Oyster
Oyster is a global employment platform that helps you hire, pay, and care for talented team members in over 180 countries without setting up local entities.
Square Payroll
Square Payroll is a full-service payroll software that automates tax filings, employee payments, and benefits management for small businesses using integrated time tracking and point-of-sale data.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Oyster | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Website | oysterhr.com | squareup.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2020 | 2009 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
Oyster
Oyster simplifies the complexity of building a distributed team by acting as the employer of record for your international hires. You can onboard full-time employees or contractors in minutes, ensuring every contract complies with local labor laws and tax regulations. The platform handles the heavy lifting of global payroll, localized benefits, and tax filings so you can focus on growing your business instead of navigating foreign bureaucracy.
You can manage your entire global workforce from a single dashboard, providing a consistent experience for every team member regardless of their location. Whether you are a small startup hiring your first international developer or a mid-market company expanding into new regions, the platform provides the infrastructure needed to scale globally. It eliminates the need for expensive legal fees and the months of work typically required to establish international entities.
Square Payroll
Square Payroll simplifies how you pay your team by automating the most complex parts of business ownership. You can pay employees and contractors in just a few clicks, whether they are hourly or salaried. The platform automatically calculates, files, and pays your federal and state payroll taxes, ensuring you stay compliant without manual paperwork. Because it integrates directly with Square POS, your team's hours sync automatically, eliminating the need for manual data entry or messy spreadsheets.
You can manage everything from a single dashboard, including workers' compensation, health insurance, and 401(k) plans. The system supports flexible payment options like Instant Payments, allowing you to send funds to employees the same day they work. Whether you are running a single coffee shop or managing multiple retail locations, you get a straightforward tool that handles the back-office heavy lifting so you can focus on growing your business.
Overview
Oyster Features
- Global Onboarding Onboard new hires in minutes with localized employment contracts that automatically follow the specific labor laws of their home country.
- Automated Payroll Pay your entire international team in their local currencies with a single monthly invoice, eliminating manual wire transfers and exchange headaches.
- Localized Benefits Offer competitive, country-specific benefits packages including health insurance and pension plans to attract and retain top global talent.
- Contractor Management Manage your global contractors alongside full-time employees, ensuring correct classification and providing streamlined invoicing and payment workflows.
- Compliance Monitoring Stay protected with continuous monitoring of changing local regulations, ensuring your team remains compliant with evolving global employment standards.
- Intellectual Property Protection Secure your company's assets with ironclad IP assignment clauses built into every contract, regardless of where your team members live.
Square Payroll Features
- Automated Tax Filings. Let the software calculate, file, and pay your state and federal payroll taxes automatically to ensure total compliance.
- Time Card Sync. Import employee hours directly from Square POS or the Team App to eliminate manual data entry errors.
- Instant Payments. Access your funds immediately and pay your team the same day they work using your Square Balance.
- Benefits Integration. Offer and manage health insurance, 401(k) plans, and workers' comp directly through your payroll dashboard.
- Contractor Payments. Pay your independent contractors via direct deposit and let the system generate and file 1099-NEC forms.
- Employee Mobile App. Give your team a dedicated app to track their hours, view pay stubs, and manage their tax forms.
Pricing Comparison
Oyster Pricing
- Hire in 180+ countries
- Automated contract generation
- Simple invoice management
- Local currency payments
- IP protection
- 24/7 help center access
- Everything in Contractor, plus:
- Full Employer of Record services
- Localized benefits administration
- Dedicated onboarding specialist
- Automated tax filings
- Compliance guarantee
Square Payroll Pricing
- $5 per person paid monthly
- No monthly base fee
- Direct deposit included
- 1099-NEC generation and filing
- Self-service contractor account
- Everything in Contractor plan, plus:
- $6 per person paid monthly
- Full-service tax filings
- Time card and POS integration
- Health insurance and 401(k) access
- Live phone and chat support
Pros & Cons
Oyster
Pros
- Extremely fast onboarding process for international hires
- Intuitive user interface simplifies complex HR tasks
- Excellent customer support during the hiring process
- Transparent flat-fee pricing for full-time employees
- Strong focus on employee experience and localized benefits
Cons
- Higher price point compared to some competitors
- Limited customization for specific internal HR workflows
- Occasional delays in localized support for niche regions
Square Payroll
Pros
- Seamless integration with Square Point of Sale
- Automatic tax filing saves hours of manual work
- Simple and transparent per-employee pricing model
- Easy setup process for new business owners
Cons
- Customer support can be difficult to reach
- Limited advanced HR features for large corporations
- Account freezes can occasionally delay payroll processing