Deel is not a traditional hiring marketplace; it’s an all-in-one global HR platform that lets you hire, pay, and manage international talent via contractor management, Employer of Record (EOR), and global payroll. Unlike directories that add a percentage on top of the talent’s rate, Deel’s costs are mostly per-person platform fees tied to the workflow you use.
Public pricing lists Contractor Management from $49 per contractor/month, Global Payroll from $29 per employee/month (with a $1,000 per-entity setup), and EOR from $599 per employee/month, with add-ons like Contractor of Record (misclassification protection) and Premium protections available.
This article breaks down how those pieces fit together, what you’d actually pay for a popular role (contractor vs. EOR), and where hidden costs, like country-specific benefits, setup fees, or misclassification coverage, can nudge the total. We’ll also weigh the pros and cons so you can decide whether Deel’s compliance, speed, and breadth justify the per-seat pricing for your needs.
Deel Pricing Overview
- Contractor Management — from $49 per contractor/month. Covers onboarding, contracts, invoices, and payments for independent contractors. Volume discounts apply.
- Employer of Record (EOR) — from $599 per employee/month. Deel becomes the legal employer, so you can hire without opening a local entity. Country specifics can affect the final price.
- Global Payroll (for your own entities) — from $29 per employee/month + $1,000 one-time setup per entity. Tiered by headcount, number of payroll cycles, and onboarding/offboarding needs can influence the total.
- HRIS / Workforce OS (optional) — Core HRIS pricing is published as starting at $5–$15 per worker/month, depending on module bundle and promos; confirm current module-level pricing with sales.
- Contractor of Record (misclassification protection, optional) — Blog and comparison pages cite from ~$200 per contractor/month when Deel acts as the “agent/contractor of record.” Availability and eligibility vary.
- Country specifics & calculators — Local requirements (e.g., minimums, benefits) can change your true cost; Deel provides public country pages and an employee cost calculator to estimate total employer outlay.
Hidden Costs to Watch Out For
FX and payment processing fees
If you fund invoices by card, processor fees apply (e.g., 2.9% + $0.30 for US/EU-domiciled cards; 3.9% + $0.30 for others). Deel also applies a $5 cross-border same-currency withdrawal fee, and exchange-rate spreads may apply when converting currencies.
“Per-active-contract” nuances for contractors
The $49 charge triggers per active contract per month (including months with submitted work, adjustments, or active milestones).
EOR country add-ons
Deel’s EOR fee (from $599/employee/mo) is separate from mandatory employer on-costs (social taxes, statutory benefits, bonuses like 13th-month where applicable).
Global Payroll setup and drivers of price
If you’re running payroll through your own entities, Global Payroll starts at $29/employee/mo plus a $1,000 one-time setup per entity. Price can vary with payroll cycles and onboarding/offboarding needs.
Contractor of Record (misclassification protection)
Deel’s Contractor of Record (CoR) shifts misclassification liability to Deel and comes with a monthly management fee (quote-based). Some third-party guides cite ballpark figures (e.g., ~$325/contractor/mo and a potential deposit equal to one month of wages + fee).
Immigration/mobility costs
Visa sponsorship and mobility support are separate from base EOR/contractor fees; expect one-time and recurring immigration charges, depending on the case and country.
Contractor withdrawal fees
Contractors may face withdrawal fees (e.g., 0.4% in the US; 2% outside the US with caps), plus any applicable FX rates; relevant if you reimburse or set expectations on net receipts.
What You’d Really Pay on Deel
Below are two realistic pricing run-throughs using Deel’s published seat fees and official funding and processing fees. Adjust the hourly/salary to your role; the structure stays the same.
Scenario A — Senior contractor via Contractor Management
Assume you hire a senior React engineer as an independent contractor.
- Contractor rate (example): $50/hour
- Hours/month: 160 → $8,000 to talent
- Deel platform fee: $49 per active contract/month → $49
How you fund invoices (pick one):
- ACH/SEPA/BACS (direct debit): $5 per funding event → about $5 if you fund once/month, Total ≈ $8,054.
- Wire/bank transfer: $5 per funding event → Total ≈ $8,054.
- Credit card (US/EU-domiciled): 2.9% + $0.30 on the funded amount. Fee on $8,049 (talent + platform fee) ≈ $233.72 → Total ≈ $8,282.72.
What varies? The contractor’s hourly rate and your funding method/FX. The Deel seat fee is the constant here.
Scenario B — Full-time employee via EOR
Assume you hire the same profile as a full-time employee in-country through Deel EOR.
- Gross salary (example): $72,000/year → $6,000/month (paid to employee)
- Deel EOR fee: from $599 per employee/month → $599. Annualized EOR fee ≈ $7,188.
- Employer on-costs: country-specific statutory taxes & benefits (e.g., social contributions, mandatory bonuses/13th month where applicable, severance accruals). Use Deel’s Employee Cost Calculator to estimate this line by country and salary.
Your monthly employer total ≈ Salary ($6,000) + EOR fee ($599) + statutory on-costs (variable by country).
When you might add extras
- Contractor of Record (misclassification protection): Optional management fee if you want Deel to take on classification liability for contractors. (Public pages describe the product; pricing is sales-quoted, with third-party write-ups citing ballparks.)
- Global Payroll (your own entities): If you already operate locally, Deel can run payroll from $29/employee/month + $1,000/entity setup. Swap this in place of EOR.
Advantages of Hiring on Deel
All-in-one platform (contractors, EOR, payroll, HRIS)
You can manage contractors, hire full-time via EOR, or run payroll for your own entities; same system, modular pricing (Contractor from $49, Global Payroll from $29, EOR from $599).
Wide country coverage with owned entities
Deel markets EOR coverage in 100+ countries (often cited as 110+) with local entities, reducing reliance on third parties.
Compliance & local expertise baked in
Integrated compliance hub, in-house legal experts, and localized contracts/benefits help de-risk misclassification and country-specific pitfalls.
Useful planning tools
Country pages and an Employee Cost Calculator make it easier to forecast total employer costs (salary + on-costs + seat fee).
Ecosystem & integrations
Native connections to tools like Slack, Workday, and QuickBooks streamline ops as your team scales.
Disadvantages of Hiring on Deel
Seat fees stack up as you scale
Deel’s model is per-person and per-workflow (e.g., Contractor from $49/contract/month; EOR from $599/employee/month; Global Payroll from $29/employee/month). Great for modularity, but costs can compound across teams and modules.
Country-specific on-costs make “all-in” pricing hard to eyeball
The EOR seat is only part of the total; statutory employer taxes/benefits (e.g., 13th-month, social security) vary by country and can materially change the real monthly cost. Deel points you to a calculator, but you’ll still need to model by country.
Funding/transaction fees can move your effective rate
Paying invoices by card adds a processor fee (e.g., 2.9% + $0.30 US/EU cards; 3.9% + $0.30 others). Direct debit/wire has flat fees, and FX spreads may apply. These choices meaningfully affect your total.
Contractor of Record (misclassification protection) requires a deposit
Deel’s CoR program explicitly notes a deposit equal to one month of contractor wages + the Deel fee to cover liability; good protection, but a cash-flow consideration.
Pricing varies by country and plan
Deel publishes “from” prices; blog and comparison pages acknowledge that EOR fees vary by country and company needs, so quotes can come in above the headline.
Contractor payout methods can carry their own fees
If you optimize for contractor experience, note that some withdrawal/card options have small per-transaction or FX fees on the contractor side, which can affect perceived net pay.
Transparent Pricing: South vs. Deel
When you’re expanding your team, financial transparency is non-negotiable. South removes guesswork and keeps your budget under control, especially compared with per-seat, tool-based pricing from platforms like Deel.
There are no deposits, subscriptions, or murky mark-ups at South; just one flat monthly fee that covers everything required to keep your remote hire productive and engaged. You pay your professional through South via a single, consolidated monthly invoice with our service charge already included.
One payment means no hidden add-ons and zero end-of-cycle surprises, so you can forecast growth, compare talent options, and scale with confidence.
From day one, you’ll see exactly what funds the talent and what covers our service; clear, line-item visibility without extra plans or platform upsells. We act as your hiring partner, not just a vendor, advising on compensation benchmarks, surfacing standout candidates, and clarifying market expectations.
Explore our salary benchmarks for remote Latin American talent by industry and role, or book a complimentary consultation for a tailored quote; the call is free, and you only pay our fee if you decide to hire.
The Takeaway
Deel is compelling if you need a mature, global system to hire, pay, and manage contractors or employees across many countries fast. Its strengths are breadth of coverage, compliance rigor, and modular workflows (Contractor Management, EOR, Global Payroll).
The trade-off is predictability: per-seat fees, payment rails, and country-specific on-costs can stack, so your “all-in” figure depends on where you hire, how you fund payouts, and which add-ons (HRIS, CoR, immigration) you enable.
If you’re optimizing for compliance at scale and plan to operate in multiple geographies, Deel can be a powerful choice. If, however, your priority is simple, stable budgeting and a faster path to pre-vetted LATAM talent aligned to U.S. time zones, consider a flat-fee partner for an apples-to-apples comparison.
Ready to see both paths side by side for your role? Schedule a quick call with South for a transparent, flat-monthly quote and 2–3 tailored candidate profiles; no deposit, no surprises!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much does Deel cost, roughly?
Deel publishes starting prices by workflow: Contractor Management from $49/contractor/month, EOR from $599/employee/month, and Global Payroll from $29/employee/month (with a $1,000 one-time setup per entity for Global Payroll). Actual quotes can vary by country, headcount, and options.
What’s the difference between Contractor Management, EOR, and Global Payroll?
- Contractor Management: manage and pay independent contractors; billed per active contract.
- EOR: Deel becomes the legal employer, so you can hire without a local entity; billed per employee.
- Global Payroll: run payroll for employees on your own entities; billed per employee + one-time entity setup.
Are there extra or hidden fees I should plan for?
Two common ones: (a) payment/funding method costs (e.g., card processing or FX when you fund invoices and pay talent), and (b) country-specific employer on-costs (social contributions, statutory benefits, 13th-month, etc.) when using EOR.
Does Deel include HRIS or other add-ons, and what do they cost?
Yes. Deel offers HRIS/workforce features and other modules. Public pages note HRIS pricing from $5 per worker/month, alongside the core workflows (Contractor $49, EOR $599, Global Payroll $29).
