Best Contractor Management Software 2025: Efficiency, Compliance & Payments

As businesses worldwide race to leverage the potential of a rapidly expanding freelance workforce—over 76 million strong in the US alone—leaders are encountering complex challenges around efficiently managing, paying, and staying compliant with global contractors.

Too often, companies grapple with tangled onboarding processes, manual invoicing errors, and the ever-present risks of misclassification and non-compliance, especially when operating across international borders.

At Deel, we’ve partnered with thousands of organizations across 150+ countries, empowering them to streamline the entire contractor lifecycle with our all-in-one people platform—from seamless onboarding and global payments to rock-solid compliance and time tracking.

This article explains how the right contractor management software—like Deel and other complementary software—can reduce administrative headaches, automate payroll across currencies, and minimize regulatory risk so you can keep your organization running smoothly.

What is contractor management software?

Contractor management software (CMS) is a cloud-based tool that helps businesses streamline the processes involved in hiring, managing, and paying independent contractors. With a centralized platform, companies can automate contractor onboarding, oversee assignments, and handle payments securely.

The benefits of using top-tier contractor management software

The benefits of using top-tier contractor management software include:

• Access to global talent: Access larger pools of qualified contractors based on specific skills and credentials across 150+ countries without establishing local entities or navigating complex international hiring laws
• Automated onboarding: Allow contractors to self-manage documentation and setup through guided workflows that ensure compliance while reducing administrative time by up to 70%
• Faster talent deployment: Mobilize talent quickly with ready-to-use contract templates, instant background checks, and digital onboarding processes, improving efficiency and time-to-market
• Simplified management: Manage all contractors and employees in one global platform, with full visibility across countries and teams through centralized dashboards and custom reporting
• Flexible payments: Process global payments with multiple currency and withdrawal options including same-day transfers, cryptocurrency, and Deel Card with competitive exchange rates and minimal fees
• Enhanced financial control: Gain better visibility over contractor spending with forecasting, budget tracking, approval workflows, and detailed expense management tools
• Improved communication: Benefit from better engagement with contractors through real-time updates, integrated messaging, and collaborative document sharing
• Compliance with laws and regulations: Guaranteed compliance covering complex, global regulations through continuous monitoring, automatic updates to contracts, and expert legal support
• Contractor benefits: Attract top talent by offering contractors access to healthcare options, financial services, equipment management, and professional development opportunities
• Risk mitigation: Protect your business from misclassification penalties, tax complications, and legal issues with built-in compliance checks and classification tools

Top 5 best contractor management software in 2025

Managing contractors efficiently is critical as businesses increasingly rely on remote and global talent. In 2025, contractor management tools offer solutions that streamline hiring, payments, compliance, and HR processes, ensuring seamless operations across different regions and worker types.

Here are the top five tools for managing contractors in 2025.

1. Deel

Deel’s global people platform is built to simplify hiring, managing, and paying contractors worldwide in 150+ countries while staying fully compliant with local labor laws.

This platform is the most complete contractor management solution on the market in 2025. It offers unmatched capabilities for hiring, managing, and paying contractors in 150+ countries with industry-leading compliance protection, global payments, expense management, and time tracking features.

Deel simplifies contractor management—whether you're hiring a single freelancer or managing a global contractor workforce.

Choose from two service levels:

• Deel Contractor: Get all the tools you need to hire, pay, and manage contractors directly
• Contractor of Record (COR): Delegate risk. Deel takes on legal responsibility for worker classification and compliance with local labor laws

Key features of Deel Contractor:

• Compliant onboarding: Collect legally required documentation and automate contract generation for 150+ countries
• Global payments: Process bulk payments through 8 different payment options, including local currencies and crypto. Contractors can withdraw their earnings using services like Wise, Revolut, and Deel Card
• Expense and invoice management: Contractors can automatically generate invoices, and clients can approve expenses with accounting system integration
• Time tracking for PAYG contractors: PAYG contractors can submit hours through a user-friendly time tracker platform with multiple tracking options
• Global HRIS integration: Deel consolidates HR tasks like tracking time off, managing documents, and automating onboarding tasks for contractors and employees within one platform
• Performance management: Set goals, track progress, and conduct performance reviews for contractors with customizable templates and automated reminders to ensure consistent evaluation. Deel Engage helps you build a high-performance team with ease
• Equipment: Manage contractor equipment with inventory tracking, digital agreements, and simplified procurement processes all in one secure platform. Deel offers a comprehensive solution for device lifecycle management
• Integrations: Connect Deel with your favourite tools and apps, including Dropbox, Hubstaff, QuickBooks, Microsoft 365, and many more
• Immigration support: Access expert guidance on employee immigration and visa processing services to help contractors relocate or work legally in new jurisdictions
• Talent sourcing: Explore Deel's global talent marketplace to find qualified contractors with specialized skills across 150+ countries
• Slack plugins and collaboration tools: Improve team collaboration with Deel's Slack integration, enabling contractors to submit hours, request payments, and access documents directly within Slack
• Contractor to employee conversion: Easily transition contractors to full-time employees, ensuring compliance and continuity throughout the conversion process

Read more: A Complete Guide to Contractor Management for Global Businesses

Key features of Deel Contractor of Record:

All of the above features, but with the addition of:

• Worker classification: Deel assesses the proper classification of workers (contractor vs. employee) and advises businesses on compliance. This helps companies avoid penalties related to misclassification, which could otherwise result in fines and tax violations
• Compliant contracts: Deel handles the creation of localized contracts and takes care of background checks, ensuring that every contractor operates under the correct legal framework
• HR management: The platform centralizes HR tasks such as managing equipment provisioning, payments, and compliance monitoring, all in one system. It also offers Continuous Compliance™, monitoring local labor law changes and providing actionable insights

2. Time Doctor

Time Doctor is a time tracking and workforce analytics tool. It is especially useful for businesses managing remote and distributed teams, particularly those that operate on a pay-as-you-go basis.

With Time Doctor’s automated timesheets, you’ll benefit from precise tracking of work hours, minimized risk of manual error, and a streamlined payroll process.

Key features:

• Automated time tracking: Time Doctor tracks hours automatically, providing businesses with precise timesheets for accurate payroll calculations
• Payroll integration: The platform can be integrated with Deel to automate batch payments and bulk billing, reducing admin work by syncing timesheets with payroll systems in one click
• Real-time dashboards: Businesses can monitor productivity and schedule adherence, offering insights into contractor performance while ensuring accountability and compliance​

3. Hubstaff

Hubstaff is a time tracking and workforce management software primarily designed for managing remote and distributed teams. It helps companies monitor employee productivity, track work hours, and manage payroll for hourly workers.

Key features:

• Time tracking: Hubstaff lets employees and contractors log their work hours either automatically (with a start/stop timer) or manually, ensuring accurate records for payroll and project tracking.
• Productivity monitoring: The platform offers optional productivity monitoring tools like screenshots and activity tracking (keyboard/mouse usage), providing insights into employee performance. You can also adjust the settings to meet privacy preferences or compliance needs.
• Location tracking and geofencing: For field teams or remote workers, Hubstaff can track location in real-time. It allows geofencing, which automatically starts/stops time tracking when a worker enters or leaves a job site.
• Payroll automation: Hubstaff integrates with payment platforms like PayPal and Wise, automating payments to contractors based on the hours tracked. You can also set custom pay rates for each team member or project and handle multi-currency payments for global teams.
• Project management: Managers can assign tasks, track time spent on specific projects, and monitor task completion to ensure team members stay on schedule.
• Reporting: Hubstaff offers detailed reports on time spent, productivity, and project progress. Managers can also set budgets and get notified if hours or costs exceed limits.
• Integrations: Hubstaff works with project management tools like Trello, Jira, and Asana, as well as accounting platforms like QuickBooks, making it easy to streamline workflows across the business

4. JazzHR

JazzHR is primarily a recruitment software focused on streamlining the hiring process. It provides tools for posting job ads, managing candidates, and automating parts of the recruitment process.

Key features:

• Job posting: JazzHR allows users to post jobs to multiple job boards from one platform (like Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, etc.). You can customize job descriptions using templates, making it easy to update and modify postings.
• Applicant tracking: The system provides a centralized dashboard to manage applicants at every stage of the hiring process. Users can track candidates, organize them into categories (interviewed, hired, etc.), and filter through resumes using automated resume parsing.
• Collaborative hiring: You can involve your team in the hiring process by sharing feedback on candidates, assigning scores, and leaving internal comments. This streamlines decision-making as multiple team members can engage in the review process directly within the platform.
• Interview scheduling: JazzHR integrates with calendars to allow automatic interview scheduling, syncing directly with the candidate and interviewers’ availability.
• Offer letter management: The platform provides templates for offer letters and allows you to send them electronically, collecting e-signatures directly through the system. This keeps the hiring process seamless from start to finish.
• Reports and analytics: Users can generate detailed reports on recruiting metrics like time-to-hire and the effectiveness of various job boards. JazzHR also supports compliance reporting, which can help ensure you meet regulatory requirements.

Key features to look for in contractor management software

Managing contractors across different countries and regions presents unique challenges. While we’ve discussed some of the top tools available, let’s explore all the key features that make contractor management software so valuable for global businesses.

Contractor onboarding

Bringing contractors on board efficiently is key to maintaining momentum, especially for growing businesses. A good onboarding process should streamline tasks like signing contracts, gathering necessary documentation, and introducing contractors to project management systems. Automated onboarding features help businesses scale faster by reducing administrative work, allowing contractors to be up and running quickly.

Additionally, platforms that enable smooth data transfer from recruitment to onboarding ensure that no details are missed during the transition from candidate to active contractor.

With Deel, you can reduce time-to-hire by up to 70% through automated, localized contracts for 150+ countries. Our platform handles all compliance documentation, e-signatures, and identity verification in a single workflow while allowing contractors to self-onboard through an intuitive interface.

Compliance and misclassification protection

Ensuring compliance extends beyond just onboarding. With different labor laws in different countries, misclassification of contractors can incur fines and even legal consequences. The usual case of contractor misclassification happens when a business incorrectly classifies an employee as a contractor, opening up that business to potential penalties by any government agency for failure to comply with worker protection laws.

Effective contractor management software provides tools like classification questionnaires or Contractor of Record (CoR) services to help businesses:

• Correctly classify workers
• Ensure compliance with local labor regulations
• Minimize the risk of lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny

Deel's Contractor of Record (CoR) service handles worker classification, creates compliant contracts, manages documentation, and monitors regulatory changes automatically. This allows businesses to expand their teams internationally without compliance concerns or administrative overhead.

Global payment

Businesses need a streamlined payroll system to handle payments for multiple contractors across different countries. Since contractors typically manage their own taxes, the key need for businesses is efficient bulk payment processing rather than handling individual tax responsibilities.

Effective payroll software allows companies to:

• Pay multiple contractors in bulk, simplifying global payroll processes
• Automate payments to ensure contractors receive their compensation on time
• Support payments in multiple currencies, making it easier to pay contractors regardless of location

These features reduce administrative overhead for businesses and ensure a seamless payment process, allowing companies to focus on maintaining strong relationships with their contractors.

Payment options for contractors

Having flexible means of payment and getting paid in a currency of choice is very important to a contractor. And a happy contractor is a productive contractor.

Contractor management platforms with multi-currency payment support help global contractors get paid easily without the extra hassle and fees related to money conversion or any delays.

Best contractor management platforms may also give different methods for withdrawal, like global debit cards, local bank transfers, and even cryptocurrency, to suit varied preferences. Such flexibility helps businesses retain talent by giving them a seamless payment experience with contractors across the world.

With Deel, contractors enjoy unmatched payment flexibility with eight withdrawal options including Deel Card, Revolut, Wise, and cryptocurrency transfers in 120+ currencies. Businesses can schedule automatic payments and execute mass transfers in just a few clicks, while contractors receive funds faster with same-day processing and reduced fees compared to traditional banking methods.

Automated invoicing

Manual invoicing can lead to errors and delays, especially when dealing with contractors in multiple regions. Automated invoicing software ensures accurate and timely invoices, improving efficiency for businesses and guaranteeing that contractors are paid correctly for their work.

These systems often generate invoices based on work submitted and approved, reducing the burden on contractors to track their billable hours manually. It’s a win-win, improving efficiency for businesses while ensuring contractors are compensated fairly and on time.

When using Deel, invoices are automatically generated based on contracts and tracked time, eliminating manual errors and formatting inconsistencies. The platform handles currency conversions, tax calculations, and payment processing on your behalf.

Time tracking and productivity monitoring

Tracking work hours is important for hourly contractors and for companies that bill based on time worked. Time tracking tools allow contractors to log their hours easily, and some advanced systems offer features like bulk hour submission or clock-in/out functionality for convenience.

In addition, productivity monitoring platforms can give managers insights into how contractors spend their time. This might include features like screenshots, activity levels, and even location tracking for field service teams. These insights help businesses optimize workloads and ensure contractors remain productive while providing transparency and accountability.

Through Deel's platform, contractors can log hours effortlessly through an intuitive time tracking interface that supports both manual entry and automated tracking. Managers gain visibility through customizable reports showing billable hours across projects and teams, while the platform automatically generates compliant invoices based on tracked time and contractual rates.

Tax support

Global contractors often face different tax obligations depending on their location. While contractor’s taxes are not their client’s direct responsibility, certain platforms offer support in that matter. These tools can assist with tax document collection and offer guidance on managing tax regulations across various countries. This helps contractors stay compliant with local tax authorities, reducing the risk of future complications.

For businesses, such features also streamline the process of generating accurate tax reports, ensuring that both the company and its contractors meet their tax obligations.

With Deel, contractors receive automated tax document generation including 1099 forms in the US and country-specific equivalents worldwide. The platform provides tax filing guidance, calculates withholding requirements where applicable, and stores all documentation securely in one place.

Perks and benefits for contractors

While typically reserved for full-time employees, offering perks and benefits to contractors can be a valuable differentiator. Some platforms allow contractors to access health benefits, insurance, or financial perks like advances on payments. These features help businesses attract and retain top contractor talent by offering more than just competitive pay.

With Deel, contractors gain access to an exclusive marketplace of global benefits typically reserved for employees. We have over 150 partners, each with unique offers. Find out more about our contractor benefits and perks.

Read more: Hiring and Managing Contractors: A Global Client's Guide

Discover Deel’s all-in-one solution for contractor management

Discover how Deel can transform your contractor management experience. Streamline hiring, ensure compliance, and simplify payments globally.

Schedule a call with our experts today to see Deel in action and take the first step towards efficient and compliant international workforce management. Request a demo today.