{
 "sym": "Hr",
 "updated": "2026-08-06",
 "verdict": "Deel, still \u2014 $1.4B ARR (Feb 2026), $17.3B valuation, EOR in 130+ countries at a published $599/employee/month, and now an MCP server so your agents can query payroll. It wins despite, not because of, the ugliest scandal in SaaS: a DOJ criminal probe (Jan 2026) into whether it paid a spy inside Rippling. Rippling is the pick when you want HR + IT + payroll + spend as one US-centric system; Remote when you want owned entities and transparent flat pricing from a cleaner counterparty; Gusto when your team is US-only and small; Multiplier when the same EOR job at $459 beats brand. And the honest elems take stands: agents absorb the early roles \u2014 most AI-led startups need this element later than they think, and contractor management ($29\u201349/mo) before EOR ($459\u2013699/mo).",
 "top5": [
  {
   "rank": 1,
   "name": "Deel",
   "maker": "Deel, Inc.",
   "url": "https://www.deel.com",
   "docs": "https://developer.deel.com",
   "pricing": "Contractors $49/mo \u00b7 EOR $599/employee/mo (130+ countries) \u00b7 Contractor of Record $325 \u00b7 US PEO $125 \u00b7 ATS $14/worker",
   "best_for": "The default: hire or contract anyone in 130+ countries this week, on published pricing, with the deepest product surface (EOR, payroll, PEO, immigration, equity, ATS, MCP API).",
   "why": "The category's scale leader by a wide margin: $1.4B ARR (Feb 2026, 63% YoY), $17.3B valuation after a $300M Series E (Oct 2025, Ribbit/a16z/Coatue), 13 acquisitions through 2025 including Safeguard Global's enterprise payroll, and IPO prep signaled by hiring ex-Intuit CFO Joe Kauffman (Nov 2025). Its developer portal \u2014 REST API, webhooks, and an MCP server for AI agents \u2014 makes it the most agent-legible EOR, which matters for this table's audience.",
   "watch": "The espionage scandal is real, not tabloid: a confessed paid spy inside Rippling, unsealed bank records (Nov 2025) tying payments to Deel's orbit, and a reported DOJ criminal probe (Jan 2026). Zero customer-facing impact so far, but it is unresolved counterparty risk heading into an IPO. Contractor minimum $49/mo is pricier than Remote/Oyster's $29.",
   "evidence": [
    {
     "stat": "$1.4B ARR, 63% YoY (Feb 2026); ~15% EBITDA margin",
     "src": "https://sacra.com/c/deel/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "$17.3B valuation after $300M Series E (Oct 16, 2025)",
     "src": "https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/16/deel-hits-17-3b-valuation-after-raising-300m-from-big-name-vcs/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "EOR $599/mo \u00b7 contractors $49/mo, verified on vendor pricing page (Aug 2026)",
     "src": "https://www.deel.com/pricing/"
    }
   ],
   "tile_note": "the global eor default"
  },
  {
   "rank": 2,
   "name": "Rippling",
   "maker": "Rippling (People Center, Inc.)",
   "url": "https://www.rippling.com",
   "docs": "https://help.rippling.com",
   "pricing": "Quote-based: platform fee + per-product per-user (commonly cited from ~$8/user/mo); EOR/global pricing unpublished",
   "best_for": "Mostly-US startups that want payroll, HRIS, benefits, IT (devices/app access), and spend in one graph \u2014 with global EOR bolted onto the same system.",
   "why": "Crossed $1B annualized revenue in March 2026 (78% YoY) on a $16.8B valuation ($450M Series G, May 2025), with 20,000+ customers and 10+ product lines each past $1M ARR. The compound-product bet works: onboarding one employee provisions payroll, laptop, apps, and corporate card in one workflow \u2014 nothing else in the category does that. EOR now covers 80 countries with HRIS localized in 100+.",
   "watch": "No published pricing \u2014 procurement by sales call, and the total bill grows product by product. Global EOR breadth (80 countries) trails Deel/Remote/Oyster (130\u2013185+). Unprofitable as of last disclosure. It is the aggrieved party in the spy saga, but Deel's countersuit alleges Rippling ran its own customer-impersonation snooping \u2014 neither side looks saintly.",
   "evidence": [
    {
     "stat": "$1.00B annualized revenue (Mar 2026); $850M end-2025, 78% YoY",
     "src": "https://sacra.com/c/rippling/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "$450M Series G at $16.8B (May 9, 2025); YC disclosed as a customer",
     "src": "https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/09/rippling-raises-450m-at-a-16-8b-valuation-reveals-yc-is-a-customer/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "EOR in 80 countries, HRIS localized 100+ countries (2025)",
     "src": "https://sacra.com/c/rippling/"
    }
   ],
   "tile_note": "the all-in-one us suite"
  },
  {
   "rank": 3,
   "name": "Remote",
   "maker": "Remote Technology, Inc.",
   "url": "https://remote.com",
   "docs": "https://support.remote.com/hc/en-us",
   "pricing": "EOR $699/employee/mo (90+ countries) \u00b7 Global Payroll $29 \u00b7 Contractors $29 ($99 Plus) \u00b7 COR from $325 \u00b7 US PEO from $99",
   "best_for": "Teams that want fully owned local entities (no partner-network risk), flat transparent pricing, and the cheapest credible contractor rail from a top-tier provider.",
   "why": "The quality-over-scale pick: ~$300M ARR (May 2026, Sacra estimate) with payroll up 300%+ YoY and cash-flow positive \u2014 and it told TechCrunch (May 27, 2026) it grew revenue 50% per employee without adding headcount, the category's best public proof of AI-run operations. Owned-entity model in 90+ countries means your employment chain has no subcontracted weak link.",
   "watch": "A tenth of Deel's revenue on a valuation ($3B) unmarked since April 2022 \u2014 expect a down-round or acquisition narrative before an IPO one. EOR at $699 is $100/mo over Deel; country count trails Deel and Oyster.",
   "evidence": [
    {
     "stat": "~$300M ARR (May 2026, Sacra estimate); cash-flow positive",
     "src": "https://sacra.com/c/remote/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "Revenue per employee +50% with flat headcount (TechCrunch, May 27, 2026)",
     "src": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/27/payroll-startup-remote-says-it-grew-revenue-50-per-employee-without-adding-headcount/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "EOR $699 \u00b7 payroll $29 \u00b7 contractors $29, verified on vendor pricing page (Aug 2026)",
     "src": "https://remote.com/pricing"
    }
   ],
   "tile_note": "owned entities, honest pricing"
  },
  {
   "rank": 4,
   "name": "Gusto",
   "maker": "Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.)",
   "url": "https://gusto.com",
   "docs": "https://support.gusto.com",
   "pricing": "Simple $49/mo + $6/person \u00b7 Plus $80 + $12 \u00b7 Premium $180 + $22 \u00b7 Contractor-only $35 ($0 promo) + $6/person",
   "best_for": "US-only startups from first hire to ~100 heads \u2014 payroll, benefits, and compliance at SMB prices, now drivable from ChatGPT, Claude, or Slack.",
   "why": "$975M revenue in 2025 (30% YoY), $9.3B valuation (June 2025 tender), 400,000+ SMB customers \u2014 the US payroll incumbent for startups. It is also the category's most aggressive AI mover: the Gus assistant is platform-wide, payroll execution shipped inside ChatGPT/Claude/Slack in March 2026, and the Guideline (Nov 2025) and Mosey (Apr 2026) acquisitions folded 401(k) and state-compliance automation in natively.",
   "watch": "Not an EOR \u2014 no path to employing anyone outside the US (international contractor payments exist, but global employment means adding a second vendor). Per-person fees stack: Plus for a 20-person team is $320/mo before benefits.",
   "evidence": [
    {
     "stat": "$975M FY2025 revenue, 30% YoY; $9.3B valuation (Jun 2025 tender)",
     "src": "https://sacra.com/c/gusto/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "Payroll execution via ChatGPT, Claude, and Slack launched Mar 2026; Mosey acquired Apr 2026",
     "src": "https://sacra.com/c/gusto/"
    },
    {
     "stat": "Simple $49+$6/person, verified on vendor pricing page (Aug 2026)",
     "src": "https://gusto.com/product/pricing"
    }
   ],
   "tile_note": "us smb payroll king"
  },
  {
   "rank": 5,
   "name": "Multiplier",
   "maker": "Multiplier Technologies",
   "url": "https://www.usemultiplier.com",
   "docs": "https://www.usemultiplier.com/resources",
   "pricing": "EOR Core $459/employee/mo \u00b7 Growth $519 (annual; +$40 monthly) \u00b7 COR $400 \u00b7 basic contractors $40 \u00b7 payroll from $20",
   "best_for": "Cost-sensitive teams hiring several EOR employees \u2014 the same compliance job as Deel/Remote at $140\u2013240/head/month less, in 150+ countries.",
   "why": "The best-priced credible full-suite EOR: published tiered pricing ($459 Core), 150+ countries, and flat-fee positioning with no FX markups. For a 5-person international team the delta versus Remote is ~$14k/year \u2014 real money at seed. Backed since a $60M Series B at $400M (Mar 2022, Tiger Global-era vintage).",
   "watch": "No disclosed financials since 2022 \u2014 scale is a fraction of Deel/Remote and the valuation is stale. ~11% of countries carry adjusted pricing and compliance add-ons are extra, so quote the actual country before assuming $459. Do not confuse it with the US accounting roll-up startup also named Multiplier (raised $27.5M, Jun 2025).",
   "evidence": [
    {
     "stat": "EOR Core $459/mo annual billing, verified on vendor pricing page (Aug 2026)",
     "src": "https://www.usemultiplier.com/pricing"
    },
    {
     "stat": "$60M Series B at $400M valuation (Mar 2022) \u2014 no round disclosed since",
     "src": "https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/15/remote-work-platform-multiplier-raises-60m-series-b-at-400m-valuation/"
    }
   ],
   "tile_note": "full eor, half price"
  }
 ],
 "matrix": {
  "cols": [
   "EOR $/emp/mo",
   "Contractor $/mo",
   "EOR countries",
   "US payroll/PEO",
   "Pricing public?",
   "AI/agent surface",
   "Scale (latest)"
  ],
  "rows": [
   [
    "Deel",
    "$599",
    "$49",
    "130+",
    "Payroll + PEO $125",
    "Yes",
    "Deel AI + API/MCP server",
    "$1.4B ARR \u00b7 $17.3B (2026)"
   ],
   [
    "Rippling",
    "quote",
    "platform per-user",
    "80",
    "Native + PEO",
    "No",
    "AI across suite",
    "$1B rev \u00b7 $16.8B (2026)"
   ],
   [
    "Remote",
    "$699",
    "$29 / $99",
    "90+",
    "PEO from $99",
    "Yes",
    "AI-run ops (internal)",
    "~$300M ARR \u00b7 $3B (2026/2022)"
   ],
   [
    "Gusto",
    "no EOR",
    "$6 (US)",
    "\u2014",
    "Native (core product)",
    "Yes",
    "Gus + ChatGPT/Claude payroll",
    "$975M rev \u00b7 $9.3B (2025)"
   ],
   [
    "Multiplier",
    "$459\u2013519",
    "$40",
    "150+",
    "\u2014",
    "Yes",
    "\u2014",
    "$400M val (2022, stale)"
   ],
   [
    "Oyster",
    "$699",
    "$29",
    "180+",
    "\u2014",
    "Yes",
    "\u2014",
    "$1.2B val (Sep 2024)"
   ],
   [
    "RemoFirst",
    "from $199",
    "free / $25",
    "185+",
    "\u2014",
    "Yes",
    "\u2014",
    "budget segment leader"
   ],
   [
    "G-P",
    "quote",
    "quote",
    "180+",
    "\u2014",
    "No",
    "Gia compliance AI",
    "Everest #1 EOR ranking"
   ]
  ]
 },
 "rules": [
  {
   "if": "Your team is US-only and under ~100 people",
   "then": "Gusto Simple at $49+$6/person \u2014 don't pay EOR-platform prices for a payroll problem; add an EOR vendor only at the first foreign hire."
  },
  {
   "if": "You're making your first international hire and want it done this week with zero procurement",
   "then": "Deel \u2014 published $599/mo, 130+ countries, and the scale (25k+ customers, $1.4B ARR) that means your edge case has been handled before."
  },
  {
   "if": "You want one system where a new hire gets payroll, benefits, laptop, app access, and a corporate card in a single workflow",
   "then": "Rippling \u2014 accept quote-based pricing and an 80-country EOR ceiling as the cost of the compound product."
  },
  {
   "if": "The Deel\u2013Rippling spy saga makes you want a boring counterparty, or you care that your employer-of-record owns its own entities",
   "then": "Remote ($699, owned entities in 90+ countries, cash-flow positive) or Oyster ($699, 180+ countries, the only B Corp EOR)."
  },
  {
   "if": "You're pre-revenue and every $100/month matters \u2014 or you're not sure the role is permanent",
   "then": "Start with contractor management ($25\u201349/mo at RemoFirst/Remote/Deel) and convert to EOR later; if you need EOR now, Multiplier $459 or RemoFirst $199 do the legal job at half the price."
  }
 ],
 "field": [
  {
   "name": "Oyster",
   "maker": "Oyster HR",
   "note": "EOR $699/mo in 180+ countries, contractors $29; only B Corp-certified EOR; $59M Series D at $1.2B (Sep 2024) \u2014 the near-miss for the top 5",
   "url": "https://www.oysterhr.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$29 contractor / $699 EOR",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "G-P (Globalization Partners)",
   "maker": "G-P",
   "note": "The EOR pioneer; 180+ countries, quote-only pricing, Gia agentic compliance AI; claims Everest Group #1 EOR every year",
   "url": "https://www.globalization-partners.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "quote",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "RemoFirst",
   "maker": "RemoFirst",
   "note": "Budget EOR from $199/mo in 185+ countries, contractors free/$25 \u2014 explicitly markets against the $599\u2013699 incumbents",
   "url": "https://www.remofirst.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$199 EOR",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Justworks",
   "maker": "Justworks",
   "note": "US PEO at $79\u2013124/employee/mo + payroll $50 base + $8; added EOR at $599 \u2014 the co-employment route for richer US benefits",
   "url": "https://www.justworks.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$8/employee payroll",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Plane",
   "maker": "Plane (ex-Pilot)",
   "note": "API-first payroll: US employees $19, contractors $39 (240+ countries), EOR $499, free HRIS; ships a Slack 'Plane Agent' and MCP/CLI \u2014 the most agent-native small player",
   "url": "https://plane.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$19/US employee",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Papaya Global",
   "maker": "Papaya Global",
   "note": "Enterprise payroll-payments in 160+ countries; $3.7B valuation (Sep 2021, unmarked since); repositioned as a payments company in 2023",
   "url": "https://www.papayaglobal.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "quote",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Pebl",
   "maker": "Pebl (ex-Velocity Global)",
   "note": "Velocity Global rebranded to Pebl (velocityglobal.com now redirects); EOR in 185+ countries with 'Alfie' AI assistant; quote-only flat-rate pricing",
   "url": "https://hellopebl.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "quote",
   "status": "renamed"
  },
  {
   "name": "Payoneer WFM (ex-Skuad)",
   "maker": "Payoneer",
   "note": "Skuad acquired by Payoneer (Aug 2024), now 'Payoneer Workforce Management'; EOR from $199, contractors from $19 in 160+ countries",
   "url": "https://www.skuad.io",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$199 EOR",
   "status": "acquired"
  },
  {
   "name": "Atlas HXM",
   "maker": "Atlas",
   "note": "Direct-EOR (owns all entities) in 160+ countries, from $599/mo; visa sponsorship in 75+ countries",
   "url": "https://www.atlashxm.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$599 EOR",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Omnipresent",
   "maker": "Omnipresent",
   "note": "UK-born EOR in 150 countries; quote-only, book-a-call sales motion \u2014 squeezed between transparent-price rivals",
   "url": "https://www.omnipresent.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "quote",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Horizons",
   "maker": "Horizons \u2192 Remote People",
   "note": "joinhorizons.com now redirects to remotepeople.com (EOR from $199/mo, 150+ countries) as of Aug 2026 \u2014 apparent rebrand/absorption; connection not press-confirmed",
   "url": "https://remotepeople.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "$199 EOR",
   "status": "renamed"
  },
  {
   "name": "TriNet",
   "maker": "TriNet (NYSE: TNET)",
   "note": "Public US PEO incumbent for SMBs \u2014 richer benefits, heavier contracts; the pre-Deel generation's answer",
   "url": "https://www.trinet.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "quote",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Gusto Global (w/ Remote)",
   "maker": "Gusto + Remote",
   "note": "Gusto's international hiring runs on a Remote partnership (2023) \u2014 the seam to watch if you outgrow US-only Gusto",
   "url": "https://gusto.com/product/solutions/global-contractors",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "bundled",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Mercor",
   "maker": "Mercor",
   "note": "AI-vetted expert-talent marketplace: $2B annualized gross revenue (Jun 2026), $10B valuation (Oct 2025) \u2014 the hiring side of this element exploding via AI-lab demand, not an EOR",
   "url": "https://mercor.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "marketplace (% take)",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Cercli",
   "maker": "Cercli (YC)",
   "note": "'Rippling for MENA' \u2014 $12M Series A (Oct 2025); regional EOR/payroll clones are the category's growth edge",
   "url": "https://www.cercli.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "quote",
   "status": "active"
  },
  {
   "name": "Safeguard Global (payroll division)",
   "maker": "\u2192 Deel",
   "note": "Enterprise payroll division acquired by Deel (Mar 2025) \u2014 the consolidation bellwether: legacy global payroll folding into the new EOR giants",
   "url": "https://www.safeguardglobal.com",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "\u2014",
   "status": "acquired"
  },
  {
   "name": "Panther",
   "maker": "Panther",
   "note": "Early remote-employment startup (YC-adjacent, 2021 hype cohort); wound down mid-2020s \u2014 reported shutdown, no primary obituary found",
   "url": "https://panther.co",
   "oss": false,
   "entry": "\u2014",
   "status": "dead"
  }
 ],
 "signals": [
  {
   "fact": "EOR market: $6.24B (2026) \u2192 $10.33B by 2031, 10.55% CAGR (Mordor Intelligence)",
   "src": "https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/employer-of-record-eor-market"
  },
  {
   "fact": "Deel $1.4B ARR (Feb 2026) at $17.3B valuation (Oct 2025); IPO prep \u2014 ex-Intuit CFO hired Nov 2025",
   "src": "https://sacra.com/c/deel/"
  },
  {
   "fact": "Rippling crossed $1B annualized revenue Mar 2026 (78% YoY) at $16.8B (May 2025 Series G)",
   "src": "https://sacra.com/c/rippling/"
  },
  {
   "fact": "The spy saga went criminal: DOJ opened a probe into Deel over the Rippling espionage allegations (WSJ, Jan 23, 2026); confessed spy affidavit (Apr 2025), unsealed bank records (Nov 2025), Deel countersuit ongoing",
   "src": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/23/the-rippling-deel-corporate-spying-scandal-may-have-taken-another-wild-turn/"
  },
  {
   "fact": "Consolidation wave: Deel made 13 acquisitions through 2025 (incl. Safeguard payroll); Skuad\u2192Payoneer (2024); Guideline (Nov 2025) and Mosey (Apr 2026)\u2192Gusto; Velocity Global rebranded to Pebl",
   "src": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deel_(company)"
  },
  {
   "fact": "Payroll is becoming agent-addressable: Gusto payroll execution inside ChatGPT/Claude/Slack (Mar 2026), Deel ships an MCP server, G-P sells Gia 'agentic AI' compliance, Remote grew revenue/employee 50% with flat headcount (May 2026)",
   "src": "https://sacra.com/c/gusto/"
  }
 ],
 "notes": "Ranking criteria: verified scale, published pricing, EOR country coverage, product depth, and agent-legibility (APIs/MCP); no affiliate consideration. Conflicts resolved: Deel's $1.4B ARR and Remote's ~$300M ARR are Sacra estimates (single analyst source) \u2014 kept because both track Deel's own historical disclosures; Deel customer count differs by source (25k+ per Sacra vs '40,000+ companies' on developer.deel.com) \u2014 we cite the vendor figure with the discrepancy noted here. Rippling's pricing page blocks fetchers and publishes no rates; its entry is honestly marked quote-based ('from ~$8/user/mo' is widely cited but unverifiable on-vendor). Lawsuit state as of Aug 6, 2026: civil suits live in both directions (Rippling's espionage suit; Deel's countersuit; an Aug 2025 ruling dismissed some Rippling claims per Deel's own blog \u2014 partisan source), plus the reported DOJ criminal probe (WSJ via TechCrunch, Jan 2026); no settlement or charges found through Aug 2026. The TechCrunch June 2025 'Multiplier' raising $27.5M is a different company (accounting roll-ups) \u2014 not the EOR. Horizons\u2192Remote People redirect observed directly but not press-confirmed; Panther's shutdown is community-reported only. Adjacent elements: cap-table/equity \u2192 Eq; incorporation \u2192 In; corporate cards/spend \u2192 Sp; bookkeeping \u2192 Ac; contractor payout rails overlap Pa. Hiring-marketplace momentum (Mercor at $2B run-rate) sits in this element's hiring half but is a talent marketplace, not employment infrastructure.",
 "sources": [
  "https://www.deel.com/pricing/",
  "https://sacra.com/c/deel/",
  "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deel_(company)",
  "https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/23/the-rippling-deel-corporate-spying-scandal-may-have-taken-another-wild-turn/",
  "https://sacra.com/c/rippling/",
  "https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/09/rippling-raises-450m-at-a-16-8b-valuation-reveals-yc-is-a-customer/",
  "https://www.rippling.com/blog/new-banking-records-prove-deel-paid-thief-who-stole-trade-secrets-from-rippling",
  "https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/justice-department-opens-criminal-probe-into-silicon-valley-spy-allegations-9afe1eec",
  "https://remote.com/pricing",
  "https://sacra.com/c/remote/",
  "https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/27/payroll-startup-remote-says-it-grew-revenue-50-per-employee-without-adding-headcount/",
  "https://gusto.com/product/pricing",
  "https://sacra.com/c/gusto/",
  "https://www.oysterhr.com/pricing",
  "https://www.usemultiplier.com/pricing",
  "https://www.justworks.com/pricing",
  "https://www.remofirst.com/pricing",
  "https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/employer-of-record-eor-market",
  "https://hellopebl.com/",
  "https://www.skuad.io/",
  "https://plane.com/",
  "https://www.globalization-partners.com/",
  "https://www.atlashxm.com/",
  "https://sacra.com/c/mercor/",
  "https://developer.deel.com/"
 ],
 "element": {
  "number": 41,
  "name": "Hiring & EOR",
  "group": "Back-office",
  "essential": false,
  "edition": "v2026.Q3",
  "revision": "r7",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0 \u2014 cite elems.ai",
  "url": "https://elems.ai/e/hr.html"
 }
}