OnPay vs Deel
A head-to-head comparison for 2026 -- pricing, features, and which is better for different use cases.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | OnPay | Deel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $40/mo + $6/person | $49/contractor · $599/EOR |
| Free Tier | 1-month free trial | Free HR up to 200 employees |
| Payroll | Full-service US | Global (150+ countries) |
| HR | Basic + benefits admin | Free HRIS + EOR + CoR |
| Benefits | Health, 401(k) | Country-specific benefits |
| Best For | Simple US payroll | Global-first hiring |
OnPay -- Overview
OnPay is the back-to-basics alternative to Gusto. Same transparent $40 + $6/person pricing, one plan with everything included, and a 1-month free trial to run actual payroll before committing. No upsells, no tier confusion, no add-on fees.
Full-service US payroll with automatic tax filing, multi-state support, benefits administration, and workers' comp integration -- all in the single flat rate. The interface is clean and straightforward. Best for small US businesses that want simple, honest payroll without feature creep or complexity.
Deel -- Overview
Deel is the global hiring standard for remote-first teams. Contractor Management at $49/month per contractor covers onboarding, compliance, automated invoicing, and payments in 150+ countries with 120+ currency options. Employer of Record at $599/month handles full-time employees where you do not have a legal entity, with in-house legal teams and local entities in 100+ markets.
Free Deel HR software supports up to 200 employees, replacing a separate HRIS during early growth. Ranked #1 on G2 for Employer of Record, Global Employment, and Multi-Country Payroll, with 4.9/5 on Capterra across 4,200+ reviews. Pricing is premium -- the $599 EOR fee is the highest in market -- but that price buys 150+ country coverage and the compliance infrastructure that would otherwise require setting up local entities. Best for remote-first companies and businesses managing global contractor networks.
Key Differences
The clearest lane separation on the hub. OnPay is simple US payroll. Deel is global hiring. The two rarely compete.
For US-based small businesses that want simple, transparent payroll with no sales calls and no upsells, OnPay is the lowest-friction option. 1-month free trial, one flat price, everything included.
For any international work, OnPay has no answer. No contractor management outside the US, no Employer of Record, no multi-country coverage. Deel is purpose-built for exactly these scenarios.
For a US team with international contractors, the typical setup is OnPay for US W-2 payroll and Deel for global contractors. The tools don't overlap, so there's no redundancy -- just two specialists doing their specific jobs well.
The Verdict
Choose OnPay for simple, transparent US-only payroll with zero complexity. Choose Deel for global hiring, international contractors, and Employer of Record. The two don't compete -- they're complementary specialists.