What Are The Different Available Solutions For Global Payroll?
When choosing a global payroll solution, there are a couple of different approaches you can take as a business, including:
- Relying on local payroll providers in each of your territories across the globe. This gives you a lot of freedom and choice in meeting your needs per territory, but can make it difficult to get a unified view of your operations.
- Use global payroll providers that act as a one-stop-shop for global payroll processing. On the downside, this typically means you need to replace all your existing local providers and in-house team with the chosen global provider, which can result in lengthy implementation time and costs. However, if you don’t wish to have multiple points of contact for global payroll, choosing among the best global payroll providers can be a solid choice for your business.
- Use international payroll software – this is also often used by external payroll providers. Global payroll software can differ in specific features provided, but usually unifies your operations across territories and allows you to standardize and automate your payroll systems and reports. A major benefit of this approach is a quicker implementation time and less costs – with payroll software like Playroll, for example, there is no need to replace your current network of payroll providers. Instead, it consolidates your existing operations.
In this shortlist, we’ve assessed the full spectrum of solutions on offer, from top global payroll providers to innovative new global payroll software. Your choice of solution and payroll strategy will depend on the specific needs of your business.
How We Selected the Best Payroll Solutions
We Explored Top Features
Your chosen payroll solution should make it easier to handle tasks like payroll consolidation, payment monitoring, and data entry efficiently. The solutions on this list were selected based on their ability to manage the complex needs of your international employees.
Assessed the Pricing Plans
Competitive pricing for local payroll and international services was a key factor in our rankings.
Looked at the Problems the Tools Solve
These tools address common challenges such as compliance with local labor laws, accessing unified reporting and streamlining payroll operations.
Reviewed the Outcomes of Using the Tools
We considered user feedback from sources such as G2 and Capterra, to make sure these global payroll solutions deliver measurable benefits, including reduced administrative effort and improved payroll compliance.
Comparison of 11 Top Global Payroll Solutions
1. Playroll
Playroll offers a comprehensive suite of services for global employment and payroll management, suitable for businesses of all sizes. Through its Employer Of Record services you can process payroll for your international employees and contractors in 180+ regions.
Its Global Payroll Management product allows you to consolidate fragmented payroll systems across countries, with complete freedom of choice in providers and vendors. Choose between GP Analytics, a standalone product to visualize and analyze payroll data from every country, or GP Manager for full control of global payroll processes in addition to analytics features.
Playroll has spent 25 years building their global employment infrastructure as part of the VAT IT Group, which services half of all Fortune 500 companies.
Top Features Overview
Playroll’s Global Payroll Management products consolidate your global payroll systems in one place, while seamlessly integrating with your current operations. Compared to other providers, you can onboard to use the software in days instead of months, and there is no costly upfront investment needed to replace your in-house payroll or trusted local providers. Instead, you can layer the software to standardize your payroll platforms, tailor payroll workflows as fits your needs and automate currency management.
Global Payroll Pricing
- Pricing starts at $3 per employee.
Pros
- Exceptionally low implementation costs and time to set up software compared to alternatives.
- No need to replace current in-house payroll operations or in-country providers.
- Comprehensive features for currency management and real-time currency conversion.
- Advanced features to automate payroll processes across 180+ regions.
- Built-in standardization of compliance checks.
- Dedicated customer support from payroll experts for businesses of all sizes.
- Services available to hire and pay international employees and contractors.
Cons
- More limited third-party HR tools integration, though support for additional tools is currently expanding.
2. ADP Global Payroll
Top Features Overview
Especially suited for large enterprises, ADP is a well-established global payroll solution founded in 1949. It offers robust multi-country payroll software with advanced analytics for payroll data insights.
Global Payroll Pricing
Custom quotes based on business size and needs.
Pros
- Comprehensive reporting and analytics features.
- User-friendly UI.
- ADP also offers benefits administration and other supporting HR services.
Cons
- Higher price point compared to other global payroll outsourcing providers has been reported, with hidden fees and high implementation costs.
- Strict cut-off dates for payroll processing.
- Intricate software that has a steep learning curve, requiring investment in team training.
3. Deel
Top Features Overview
Deel is a well-known global workforce platform that offers payroll solutions alongside EOR and contractor management services. It integrates global payroll solutions with its HR software, so it’s easy for businesses to manage their HR admin, payments and reporting in one place.
Global Payroll Pricing
From $29 per employee/month for global payroll
Pros
- Wide integration support.
- Customizable dashboards and reporting.
- Comprehensive compliance support with updates on regulatory changes.
Cons
- More limited country coverage compared to other providers.
- A more expensive solution compared to other providers with reports of hidden fees.
- High implementation costs and long onboarding times that can take 3+ months.
- Slow customer service and issues getting technical support have been reported.
4. Oyster HR
Top Features
Oyster HR is a user-friendly global employment solution – when it comes to running payroll, their solution is best-suited to pay international employees and contractors hired via their EOR service, in 130+ countries. They also offer options to pay your direct employees, but have limited coverage where this is concerned. For their supported regions, they offer easy options to review and approve payroll, approve expenses, and download monthly payroll reports.
Global Payroll Pricing
Starting at $25 per employee/month
Pros
- User-friendly interface.
- Access to payroll specialists to streamline operations
- Good reporting options and ability to see various cost breakdowns in one dashboard.
Cons
- Limited country coverage for global payroll, with less than 30 countries supported.
- More limited integrations compared to other providers.
- If you want to use Oyster to pay your direct employees, set-up time and costs can be significant when onboarding to Oyster.
5. CloudPay
Top Features
CloudPay offers end-to-end payroll solutions that includes global payroll and salary payments in a cloud-based system. It features comprehensive reporting features and centralized payroll data management to consolidate all payroll data into one system. It also offers features to automate manual payroll tasks.
Global Payroll Pricing
Custom quotes available for multi-region businesses.
Pros
- Features to consolidate payroll data in one place
- Comprehensive automation capabilities
- Good data security
Cons
- Cloudpay has a more complicated user interface than competitors
- Slow response times and support are reported
- Lengthy onboarding time to use CloudPay as your sole payroll provider, and implementation can be costly
- No additional services for employing employees and contractors and no other built-in HR features, like some other competitors on this list.
6. Payslip
Top Features
Payslip provides a centralized platform for managing global payroll, designed for large enterprises that need to handle payroll across multiple regions. It integrates with your existing HR tools and financial systems, which can help businesses streamline their overall operations.
Global Payroll Pricing
Custom pricing based on the number of employees and countries served.
Pros
- Good capabilities to integrate your payroll and HR data.
- Features to manage payroll, payroll providers, and make payments.
- Supports compliance with local labor laws.
Cons
- Best suited for larger organizations with a well-established global footprint, which might make it overkill for small businesses.
- Reporting and analytics features are less user-friendly and intuitive than competitors, with reviews on a lack of flexibility.
- Not as user-friendly as competitors.
7. Dayforce
Dayforce is a comprehensive HR services platform that offers real-time payroll processing across multiple countries. It has add-on services for workforce management, talent management, and timekeeping, which can make it a solid choice for businesses looking for an all-in-one HR tools solution. It offers comprehensive features to help companies maintain compliance with local labor laws and regulations in various jurisdictions.
Global Payroll Pricing
Custom pricing based on the scope of services and the size of your workforce.
Pros
- Comprehensive country coverage with support for 200+ regions.
- Add-on services for HR and workforce management
- Includes a mobile app.
Cons
- The time to transfer from established providers and vendors to Dayforce can reportedly take 6+ months, which can be costly and negatively impact business operations.
- Reviews of slow customer service and dedicated support can come at an extra cost.
- The system can be complex to implement and may require significant training – provided onboarding material is less comprehensive than some competitors.
- Not ideal for smaller businesses with simpler payroll needs.
8. Paylocity
Top Features
While Paylocity is primarily known for its domestic payroll solutions, it also offers capabilities for global payroll management, especially for companies with an expanding international presence. Paylocity integrates payroll processing across multiple countries and provides a centralized platform to manage international employees. The platform offers country-specific payroll calculations and tax compliance. It also automates the payroll data flow for businesses operating in multiple countries.
Global Payroll Pricing
Custom pricing based on the scope of international payroll services.
Pros
- Supports global payroll management with local compliance for multiple countries..
- Additional services available to simplify payroll and global HR across borders using one platform.
- Offers an employee self-service portal for accessing pay stubs and benefits.
Cons
- International payroll capabilities may not be as robust as specialized global payroll outsourcing providers.
- Best suited for businesses expanding into international markets rather than fully global enterprises with complex payroll needs.
- Reports of slow customer service and difficulty getting hold of dedicated support.
- Reports of difficult and lengthy implementation times.
- Different modules of the product do not integrate well with one another.
9. Remote
Top Features
Remote is a good choice for businesses with a global workforce, offering options to consolidate payroll for international employees and contractors. It provides comprehensive HR tools for managing benefits, payroll processing, and ensuring compliance with local labor laws in over 50 countries.
Global Payroll Pricing
$29 per employee/month.
Pros
- Makes it easier to pay both full-time employees and contractors while handling tax payments.
- Has a wide network of global entities to support global services.
- Automatic compliance checks when running global payroll.
Cons
- Requires you to transfer all existing payroll providers and vendors – onboarding and implementation can take several months and come at significant cost.
- Limited support for larger organizations or those needing complex payroll structures.
- Some features may be underdeveloped in niche markets.
- Reports of slow customer service, issues with payments and multiple points of contact, which can cause issues if you’re transferring your current operations and require hands-on support.
10. Rippling
Top Features
Rippling is a comprehensive global workforce management platform designed to handle global payroll processing, benefits management, and HR functions. It stands out for its wide integration capabilities, and its ability to handle payroll, benefits administration, and HR tools in a single platform.
Global Payroll Pricing
Pricing varies depending on the services and the number of employees.
Pros
- Wide integrations of various HR tools.
- Comprehensive products for managing payroll, benefits, and employee data.
- Advanced reporting capabilities, though some features come at a premium.
Cons
- More expensive pricing compared to competitors.
- Advanced payroll features can be complex to set up, with a steep learning curve for the product.
- Reports of slow customer service, with no direct support for employees.
- Requires you to transfer from existing local providers and vendors, which can result in a lengthy and costly onboarding experience.
11. Multiplier
Top Features
Multiplier is a platform designed for businesses expanding internationally. It supports global payroll processing, tax compliance, and employee benefits administration. The platform’s strength lies in its ability to automate complex payroll tasks across multiple countries, which can be a good fit for rapidly scaling companies.
Global Payroll Pricing
Custom pricing tailored to the number of employees and countries covered.
Pros
- Automates payroll processing for global workers.
- Simplifies tax compliance and employee benefits management.
- Strong support for global workforce needs with additional services to employ and manage benefits for your team.
Cons
- May not be the best fit for smaller businesses.
- More limited country coverage than some competitors.
- Reports of slow customer service with multiple points of contact.
- Requires you to transfer from existing local providers and vendors, which can result in a lengthy and costly onboarding experience.
Simplify Your Payroll Operations with Playroll
If you’re looking for global payroll solutions to simplify your international expansion, there’s a wealth of services to choose from – it can be overwhelming to make the best choice for your business.
At Playroll, we understand the challenges at hand. Above all, we are dedicated to providing personalized customer service, for businesses of all sizes. Our platform combines automated, easy-to-implement global payroll management software with hands-on support. All in the name of making global payroll and expansion truly simple.
Book a chat with our team to learn more about consolidating your payroll operations, no matter where your team is located.