Remote

Remote is a global HR platform enabling companies to hire, pay, and manage employees and contractors across 180+ countries with a focus on compliance, IP protection, and pricing transparency. Founded in 2019 by Job van der Voort and Marcelo Ramos, Remote has grown into one of the most respected EOR platforms, particularly favored by distributed-first companies like GitLab, Zapier, Buffer, and Hotjar that were founded remote-first rather than transitioning from office-based models. The platform's defining characteristic is its owned-entity model: unlike competitors that rely on third-party local partners in many countries, Remote owns its own legal entities in every country it operates in, providing stronger compliance, more consistent experience, and meaningfully better IP protection for distributed teams.

The Remote Fair Price policy is where the platform differentiates most sharply from competitors. While many EOR platforms advertise per-employee pricing but add hidden fees through exchange rate markups, benefits administration fees, onboarding charges, and wire transfer costs, Remote commits to a flat $599 per month per EOR employee with no hidden charges. This transparency eliminates the budget anxiety that plagues companies using competitors — the number on the contract is the number on the invoice, regardless of currency fluctuations or payment method. For finance teams and CFOs managing distributed workforces, this predictability is a meaningful operational advantage.

Owned entities are Remote's foundational technical and legal choice. When a company hires through Remote in Portugal, for example, the employee is legally employed by Remote's Portuguese subsidiary rather than a third-party local partner. This model provides several advantages: IP assignment clauses in employment contracts flow directly to Remote and then to the client, eliminating the complex chain of IP assignment through local partners; compliance documentation is consistent globally rather than varying by partner quality; and Remote has direct control over legal and tax filings in every country. For companies where intellectual property is a core asset — particularly SaaS companies, content platforms, and technology businesses — this IP protection is often the deciding factor.

Global contractor management is strong at $29 per month per contractor, with compliance-focused features that reduce misclassification risk. The platform automatically checks worker classification against country-specific laws, generates required tax forms (including 1099s for US contractors), and processes payments in 120+ currencies. Contractors can invoice through the platform with automatic tax withholding where required. For companies managing mixed workforces of employees and contractors — the most common pattern for scaling global companies — Remote handles both in one system.

Equity compensation support is a notable differentiator for VC-backed companies. Remote enables companies to grant stock options, RSUs, and other equity instruments to international employees with proper tax treatment and compliance documentation. Most competitors either lack equity support entirely or offer limited capabilities. For early-stage and growth-stage companies using equity as a key talent attraction tool, Remote's equity support eliminates the need for separate equity administration platforms.

Global benefits administration covers statutory and supplemental benefits in every country. Remote manages mandatory country-specific benefits like pension contributions, health insurance, and social security, while also offering supplemental benefits including private health insurance, life insurance, and retirement plans tailored to local markets. Employees receive a benefits catalog showing available options for their country, enabling informed choices. For companies wanting to offer competitive benefits packages internationally without managing local relationships directly, Remote's benefits administration is comprehensive.

Pricing uses the transparent Remote Fair Policy across all tiers. Contractors at $29 per month per contractor. EOR at $599 per month per employee — flat rate with no hidden fees. Global Pay at $29 per month per employee for local payroll in countries where the company already has its own entity. Enterprise pricing offers custom terms for larger deployments. Annual contracts are common but not always required. The transparent pricing model means companies can model three-year workforce costs accurately without hidden-fee surprises, a meaningful advantage versus competitors with less transparent pricing.

The HR platform includes core HRIS capabilities beyond payroll: employee records, time-off management, performance reviews, engagement surveys, and onboarding workflows. While less feature-dense than dedicated HRIS platforms like Rippling or BambooHR, the HR capabilities are sufficient for most distributed companies' needs. The HR module integrates seamlessly with EOR and contractor management, providing a unified view of the entire global workforce in one dashboard.

Compliance is the foundation of Remote's value proposition. The platform handles employment contracts in local languages compliant with local labor laws, statutory benefits administration, tax withholding and filing, and termination procedures including severance calculations. Remote's legal team monitors regulatory changes in every country and updates the platform proactively. For companies without in-house international HR legal expertise, this compliance coverage reduces the risk of costly employment law violations significantly.

Onboarding experience is designed for distributed-first companies. New employees receive a branded welcome experience, complete required documentation electronically, provide banking and tax information, and sign employment contracts — all through a guided self-service flow. Equipment requests, benefits selections, and team introductions are integrated into the onboarding journey. For companies hiring across time zones where HR teams cannot personally onboard every employee, this self-service experience scales effectively.

The platform's distributed-first philosophy extends to Remote's own operations. Remote itself is a fully distributed company with employees in 80+ countries and no headquarters office — the team literally uses the product they sell. This distributed-native design influences everything from product decisions to support hours, with 24/7 coverage reflecting the reality of global teams rather than 9-to-5 US support hours.

Integrations cover essential business tools: Slack for notifications, Greenhouse and Lever for recruiting, BambooHR and Workday for HRIS integration where needed, and QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite for accounting. The integration ecosystem is smaller than Deel's but focused on the tools distributed companies typically use. API access is available for custom integrations on enterprise tiers.

Mobile apps for iOS and Android enable employees to manage time-off requests, view pay slips, access benefits information, and receive notifications on mobile devices. The mobile experience is sufficient for employee self-service but less comprehensive than the web experience for admin functions. For globally distributed employees, mobile access to HR information is essential.

Remote's weaknesses are primarily around country coverage, ecosystem breadth, and pricing flexibility. While Remote operates in 180+ countries, some competitors cover additional edge regions. The owned-entity model enables strong compliance but means slower expansion into new countries than partner-based models. The integration ecosystem is smaller than Deel's. Pricing is rigid — the Remote Fair Price is transparent but doesn't offer the bundling flexibility that Rippling provides for companies using multiple modules. For companies with simple international needs, Remote's premium pricing may be more than necessary.

For companies evaluating Remote, the platform is the strongest choice for distributed-first companies prioritizing IP protection, owned-entity compliance, and transparent flat-rate pricing. It is the right fit for companies founded remote-first that treat distributed hiring as a foundational architectural choice rather than an expansion strategy. It is the right fit for companies with valuable intellectual property where contract IP assignment quality matters. It is the right fit for finance teams wanting predictable international payroll costs without hidden-fee surprises. It is the wrong fit for companies with primarily US workforces (choose ADP), companies wanting unified HR/IT/Finance in one system (choose Rippling), or companies needing fastest country expansion at any cost (choose Deel). For distributed-first companies with IP protection requirements, Remote remains the default choice that is difficult to justify moving away from once adopted.