Remote is the best overall employer of record (EOR) for most companies hiring in the UK without setting up a UK entity. Remote publishes a UK price of £559 per employee per month, has no minimum headcount or setup fee, and says it owns and operates its entities rather than outsourcing employment to third parties. Its service includes UK employment contracts, payroll, benefits, compliance support and HR tools.
For cost planning, the example below uses UK employment costs for the tax year from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.
Deel is the better option for companies hiring across many countries. Rippling suits businesses that want HR, IT, device provisioning and software access in one system. Oyster is a good fit for companies that place more weight on employee experience and responsible employment practices, although its published EOR fee is higher.
Best UK EOR Providers Compared
| Provider | Best for | Published EOR price | Main advantage | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remote | Most companies hiring in the UK | £559 per employee per month | UK pricing, owned entities, no setup fees or minimums | Fewer integrated IT features than Rippling |
| Deel | Global hiring across multiple countries | $599 per employee per month | Broad international coverage and a large employment platform | Pricing is in US dollars and country-specific extras may apply |
| Oyster | Employee experience and responsible hiring | $699 per employee per month | Strong global HR focus and B Corp certification | Higher published EOR fee |
| Rippling | HR, payroll, IT and device management | Custom quote | Combines global employment with software and device provisioning | EOR pricing is not publicly comparable |
Remote publishes a UK EOR price of £559 per employee per month. It also states that its EOR service has no platform, onboarding or setup fees.
Deel advertises EOR services from $599 per employee per month and supports employment in more than 130 countries.
Oyster lists EOR pricing at $699 per employee per month and supports hiring in more than 180 countries.
Rippling offers global EOR hiring, local benefits, payroll, compliance and software provisioning, but requires a quote for pricing.
Why Remote Is the Best Default Choice for UK Hiring
Remote is the strongest general-purpose choice for UK hiring because it combines four practical advantages.
Transparent UK pricing The published fee is £559 per employee per month when billed monthly.
No minimum headcount Remote says companies can use its employment products for one employee or hundreds of employees without a minimum requirement.
Direct entity ownership Remote says it owns and operates 100% of its legal entities. That gives the provider direct responsibility for employment administration instead of placing the work with a local intermediary.
UK payroll and HR support Its UK service includes localised contracts, payroll setup, benefits, compliance workflows, BACS payments and other employment administration.
Remote is a practical choice for a US, Canadian, Australian or European company hiring its first UK employee. It can also help a company test the UK market before deciding whether to establish a subsidiary.
When Deel Is a Better Choice
Choose Deel instead of Remote when your business expects to hire in many countries or wants a wider international workforce platform.
Deel offers:
- EOR employment in more than 130 countries
- Contractor management and contractor-of-record services
- Global payroll and tax support
- Immigration and mobility services
- Equipment, equity and other workforce tools
- Month-to-month EOR pricing rather than a required long-term contract
Deel publishes a fee of $599 per EOR employee per month. This does not include the employee's salary, employer taxes, statutory benefits or optional benefits. Ask for those costs to be listed separately in the quote.
When Rippling Is a Better Choice
Choose Rippling if the EOR is one part of a wider HR and IT system.
Rippling can combine:
- Global employment and payroll
- Local benefits enrolment
- Employment agreements and work authorisation
- Software provisioning
- Device management
- Employee onboarding
- HR data and workforce administration
Rippling is most suitable for a growing technology company that wants to create an employee account, issue a laptop, provision software and manage payroll from the same employee record.
The drawback is pricing transparency. Rippling does not publish a directly comparable UK EOR management fee, so buyers should request a complete quote before comparing it with Remote or Deel.
When Oyster Is a Better Choice
Choose Oyster when employee experience, global HR support and responsible employment practices matter more than securing the lowest published fee.
Oyster advertises:
- EOR employment in more than 180 countries
- Global contractor management
- In-house HR expertise
- Employee-focused onboarding and benefits
- B Corp certification
- A published EOR fee of $699 per employee per month
Oyster is a credible option for distributed teams. Its published price is higher than Remote's UK fee and Deel's published EOR fee.
How Much Does a UK EOR Actually Cost?
The total cost of using an EOR is:
Employee salary + employer National Insurance + pension contributions + statutory benefits + EOR fee + optional benefits and services.
For the UK tax year from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027, the standard employer National Insurance rate is 15% on earnings above the £5,000 annual secondary threshold, subject to the employee's National Insurance category.
Eligible employees must generally receive at least 3% employer pension contributions on qualifying earnings. Qualifying earnings normally fall between £6,240 and £50,270 per year.
Most UK workers are also entitled to at least 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year, equal to 28 days for someone who works five days per week.
Example Cost for a £60,000 UK Employee
Using Remote's published £559 monthly fee, a £60,000 employee could create the following approximate annual costs:
| Cost item | Approximate annual amount |
|---|---|
| Gross salary | £60,000 |
| Employer National Insurance | £8,250 |
| Minimum employer pension contribution | £1,321 |
| Remote EOR fee | £6,708 |
| Estimated total before optional benefits | £76,279 |
This example assumes standard National Insurance treatment and minimum pension contributions. It excludes private healthcare, enhanced pension contributions, bonuses, insurance adjustments, immigration services, VAT, foreign exchange costs and provider-specific reserves or termination charges.
What to Check Before Signing With a UK EOR
A low monthly fee does not automatically make an EOR good value. Ask each provider to confirm the following in writing:
- Which legal entity signs the UK employment contract
- Whether the provider owns the UK entity or uses a local partner
- How PAYE, Real Time Information reporting and National Insurance are handled
- Which pension provider is used and whether contributions exceed the legal minimum
- The employee's holiday, sick leave and parental leave entitlements
- Whether private healthcare, life insurance and other benefits are included
- The foreign exchange rate and payment currency
- Deposits, reserves, onboarding fees and termination fees
- Support for disciplinary procedures, grievances and offboarding
- Protection of intellectual property created by the employee
- The process for transferring the employee to your own UK entity later
An EOR becomes the legal employer for administrative and employment purposes. The client company usually manages the employee's everyday work, objectives and performance.
Is an EOR Necessary If Your Company Already Has a UK Entity?
No. If your company already has a UK legal entity and payroll registration, a global payroll or local payroll provider is normally more appropriate than an EOR.
An EOR is mainly useful when you want to employ someone in the UK without setting up and operating your own UK entity. Remote lists global payroll separately from EOR services, and Deel also distinguishes between EOR hiring and payroll for companies with a local entity.
Final Recommendation
Use the provider that matches the operating model:
- Remote for most companies hiring one or several UK employees
- Deel for wider international expansion
- Rippling for integrated HR and IT management
- Oyster for an employee-experience-led global employment programme
Before signing, obtain a line-item quote covering the EOR fee, employer National Insurance, pension, benefits, foreign exchange charges and offboarding costs.