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Oyster costs $29 to $699 per employee/month as of July 2026, with 5 plans available. Plans: Global Contractors at $29/employee/month, Global Payroll at $29/employee/month, US PEO at $114/employee/month, and Employer of Record at $699/employee/month. Enterprise pricing is available on request. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: No free tier available

Oyster offers 5 pricing tiers: Global Contractors, Global Payroll, US PEO, Employer of Record, Scale. Paid plans include Global Contractors at $29/user/month, Global Payroll at $29/user/month, US PEO at $114/user/month. The Global Payroll plan is companies running payroll through their own foreign entities.

Last verified: | Sources: 1 pricing pages and reviews
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Oyster lists $29-$699/employee/month, but hidden costs like implementation and support add to the total as of July 2026. Key hidden costs: eor fee exclusions, contractor management fee, optional misclassification protection. Verified from 1 sources by CostBench.

Hidden Costs Breakdown

1

EOR Fee Exclusions

critical overage

The EOR fee excludes gross salary, employer social contributions, mandatory benefits, 13th-month pay, and currency conversion fees. These can increase the total employment cost by 20-50% or more, depending on the country, salary, and benefits.

industry

Exclusions from EOR Fee: The EOR fee excludes gross salary, employer social contributions, mandatory benefits, 13th-month pay, and currency conversion fees, which can increase the total employment cost by 20-50% or more, depending on the country, salary, and benefits

2

Contractor Management Fee

medium addon

Oyster charges $29 per contractor per month for contractor management services after a 30-day free trial.

industry

Contractor Management: Oyster charges $29 per contractor per month after a 30-day free trial

3

Optional Misclassification Protection

high compliance

An optional 'Oyster Shell' misclassification protection costs an additional $49 per contractor monthly, providing coverage up to $50,000 per claim and $500,000 aggregate.

industry

Optional Misclassification Protection: An optional "Oyster Shell" misclassification protection costs an additional $49 per contractor monthly, providing coverage up to $50,000 per claim and $500,000 aggregate

4

EOR Team Member Security Deposit

high implementation

Oyster requires a refundable deposit for each EOR Team Member, which may equal one month's service cost per hire, covering salaries, taxes, and benefits contributions.

industry

Some third-party sources indicate this deposit may equal one month's service cost per hire, covering salaries, taxes, and benefits contributions, and is refunded 60 days after the employee's departure

5

Global Payroll Plan Implementation Fee

medium implementation

For companies with existing entities, the Global Payroll plan has a one-time implementation fee of $500 per entity.

industry

Global Payroll Plan: For companies with existing entities, the Global Payroll plan starts at $29 per employee per month

6

Global Payroll Optional Payment Processing

low addon

Optional payment processing for the Global Payroll plan adds $2 per employee per month.

industry

Optional payment processing adds $2 per employee per month

7

Currency Conversion Fees

medium overage

Oyster charges currency conversion fees when the payment currency differs from contracts, with FX margins of 2-5% that can reduce payroll predictability.

industry

Currency Conversion Fees: FX margins of 2-5% can reduce payroll predictability, as Oyster charges conversion fees when the payment currency differs from contracts

8

People Partner Services

medium support

'People Partner Services' (HR advisory) are an add-on service priced at $300 per hour.

industry

Add-on Services: Services like benefits administration, visa sponsorship, and "People Partner Services" (HR advisory) can incur extra charges

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What hidden costs should I budget for with Oyster?

Beyond the license fee, budget for: EOR Fee Exclusions (20-50% or more); Contractor Management Fee ($29 per contractor per month); Optional Misclassification Protection ($49 per contractor monthly); Global Payroll Plan Implementation Fee ($500 per entity); Global Payroll Optional Payment Processing ($2 per employee per month); Currency Conversion Fees (2-5%); People Partner Services ($300 per hour). Exact totals depend on your deployment size and negotiated terms.

02 Does Oyster charge for implementation?

Oyster implementation is not included in the license cost. Oyster requires a refundable deposit for each EOR Team Member, which may equal one month's service cost per hire, covering salaries, taxes, and benefits contributions..

03 How much does Oyster support cost?

'People Partner Services' (HR advisory) are an add-on service priced at $300 per hour.. Estimated impact: $300 per hour.

04 Are there overage or storage costs with Oyster?

The EOR fee excludes gross salary, employer social contributions, mandatory benefits, 13th-month pay, and currency conversion fees. These can increase the total employment cost by 20-50% or more, depending on the country, salary, and benefits. Estimated impact: 20-50% or more.

05 What add-ons cost extra with Oyster?

Add-on pricing for Oyster varies by feature. The sourced cost breakdown above lists any verified add-on costs we have.

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