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Our verdict
Remote is a global Employer of Record (EOR), providing premium compliance and payroll solution for hiring employees internationally. Remote only operates via legal entities or subsidiaries that it owns, maximizing control and legal protection for its clients.
Pros
- Complete client protection through the 'Direct EOR' model
- Clear and transparent pricing
Cons
- Does not currently have universal international coverage
- Some competitors are cheaper in some locations (but also offer less protection)
Visit Remote
How is this calculated?
We calculate the Overall Rating by combining the ratings of several testing categories.
Learn more by reading our testing and review methodology.
80+
$599+ per employee
Bank transfers, ACH direct debit, SEPA direct debit, BACS direct debit and all major credit/debit cards
Remote (Remote.com) is a fast-growing, recent entry to the Global Employer of Record (EOR) market. Established in 2019, the company was already valued at $3 billion by April 2022.
Here, we look at the key elements of the solution and how it supports client companies with hiring, onboarding, payroll, the Remote EOR, and compliance.
Overview
As a global EOR, Remote becomes the legal employer for professionals worldwide.
Most other global EORs contract with regional EORs in foreign countries, who then become the legal employer in that country. This business model adds an extra layer between the job site employer and the employee, opening up greater potential for lapses in compliance and data security breaches.
Remote stands out in the EOR market for doing things differently: It owns all legal entities /subsidiaries it operates through worldwide.
Remote serves international employers who want the security of a “full stack” partner who handles every employee globally within one organization, with no middlemen. This is often known as the “Direct EOR” business model.
Additionally, Remote offers a SaaS platform with API integration, relocation assistance to 20 countries, contractor management in 170 countries, customizable contracts, and assistance with equity incentive schemes for global employees.
Key Features
1. Employer of Record
The Direct EOR model makes Remote responsible for all compliance, payroll, and other workforce-related legal issues. This removes the potential risks that a third party could bring, and it provides a more straightforward route for both employers and employees to solve any issues that may come up.
Other EOR features Remote offers include customizable employment contracts and optional specialized protection for intellectual property. As of January 2024, Remote offered EOR services in 82 countries worldwide.
2. Payroll
Remote’s global payroll services, manage invoices from contractors, automate recurring payments, and handle any necessary deductions for regular employees. Payments are made in local currencies managed through the Remote platform.
3. Human Resources
Onboarding with Remote is a simple automated process; the new employee is invited to the platform via email, adds their details, and uploads necessary documentation. Remote then verifies that the new hire has the permissions needed to work in their region, and upon approval, the new employee is sent an agreement and enrolled in payroll and benefits programs.
Remote can help manage global contractors as well. This service is available for contractors based in over 170 countries and includes localized contracts compliant with regional tax and labor laws. Contractors are invited to enter their information into the platform and provide the information required for onboarding. Their localized contract is signed, and invoices are submitted through the Remote platform. Clients receive a single payment request for all contractors from Remote, which pays contractors individually in local currency.
Remote is designed to serve fully global, remote businesses. To that end, it assists clients in relocating employees to a choice of 20 different countries. It can sponsor visas, provide local immigration and tax guidance, relocation assistance, insurance, and even cross-cultural training.
4. Compliance
Since Remote’s global entities are wholly owned, they have direct knowledge and experience of local regulatory environments. As the Employer of Record, Remote (via their subsidiary entities) assumes liability for international employees, makes all tax payments, and files all required documentation.
Remote enables payment in local currencies, which is legally required in many countries. It also supports visas and immigration where necessary. Benefits packages are country-specific and follow the regulations in that jurisdiction.
Remote provides a free Risk Calculator tool for companies hiring contractors abroad. The Risk Calculator helps determine whether contractors are in danger of misclassification and should be employed as salaried employees instead.
Furthermore, in-house experts are on hand to guide clients on local tax reporting and withholding requirements in each country of operation.
For clients that offer equity incentives, Remote can review the scheme and verify whether it can be provided to their international co-employees. Remote consultants will explain the tax consequences of equity incentives to each jurisdiction and handle reporting and withholding when a taxable event is triggered.
Remote’s built-in IP Guard ensures contracts contain maximum IP protection rights available under the laws of each country where they engage employees or contractors.
5. Platform
The Remote platform allows simplified onboarding, payroll processing, and viewing of employee documentation. The platform includes employee self-serve, allowing employees to complete their own onboarding process, view their employment and payroll details, and request time off.
All contractor information, such as onboarding status, invoice approvals, and payments, can be viewed in the same place. The platform makes it simple for contractors to sign contracts and submit invoices through a straightforward platform.
While many large EORs provide a software platform for their services and many feature integration with other enterprise software systems, Remote takes it further. Remote gives full access to their API. This allows clients to integrate Remote capabilities and functions into their own custom software. API integration benefits large companies with custom software systems and enterprise software providers who wish to provide access to their clients. The Remote API can be seamlessly embedded into other platforms, with no separate login required.
Most significantly, in June 2023, Remote announced a partnership with the US HR platform Gusto. This collaboration, called ‘Gusto Global, powered by Remote,’ means those already using Gusto’s HR and payroll platform in the US can use the same platform to hire and pay international employees through Remote. This gives Gusto and Remote customers the best of both worlds. To read more about this feature, check out our 2024 Gusto review.
Plans & Pricing
Pricing. Remote’s pricing is transparent and based on a flat fee. At the time of writing, fees are $29 per contractor for contractor for contractor management and $599 per co-employee for PEO/EOR service.
| Deel Employer of Record | Starting from $599 per month per employee, depending on the country of hire. |
| Deel Contractors | $29 per month per contractor |
Remote Pros and Cons
Pros
Benefits of partnering with Remote include:
- Greater Control — questions can easily be answered and issues quickly addressed because all employees work directly for Remote rather than through subcontractors. The Remote platform contains robust client approval processes for employee expenses and other matters, preserving client oversight of their team.
- Data security — because Remote is a Direct EOR, no information is passed through the hands of a third party. This makes it simpler to prevent data breaches and protect company IP
- Transparent pricing — the simple and transparent pricing structure makes it easy for companies to plan their global hiring strategy; they can easily budget their use of co-employees, direct employees, and contractors with no surprises
- Remote API — Integrating Remote’s features into custom software opens up many opportunities.
Cons
Potential disadvantages of working with Remote include:
- Reduced coverage — because Remote owns all its legal entities, its coverage is less than that offered by other Global EORs that work with contracted partners. Service is currently available for EOR in 70 countries; however, contractor management is available throughout most of the globe.
- Cost — may be too high for some companies. However, this primarily reflects the Direct EOR model, which, while more costly to run, provides a more robust compliance solution than other Employers of Record.
Unique Selling Point
Remote is a full-stack Global EOR service. in addition to its Direct EOR solution, Remote provides extensive API integration, and transparent pricing. This makes it easy for businesses to integrate Remote into their business model and workflow. The system is centralized and secure, and provides a simple solution for both businesses and their clients.
Remote — a final take
Remote is a simple, effective solution for businesses wishing to hire remote working professionals around the globe.
If you are a security-conscious business, you may prefer Remote over much of the competition: Having one contracted partner for the entire international workforce means fewer potential loopholes and risks. The Direct EOR model also helps ensure faster solutions to compliance and workforce issues. The Direct EOR model’s power is why Remote was judged the number 2 Employer of Record in our 2024 ranking.
If you are an enterprise software business and wish to integrate global EOR services into your own offerings, you will appreciate Remote’s API integration and strong support team. This allows businesses of all varieties to boost their capabilities without becoming a Global EOR themselves.
If you seek to fill highly paid professional roles, you will enjoy IP protection and significant economies of scale. The relocation assistance will also be helpful for many businesses.
Suppose your business must hire employees based in countries not covered by Remote. In that case, you will have to look elsewhere. However, the company is still young and will no doubt continue to open subsidiaries in new markets as time passes.
RemotePad Score for Remote
9.4/10 Our expert score for Remote
Our team came to this score by considering the following components in the following weightings:
| Employer of Record features | 25% |
| Payroll features | 10% |
| HR features | 10% |
| Compliance features | 10% |
| Platform features | 10% |
| Pricing | 20% |
| User reviews | 15% |
For each component, Remote received the following score:
| Employer of Record features | 23/25 |
| Payroll features | 9/10 |
| HR features | 10/10 |
| Compliance features | 10/10 |
| Platform features | 10/10 |
| Pricing | 18/20 |
| User reviews | 14/15 |
Remote Top Competitors and Alternatives
Horizons vs Remote
Top provider for:
Global EOR
Monthly fee per employee
From $299+
Papaya Global vs Remote
Top provider for:
Global HR
Monthly fee per employee
From $659+
FAQ
No. Prior to 2019, the domain remote.com was used for freelancer marketplace/jobs site. Remote, the Employer of Record and HR company, has no connection to that earlier marketplace.
Remote is funded to the amount of $496 million. This was raised over four funding rounds — a seed round, and series A, B, and C funding.
Most recently it raised $300 million in April 2022 via 11 investors, including the SoftBank Vision Fund.
At it's last valuation in 2022, Remote was valued at over $3 billion.
Remote does not disclose its revenue or profit figures. However, in april 2022 it disclosed that over the previous year it had a 13x increase in revenue.
