Most EOR guides rank providers on price and coverage. For tech companies, three things actually determine whether a provider works for you: IP assignment quality, equity compatibility, and whether the platform integrates with how your engineering team actually operates. This guide focuses on those requirements — not just the monthly fee.
What Tech Companies Need from an EOR in Asia
Before choosing a provider, verify it handles these:
- IP assignment clauses: EOR employment contracts must include proper IP assignment to your company — not just boilerplate language that hasn’t been reviewed by local counsel
- Stock option compatibility: Most EOR providers can’t administer equity, but they must not create legal barriers to your option grants
- Competitive benefits: Engineers in Singapore, India, and South Korea benchmark offers against local tech companies — your EOR’s benefits marketplace matters
- Device provisioning integration: Ideally connects with your MDM (Jamf, Intune) for laptop provisioning and remote wipe
- HRIS integrations: Connects with your ATS (Greenhouse, Lever), Slack, Google Workspace
- Clean misclassification posture: Properly structured EOR contracts eliminate contractor reclassification risk
Top EOR Providers for Tech Companies in Asia
1. Rippling — Best for Tech Teams Scaling Globally
Rippling is the only EOR with a native IT automation layer. Device management, app provisioning, SSO — all managed from the same platform as payroll. For engineering teams operating across multiple Asian markets, this removes a significant operational gap that other EOR providers leave open.
Why it wins for tech:
- Device management: Ship and manage MacBooks/PCs across Singapore, India, and Philippines from a single dashboard
- App lifecycle: Auto-provision Slack, Notion, GitHub, AWS SSO on hire; auto-revoke on offboard
- Integrations: 500+ app integrations including Greenhouse, BambooHR, Workday
- Equity admin: Works alongside Carta or Pulley for equity management
- IP assignment: Standard in employment contracts with ability to customise
- Owned entities in Singapore, India, Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea
Best for: Series B+ tech companies with 50+ employees globally who need consolidated HR and IT management.
Cost: ~$500–700/mo per EOR employee (modular pricing)
2. Deel — Best for Distributed Engineering Teams
Deel’s combination of fast onboarding, strong IP contract templates, and 24/7 live support makes it the default choice for early-to-growth-stage tech companies before Rippling’s full HR suite is justified.
Why it wins for tech:
- Contract IP templates: Pre-built IP assignment agreements reviewed by local counsel in each country — not generic clauses
- Deel Equity: Documents stock option grants and vesting schedules within the platform (advisory, not legal equity administration)
- Engineering-friendly onboarding: Employees and contractors onboard in 15 minutes via mobile
- 24/7 live support: Tech teams across timezones get real answers, not ticket queues
- Integrations: Rippling, BambooHR, Workday, QuickBooks, Xero, Ashby
- Owned entities across all major Asia tech hubs
Best for: Seed-to-Series B tech companies hiring individual contributors and leads across Asia.
Cost: $599/mo per EOR employee
3. Multiplier — Best Value for APAC-Focused Tech Startups
For Asia-focused tech startups where headcount is concentrated in ASEAN or South Asia, Multiplier’s $400/mo price and ASEAN-native expertise make it the strongest value. Singapore HQ means deep CPF expertise, employment pass nuance, and IRAS treatment of equity — things a US-based provider has to look up.
Why it wins for tech:
- Best price in Asia: $400/mo vs $599+ elsewhere
- Singapore Employment Pass specialist — critical for hiring senior foreign engineers in SG
- Handles ESOPs and ESPP documentation for Singapore-incorporated companies
- Strong India R&D hiring (Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune) with PT and ESOP expertise
- ASEAN timezone support
Best for: APAC-first tech startups and regional tech companies scaling engineering teams across ASEAN and India.
Cost: $400/mo per EOR employee
Key Considerations by Tech Role
Software Engineers
Priority: IP assignment, competitive salary benchmarking, benefits parity with local tech companies
Best providers: Deel (IP templates), Multiplier (APAC value), Rippling (team scale)
In Singapore and South Korea, mid-to-senior engineers compare offers against FAANG and local tech giants. Your EOR’s benefits marketplace must have health insurance at that level. Stock option framing also matters — your EOR should not create complications for equity grants.
Product Managers
Priority: Benefits quality, employment contract flexibility (KPIs, role scope), easy offboarding
Best providers: Oyster HR (employee experience), Deel, Multiplier
PM employment often involves OKRs, variable compensation, and defined performance milestones — your EOR contract template should accommodate these without requiring extensive customisation.
Designers / Creative Roles
Priority: Flexible work arrangements, portfolio IP (confirm ownership of creative work)
Best providers: Deel, Remote, Multiplier
Creative roles often come from freelance backgrounds. Your EOR must clearly document the transition from contractor to employee to avoid misclassification risk. IP assignment for creative output requires specific language beyond standard tech IP clauses.
IP Protection in Asia — What Your EOR Contract Needs
| Clause | Description | Critical in |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment of Inventions | All work-product created by the employee belongs to the company | All markets |
| Prior inventions carve-out | Employee discloses pre-existing IP that is excluded | All markets |
| Confidentiality | Covers trade secrets, code, product roadmaps | All markets |
| Non-disclosure | Post-employment restrictions (enforceability varies) | SG, HK, JP |
| Non-compete | Limited enforceability in most Asia markets | Varies |
| No moonlighting | Prevents concurrent employment conflicts | SG, IN, KR |
Non-competes are largely unenforceable in India, partially enforceable in Singapore and Hong Kong for senior employees with a legitimate business interest, and nuanced in Japan. Your EOR’s contracts should maximise protectable interests within local enforceability constraints — not just reproduce a US-style NCA that won’t hold up.
EOR vs Entity for Tech Companies in Asia
| Scenario | Recommended Approach |
|---|---|
| Hiring 1–3 engineers to test a market | EOR |
| Hiring your first Asia engineering lead | EOR |
| Building a 15+ person engineering team in Singapore | Consider Singapore Pte. Ltd |
| Operating an R&D centre in India (20+ engineers) | Consider Indian subsidiary (Pvt. Ltd) |
| Hiring contractors for a 3-month project | Contractor management platform |
| Hiring senior engineer on Employment Pass (Singapore) | EOR can sponsor, or own entity |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an EOR hold IP on behalf of my tech company? No. EOR contracts assign IP ownership directly to your company (the client). The EOR is the legal employer for HR and payroll purposes only — intellectual property created by the employee flows to you via the contract’s IP assignment clause.
Do EOR employees qualify for equity/stock options? Yes. You grant stock options under your equity plan; the EOR employs them legally. The tax treatment varies significantly — India, Singapore, and Hong Kong all handle ESOPs differently, and your EOR should provide country-specific guidance before you grant.
Which EOR is best for India R&D hiring? Multiplier and Deel are both strong in India. Multiplier processes high volumes of Bangalore and Hyderabad hires and has strong PT/ESIC/EPF operational depth. For companies with existing India R&D operations, Remote is also highly regarded for India-specific compliance.
Is EOR suitable for hiring a CTO or VP Engineering in Asia? Yes, but senior executive employment agreements require more customisation — longer notice periods (typically 3–6 months), specific IP and confidentiality terms, sometimes board-level involvement. Confirm your EOR can accommodate executive-level contract customisation before proceeding.
How does device provisioning work via EOR? Most EOR providers (except Rippling) do not handle device provisioning. The employee uses a personal device, or you ship a company device to their address. Rippling’s IT module is the only EOR-native solution that manages device MDM enrollment directly. For everyone else, integrate your MDM (Jamf, Intune) into the onboarding workflow independently.
