off-cycle pay runs
  • Built-in tax compliance and local payroll regulations

You’ll also have access to payroll specialists who can help you with any questions as they arise.

Remote’s Global Payroll solution starts at $50 per employee per month.

Contractor pricing starts at $29 per month per contractor. Both you and your contract employees will love how easy it is to set up localized contracts and run international payroll.

Global EOR services start at $599 per month per employee with an annual subscription. Eligible startups can get an additional 15% off, bringing the cost down to $509 monthly.

The price is safely within the average range of international payroll services, but it’s an excellent value when you consider that Remote provides a much deeper suite of services than many of its competitors.

No matter where they live, you can start hiring the best people for your business today with Remote.

Remofirst — Best Affordable EOR Services 

Remofirst logo.

Remofirst is an all-in-one solution for global hiring and payroll in over 160 countries worldwide. It’s a great option for rapidly scaling companies, as Remofirst makes it possible to hire and onboard remote employees or contractors in just one day. 

In terms of payroll, Remofirst ensures all employees and contractors are paid in their local currencies. They simplify this process by sending you an aggregate invoice, as opposed to having separate payments for each employee in another country. 

Similar to some of the other options on our list, Remofirst offers Employer of Record services—which is a great option for compliantly hiring and running payroll in new countries without having to set up a local entity. 

But Remofirst’s EOR services are ultra-affordable. Starting at just $199 per employee per month, it’s a fraction of the cost compared to alternatives that typically start anywhere from $500 to $650 per employee per month. 

You can even offer local benefits to your global team. From stock options to bonuses, health insurance, and more, Remofirst handles all of the paperwork and sourcing on your behalf. 

Beyond international payroll, Remofirst offers exceptional customer service. They’re available 24/7 and provide same-day onboarding for new hires. 

Simply pass on the information about the candidate, and Remofirst will calculate the cost of employing them. Once approved, they’ll handle all of the administrative tasks to ensure the new hire is onboarded compliantly with local laws. 

That’s not the only thing they do quickly. If you’re interested in using Remofirst for global payroll, they promise to get back to you within 15 minutes of your demo request. If not, your first month is free.  

Book a demo to get started today.

Oyster – Best for Businesses Expanding Internationally

Oyster Logo

Oyster is a simple platform that reduces the risk and complication of hiring internationally. With Oyster as your employer of record, you can grow quickly and with confidence.

Since employment law varies from country to country, things can get complicated quickly when you’re expanding your business internationally. However, Oyster simplifies international hiring for you since they’re well-versed in employment law in more than 180 different countries. If you’re a company with a lot of open roles that you’re looking to fill with international candidates, then Oyster may be the right payroll service for you. 

With Oyster you can draw up contracts quickly, knowing that they comply with local HR and tax regulations. In addition to that, Oyster allows you to offer country-specific salaries that align with employee expectations while also providing you with tools to instantly forecast the total cost of the hire for your company.

Oyster homepage showing the ability to hire talent in over 180 countries with a woman smiling on the page
Oyster is one of the easiest international Payroll services to use.

With zero stress or confusion, you can say yes to talent and treat them right, no matter where they live.

To see just how easy it is to use Oyster, you can try it right now for free. 

With the free Oyster starter pack, you can onboard and pay up to two contractors. Hire effortlessly in over 180 countries. Run payroll in more than 120 different currencies.

For full-time employees, you’ll need a subscription to one of Oyster’s premium plans. This provides global payroll and HR administration, intellectual property protection, and privacy compliance for full-time hires in more than 130 countries.

The localized support is where Oyster really shines–everything from helping you find a diverse applicant pool in hundreds of countries to ensuring you’re in the clear with local compliance laws.

Discovering, hiring, and paying a global workforce is no problem with Oyster.

Want to offer benefits? Not an issue. Oyster will help navigate the regulations so you can provide localized health benefits, manage PTO, and more.

Pricing is $499 per employee per month if you pay annually upfront and $599 per employee per month for a month-to-month plan. Contractor pricing is $29 per month per contractor.

This is an excellent payroll solution for companies that need to hire now but don’t have experience with global hiring. It’s the full package–recruiting, onboarding, payroll, and ongoing compliance.

Speed up your hiring process and start seeing the growth you know is there. Start using Oyster today.

Rippling — Best for Fast International Payroll Runs

Rippling company logo.

Rippling is one of the top payroll brands in the US, and now they offer the same secure services for companies with international employees.

That means you will be able to run payroll in a single click with each employee paid in their local currency. It’s that easy.

Rippling handles everything in-house. Unlike other global payroll firms that are more like a network of different vendors, Rippling offers companies full-service HR and payroll for international employees.

It’s more secure, and much more efficient. You can manage payroll, benefits, time-tracking, and reporting for all of your employees in a single place.

In fact, Rippling’s platform lets you run international payroll in just 90 seconds.

Screenshot of an international pay run in Rippling
Rippling automates many aspects of running payroll.

Rippling’s pay runs are so quick because you never need to manually enter data or make calculations on your own. The platform syncs all of your HR data with the payroll system, so all of this gets handled automatically.

It’s just a matter of setting your pay periods, reviewing the payroll, and approving it. 

The platform comes with built-in compliance tools, automatic tax filings, time tracking, reporting tools, and so much more. 

Overall, Rippling has more than a dozen different payroll, HR, and workforce solutions that you can choose from. They make it easy to mix and match these products based on your brand’s unique needs. But the core Rippling Unity Platform is required—meaning you couldn’t just purchase a time and attendance system or recruiting tool on its own without Rippling Unity subscription.

Rippling’s only major drawback is its scalability. It’s designed for businesses with up to 2,000 employees. So if your company currently has more people on the payroll or you’re planning to grow beyond the 2,000-employee mark, Rippling probably won’t work for you.

It’s also worth noting that Rippling’s pricing isn’t as transparent as other providers on our list. You’ll need to contact Rippling for a quote, as you won’t find pricing information anywhere on its website.

Rippling’s global payroll service works in 50 countries, which is fewer than some of the other services on our list, but the flexibility of the platform is fantastic.

You’ll be able to pay hourly and salaried employees, bonuses and commissions, and correct historical payroll runs.

Contact Rippling for a free custom quote to learn more about the company’s international payroll services. 

ADP Global Payroll — Best for International Payroll Compliance

ADP Global Payroll company logo.

As previously mentioned, maintaining compliance with international employees must be a top priority for all businesses.

ADP is one of the most trusted names in the payroll industry. They’ve been an innovation leader in this category for over 70 years. So it should come as no surprise to see that ADP Global Payroll lives up to the standards for maintaining compliance. 

ADP Global Payroll home page
With several decades of experience, ADP is a trusted name among international payroll services.

Every global payroll solution comes with built-in compliance expertise. The team at ADP understands all of the government regulations and local laws that must be followed when you’re hiring and paying employees in different countries. 

These compliance experts are available in over140 countries across the globe. You’ll also benefit from built-in security provisions and data privacy for your payroll system. 

There are actually two different ADP Global Payroll solutions to consider—ADP Celegro and ADP GlobalView Payroll.

ADP Celergo is built for companies with employees in at least three countries, with up to 1,000 employees per country. ADP GlobalView Payroll is designed for multinational businesses, and supports payroll in over 40 countries. You need to have at least 500 employees in a single country to be eligible for ADP GlobalView Payroll. 

One cool part about ADP is that you can combine Celegro and GlobalView Payroll to accommodate varying needs in different countries.

Request a demo and free quote to learn more.

Deel — Best for International Background Checks With Payroll

Deel logo

Deel is an all-in-one HR solution trusted by over 15,000 businesses worldwide. It has everything you’d expect from an online payroll solution, including payment compliance, contractor payments, employee onboarding tools, and more.

As an EOR—employer of record—you can use Deel to legally add full-time employees to your staff, regardless of their location across the globe. 

While many of the top international payroll solutions support global hiring at scale, Deel offers something that’s unique to other options on the market: You can run background checks directly in the HR dashboard.

Deel Background Checks landing page.
Deel simplifies international candidate screening through its all-in-one HR and payroll solution.

Deel runs quick and accurate background checks in 200 countries. The platform remains compliant with the prospective employee’s location and requires the candidate to opt in and provide their information. 

Deel helps verify the identity of prospective hires, which is crucial when you’re onboarding remote staff from around the world. In some cases, you’ll see the results of a Deel background check in just a few minutes, and you’ll always be able to track the status of a screening.

We really like this feature because it’s so unique. While other HR and payroll tools on the market bring multiple solutions into a single source of truth, most of them still require the need for a third-party background check service if you wish to conduct one. 

Deel supports international payroll in over 90 countries. It’s easy to understand and use, which helps take the burden of running payroll off our shoulders. 

You’ll also benefit from features like automated tax deductions, time off tracking, compliance documentation, IP protection, and so much more. 

Best of all, Deel’s HR system is 100% free for businesses with less than 200 employees. So you’re getting an added perk of robust technology in addition to a global payroll service. This includes everything from employee directories to org charts, onboarding tools, employee surveys, and more.

EOR services for international payroll start at $599, and international contractor payments start at $49. Request a free demo to get a quote for your business. 

Lano — Best for Hiring in Europe

Lano logo.

Lano is an international payroll solution that consolidates all of your payments and people into a single platform. 

For businesses looking to expand to the European Union without establishing an entity there, Berlin-based Lano is an excellent choice for payroll and EOR services. 

The company understands the region, which lets you focus on finding talent. With support from Lano, you won’t have to worry about staying compliant with local regulations. Tap into their global network and lean on their expertise to expand with confidence.

You’ll be able to make secure payments quickly, transfer funds between international entities, and save up to 3% on foreign exchange fees when paying in local currencies.

Lano home page.
Lano is a strong product for those that need EOR services in the European Union countries.

The ease of use for administrators is as good as we’ve seen for international payroll. You can log into a single dashboard to hire and pay employees in more than 150 countries with Lano’s network of partners.

Lano’s volume discounts for international payroll are notable. The first five employees start at 300€/month, but the rate drops to 30€/month per employee for six employees or more.

There is a one-time setup fee of 1,000€ for each payroll provider you connect to Lano international payroll. You can certainly avoid setup fees with other options, but Lano gives you more opportunities for payroll consolidation, integration, and automation.

Employer of record services start at 550€ per employee per month. Lano also supports contractor payments in over 170 countries, starting at 20€ per contractor per month.

Other services we recommend make sense for companies with a very small international footprint, as they won’t be able to access the volume discount or justify the setup fees.

For larger and fast-growth companies, the opportunity for true global payroll automation with Lano is very appealing. You’ll be able to save time, minimize mistakes, and better support your employees abroad

If you are looking to hire teams in Europe, partnering with Lano can be the most cost-effective solution by far.

Take advantage of their regional expertise and book a demo with Lano today. You can also check out our complete Lano review for a more in-depth dive into Lano’s pros, cons, and service offerings.

Multiplier — Best for Hiring in Asia

Multiplier company logo.

Multiplier is a global employment services solution that allows business owners to hire anyone, anywhere, in 30 seconds or less. 

The simple, streamlined, self-service platform is a breath of fresh air for anyone who has ever tried to hire in other countries. 

Once you create an account, you will have access to the infrastructure required to discover, hire, onboard, and pay the very best talent anywhere in the world. Multiplier supports 120 currencies and payments in 150 countries.

Multiplier landing page for international payroll services.
Multiplier greatly simplifies the process of finding, hiring, and onboarding employees from anywhere in the world.

Manage everything in a single platform. Provide benefits, manage requests for PTO, ship laptops, offer stock to employees, and more. At the end of the month, all of your global employment expenses are consolidated in a single invoice.

Multiplier, a Singapore based organization, is quickly becoming the go-to HR and payroll solution for companies looking to expand in Asia.

Sagar Khatri, Co-founder and CEO of Multiplier, was inspired to build his current company after it took him four months just to set up a bank account in another country. He lost out on talented candidates due to the slowdown, but realized the market for a turnkey international hiring platform.

With Multiplier, you get instant access to the infrastructure you need to start hiring right away. No need to open a bank account or a business in another country simply to get the right people onboard.

Hiring full-time employees starts at $400 per month, and includes payroll, benefits administration, and 24/5 support from global HR specialists. Freelancer and contractor hiring starts at $40 per month.

You can also use Multiplier for global payroll without all of the hiring and onboarding features. Global payroll on its own starts at just $39 per month.

It’s worth noting that the benefits administration isn’t included in the payroll plan cost. So if you want to offer local insurance to your global staff through Multiplier, it’s an additional $20 per month.

If you want the capability to hire a remote team anywhere in the world, Multiplier is a very cost-effective option. Get started with Multiplier today.

Immedis — Best for Administrative Payroll Tasks

Immedis comapny logo.

Immedis is a technology-forward cloud-based payroll system. It supports complete payroll cycles for international pay runs in 150+ countries with real-time analytics and advanced reporting tools.

Global brands like Uber, Wayfair, McAfee, Adobe, and Twilio all rely on Immedis for international payroll processing. 

Immedis home page
When you use Immedis, you receive access to multiple, time-saving automation features.

Compared to other international payroll services, Immedis really stands out with its robust technology. The platform lets you automate payroll inputs and other processes to reduce the administrative labor required to run payroll. 

The software also comes with an employee self-service portal so each employee can enter and access their own data from anywhere. Your staff can access old pay stubs or update bank details without needing to contact your payroll department. 

Immedis was recently acquired by UKG. For now, Immedis services are still operating under the Immedis name. But we could see some changes to that in the coming year.

If you run into any problems or need some help, Immedis offers 24/7 payroll support and fast ticket response. So you can rest easy knowing they have your back if trouble arises. 

Request a free demo to get started

Payoneer — Best for Paying International Contractors

Payoneer company logo.

Payoneer is not a full-service payroll provider. With that said, it’s still an excellent and reliable solution for businesses that need to issue payments to international workers. 

It’s perfect for sending payments to contractors, suppliers, freelancers, and remote employees overseas. 

Screenshot of Payoneer's contractor and supplier payment page, showing and example of money being paid to a contractor on the platform
Payoneer simplifies cross-border payments to contractors worldwide.

Use Payoneer to issue contractor payments via bank transfer, ACH debit, or even credit card. This gives you lots of flexibility in terms of how you pay your contractors.

The platform supports one-off payments, recurring payments, and monthly salaries. So whether you’re working with contractors on a per-project basis or for ongoing work, Payoneer has you covered. 

For those of you working with multiple contractors or freelancers, Payoneer even supports batch payments. So you can issue payments to all of your contractors at the same time, making it easy for you to scale without adding extra administrative work on the back end. 

Payoneer supports international payments in 190+ different countries, which is the largest number we’ve seen when researching global payroll solutions. 

The service is available for businesses registered in the US, Canada, Switzerland, India, Chile, Brazil, Israel, Peru, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Columbia, and the Russian Federation. 

It’s free to sign up, and fees are only assessed when payments are sent. Depending on the recipient, your business might not pay any fees to use Payoneer

How to Find the Best International Payroll Service For You

All international payroll services have one thing in common—they allow you to pay employees in multiple countries. So you’ll see lots of common features from one service provider to another.

With that said, there are some key factors that you should take into your final decision as you’re shopping around and comparing services. This will help you distinguish which international payroll services support the needs specific to your company.  

HR Tools

Beyond payroll, some of the top options in this category provide an all-in-one solution for workforce management. This includes tools for international hiring, onboarding, benefits administration, time-off tracking, and more. 

Most businesses use some type of HR software to manage their international teams. So it’s just a matter of deciding whether you want a separate solution for HR or if you want a fully integrated solution with your payroll provider. 

Going with an all-in-one solution for HR and payroll definitely has its fair share of benefits. 

For starters, it limits the amount of software you and your staff need to use for everyday tasks. But these solutions also tend to simplify payroll in the sense that all of the data exists in one place. So you won’t have to worry about imports, exports, and integrations between different systems. 

These solutions typically offer more accurate payroll runs as well since all of the employee data is coming from the same source. 

Employees vs. Contractors

There are several differences that you need to consider when you’re paying an employee compared to a contractor. 

Some international payroll services support both employee and contractor payments, while others are better for one or the other. 

Make sure the platform you’re evaluating can handle payments for the type of workers you need to pay. To remain compliant in some countries, you need to set up a local presence to legally pay employees. This requirement typically isn’t necessary if you’re paying contract workers. 

Tax forms, filing status, and other variables need to be taken into consideration here as well.

The payroll service you select must be up to date about rules for defining employees versus independent contractors. If you do not classify the person properly, according to local rules, you could end up with tax penalties. 

If you classify the person as an international independent contractor, it is important to understand how much time the person spent inside the United States, if any. The residential status of the person determines whether tax withholding is necessary. Your payroll service should give you the ability to designate residential status as part of its records.

Employer of Record (EOR) Services

An employer of record serves as the legally responsible party for your payroll, employment taxes, insurance, visa applications, immigration forms, and more. This is the easiest and often least expensive way to set up a local presence in certain regions where you want to hire new employees.

EOR services also handle things like employee benefits, perks, stock options, and more. Your EOR becomes legally responsible for maintaining the payroll services and everything else required for you to remain compliant. 

If you only have a few employees in each of several different countries, it’s typically not very cost-effective to place a subsidiary in each one. Beyond the cost savings, EORs help save time and reduce risks as you’re scaling globally.

Large companies that have hundreds of employees abroad may want to handle this process on their own, but the majority of SMBs will appreciate the work of an EOR.

Understand that not every international payroll provider offers this type of service. If EOR is something you absolutely need, you then don’t have to bother with considering providers who don’t offer EOR services. 

Supported Currencies and Countries

Ensuring your employees get paid in their local currencies is crucial. Not only does this make things easier and more convenient for your staff, but it also helps maintain accurate reporting for internal purposes.

Some international payment services charge high fees for currency conversions, while others bake this into your cost per employee for cross-border pay runs.

So before you proceed with a particular service, make sure you confirm that they support payments in specific currencies where your current and prospective employees live. Inquire about how the currency conversion works and whether or not these conversions will cost you extra.

It’s also important for you to take a look at the full list of supported countries offered by any provider you’re considering.

You’ll see this number vary from provider to provider, as some support 120 or 130 countries while others offer international payroll in as many as 180 or 190 countries.

Global Expansion Consultancy

In addition to basic international payroll, some providers go the extra mile by providing expert support and consultancy services.

This can be really helpful if you’re planning to expand your global presence and begin hiring at scale in new countries.

The payroll consultants will help you evaluate different risks, potential costs, and various paths of expansion. For example, they might run the numbers on whether it makes sense to establish a local presence or just use an EOR service. The answer will vary based on the number of employees you’re planning to hire and the countries you’re looking it.

While this may not be something you need right now, it’s nice to know it’s available in your back pocket when you want to expand even further.

Best International Payroll Services: Your Top Questions Answered

The Top International Payroll Services in Summary

Payroll is a significant responsibility for employers. For those of you with employees in different countries, finding the right international payroll service for your business is an important decision. 

Papaya Global and Remote are the best international payroll providers on the market. They support cross-border pay runs, compliance, and HR requirements for the global workforce.