Hiring employees internationally can help your business reach new markets and access talent from around the world. However, managing local employment laws, payroll, taxes and benefits can quickly become complicated.
An Employer of Record (EOR) service makes international hiring easier by handling these responsibilities on your behalf, without the need to establish your own legal entity in each country.
To help you find the right provider, we’ve compared five of the best EOR services for global hiring, looking at their key features, international coverage and the businesses they’re best suited to.
1. Teamed – Best for flexible international expansion
If you are hiring internationally, Teamed combines local employment expertise with transparent pricing and support as your business grows. Founded in 2018, it supports 1,000+ growing teams, with EOR coverage across 187+ countries, including 57 where it operates through its own legal entities.
Unlike providers that rely heavily on automated support, Teamed gives you access to HR and legal experts on every plan, assigned within 24 hours. You also get a designated person to contact when you need advice about employment requirements or expanding into new markets.
Services available through Teamed:
- International employment and onboarding – Teamed acts as the legal employer in-country, managing local employment arrangements, with onboarding available within 24 hours.
- Global payroll – Manage salaries, taxes and statutory contributions across different markets, with support for 80+ currencies.
- Employment compliance – Access 24/5 human support, with a first response within 15 minutes, alongside local HR and legal expertise.
- Contractor management – Hire and pay international contractors, with optional misclassification protection and quarterly classification reviews through Teamed Guard.
- Entity setup and management – Set up and manage legal entities in 100+ countries, with a free Crossover Calculator to identify when your own entity becomes more cost-effective.
Teamed also stands out for its approach to pricing. Its EOR service starts from £479/$599 per employee per month, with zero FX markup, no setup fee, no exit fee and flexible monthly terms. It also connects to 500+ HR, payroll and finance platforms, helping businesses manage international employment alongside their existing systems.
Best for: Businesses that want transparent EOR pricing, direct access to HR and legal experts, and flexibility as their international teams grow.
2. Justworks – Best for small businesses hiring internationally
Justworks is another option if you are expanding your team overseas and want help managing employment responsibilities. Its EOR service is particularly focused on small businesses, bringing together international hiring, payroll and HR support in one platform.
The service lets you hire employees in supported countries without establishing your own local entity, while Justworks handles the employment administration.
Services available through Justworks:
- International employee onboarding – Guided workflows help you complete the documentation and employment arrangements needed to bring new employees into your business.
- Local payroll – Justworks handles salary payments in local currencies, along with relevant payroll taxes and reporting.
- Benefits administration – Employees can access benefits appropriate to their country, with additional benefits options available.
- Employment compliance – Support with local labour laws, statutory leave requirements and employment documentation.
- HR management tools – Manage employee information, time off and other workforce administration through the platform.
Justworks also offers international contractor payments, which may be useful if your overseas team includes both employees and independent contractors.
Its EOR service is generally priced at $599 per employee per month. However, it currently supports EOR hiring in a more limited selection of countries than Teamed, so you should check that your target markets are covered before committing.
Best for: Small businesses looking for an EOR service with built-in payroll, benefits and HR administration tools.
3. Mercans – Best for managing complex international payroll
Mercans may be a good fit if your business already operates across several countries or expects to manage a larger international workforce. Alongside its EOR service, the company provides global payroll technology and wider HR administration support.
Its EOR service covers 160+ countries, making it an option for businesses hiring across multiple markets without having to establish a legal entity in each one.
Services available through Mercans:
- Employer of Record services – Mercans takes on local employment responsibilities, including employment contracts and onboarding.
- Multi-country payroll -Manage employee salaries, payroll taxes and statutory contributions across different countries.
- Benefits and compliance – Handles local employment benefits and helps businesses meet country-specific employment requirements.
- Centralised workforce management – Mercans offers a single-contract model and centralised platform for managing international employment arrangements.
Mercans is a practical option for businesses managing payroll and employment across several countries, although its wider HR capabilities may be more than smaller companies need.
Best for: Businesses with established international teams and more complex multi-country payroll requirements.
4. Atlas HXM – Best for direct EOR employment
Atlas HXM provides direct EOR services through its own legal entities in more than 160 countries. This allows businesses to hire internationally without relying on multiple third-party employment providers.
Services available through Atlas HXM:
- Direct international employment – Hire employees through Atlas’s local legal entities without having to establish your own business presence in each country.
- Global payroll and taxes – Manage salary payments, payroll processing, tax obligations and statutory contributions across different markets.
- Employee benefits – Provide locally compliant benefits packages, including healthcare, pensions and other statutory entitlements where applicable.
- Visa and mobility support – Get assistance with work permits, immigration requirements and employee relocation when expanding into new markets.
Atlas also offers a centralised platform for managing international employees, including onboarding, payroll administration and employment records. Its direct employment model gives businesses more direct access to local employment support, making it a practical choice for companies that prefer fewer intermediaries.
Best for: Businesses that prefer direct EOR employment through provider-owned legal entities.
5. Foxhire – Best for staffing agencies and contract workers
FoxHire is slightly different from the other providers on this list. Its EOR service is primarily designed for staffing agencies, recruiters and businesses managing temporary or contract workers across the United States.
Rather than focusing on permanent international hiring, FoxHire helps recruiters and employers manage the employment responsibilities involved in placing contractors and contingent workers.
Services available through FoxHire:
- Contract worker onboarding – Handles employment documentation, background checks and onboarding for temporary and contract placements.
- Payroll administration and funding – Processes worker payments and can fund payroll before client invoices are paid, helping agencies manage cash flow.
- Employment compliance – Supports worker classification, payroll taxes and employment requirements across all 50 US states.
- Timesheet and expense management – Allows recruiters, employers and workers to manage hours, expenses and employment records through separate portals.
FoxHire can be particularly useful if you run a recruitment business and want to offer contract staffing without building your own payroll and HR administration team.
However, its focus on US contingent workers makes it less suitable for businesses looking to hire permanent employees across multiple countries.
Best for: Staffing agencies, recruiters and businesses managing contract workers across the US.
How to Choose the Right EOR Service for Your Business
The right EOR service will depend on where you want to hire, how many employees you plan to bring on and how much support you need along the way.
Start by checking whether each provider covers your target countries and how employment is managed locally. It is also important to compare the total cost, including any setup charges, currency conversion markups and additional fees.
You should also think about your longer-term plans. An EOR might be the right option for your first international hire, but as your team grows, setting up your own legal entity could eventually make more financial sense.
For businesses that want flexibility as they expand, Teamed is a strong option. With coverage across 187+ countries, zero FX markup and access to HR and legal experts, it supports your business from its first international hire through to managing contractors and establishing its own entities.
