Oyster HR and Remote are the two EOR providers most associated with the remote-first employer brand — both built their marketing around ethical global hiring and employee experience. In practice, their differences matter: Remote’s owned-entity model is stronger in Asia, its IP protection is better documented, and its pricing is identical. Oyster wins on UX and benefits breadth. Neither is a bad choice; the question is which gap you can tolerate.
Quick Verdict
- Choose Remote if IP protection for tech hires matters, you’re hiring in Vietnam or need the deepest owned-entity Asia coverage, or you value 24/7 live support over platform aesthetics
- Choose Oyster if employee-facing portal experience is a priority and you’re building a global team where brand matters for talent acquisition
Oyster vs Remote — Side-by-Side
| Feature | Oyster HR | Remote |
|---|---|---|
| EOR monthly fee | $699/mo | $599/mo |
| Contractor management | $29/mo | $29/mo |
| Countries (EOR) | 180+ | 80+ |
| Singapore | Owned | Owned |
| India | Owned | Owned |
| Philippines | Owned | Owned |
| Japan | Owned | Owned |
| Malaysia | Owned | Owned |
| Indonesia | Owned | Owned |
| Vietnam | Owned | Owned |
| South Korea | Owned | Owned |
| IP protection documentation | Standard | Enhanced (Remote IP Guard) |
| Employee portal quality | Excellent | Good |
| Benefits marketplace | Oyster Benefits (strong) | Remote Benefits (strong) |
| 24/7 live support | No (24–48hr response) | Yes |
| G2 rating | 4.4/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Onboarding speed | 5–7 days | 3–5 days |
Pricing
Both are in the same tier — but Remote is $100/mo cheaper per employee. For 5 employees, that’s $6,000/year. Contractor management is identically priced at $29/mo.
If cost is the primary differentiator between these two, Remote wins. The only reason to pay more for Oyster is if its specific features (employee portal, Oyster Benefits network) are worth $100/mo to you.
Asia Coverage
Both have strong Asia coverage with owned entities in all major markets. The critical difference is Vietnam: Remote has an owned entity. Oyster’s Vietnam coverage operates through a partner. For a market where the distinction matters (Labour Code 2019, SHUI registrations), owned-entity is the safer choice.
Remote’s Vietnam advantage is the single most important Asia coverage difference between these two. Indonesia and China are more complex markets — both have owned entities there, with Remote having slightly deeper compliance history.
IP Protection
Remote built a feature called Remote IP Guard, specifically designed for tech companies concerned about intellectual property ownership when hiring engineers globally. It includes:
- Assignment of Inventions clauses in employment contracts, reviewed by local counsel
- Country-specific IP documentation that accounts for variations in national patent and copyright law
- Employee acknowledgement workflows tied to the onboarding process
Oyster’s IP documentation is standard — boilerplate assignment clauses included in employment contracts but not the same structured, reviewed-and-versioned IP framework. For a design agency or content company, the difference is academic. For a software company with meaningful IP, Remote’s approach is more defensible.
Employee Experience
Oyster wins here clearly. Its employee-facing portal is consistently rated the best-looking and most intuitive in the EOR category. Employees see their pay slips, leave balances, benefits, and contract details in a clean, mobile-friendly interface. For companies where the employer brand experience matters for talent acquisition and retention, Oyster’s polish is real.
Remote’s employee portal covers the same functions but is more utilitarian. G2 reviewers describe it as functional rather than delightful. This gap matters more in markets where you’re competing for talent with tech-company-calibre candidates (Singapore, Seoul, Bangalore) who notice the quality of HR tools.
Benefits
Both have strong benefits marketplaces covering health insurance, dental, and supplemental cover across Asia.
Oyster Benefits: More transparent pricing and a broader network of insurer partnerships. Allows employees to choose from multiple plan tiers through the portal. Better employer-of-choice positioning.
Remote Benefits: Comparable offerings, slightly less employee-facing self-service. Strong in India and Philippines where group health insurance is table stakes for talent retention.
Customer Support
Remote: 24/7 live chat with local country contacts. G2 reviewers consistently rate Remote support as more responsive, particularly for complex compliance questions. If you’re dealing with a termination in Vietnam or a work permit issue in Japan, Remote’s live support matters.
Oyster: Support is email/ticket-based with 24–48 hour response SLAs. Adequate for routine questions; slower for urgent compliance issues. Premium support tiers have better SLAs.
Who Should Choose Remote
- You hire engineers and IP ownership is a genuine concern
- Vietnam is on your hiring roadmap (owned entity matters here)
- You need 24/7 live support for compliance and operational questions
- You want the lower per-employee cost ($599 vs $699)
- Onboarding speed is a priority — Remote averages faster across Asia
Who Should Choose Oyster
- Employee-facing portal quality is part of your employer brand strategy
- You’re building a global team and Oyster’s 180+ country coverage gives you more runway
- Benefits transparency and employee self-service are HR priorities
- You’re hiring in markets where Remote doesn’t have owned entities (Oyster has broader coverage on paper)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oyster’s 180-country coverage vs Remote’s 80+ an important difference? Only if you’re actively hiring in markets outside Remote’s coverage. Remote’s 80+ countries cover all major Asia-Pacific markets plus most of Europe and Latin America. If your hiring footprint stays within Remote’s coverage, the 180 vs 80 number is irrelevant. If you’re hiring in very frontier markets (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan), Oyster may have coverage Remote doesn’t.
Does Remote’s IP Guard cost extra? No — it’s included in the standard $599/mo EOR fee. It’s not a premium add-on.
Which is better for the Philippines? Comparable. Both have owned entities, full SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG handling, and 13th month pay management. Remote’s faster onboarding (3–5 days) is a slight edge if time matters.
Can I manage contractors on both platforms? Yes, both offer contractor management at $29/mo. The platforms are similar at this tier. Deel is the stronger contractor management platform if that’s your primary need.
What’s the actual difference in onboarding speed? Remote typically onboards in 3–5 business days for most Asia markets. Oyster averages 5–7 days. For Japan and South Korea, both are slower (7–10 days). The difference is most pronounced in Singapore and India.
