Deel vs. Remote vs. Oyster HR vs. Rippling vs. Sourcefit: Pricing, Compliance, and What the Platforms Don’t Tell You
By Andy Schachtel, CEO of Sourcefit | Global Talent and Elevated Outsourcing
Last updated: August 16, 2026
The Short Answer
Employer of Record management fees for the Philippines range from $199 to $699 per employee per month in 2026. Deel charges $599 plus a 0.60% administrative fee, Remote charges $599 to $699, Oyster HR charges $699, Rippling uses unpublished custom pricing, and Sourcefit charges $199. On top of any management fee, Philippine law adds statutory employer costs of roughly 13% of salary, and those are identical no matter which provider you choose. The real decision is structural: global platforms give you breadth across 90 or more countries from one dashboard, while a regional provider gives you physical offices, same-timezone support, and a much lower fee in the country where your team actually sits. The rest of this guide compares all five providers on pricing, compliance certifications, and local support, with sources you can check.
I have spent seventeen years employing people in the Philippines through my company, Sourcefit. We operate physical offices in four Philippine cities, plus locations in South Africa, the Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Northern Ireland, and Armenia. Over 2,000 employees work through our platform today.
Whether it’s inclement weather or a global pandemic, we are living through the same challenges as our employees, and that shows up every day in the support we give them.
When Employer of Record platforms like Deel, Remote, Oyster HR, and Rippling started growing rapidly, I studied every one of them. Not from press releases or G2 reviews, but from the perspective of someone who knows what actually goes wrong when you have employees on the ground and something breaks at 2 AM Manila time.
This guide is the result. It covers pricing, compliance certifications, local support models, technology, and the fine print that most comparison articles skip. I have an obvious stake in this, and I will be transparent about that throughout. But the data is the data, and it favors informed buyers regardless of which provider they choose.
What Is an EOR and Why Does It Matter for the Philippines?
An Employer of Record is a company that legally employs workers on your behalf in a country where you do not have your own legal entity. The EOR handles payroll, tax withholding, statutory benefits, and compliance with local labor law. You manage the employee’s day-to-day work. The EOR handles the legal and administrative infrastructure.
The Philippines is one of the most popular EOR destinations in the world because of its large English-speaking workforce, competitive labor costs, and strong cultural alignment with US and European businesses. Philippine employment law requires specific statutory contributions and benefits that every EOR must administer. The current rates are published by the Social Security System, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG:
| Statutory Requirement | What It Covers | 2026 Rate/Detail |
|---|---|---|
| SSS (Social Security) | Pension, disability, maternity, sickness | Employer: 10% of salary (15% total with the 5% employee share; salary credit capped at PHP 35,000) |
| PhilHealth | National health insurance | Employer: 2.5% of salary (capped) |
| Pag-IBIG (HDMF) | Housing fund / savings | Employer: 2% of salary (capped at PHP 200) |
| BIR Withholding Tax | Income tax | Progressive: 0-35% based on salary |
| 13th Month Pay | Mandatory bonus | 1/12 of annual basic salary, paid by Dec 24 |
| SIL (Service Incentive Leave) | Paid leave | Minimum 5 days after 1 year of service |
Rates as of August 2026. The SSS contribution rate rose to 15% total (10% employer, 5% employee) in January 2025 under the Social Security Act’s final scheduled increase. Philippine statutory rates typically adjust in January; this guide is updated when they change.
These costs are set by Philippine law and are identical regardless of which EOR provider you use. What varies between providers is the management fee charged on top of these statutory obligations, the quality of local support, the compliance infrastructure, and the technology platform.
How Much Does Each EOR Provider Charge for the Philippines?
Pricing is the single most important and most misunderstood factor in choosing a Philippines EOR provider. The management fee, which is the amount charged above and beyond salary and statutory costs, ranges from $199 to $699 per employee per month across the five providers evaluated here.
| Provider | Monthly EOR Fee | Contract Terms | Additional Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deel | $599/employee | Monthly or annual | 0.60% administrative fee on Philippines contracts (worker compensation and liability coverage) |
| Remote | $599/employee (annual) or $699 (monthly) | Annual discount available | None disclosed |
| Oyster HR | $699/employee | Annual discounts available | None disclosed |
| Rippling | Custom pricing (not published) | Custom contracts | Not published |
| Sourcefit | $199/employee | Flexible terms | None |
Published rates as of August 2026. Deel’s Philippines fee and 0.60% administrative fee are disclosed on Deel’s Philippines hiring page. Rippling does not publish EOR pricing; request a quote directly.
The annual cost difference is significant. For a single employee, the gap between Sourcefit at $199/month and Deel at $599/month is $4,800 per year. For a team of ten employees, that difference exceeds $48,000 annually, before accounting for Deel’s percentage-based administrative fee.
For a team of fifty, the fee gap reaches $240,000 per year before any percentage-based fees are counted. That is not a rounding error. It is a material budget line.
Why Do Global EOR Platforms Cost More?
The global platforms price their service to recover the cost of maintaining legal entities or partner networks in 90 to 180 countries. When you pay $599/month to Deel for a Philippines employee, a portion of that fee subsidizes their infrastructure in countries your team will never work in. This is the fundamental tradeoff of the global model: you get breadth at the cost of paying for coverage you do not use.
Regional providers like Sourcefit operate in a smaller number of countries (six, in our case) and can price accordingly. The compliance costs, legal infrastructure, and operational overhead are concentrated in the markets where we actually employ people. We have a presence in the countries where our clients are based, but we don’t have teams of lawyers, finance executives or large offices there.
Which EOR Providers Hold Which Compliance Certifications?
Compliance is the area where most buyers assume the large, well-funded platforms will dominate. The budgets are bigger. The teams are larger. The reality is more nuanced than that.
The table below compares the certifications and assurance reports each provider holds, compiled from each provider’s public trust center and security documentation as of August 2026 (see Deel’s, Rippling’s, and Sourcefit’s pages as examples).
| Certification | Deel | Remote | Oyster HR | Rippling | Sourcefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 27001 (Information Security) | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27701 (Privacy Management) | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| ISO 42001 (AI Management) | No | No | No | Yes | In final audit |
| SOC 1 | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| SOC 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (Type II) |
| SOC 3 | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| CSA STAR | No | Yes (Level 1) | No | Yes (Level 2) | No |
| PCI DSS | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| HIPAA support (BAAs) | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| GDPR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
“No” means the certification is not listed in the provider’s public documentation as of August 2026. Portfolios change; request current audit reports from any provider you evaluate. GDPR and HIPAA are regulatory frameworks rather than certifications, so those rows reflect each provider’s stated support.
Three findings stand out. First, Rippling is the only one of the five certified today under ISO 42001 for AI management systems, with Sourcefit’s certification in final audit. This standard is becoming important as AI features are integrated into HR and payroll platforms that handle employee records. Second, only Sourcefit holds ISO 27701 for privacy management and PCI DSS validation, which matters for organizations that process payment card data through their outsourced teams. Third, Deel and Rippling carry the broadest assurance-report portfolios among the global platforms; Deel holds SOC 1, SOC 2, and SOC 3, while Rippling adds CSA STAR Level 2 and Remote holds CSA STAR Level 1.
The takeaway is not that one provider is “better” at compliance. It is that buyers should ask for specific certification documentation rather than accepting vague claims about compliance readiness. The answers vary more than most buyers expect.
Who Actually Has People on the Ground in the Philippines?
This is where the structural difference between global platforms and regional providers becomes most visible. It is also the dimension that is hardest to evaluate from a website or sales deck. None of the four global platforms operate physical offices in the Philippines, though Remote owns a local legal entity. Sourcefit operates four offices with local HR and IT teams.
| Dimension | Global Platforms (Deel, Remote, Oyster, Rippling) | Regional Provider (Sourcefit) |
|---|---|---|
| Philippines offices | None (Remote has a local entity for employment) | Four offices: Bridgetowne, Eastwood, Angeles/Pampanga, Cebu |
| Local HR team | Centralized/distributed support | Dedicated HR team in Philippine time zone |
| Local IT support | Remote/ticket-based | On-site IT team across all offices |
| Government filings | Handled remotely or via local partners | Direct relationships with BIR, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, DOLE |
| Employee escalations | Ticket queue, business-hours SLA | Same-timezone support, in-person when needed |
| Onboarding | Digital/self-service | In-person or hybrid, with local orientation |
The practical difference becomes clear in specific scenarios. During the pandemic, we had motorcycle teams with special permits to deliver medicine, medical equipment and IT equipment. When a Philippine government agency rejects a filing due to a data discrepancy, Sourcefit has people who spent years of their careers inside these agencies and know exactly how a rejected filing gets fixed. When an employee has a family crisis, our team can understand the kind of help they need and expect, and deliver it fast. These are not edge cases. They are the reality of employing people in the Philippines.
Global platforms handle these situations through remote support teams, local partners, or ticket-based systems. These work. But they work differently, and for companies whose Philippine team is a core part of their operation rather than a single contractor, the difference in responsiveness compounds over time.
Do Regional Providers Lag on Technology?
The global EOR platforms have invested heavily in technology, and the results are impressive. Deel’s contractor management and payment rails are best in class. Rippling’s unified HR platform integrates payroll, benefits, device management, and app provisioning. Remote’s owned-entity model gives it direct control over the employment relationship. Oyster has focused on employee experience and ethical global employment.
The assumption most buyers make is that choosing a regional provider means giving up platform capabilities. That assumption is outdated.
Sourcefit built its own HRIS and payroll platform, Knit, which has been running in production since 2016. Knit handles onboarding, payroll processing, time tracking, performance management, and employee engagement across all of Sourcefit’s operating countries. Over the past two years, Sourcefit has integrated highly governed AI features into the platform, including intelligent document processing, predictive analytics, and locally adapted engagement tools. Every AI capability is built with strict data governance because it operates inside an HRIS handling employee records, payroll, and compliance data.
The difference is architectural. Global platforms build payroll engines that generalize across 90 to 180 countries. A regional platform like Knit goes deep on the markets it serves, with native integrations for Philippine government filing systems, local benefits structures, and country-specific compliance rules. Both approaches work. They optimize for different things.
What About the Services a Platform Can’t Offer?
One difference between a software platform and an operating company shows up in what you can add later. Because Sourcefit runs recruiting, IT, facilities, and training as core operations in the Philippines, EOR clients can pull those in as they grow. Recruiting draws on a candidate database of more than 100,000 professionals and an employee referral network more than 5,000 strong, built over seventeen years in the market. IT support runs 24/7 with on-site teams in all four offices, including equipment provisioning. Co-working and dedicated office space is available for teams that want a physical base without signing a lease. Training and quality management programs are there when a team needs structured upskilling.
To be fair, the platforms have some adjacent offerings. Deel runs a talent marketplace and Rippling sells a recruiting module. But recruiting, equipping, housing, and training a Philippine team through the same local provider that employs them is a structurally different offer.
When Should You Choose a Global Platform vs. a Regional Provider?
This is not a question with one right answer. It depends on what you are building.
A global platform is likely the better fit if:
- You are hiring across ten or more countries simultaneously and want a single dashboard for all of them.
- Your Philippine team is small (one to three people) and you do not need hands-on local support.
- You value the convenience of a self-service platform over dedicated account management.
- Your primary need is contractor payments rather than full-time employment.
A regional provider is likely the better fit if:
- Your Philippine team is a core part of your operation (five or more employees).
- You need local HR, IT, and administrative support in Philippine time zones.
- You are in a regulated industry (healthcare, finance, insurance) that requires PCI DSS validation or HIPAA business associate agreements.
- Cost efficiency matters and you want your EOR fees to reflect the markets you actually use.
- You want in-person onboarding, training, or employee engagement.
The Fine Print: What to Check Before Signing
Based on seventeen years of operating in this space, here are the specific questions buyers should ask any EOR provider before signing a contract.
Get the full cost breakdown. The statutory costs (SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, BIR withholding, 13th month pay) are fixed by Philippine law. Ask for a line-by-line breakdown of what is included in the management fee and what is charged separately. Some providers add fees on top. Deel, for example, discloses a 0.60% administrative fee for worker compensation and liability coverage on its Philippines page.
Ask where your support team sits. A ticket-based system routed through a global queue is a fundamentally different experience from a dedicated account manager in the same time zone as your employees. Neither is wrong, but you should know which one you are getting.
Request the compliance portfolio. Do not accept “we handle compliance” as an answer. Ask which certifications and assurance reports they hold, when they were last audited, and which apply specifically to their Philippines operations.
Understand the contract structure. Some providers require annual commitments for their best pricing. Others offer month-to-month flexibility. Know what the early termination terms look like and what happens to your employees if you switch providers.
Ask about the transition process. If you are moving employees from one EOR to another, or from an EOR to your own entity, ask how the provider handles the transition. Employee continuity, benefits continuity, and compliance during the handover period are critical and often overlooked.
Ask if your team will know their representative or business partner by name. Employing staff in the Philippines is a big responsibility and each job supports dependents and extended family. Should such a relationship be treated as a ticket in a queue?
Ask if your EOR provider offers any other services besides EOR. Many platforms do not. Companies like Sourcefit can offer recruiting, IT support, co-working space and more.
The Bottom Line
The global EOR platforms have solved the breadth problem brilliantly. If you need to hire in thirty countries from a single dashboard, Deel, Remote, Oyster HR, and Rippling offer genuine value. The technology is real. The growth is real. The convenience is real.
But they have not solved the depth problem. For buyers whose teams are concentrated in specific markets like the Philippines, regional providers offer local presence, hands-on support, and pricing that reflects the markets you actually use.
The question is not which provider has the best dashboard. It is whether you want a platform that knows every country a little, or a partner that knows your country completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an EOR cost in the Philippines in 2026?
Published Employer of Record management fees for the Philippines range from $199 to $699 per employee per month in 2026. Sourcefit charges $199, Deel charges $599 plus a 0.60% administrative fee, Remote charges $599 to $699 depending on billing terms, Oyster HR charges $699, and Rippling uses unpublished custom pricing. On top of the management fee, you pay the employee’s salary plus statutory employer costs of roughly 13% of salary required by Philippine law.
What is the cheapest EOR provider for the Philippines?
Among the five providers compared in this guide, Sourcefit has the lowest published rate at $199 per employee per month. The global platforms range from $599 to $699 per employee per month at published rates. The statutory costs required by Philippine law are identical regardless of provider, so the management fee is where the real price difference sits.
What does an employer legally pay on top of salary in the Philippines?
Philippine law requires employer contributions to SSS (10% of the monthly salary credit, capped at PHP 35,000), PhilHealth (2.5%, capped), and Pag-IBIG (capped at PHP 200 per month), plus 13th month pay equal to one-twelfth of annual basic salary. Together these add roughly 13% on top of gross salary. Every legitimate EOR must administer these; they are set by law, not by the provider.
Do Deel, Remote, or Oyster have offices in the Philippines?
None of the global EOR platforms operate physical offices in the Philippines. Remote owns a local legal entity for employment purposes but supports employees remotely. Sourcefit operates four physical offices in the Philippines: Bridgetowne, Eastwood, Angeles/Pampanga, and Cebu, with local HR and IT teams on the ground.
Is Deel’s $599 monthly fee the full cost?
No. Deel’s Philippines page discloses a 0.60% administrative fee for worker compensation and liability coverage on top of the $599 management fee, and third-party pricing reviews report additional costs such as a refundable salary deposit and currency conversion margins. Ask any provider for a complete line-by-line quote before comparing.
What compliance certifications should a Philippines EOR have?
At minimum, look for a SOC 2 report, which all five providers in this guide hold, and ISO 27001, which most hold. If your teams handle payment card data, ask for PCI DSS validation. If you are in healthcare, ask whether the provider signs HIPAA business associate agreements. As AI features spread through HR platforms, ISO 42001 certification for AI management systems is becoming the next differentiator; today Rippling holds it and Sourcefit’s certification is in final audit.
Can an EOR provider also recruit and equip my Philippine team?
It depends on the provider. Most EOR platforms legally employ people you have already found. Sourcefit, as an operating outsourcing company, also offers recruiting from a candidate database of more than 100,000 professionals and a 5,000-person employee referral network, 24/7 IT support with equipment provisioning, co-working space in its Philippine offices, and training programs, all as optional add-ons to EOR.
Can you move employees from one EOR provider to another?
Yes, but the transition has to be managed carefully to preserve employee tenure, benefits continuity, and compliance during the handover. Before signing with any provider, ask how they handle inbound and outbound transitions, what happens to accrued benefits, and what the early termination terms look like. This is one of the most overlooked questions in EOR contracts.
Andy Schachtel is the founder and CEO of Sourcefit, an outsourcing and Employer of Record provider operating in the Philippines, South Africa, the Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Northern Ireland, and Armenia. He has been building offshore teams since 2009.
Detailed provider comparisons:
- Sourcefit vs. Deel: sourcefit.com/sourcefit-vs-deel-philippines-eor
- Sourcefit vs. Remote: sourcefit.com/sourcefit-vs-remote-philippines-eor
- Sourcefit vs. Oyster HR: sourcefit.com/sourcefit-vs-oyster-hr-philippines-eor
- Sourcefit vs. Rippling: sourcefit.com/sourcefit-vs-rippling-philippines-eor
- Full 5-Provider Comparison: sourcefit.com/best-eor-providers-philippines-compared
