| Feature | Shor | Oysterhr |
|---|---|---|
| EOR country coverage | 27 employee markets | 120+ countries |
| Contractor country coverage | 150+ countries | 180+ countries |
| EOR pricing | $299–449/employee/month; costs separate | $699/employee/month; deposit required. |
| Contractor pricing | $19/person/month | Free 30 days; then $29/contractor/month |
| Employee onboarding | 7–14 business days | As little as 48 hours |
| Payroll currencies and FX | 100+ currencies; flat 2% FX margin | 120+ currencies; conversion fee unstated |
| Support model | Dedicated Slack channel with Shor founder | Local experts; onboarding and offboarding specialists |
| Own-entity payroll | Available in 15 markets | — |
Introduction
Shor vs Oysterhr is a choice between a founder-focused payroll service and a broader global employment platform. Shor offers lower published EOR and contractor fees, transparent foreign exchange costs, fast payouts, and direct founder support. Oyster covers more EOR countries, offers faster stated onboarding, and adds HR advisory, integrations, visa support, and compensation data. Your hiring countries and required HR depth should drive the decision.
Quick Verdict
Choose Shor for transparent pricing, direct founder support, fast contractor payments, or own-entity payroll in supported markets. Choose Oysterhr when wider EOR coverage, onboarding in as little as 48 hours, HR integrations, visa support, or specialist onboarding and offboarding services matter more than the lower published monthly fee.
Overview of Shor
Shor is international payroll built for founders hiring employees and contractors across multiple countries. It supports contractors in 150+ countries, EOR employment in 27 markets, and own-entity payroll in 15 markets. Shor handles contracts, payroll, filings, tax forms, screening, and local-currency payments. Its direct Slack support and published FX margin suit startups that value cost clarity and quick access to decision-makers.
Overview of Oysterhr
Oyster is a global payroll and HR platform for distributed teams. Its EOR plan covers 120+ countries, while contractor contracts are available across 180+ countries. The platform combines hiring, payroll, benefits, compliance, expenses, time off, and reporting. Oyster is better suited to companies needing broad geographic reach, HR and accounting integrations, visa support, compensation data, or specialist onboarding and offboarding help.
Key Differences
- Shor covers 27 EOR markets; Oyster’s EOR plan covers 120+ countries.
- Shor contractors cost $19 monthly; Oyster charges $29 after a free 30-day period.
- Shor publishes EOR pricing of $299–449; Oyster publishes a $699 monthly fee.
- Oyster states onboarding from 48 hours; Shor states 7–14 business days.
- Shor discloses a 2% FX margin; Oyster’s conversion fee is not stated.
- Shor provides founder Slack access; Oyster provides local experts and onboarding specialists.
- Shor offers own-entity payroll in 15 markets; Oyster’s comparable availability is unpublished.
Detailed Comparison
Country coverage is the clearest dividing line. Shor supports EOR employment in 27 markets and contractors in 150+ countries. Oyster states EOR coverage in 120+ countries and contractor contracts in 180+ countries. Neither provider publishes a complete country list, so confirm the worker’s location before choosing.
Published pricing favors Shor. Its contractor service costs $19 per person monthly, compared with Oyster’s free first 30 days and then $29 per contractor monthly. Shor’s country-dependent EOR fee is $299–449 per employee monthly. Oyster publishes $699 per employee monthly, with annual discounts available. Separate employment costs and deposits may apply.
Oyster states employee onboarding in as little as 48 hours. Shor states 7–14 business days, making Oyster’s published minimum faster. Actual timing may still depend on the country and worker because exact eligibility requirements and implementation steps are not published.
Shor supports payments in 100+ currencies and discloses a flat 2% FX margin on receipts. Oyster supports multi-country payroll in 120+ currencies but does not state its currency-conversion fee.
Support also differs. Shor gives customers a dedicated Slack channel with a founder. Oyster provides local experts plus onboarding and offboarding specialists. Shor additionally publishes own-entity payroll availability in 15 markets; comparable Oyster availability and payroll team member pricing are not stated.
Pricing / Cost
Shor publishes contractor pricing at $19 per person/month. Own-entity payroll is $60 per employee/month in tier A markets and $50 per employee/month in tier B markets (Shor pricing). EOR pricing is $299–449 per employee/month, depending on the country. Salary, employer contributions, benefits, deposits, and some termination-related costs are separate.
Oyster’s Global Contractors plan is free for 30 days, then USD 29 per contractor/month. Its EOR plan costs USD 699 per employee/month, with annual discounts available and a refundable deposit required. The deposit amount and currency-conversion fee are not stated. People Partner Services costs USD 300 per hour. Pricing for benefits, visa sponsorship, Salary Insights, related add-ons, Oyster Shell, and payroll team members is not published; check the Oyster pricing page for updates.
Pros and Cons
Shor
- Pro: Lower published monthly pricing for contractors and EOR employees.
- Pro: Flat 2% FX margin is disclosed before payment and on receipts.
- Pro: Dedicated Slack channel provides direct access to a Shor founder.
- Pro: Own-entity payroll covers filings and tax remittance in 15 markets.
- Con: EOR coverage is limited to 27 employee markets today.
- Con: Published onboarding takes 7–14 business days, longer than Oyster’s stated minimum.
- Con: Complete country lists and country-by-country EOR prices are not published.
- Con: Benefits, deposits, and employer contributions sit outside the monthly EOR fee.
Oysterhr
- Pro: EOR coverage spans 120+ countries, substantially more than Shor’s 27 markets.
- Pro: Employee onboarding can take as little as 48 hours.
- Pro: Integrations connect with named HRIS, ATS, accounting, and collaboration systems.
- Pro: Visa support, compensation data, and project-based HR advice broaden its scope.
- Con: Published EOR and post-trial contractor fees are higher than Shor’s.
- Con: The currency-conversion fee and refundable EOR deposit amount are not stated.
- Con: Exact countries included in each plan are not published.
- Con: Pricing is not stated for several benefits, visa, insights, and add-on services.
Best For
Shor is best for founders and startups that want clear published fees, direct support, and one service for international contractors, EOR employees, or payroll through existing entities. It is particularly strong when fast local-currency payouts and transparent FX costs matter. Confirm coverage first because employee support currently spans 27 markets, with own-entity payroll in 15.
Final Verdict
Choose Shor if your hiring countries are supported and you value lower published fees, disclosed FX costs, founder access, and own-entity payroll. Choose Oysterhr if you need EOR coverage beyond Shor’s 27 markets or want broader HR tools, integrations, visa support, and specialist services. Country availability is the first filter; service depth and total employment cost come next.
See whether Shor fits your hiring countries
Review Shor’s international payroll, contractor, own-entity, and EOR options for your next hire.
FAQ
Is Shor cheaper than Oysterhr?
Shor has lower published monthly fees for the compared core services. Contractors cost $19 per person monthly versus Oyster’s $29 after 30 free days. Shor publishes EOR pricing of $299–449 per employee monthly, while Oyster publishes $699. Benefits, contributions, deposits, FX, and other employment costs can change the total.
Which has better international country coverage?
Oyster publishes broader EOR and contractor reach. Its EOR plan covers 120+ countries, and contractor contracts cover 180+ countries. Shor lists 27 employee markets and 150+ contractor countries. Neither provider publishes a complete country list, so verify the specific hiring location before signing.
Which platform can onboard employees faster?
Oyster publishes the faster minimum onboarding time: as little as 48 hours. Shor states that full-time EOR employees can be onboarded in 7–14 business days. These are stated timelines, not guarantees for every worker. Country rules, documentation, eligibility, and required deposits may affect the actual start date.
How do Shor and Oysterhr handle currency conversion?
Shor pulls funds in USD, pays workers in local currency across 100+ currencies, and charges a flat 2% FX margin shown upfront and on each receipt. Oyster supports multi-country payroll in 120+ currencies and charges a conversion fee when payment and contract currencies differ, but the fee amount is not published.
Can either service run payroll through my existing entity?
Shor publishes own-entity payroll in 15 markets. It runs gross-to-net payroll, statutory filings, tax remittance, and related compliance on top of an entity you already own. Oyster does not publish comparable own-entity availability or payroll team member pricing, although People Partner Services can support projects involving a company’s own entities.
Does either provider require an EOR deposit?
Both may involve separate EOR deposits. Shor says country-specific deposits are quoted before signing and sit outside its monthly fee. Oyster requires a refundable deposit for EOR team members to begin the engagement and support timely payments. Neither company publishes the deposit amount.