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10 Best PEO Companies to Help with Global Expansion in 2023

The Best PEO Companies Shortlist

Here’s the list of the best professional employer organization (PEO) companies that I’ll cover in this article, with detailed descriptions below:

  1. 1. Deel — Best PEO company for reliable end-to-end payroll management
  2. 2. Papaya Global — Best PEO company for payroll automation and cross-border payments in 160+ countries
  3. 3. Talent500 — Best PEO provider with a talent network to help you source candidates
  4. 4. ADP TotalSource — Best PEO company for ensuring competitive employment offers through benchmarked salary data
  5. 5. Remote — Best PEO provider for self-service HR tools
  6. 6. Zempleo — Best PEO company for international recruitment services
  7. 7. Globalization Partners — Best PEO company for flexible payment methods including cryptocurrency
  8. 8. Mercans — Best PEO company with additional specialty services for global operations
  9. 9. CloudPay — Best PEO and global payroll service for on-demand pay
  10. 10. Velocity Global — Best PEO provider for relocation services

Are you feeling the burden of corporate expansion? Sure, it's great to grow your business in new markets, but who's going to take care of all your new employees overseas? The best way to get these new responsibilities off your desk so you can get back to your main priorities is to work with a PEO company. A PEO company (a.k.a. a professional employer organization) is a hassle-free way to outsource your HR needs.

Choosing the best PEO company is a matter of finding one that meets all your business needs. In this article, I'll walk you through my picks of the top PEO companies that can help you get your work life back in order.

What is a PEO Company?

A professional employer organization (PEO) is a company that manages employees on your behalf. It’s a way to outsource human resources functions that you don’t have the expertise for in your business. 

When you use one of these services, you use a co-employment model. The PEO will take care of HR functions like payroll, employee benefits, tax filings, healthcare, and onboarding on your behalf. Meanwhile, the employee works for you as a regular employee.

Overviews of the 10 Best PEO Companies 

Here’s a brief description of each PEO company's key services and noteworthy features. I've also included a screenshot for each one so you can get a sense of their user interface too. 

1

Deel

Best PEO company for reliable end-to-end payroll management

Deel is a professional employer organization platform that enables international hiring by establishing local expertise. Companies can use Deel to rapidly employ people in 150+ countries without ever needing to establish a new entity. They are well-known for their international presence and expertise and are used by many well-known companies including Reddit, Shopify, and Dropbox.

Deel offers free calculator tools to help you estimate the cost of an international worker. You can compare different country costs and see what benefits and withholdings are required. Deel also ensures all legal obligations are met on your behalf so you don't have to stress about local compliance requirements either.

The Deel platform offers end-to-end management of your team, from onboarding to termination. Their web app is user-friendly and offers a range of features to help businesses manage their workers effectively. These include international benefits, contract management, and expense tracking. Their integrated contract management function also supports advanced customizations such as stipends, signing bonuses, and stock options.

The well-established business has launched several new offerings over the past year, including global payroll, global mobility support, integrated Slack tools, and advanced integrations. The global payroll offering brings in-house expertise, which can significantly help companies with existing payroll setups to streamline their accounting and reporting procedures.

Compared to other EOR offerings, Deel stands out with local country experts that provide consultative approaches for each location you hire from. They are also one of the largest payroll systems we’ve seen here, and report having 100,000+ active worker contracts.

Deel offers flat-rate user pricing with several different plans to choose from, and a free version for businesses with up to 200 people. You can also request a free demo through their website.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6 679

Free demo available

Flat rate user pricing, with a free version for businesses with up to 200 people

2

Papaya Global

Best PEO company for payroll automation and cross-border payments in 160+ countries

When companies want to remove barriers to global hiring - they call Papaya Global. Papaya’s automated, SaaS platform provides an end-to-end global workforce management solution - onboarding to cross-border payments in 160+ countries.

The platform supports all employee options (payroll, EoR, Contractors), integrates with all management tools, and uses smart technology to ensure compliance and eliminate errors. It creates a highly visible system for tracking payroll spending and real-time BI.

Papaya can help any company simplify global people management. Enterprises can access Papaya’s state-of-the-art automation, security, and BI without replacing their existing payroll system.

The company offers various plans for different services. Payroll starts at $25 per employee per month, contractor management begins at $25 per employee per pay cycle, and the global EOR starts at $770 per employee per month. Contact the company for a demo of the software.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3 5

Free trial available

EOR from $770/employee/month or $25/contractor/month; Global payroll from $3 to $12/employee/month

3

Talent500

Best PEO provider with a talent network to help you source candidates

Talent500 is a comprehensive recruiting and applicant tracking service that facilitates many core operations employers, organizations, and recruiting professionals perform. Its software-as-a-service (SaaS) capabilities cover core employee management needs, from onboarding to payroll, benefits administration, and labor law compliance. The solution enables organizations to hire, build, and manage a global remote workforce.

The platform's AI-enabled global talent network helps you find qualified professionals around the world. Pre-screening, assessments, and interviews can all be designed and managed through the software to help you streamline your recruitment and hiring operations. It also provides you with management control, so your organization maintains decision-making authority on every aspect of your remote workforce management processes, including recruitment, performance evaluations, and termination.

The company helps you remain compliant with local tax and labor laws and stay up-to-date with any changes. The service also offers intellectual property (IP) and confidentiality protection through ironclad and locally valid contracts, allowing you to secure your IP infastructure and retain complete ownership and security of your sensitive personnel data and other corporate assets.

Pricing starts at $599/remote employee/month, plus talent costs (payroll processing and benefits).

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
5 6

No free trial is available for this product

From 199/employee/Month

4

ADP TotalSource

Best PEO company for ensuring competitive employment offers through benchmarked salary data

ADP TotalSource is a full-service PEO solution that helps you outsource your HR functions to hire and manage global talent. Their platform includes core HR functions, international recruiting tools, top-level employee benefits plans, international payroll processing, and global talent benchmarking.

Their software standardizes and digitizes the onboarding experience for your staff, including the set-up of employee records, company policy acknowledgements, and benefits enrollment, no matter where your staff are located. Their payroll module also helps you process payroll and ensures compliance with local tax laws thanks to their dedicated team of payroll specialists.

ADP TotalSource is an IRS-certified PEO that’s available in 180+ countries. Their PEO services also include additional HR expertise, plus international benchmarking data so you can ensure your new hire offers and compensation packages remain competitive in the global market.

Pricing details for ADP TotalSource are available upon request.

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

5

Remote

Best PEO provider for self-service HR tools

Remote is a platform that helps you hire and manage remote employees globally. The company takes care of the entire employment process, from onboarding when they join your company to offboarding when they leave.

The company helps with HR management, benefits, and payroll. And it offers a suite of self-serve onboarding and management tools that employees and employers can use to get the most out of their experience.

Remote owns entities in every company it operates in. And it hires in-house legal and HR experts to ensure you are always up-to-date with regulations, even if they change. The service covers both full and part-time employees as well as the hiring of international contractors.

The company also supports your domestic human resource needs. For example, the payroll tax compliance feature helps you navigate IRS (internal revenue service) requirements with employees inside and outside the U.S.

Companies can sign up to Remote and hire one employee for free. After this, there is a transparent pricing model of $349 per employee per month or $29/contractor/month.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.5 603

Free plan with limited features

EOR from $599/employee/month or $29/contractor/month

6

Zempleo

Best PEO company for international recruitment services

Zempleo is a minority-owned full-service HR outsourcing solution that offers payroll and contractor compliance services.

It delivers solutions both in the United States and globally. The payroll service includes features like onboarding, expense management, and invoicing, while contractor compliance reduces the risk of you misclassifying an employee.

Zempleo stands out due to their international recruitment services. The company hires a team of experts who can hire qualified candidates across various industries. When combined with their payroll and HR services, these staffing features take almost all the stress out of hiring and managing employees.

Zempleo doesn’t publicize pricing, but you can contact the company for more information.

Pricing upon request

7

Globalization Partners

Best PEO company for flexible payment methods including cryptocurrency

Globalization Partners is a PEO with extensive coverage that lets you hire employees in 187 countries and pay in 180 currencies. The company also offers a comprehensive guide of the laws and requirements of each country so you can make informed choices about where to hire from.

Working with Globalization Partners is easy. Just find the candidates you want to hire, and the company will onboard them and deal with payroll, benefits, and HR. You can track all this from within the company’s platform, which contains employee profiles, time off, and payroll.

Globalization Partners enables you to pay employees in 187 currencies. You can even pay employees with cryptocurrencies, although the legalities of this will depend on the laws and regulations of the country the employee works in.

Globalization Partners doesn’t publicize pricing, but you can request a quote on the website.

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

8

Mercans

Best PEO company with additional specialty services for global operations

Mercans offers a wealth of services to help organizations expand their operations globally, including global PEO, EOR and GEO (global employment outsourcing services) and global payroll. They also offer additional specialty services including HR management and advisory services, global mobility and talent management, incorporation and local compliance services, and business process outsourcing.

They’re currently used by some very big-name companies, including Adidas, Audi, Bayer, Ford, IDEA, Johnson & Johnson, MasterCard, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Shell, and Tesla.

Mercans integrates directly with many common human capital management (HCM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, including BambooHR, Sage, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle Cloud HCM, UKG Pro, and Workday.

Mercans offers customized pricing upon request. You can also request a free demo through their website.

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

9

CloudPay

Best PEO and global payroll service for on-demand pay

CloudPay offers payroll and HR solutions to companies globally. Compliance features help with risk management by reducing the chances of you falling foul of local regulations. The tool also has features that let you automate administrative tasks to reduce manual work.

The most unique CloudPay feature is called Now. It allows your employees to withdraw wages they have already earned at a time that suits them, even before their scheduled payday. This happens from within the employee mobile app, and CloudPay automates the process, meaning it doesn’t result in extra work for your teams.

The company also offers analytics and reporting features. You can see the cost of payroll in each country you operate in and compare each one. You can also break expenses down by payment type to see payments, deductions, and bonuses in each country.

CloudPay doesn’t publicize pricing, but you can ask for more information on the website.

Pricing upon request

10

Velocity Global

Best PEO provider for relocation services

Velocity Global is a PEO service that helps simplify international expansion. It claims to be able to help you get up and running in any country in the world in as little as 48 hours.

The HR administration services offered by the company cover everything from hiring employees to payroll, compliance, benefits packages, employee training, and risk mitigation. Choose whichever services you need, and the company will send a monthly invoice for services used.

One way the company stands out is through its global immigration services. These help you move international employees to different countries compliantly. Velocity Global’s team of experts takes care of all paperwork and visas and can even offer on-the-ground support to help with the transition.

Velocity Global doesn’t publicize pricing. You can contact the company for more information.

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

Need Expert Help Selecting The Right Human Resources (HR) Software?

We’ve joined up with Crozdesk.com to give all our readers (yes, you!) access to Crozdesk’s software advisors. Just use the form below to share your needs, and they will contact you at no cost or commitment. You will then be matched and connected to a shortlist of vendors that best fit your company, and you can access exclusive software discounts!

The 10 Best PEO Companies Comparison Chart

Here’s a comparison chart that summarizes basic details about each of my top PEO selections. You can view their pricing details side-by-side to help you find the best PEO partner your budget.

Tool Free Option Price
1
Deel

Best PEO company for reliable end-to-end payroll management

Free demo available

Flat rate user pricing, with a free version for businesses with up to 200 people Visit Website
2
Papaya Global

Best PEO company for payroll automation and cross-border payments in 160+ countries

Free trial available

EOR from $770/employee/month or $25/contractor/month; Global payroll from $3 to $12/employee/month Visit Website
3
Talent500

Best PEO provider with a talent network to help you source candidates

No free trial is available for this product

From 199/employee/Month Visit Website
4
ADP TotalSource

Best PEO company for ensuring competitive employment offers through benchmarked salary data

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
5
Remote

Best PEO provider for self-service HR tools

Free plan with limited features

EOR from $599/employee/month or $29/contractor/month Visit Website
6
Zempleo

Best PEO company for international recruitment services

Not available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
7
Globalization Partners

Best PEO company for flexible payment methods including cryptocurrency

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
8
Mercans

Best PEO company with additional specialty services for global operations

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
9
CloudPay

Best PEO and global payroll service for on-demand pay

Not available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
10
Velocity Global

Best PEO provider for relocation services

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website

Other PEO Service Providers

Here are a few other options that didn’t make the top 10 PEO companies shortlist:

  1. Rippling

    Best PEO option that allows self-managed HR with a click, for USA and Canada-based companies

  2. Multiplier

    Best PEO company for globally distributed teams

  3. Oyster HR

    Best PEO company for compliant international hiring without a local entity

  4. Atlas HXM

    Best for end-to-end HR management

  5. Infiniti HR

    Best PEO service provider for risk management and general HR services

  6. Global PEO Services

    Best PEO company for immigration and global mobility support

  7. Justworks

    Best PEO company for 24/7 customer support

  8. Insperity

    Best scalable PEO provider for midsize businesses

  9. Engage PEO

    Best PEO company for payroll & tax administrative services and workers' compensation assistance

  10. Paychex PEO

    Best PEO company and HR outsourcing specialist that supports the full employee lifecycle

Selection Criteria for the Best PEO Companies

In case you're wondering how I created this list of the best PEO companies, I'm happy to explain my selection process. To start off, I created a long list of the most popular PEO companies based on market data.

Next, with my long list in place, I dug deeper into the services each PEO company offered. For this portion of the assessment, I carefully compared the services offered using my selection criteria below. This helped me determine which companies were the clear winners in the pack.

To satisfy your curiosity, here are the main evaluation and selection criteria I used to develop this list of the best PEO companies for global expansion today:

Industry Expertise

I selected PEO companies that have proven track records in this complex and highly-specialized field. To assess this, I reviewed the depth of the services they offer and the credentials of their team members, if available. I also took note of companies with positive user ratings or testimonials from other HR specialists too.

International Coverage

Some PEO companies offer coverage in more jurisdictions than others, which is an important factor to consider when choosing the right partner for you. For a company to land a spot in my top 10 list, their country coverage needed to cast a wide net. Most PEO providers do offer coverage in numerous countries — far too many for me to list out. Instead, I encourage you to visit the PEO's website to confirm they offer services in the countries you need. Chances are, they do.

Company Size

PEO service agreements can be complicated, and that's why I selected PEO companies that are well-known and trusted players in this space. I included a selection of organizations that will work for any company size looking to outsource their HR functions, including everything from startups and small operations to midsize businesses or enterprise organizations. No matter what size your organization is, the PEO companies in this list can customize their services to your unique business needs.

Customer Service

Your PEO provider will act as your organization's main point of contact for your employees with their boots on the ground in whatever foreign market they're based in. For that reason, ensuring good quality customer service is essential for both your employees and the HR team in your headquarters. In fact, ensuring open and timely communication is probably one of the most important factors when selecting a PEO company. You can get a feel for that easily by contacting them directly for a quote, then assessing the quality and timeliness of their response.

PEO Companies: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to questions we hear frequently about professional employer organizations and how they work:

PEO vs. EOR Services

Many employer organizations operating in the global workspace do offer both PEO and EOR services. So what’s the difference, and what does each type of service include? 

Professional employer organizations (PEO) work on your behalf to cover common functions like payroll, tax filing, international benefits administration, and HR services. Technically, you’re only outsourcing specific functions to the PEO organization though, meaning the employees who benefit from these services are still considered your organization’s employees. In addition, you’re required to already have a legal entity set up within a foreign country in order to use PEO services within that country. 

An employer of record (EOR) is used in situations where an organization wants to hire internationally, but they lack a legal entity in the foreign country where their potential workers are located. When using an EOR provider, foreign workers are technically hired by the EOR and not your parent organization. Instead, the EOR becomes the full legal employer and managers all aspects of their employment while they perform work on behalf of your company.

PEOs are the Easiest Way to Achieve Global Expansion

Now that the war for top talent has gone global, PEO companies are an important ally for businesses of all sizes, whether you're an SMB or an enterprise organization.

The best PEO companies offer all the HR support you need to run your business. They let you focus on the things you’re good at while ensuring you stay compliant with international employment laws. 

To choose the right PEO, think about the HR tasks you need to outsource and look for one that meets those needs.

What's Next?

To further assist you in your journey, here are some links to other global HR resources as well. If you have more questions, these links are a great place to start:

Lastly, for the latest insights on building happy, healthy, and productive workplaces, sign up for our newsletter here.

By Kim Behnke

Kim Behnke is an HR Tool Expert & Writer for People Managing People. She draws on her 9 years of human resources experience and her keen eye for systematic processes to support her analyses of the top HR tools on the market. She is passionate about maximizing efficiencies and streamlining workflows to ensure internal systems run smoothly. Kim's HR experience includes recruitment, onboarding, performance management, training and development, policy development and enforcement, and HR analytics. She also has degrees in psychology, writing, publishing, and technical communication. When away from her desk, she can usually be found outside tending to her ever-expanding garden.