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Deel vs. Remote – Which payroll platform to choose?

Ana Maria Stanciuc

Managing global teams in remote workforce management requires the right platform. As businesses expand internationally, they face complex compliance, payroll, and employee benefits management challenges. Deel vs. Remote, two leading solutions in this space, offer distinct features designed to streamline the complexities of international workforce management. Thus, which one should you choose for your business?

In this article, Deel vs. Remote, I will compare these two excellent payroll software by highlighting key features, benefits, and pricing. By understanding the unique capabilities of each platform, companies will have the necessary info to make the right decisions that align with their specific operational needs and strategic goals. Whether you prioritize comprehensive compliance, flexible payment options, robust employee benefits, or data security, this comparison will guide you through selecting the optimal solution for managing your remote workforce efficiently and effectively.

Deel vs. Remote – payroll solution for remote teams

First things first: Before going in-depth with their features, let’s first understand each payroll tool and how it stands out from the crowd, most specifically, from its competition.

Deel

Deel is an all-in-one solution that simplifies the management of your international workforce. It offers more than just compliance and flexible payment options; it helps you navigate the complexities of employing individuals across various jurisdictions. Deel ensures that your company adheres to local labor laws and taxation regulations in over 150 countries and simplifies payroll with support for over 120 currencies and multiple payment methods, including cryptocurrencies.

Deel’s financial analytics is robust, providing detailed insights into spending trends and payroll management, giving you full control of your financial management. Additionally, Deel offers automated invoicing and tax document generation features, making it an excellent choice for businesses seeking a scalable, compliance-first approach to global workforce management.

Remote

Remote excels in creating a supportive work environment for international teams by focusing heavily on employee benefits and intellectual property protection. It provides an extensive benefits management system, allowing companies to offer customizable and locally compliant benefits packages in more than 50 countries. This focus on employee satisfaction helps attract and retain top talent worldwide.

Additionally, Remote prioritizes data security and intellectual property rights, ensuring that sensitive company information and employee data are protected according to the highest standards, including GDPR compliance. With its user-friendly interface designed for ease of use, Remote also simplifies the hiring and onboarding process, offering tools and support for global talent acquisition and seamless integration into the company’s operations. Remote is ideal for businesses that value a strong employee-oriented platform with robust intellectual property and personal data protection.

Deel vs. Remote –  Feature Comparison

Now, let’s continue our comparison of Deel vs. Remote to understand which one is suitable for whom. The first aspect to be considered when you compare two products is the features they offer.

When it comes to managing a global workforce, it’s important to choose the right platform. Deel and Remote are two platforms that offer features to simplify the complexities of hiring, paying, and managing international employees and contractors.

Compliance and Contracts

What Deel offers:

  • Local compliance expertise: Deel shines in its ability to handle compliance with local labor laws across 150 countries. It automates the generation of compliant contracts, making it easier for companies to onboard international employees and contractors legally and efficiently.
  • Custom contract templates: With Deel, businesses can create customized employment contracts that are automatically adjusted to meet the legal requirements of each country, which is particularly beneficial for companies operating in multiple regions.

What Remote offers:

  • Local entity advantage: Remote operates local entities in over 50 countries, which allows it to act as the employer of record (EOR). This means Remote can legally employ staff on behalf of other companies, handling all compliance aspects associated with employment, from contracts to payroll taxes.
  • Localized benefit management: Beyond contracts, Remote excels in integrating local benefits into employment agreements, ensuring that these benefits are compliant and competitive within each jurisdiction.

Payment Solutions

With Deel, you have the following features:

  • Diverse currency support: Deel supports payouts in over 120 currencies and various payment methods, including direct bank transfers, PayPal, and even cryptocurrencies. This versatility is ideal for businesses looking to accommodate the diverse preferences of a global workforce.
  • Advanced payment: With Deel Advance, contractors can access their paychecks early without credit checks, interest rates, or applications, regardless of your location.
  • Real-time currency conversion: Deel offers real-time currency conversion at competitive rates, ensuring employees and contractors receive their payments promptly and accurately, mitigating currency fluctuation risks.

While Remote offers you:

  • Simplified payroll: Remote simplifies the payroll process by consolidating international payments into one straightforward invoice, reducing businesses’ administrative overhead. While it might not offer as many currencies as Deel, it ensures efficient processing in the major currencies used by its client base.
  • Tax and benefit deductions: Remote automatically calculates and withholds the appropriate taxes and social security contributions, integrating these elements directly into its payroll management system.

Advanced Reporting and Analytics

With Deel, you have the following reports:

  • Comprehensive dashboards: Deel offers robust reporting tools that give businesses insights into spending, workforce distribution, and compliance status. These dashboards are instrumental for strategic decision-making and operational adjustments.
  • Custom reports: Users can generate custom reports to track specific metrics or KPIs relevant to their business needs, offering a high degree of adaptability.

While Remote offers:

  • Employee management insights: Remote provides detailed reports focusing more on employee management aspects like tenure, turnover rates, and benefits utilization. These insights are valuable for HR strategies and understanding workforce dynamics.
  • Data security: With a strong emphasis on data protection, Remote ensures that all reporting and analytics tools adhere to the highest data security standards, essential for companies concerned with maintaining confidentiality and integrity.

Both Deel and Remote offer strong feature sets tailored to different aspects of workforce management. Deel’s strengths lie in its flexible payment options and comprehensive compliance solutions, making it ideal for businesses prioritizing extensive geographic coverage and diverse payment needs. On the other part, Remote offers significant advantages regarding local employment outsourcing and benefits management, appealing to companies focused on employee satisfaction and legal security.

Features
Deel
Remote
Compliance and Contracts
Localized contracts in 150+ countries with automatic compliance updates.
Offers robust employee benefits management tailored to local laws in 50+ countries.
Payment Solutions
Supports 120+ currencies, various payment methods including crypto, and automated tax form generation.
Does not focus on payment solutions as much as Deel; emphasizes employee benefits more.
Advanced Reporting
Detailed financial analytics and custom report generation.
Limited reporting features compared to Deel, more focused on benefits management.
Employee Benefits Management
Standard benefits management aligned with local laws.
Extensive benefits management, customizable to local standards, integrated directly within the platform.
Intellectual Property and Data Protectio
General compliance with international standards.
Specific focus on IP rights management and high-standard data security protocols (e.g., GDPR compliance).
Hiring and Onboarding
Efficient, but more focused on compliance and payments.
Streamlined onboarding processes with pre-built workflows, and support for global talent acquisition, including visa and work permit assistance.
User Interface
Intuitive design, easy navigation for managing payroll and contracts.
User-friendly with an emphasis on simplifying the management of benefits and employee onboarding.
Pricing
Transparent pricing with a fixed fee per employee/contractor and custom solutions for enterprises.
Offers standard and premium plans, with clear cost breakdown and no hidden fees.
Deel has got you covered if you’re looking for a finance and compliance-oriented toolset. It’s a perfect choice for businesses that need rigorous financial management and compliance assurance. On the flip side, if you’re looking for a more HR-centric platform, Remote is there for you. It focuses on employee satisfaction and robust IP protection, making it ideal for companies that prioritize a nurturing work environment and secure handling of intellectual property.

Deel vs Remote – other elements to consider

When comparing Deel and Remote, there are several other elements where the two platforms differ, each offering unique aspects of remote workforce management. Here are some additional differences to consider:

  • Integration capabilities

Deel offers many integration options with other business tools and systems, providing convenience and reassurance for businesses that rely on a cohesive technology ecosystem. Deel seamlessly integrates with major accounting software, HR systems, and productivity tools, ensuring payroll and compliance data sync smoothly across various platforms. This integration capability makes Deel highly effective for companies that need to automate and streamline their operations across multiple systems.

Remote, on the other hand, focuses more on integrating internal processes, particularly those related to HR functions like onboarding and benefits management. While Remote also supports integrations, its primary strength is creating a unified platform that handles everything from hiring to payroll to benefits without requiring extensive external integrations. This makes Remote a more contained solution, ideal for businesses looking for an all-in-one platform to manage their remote employees.

  • Customer support & resources

Deel provides comprehensive customer support, including 24/7 assistance and a resource-rich knowledge base that helps businesses navigate the complexities of international employment laws and payroll management. Deel’s support is geared toward solving complex compliance and payment issues quickly and efficiently, which is essential for businesses operating in multiple countries.

While Remote offers a similarly high level of customer support, it also emphasizes providing resources and assistance for managing employee relations and benefits. Remote’s support team specializes in helping businesses understand and implement local employment laws and benefits packages, instilling confidence that companies can offer competitive and compliant benefits to their employees worldwide.

  • Cultural & Engagement tools

Remote places a strong emphasis on not just managing but also engaging a global team. It includes tools and features designed to help maintain company culture and employee engagement, even across borders. This includes functionalities for organizing virtual team-building activities and resources for cultural training, which are particularly valuable for companies looking to maintain a strong company culture in a distributed team environment.

Deel, while primarily focused on compliance and payments, does not extensively cover the cultural aspect of remote team management. Its features focus more on managing a global workforce’s logistical and administrative side rather than on fostering team cohesion and cultural integration.

  • Market presence & Experience

Deel has quickly established a strong presence in the market as a go-to solution for payroll and compliance, particularly known for its expertise in handling complex scenarios in numerous countries. Its rapid growth and adoption by tech-savvy startups and enterprises alike speak to its effectiveness and reliability in the global market, instilling a sense of security in its users.

Remote has carved out a niche by focusing on the human aspect of remote work, providing a profoundly human-centric approach to global workforce management. Its commitment to creating a positive work environment and supporting the well-being of employees has made it popular among companies that prioritize employee satisfaction and retention.

While Deel and Remote share some common goals, they cater to different needs and priorities within remote workforce management. Companies must assess their specific requirements—whether they lean more towards comprehensive compliance and payment management or enhancing employee satisfaction and cultural cohesion—to make the most informed decision.

Deel vs. Remote – Pricing plans comparison

The other aspect that could tip the scale is the pricing. Both platforms offer transparent pricing models designed to accommodate the needs of diverse businesses, from startups to large enterprises. Here’s a detailed look at their pricing strategies:

Deel adopts a straightforward pricing model that scales with the size of your workforce. It charges a fixed fee per employee or contractor, which covers all of its compliance, payroll, and payment features. This fee varies depending on the type of worker (employee vs. contractor) and the services required. Still, it generally offers predictability in budgeting, which is particularly advantageous for companies planning to scale their operations. Thus, hiring contractors costs $49/month each, while employing abroad costs $499/month per employee, covering compliance and taxes without needing a local entity.

On the other part, Remote offers two main pricing tiers: a standard plan and a premium plan. The standard plan provides basic access to Remote’s employment infrastructure, compliance, payroll, and benefits management services. The premium plan includes all the features of the standard plan plus additional support, such as a dedicated account manager and enhanced customization options for employee benefits. This tiered approach allows companies to choose a plan that best fits their needs and budget.

Pricing Feature
Deel
Remote
Free Version
Only HR management tools
HR Management
Free trial
No
No
Starting price
Plans start at approximately $49 per month per contractor;
Contractor Management starts from $29 per contractor/month
Fee Structure
Fixed fee per employee or contractor depending on the type of engagement.
Fixed monthly fee per employee, with Premium features costing more.
Included Services
Compliance, payroll processing, payment solutions, tax form automation.
Compliance, payroll processing, employee benefits management, IP protection
Custom Solutions
Available for enterprises needing tailored solutions, with pricing provided upon consultation.
Customizable benefits packages and dedicated support in Premium plan; pricing for custom solutions on request.
Additional Costs
Additional fees for advanced features or premium customer support may apply.
Possible additional fees for more comprehensive benefits management in the Premium plan.

Alternatives to Deel and Remote

Exploring alternatives can provide businesses with different pricing, features, and specializations that might better suit their specific requirements. Here’s a look at three notable competitors: Papaya Global, Workday, and Rippling.

  • Papaya Global specializes in automating payroll and workforce management for global teams. It stands out for its strong compliance and payroll capabilities, similar to Deel, but with enhanced automation that simplifies the payroll process across many countries.
  • Workday offers an enterprise solution focusing on human capital management. While it is broader in scope, including financial management and planning, its HR tools are highly sophisticated, making it suitable for larger enterprises needing a holistic approach to managing their global workforce.
  • Rippling is another powerful tool that integrates more closely with IT management, offering features like device management alongside HR, benefits, and payroll services. This makes it an excellent option for tech-centric companies requiring an integrated approach to manage human resources and IT infrastructures.

Feature
Deel
Remote
Papaya Global
Workday
Rippling
Global Payroll
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Compliance
Extensive
Extensive
Extensive
Moderate
Moderate
Employee Benefits
Moderate
Extensive
Extensive
Extensive
Moderate
Pricing Model
Per person
Tiered
Custom based on needs
Custom based on needs
Per person & features
Integration Capabilities
High
Moderate
High
Very High
Very high
IT Management
No
No
No
No
Yes
Special Features
Cryptocurrency payments
Employee engagement tools
Automation in payroll
Comprehensive HCM suite
IT and HR integration
Target Market
SMEs to large enterprises
SMEs to large enterprises
Medium to large enterprises
Large enterprises
Small to medium enterprises
Free Trial
No
No
Yes
No
Yes

Businesses should consider these alternatives based on their specific needs—whether they require a focus on compliance, payroll, employee benefits, or IT management—to find the best tool that aligns with their operational requirements and strategic goals.

Final thoughts on Deel vs. Remote

You should choose Deel if:

  • You need comprehensive global compliance
  • Flexible payment options are a priority
  • You want detailed financial reporting
  • Scalability is key
  • Integration with other tools is essential

You should choose Remote if:

  • Employee benefits are a core focus
  • Data security and ip protection are critical
  • You value streamlined employee onboarding
  • Support for global talent acquisition is needed
  • You prefer a platform with a human-centric approach

Both Deel and Remote are two excellent payroll options for managing global workforces, each with unique strengths.  Deel is an ideal choice for companies prioritizing comprehensive compliance, flexible payment options, and extensive integration capabilities. It caters particularly well to businesses looking for detailed financial reporting and scalability.

On the other hand, Remote is highly recommended for organizations that focus on employee benefits, data security, and streamlined onboarding processes. It supports global talent acquisition and offers tools to enhance employee engagement, making it suitable for companies that value a human-centric approach.

Ultimately, your company’s specific needs in managing its international workforce should guide the decision between Deel and Remote. Make sure that your chosen platform aligns with your strategic objectives and operational requirements.

Authors

Ana Maria Stanciuc

Writer

Ana Maria Stanciuc

Head of Content & Editor-in-Chief @ Tekpon

Creative Content Chief

Ana Maria Stanciuc is a highly skilled writer and content strategist with 10+ years of experience. She has experience in technical and creative writing across a variety of industries. She also has a background in journalism.