Remofirst costs $199/mo per employee. Deel costs $599/mo. That’s $400/mo per head — $48,000/year across 10 employees. The savings are real. What you give up: owned entities (Remofirst uses partners in most or all Asian markets), onboarding speed (5–7 days vs Deel’s 1–2 in Singapore), and platform depth. For straightforward hires in core ASEAN markets where speed isn’t critical, Remofirst is a legitimate budget option. For anything complex — Japan, Indonesia terminations, multi-country rollouts at scale — Deel’s compliance infrastructure earns the premium.

At a Glance

Pricing — The $400 Difference

The gap is the largest in the EOR market:

At 20 employees, Remofirst saves $96,000/year. That’s a full senior hire in India or the Philippines.

Remofirst includes RemoHealth (standardised health insurance) in the base fee. Deel’s health insurance is a separate arrangement per country. Remofirst’s contractor rate is also lower at $25/mo versus $49.

Entity Model — The Core Trade-off

This is the fundamental difference. Deel owns its legal entities in all 10 Asian markets. Remofirst uses partner entities in most or all of them.

What that means in practice:

• Compliance escalation: When a regulatory question surfaces — say, a termination dispute in Indonesia — Deel’s own legal team handles it. With Remofirst, the question goes to a third-party partner whose responsiveness and expertise vary.
• Contract control: Deel issues employment contracts through its own subsidiary. Remofirst’s contracts flow through a partner entity you didn’t choose.
• Consistency: Deel’s compliance standards are uniform across markets. Partner networks introduce variability.

For standard professional employment in Singapore, India, and the Philippines — roles with clear terms, no unusual benefits, no anticipated terminations — the partner model works fine and the $400/mo saving is worth it. For complex markets or sensitive employment situations, the owned-entity model is worth the premium.

Onboarding Speed

Deel is 3–5 days faster in every market. The gap is structural — Remofirst’s partner entities add a coordination layer that slows onboarding. If time-to-payroll matters, this alone can justify the cost difference.

For planned hires with flexible start dates, the speed gap is less relevant. Budget accordingly.

Asia Coverage

Both cover 10 Asian markets: Singapore, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

The coverage map looks identical. The delivery model is not. Deel owns entities everywhere. Remofirst partners everywhere. In markets like Vietnam and Thailand — where partner quality varies more — Deel’s owned presence is a meaningful advantage.

Platform and Support

Deel’s platform is more mature: 100+ integrations, equity management, IT device provisioning, immigration services, and a deeper analytics suite. Remofirst’s platform is functional but stripped down — onboarding, payroll, time off, and basic reporting.

For teams that just need payroll processed monthly, Remofirst’s simplicity is actually a feature. For teams that want their EOR platform to integrate with BambooHR, Workday, or Slack, Deel is the only option.

Support is comparable at the basic level — both offer chat and email. Deel has a larger support team and faster response times during peak payroll periods. Remofirst’s support is adequate for routine queries but thinner for complex, market-specific compliance questions.

Which to Choose

Choose Remofirst if:

• Budget is the top priority and you’re hiring 5+ employees in Asia
• Your hires are in straightforward markets — Singapore, India, Philippines, Malaysia
• Start dates are flexible and 5–7 day onboarding is acceptable
• You don’t need HRIS integrations, equity tools, or immigration services
• You want standardised health insurance bundled in the base fee

Choose Deel if:

• You need someone onboarded in Singapore by Thursday
• Japan, Indonesia, or other complex markets are in scope
• Owned entities and direct compliance control matter to your legal team
• You’re scaling past 15 employees and need a platform that grows with you
• Deep integrations with your existing HR stack are required

The break-even question: If owned entities and speed are worth $400/mo to you, Deel. If they’re not — and for many small teams in core ASEAN markets, they’re genuinely not — Remofirst saves you $48,000+ per year at 10 employees. That’s not a rounding error.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Remofirst safe to use for Asia hiring? For standard professional employment in core markets — yes. Remofirst uses established partner entities and processes payroll accurately. The risk is in edge cases: disputed terminations, complex benefits, regulatory grey areas where partner depth matters. For those, Deel’s owned entities offer more control.

How much does Remofirst actually save over Deel? $400/mo per employee. At 10 employees, $48,000/year. At 20 employees, $96,000/year. The saving is linear and compounds with headcount.

Does Remofirst cover the same Asian countries as Deel? Yes — both cover 10 markets. The difference is delivery: Deel uses owned entities; Remofirst uses partners. Same map, different infrastructure underneath.

Which is better for Japan? Deel. Japan’s employment law is complex and Deel’s owned entity and larger compliance team handle it more reliably. Remofirst’s partner model in Japan adds risk and cost (Japan often carries a premium above the $199 base with Remofirst).

Can I start with Remofirst and switch to Deel later? Yes, but it’s not seamless. Switching EOR providers means terminating employment under the old entity and re-hiring under the new one. Budget 2–4 weeks of transition per employee. Some companies start with Remofirst for their first 3–5 hires and move to Deel when headcount or complexity justifies it.

AK Anchal Katyal Published January 1, 2026