Payroll management does not only revolve around the payment of paychecks but also ensuring it is compliant in every country; it includes various currencies to contend with, local labor laws, and offering international benefits that are an attraction. Whereas Gusto is a proven payroll and HR solution, it is mainly targeted to businesses based in the U.S.
Gusto might be inadequate for companies that have a dispersed group of employees worldwide. You are not alone if you are wishing to find a more powerful and scalable international payroll solution. These are five powerful alternatives to Gusto that will provide superior global payroll services in 2025.
1. Deel
Suitable for: Obtaining the services of both contractors and permanent employees across the whole world.
Deel has already risen to the position of one of the most preferred choices for global payroll and compliance. It also enables businesses to enjoy the convenience of employing international contractors and employees because these services are offered in more than 150 countries. Deel handles compliance, taxes, and benefits-all without you having to establish legal entities in other countries.
Key features include:
- Contracts that are specific and localized to the labor laws
- International human resource management: Global remuneration and benefits management
- Global Employer of Record (EOR) in different nations
- Use of fast onboarding and contractor management
There are also integrated connections with such platforms as QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite, which do not make accounting difficult. Deel is an excellent alternative to Gusto when it comes to scale internationally and having peace of mind in terms of compliance and payroll.
2. Remote
Ideal for: International companies wishing to expand into new markets.
Remote is aimed at helping start-ups and companies move to employ individuals in other countries without having to establish subsidiaries in foreign countries. They have been offering EOR services to companies that want to employ employees in more than 60 countries, ensuring their local compliance.
Why choose Remote?
- A single global HR, benefits, and payroll platform
- Market-specific knowledge in every nation
- Easy-to-navigate interface
- Management of stock options at multinational departments
Remote also promotes pricing transparency and a high adherence to compliance, which is not common among payroll services platforms. Remote offers businesses a great alternative in terms of ethical hiring and data protection.
3. Rippling
Recommended to: Midsize and large organizations that are interested in an all-in-one HR and IT solution.
Rippling is a payroll solution, but it is also a workforce management suite. The platform is a blend of HR, IT, and finance, which provides all the functions, including global payroll to the management of devices. It is helpful to the global workers and enables companies to remunerate employees in different countries in their local currency.
Rippling’s strengths:
- Streamlined compensations and human resources, and device functions
- Automated tax and compliance filing
- Onboarding/offboarding custom workflows
- Easy one-click connectivity with other widely used apps such as Slack, Microsoft 365, and Salesforce
When pitting Warp vs Gusto, Rippling is a more comprehensive platform with more comprehensive IT and HR automation and payroll.
4. Papaya Global
Best suited to: Firms that have elaborate international payrolls.
The other solution worth consideration is Papaya Global, which combines payroll and compliance on a global basis. Whereas Gusto is U.S.-centric, Papaya has focused its services on global payroll delivery, with payment to employees, contractors, and third-party vendors in more than 160 countries.
Top features include:
- A unified dashboard of payroll analytics around the world
- Support of various classifications of workers (full-time, freelance, etc.)
- Interconnected to ERPs such as SAP and Oracle
- High-tech workforce analytics and insights
Papaya has the best transparency and reports granularity, a product suitable for businesses wishing to have specific, detailed control over international payroll procedures.
5. Oyster
It’s the best match: Remote-first businesses seeking to streamline the process of hiring and remunerating workers and paying them internationally.
Oyster is an application that is specifically designed to help remote teams. It takes care of onboarding, payroll, and benefits, and has all of them on a single user-friendly platform. Oyster also trims the inconveniences of having to work with different vendors since it provides end-to-end services in a single location.
What makes Oyster unique?
- Software-based local plus payroll
- Model employment agreements
- Features of time-off and expense tracking: Time-off and expense tracking functions
- Equal access to job opportunities around the globe is a mission-oriented way to tackle this issue.
Oyster can be a wise choice among companies that focus on a remote working culture and must have a worldwide presence of a Gusto alternative.
Final Thoughts
Although Gusto is an amazing domestic payment platform, companies seeking to source and manage talent worldwide require more comprehensive international solutions. All the above options, including Deel, Remote, Rippling, Papaya Global, and Oyster, have their strengths to offer. They help global teams improve their pain points, whether in compliance, onboarding, payroll, or benefits.
As your business expands and you have a more distributed workforce, it is important to select a payroll that grows with you, country by country and compliance regulation by compliance regulation. You do not want to become cluttered with a generic platform. Assess your international payroll requirements and select the tool that fits your long-term hiring strategy and your HR strategy.
