Disclosure: we build Shor, an alternative to both providers. Prices below were checked on each provider's own website on September 17, 2026. This is a buying guide, not a hands-on support benchmark.
TL;DR: Multiplier has the lower displayed entry EOR fee in this comparison. Oyster has the lower displayed basic contractor-management fee. Those are different services. Choose the employment model first, then compare a quote for your actual country, billing term, and required features.
An employer of record (EOR) becomes the local employer while your company directs the person's day-to-day work. For a startup choosing between Oyster and Multiplier, the useful question is which can support the specific hire on terms you understand. A long feature list is not a substitute for a workable first payroll.
Published pricing, with the billing basis visible
The figures below are service fees in USD. Salary, statutory employment costs, benefits, currency conversion, and any additional quoted charges must be considered separately.
| Service | Oyster | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| EOR | $699 per employee/month; annual discounts available | Core from $499 monthly or $459/month billed annually |
| Higher EOR tier | Confirm the scope of any additional services | Growth from $559 monthly or $519/month billed annually; Enterprise quoted |
| Basic contractor management | $29 per contractor/month after a 30-day free period | $40 per contractor/month shown on the annual billing view |
Sources: Oyster pricing and Multiplier pricing, including its monthly/annual selector and pricing FAQ. Confirm your country and billing basis in the proposal. An annualized monthly amount is not automatically the cost of a cancellable one-month engagement.
Where each deserves a closer look
Oyster's EOR plan lists onboarding and offboarding specialists and local expert support. Its contractor plan includes invoice, expense, and contract management. That makes the contractor workflow worth evaluating if much of your team consists of independent businesses rather than employees.
Multiplier's Growth tier adds integrations, custom reporting, and APIs beyond Core. Its pricing page flags applicable implementation fees and compliance-related additions. Check which tier contains the connections you actually need before treating Core as your final budget.
Those are published product descriptions. We have not established that either provider delivers better support or payroll reliability. Judge those through a country-specific demo, written commitments, and references from customers with a similar setup.
Ask for the same quote from both
Send each provider the same brief: work country, intended start date, gross salary, variable compensation, benefits, billing currency, and expected headcount. Then ask them to complete this comparison:
| Question | What a useful answer includes |
|---|---|
| What will we pay in an ordinary month? | Salary, employer costs, benefits, service fee, and any additional charges shown separately |
| What cash is needed before the first payroll? | Funding deadline, invoice amount, any reserve, and its refund conditions |
| How is conversion calculated? | Reference rate, margin or fee, when the rate is set, and the amount converted |
| Which features require another plan? | Named integrations, approval controls, reporting, and implementation work |
| Who resolves a missed payment? | Named owner, coverage hours, escalation route, and written response commitments |
| What happens if the hire leaves? | Service cancellation terms, employment process, final-pay responsibilities, and reserve reconciliation |
Do not call an extra line a hidden fee simply because it is absent from a headline. Establish whether it is required, how it is calculated, and whether it is disclosed before you commit. Conversely, do not assume that a reassuring headline includes every cost.
For a longer checklist, use our questions to ask an EOR. For the cash requirement, the invoice accounting example separates the payroll bill from a refundable reserve.
Compare a year without mixing commitments
Make one worksheet for the same hiring plan across both proposals. Use the quoted monthly service fee, the number of active employees, and the months you expect to employ them. Then add implementation, required benefits, conversion, and any other contracted charges.
Keep a separate line for refundable cash held by the provider. It affects your available cash even when it is not a recurring expense. Ask your accountant how to record it.
If one quote requires a year and the other is monthly, model both the full-year case and a shorter engagement. Use the contracts' actual cancellation terms. Multiplying an annual plan's monthly equivalent by three does not establish what you would owe after leaving in month three.
When to choose a different setup
If the work is genuinely independent contracting, compare contractor-management services. A lower price does not decide worker classification; the working relationship and applicable local rules do.
If you already employ through a local entity, consider payroll on your own entity. Paying for a second legal-employer arrangement may not fit the problem you need to solve.
Shor is another option where our coverage fits: our calculator shows country-based EOR fees, contractor pricing, and estimated employer costs. Compare our complete proposal using the same worksheet. The point is to make a supported hiring decision, not to declare one provider universally best.
Third-party pricing and features may change; confirm current terms with Oyster and Multiplier. Trademarks belong to their owners. Neither provider is affiliated with Shor or endorses Shor.
FAQ
Is Oyster or Multiplier cheaper for EOR?
Multiplier's published entry EOR fee is lower in the September 17, 2026 comparison above. Total cost still depends on country, plan, billing term, salary, benefits, conversion, and additional quoted charges. Use matching proposals before making a budget decision.
Which has better customer support?
We do not have comparable service-level measurements that establish a winner. Give both the same payroll-failure scenario and ask for the responsible team, coverage hours, escalation process, and contractual response commitments. Relevant customer references are more useful than a generic support slogan.
Does a contractor plan replace EOR?
No. Contractor management and EOR address different working relationships. If the person needs to be employed, a contractor subscription does not change that requirement. Review the facts of the role with an adviser familiar with the work country.