Frequently asked questions

Common questions about global hiring costs and how this tool works.

What is an Employer of Record (EOR)?

An EOR is a service that legally employs people in a country on your behalf so you can hire without setting up a local entity. You still manage day-to-day work; the EOR handles compliant employment, payroll, and statutory obligations in that location (exact scope varies by provider and country).

When is Gusto enough vs a global hiring platform?

Gusto is strongest for US payroll, benefits, and HR workflows for domestic teams. If you need to employ people in many countries through an EOR — or run a large international contractor program — a global platform (like Deel, Remote, or Oyster) is usually the closer comparison. Many companies end up with Gusto for US plus a global layer for international hires.

Why are contractor per-seat fees different across providers?

Contractor products bundle payouts, compliance checks, contracts, tax forms, and integrations differently. Our calculator uses approximate published anchors for comparison, but your real invoice depends on countries, payment methods, and modules.

Does this estimate include employer taxes and benefits premiums?

No. Employer taxes, retirement contributions, health premiums, and most statutory costs are excluded. Those amounts are often larger than software fees. This tool estimates platform/EOR fee anchors and a small modeled add-on bucket for extra HR workflows — not total employer cost.

How accurate is this calculator?

It is a planning tool with transparent assumptions. We show conservative, base, and upside ranges because real pricing varies by country, plan, contract, and implementation scope. Always confirm quotes on each provider’s site.

How do you rank providers?

We use editorial 1–10 scores across eight dimensions, weighted by your needs and your stated priority (cost, global coverage, compliance, US payroll, contractors, employee experience). Cost fit also considers your current payroll/HR software spend input.

Do you use affiliate links?

We may add affiliate links in the future. Recommendations are based purely on fit.

Can I share my results?

Yes. Results are encoded in the URL query string on the calculator page. Anyone with the link can load the same inputs (the data is not stored on our servers).