Deel vs. CloudPay: A Global Payroll Comparison

General overview

Global payroll is inherently complex with multiple currencies, tax jurisdictions, benefits laws, filings, and regulatory risks to navigate. The choice of a payroll partner can either simplify operations or make things even more complicated. Deel and CloudPay are both leading global payroll providers with services aimed at helping businesses manage payroll efficiently, accurately, and compliantly.

Deel Payroll helps companies run payroll in 130+ countries, backed by in-house expertise, automated tax calculations, and integrations with HR and finance tools. According to a 2025 Forrester Total Economic Impact Study, clients experienced 67% ROI and 60% time saved on payroll processing after switching to Deel.

CloudPay provides managed payroll services through a global platform, enabling businesses to work efficiently and compliantly. Their services center on operational consistency, pay automation, data insights, and integration with HR systems.

Choosing the right global payroll provider involves a variety of factors. We’ll walk you through the pros and cons of Deel and CloudPay based on key features, cost, scalability, compliance expertise, platform capabilities, automations, user experience, analytics, implementation, and customer support so that you can make the best decision for your business.

Key features

CloudPay

• Payroll services in 130+ countries
• 110+ currencies handled
• Payroll is run in-house and by third parties
• Single, cloud-based platform
• Robust, standardized payroll reporting and analytics
• Strong certified integrations with Workday and UKG
• Global compliance support

Deel

• Payroll services in 130+ countries
• 120+ currencies handled and 15 payment methods supported
• Payroll is run in-house in all countries (50+ payroll engines owned by Deel)
• One unified platform to manage payroll, HR, IT, and more
• 2,000+ in-house experts in payroll, HR, and legal
• Real-time gross-to-net calculations and automated compliance updates
• Workday Global Payroll Cloud-certified
• Deep partnerships with Oracle, SAP, UKG, and more
• HR-compliant employee onboarding and offboarding
• Custom API connections and automations
• 24/7 customer support and dedicated payroll managers local to your employees
• Enterprise-grade security standards

Cost

CloudPay

CloudPay Global Payroll pricing varies by country and region. The pricing structure includes recurring fees for entities, and treasury services are charged separately.

There is flexibility in their pricing. Reach out to their sales team for a detailed quote.

Deel

Deel Payroll starts at $29 per employee per month. It includes:

• Unified payroll processing
• Compliance with local tax regulations
• Multi-currency payment support
• Exchange rate management
• Reporting and analytics
• Self-service access for employees

Scalability

CloudPay

CloudPay’s Global Payroll Hub gives centralized visibility across multiple countries, enabling businesses to manage widespread payroll operations. They focus on streamlining global payroll for businesses through automations, HCM integrations, analytics and insights, global compliance support, and access to in-country experts.

However, their services revolve around managed payroll and HR integrations, which means you’d need to onboard additional vendors if you require services such as IT management or hiring in countries where you don’t have an entity.

Deel

Deel supports scaling from startups to large enterprises by providing a multitude of services through one unified platform.

Whether you’re managing global payroll, hiring through an employer of record (EOR), onboarding contractors, managing device lifecycles, or offering equity to your employees, Deel’s services can be tailored to your specific needs while still leaving room to add on or adjust in the future.

Compliance expertise

CloudPay

CloudPay has global compliance support built into their managed payroll services. Their compliance experts help you stay updated with evolving regulations, and their global managed service integrates local payroll information to ensure accuracy in payroll processing and reporting.

They also provide access to in-country experts through the Cloudpay Platform, facilitating conversations and queries regarding specific pay runs.

Deel

With 2,000+ in-house experts in payroll, HR, and legal, Deel provides businesses with peace of mind by ensuring compliance with global regulations. Expert teams proactively monitor local labor laws, tax updates, and important deadlines across 130+ countries. Anytime something changes, you’ll receive alerts and action plans to stay compliant.

Deel’s compliance capabilities also extend beyond payroll. The Compliance Hub included in the platform helps businesses avoid misclassification penalties, maintain compliance with GDPR, send localized contracts, and more.

Platform and integration capabilities

CloudPay

CloudPay delivers strong HCM integrations with their payroll system, having completed over 2,000 HCM integrations with partners like Workday, SAP, and HiBob. API-driven integrations connect payroll data to your HCM system in real-time, ensuring data is consistent and accurate across platforms.

Cloudpay’s architecture aims to make GL exports, analytics, and reporting easier and more efficient through API and automation.

Deel

Deel offers 100+ integrations that go beyond HCM alone. Integrate Deel’s unified platform with HR, accounting, benefits administration, equity, expense management, and more. Deel also has a certified API integration with Workday that enables businesses to streamline global payroll processes, consolidate data in one place, and gain real-time results.

If you can’t find an integration you need, Deel API makes it possible to build a custom integration with your preferred HRIS, finance, and ERP systems.

Automations

CloudPay

CloudPay’s automations remove repetitive and manual tasks, provide real-time data visibility, and ensure data accuracy. The CloudPay Platform handles validations, GL mapping, bulk payslip distribution, and more to increase efficiency. In 2024, CloudPay delivered over 20 process automations, such as Payslip Splitting and Bulk Payslip Generation.

Deel

Deel automates critical payroll functions end to end, including gross-to-net calculations, statutory deductions, tax filings, and compliance updates across 130+ countries. The platform dynamically adapts when local regulations change, ensuring employers stay compliant without manual intervention.

Deel also streamlines workflows such as contract generation, employee onboarding, and off-cycle payroll runs, while payroll variance reconciliation tools help explain changes in employee pay. By embedding automation into both payroll and HR processes, Deel reduces administrative overhead and accelerates payroll accuracy, making it easier for teams to manage a globally distributed workforce.

User experience

CloudPay

CloudPay offers a dashboard-style interface designed specifically for payroll operations. The Onboardify feature helps simplify the onboarding process for new clients, while the Global Payroll Hub provides centralized visibility into payroll status across multiple jurisdictions, reducing the need to switch between systems.

However, some users note that CloudPay’s interface feels less modern in certain regions and that integration setup can require more configuration. Still, for companies already using robust HCM platforms like Workday or SAP, CloudPay’s design can feel seamless, as it integrates directly into familiar systems and minimizes switching between separate payroll and HR platforms.

Deel

Deel provides a unified interface that brings payroll, HR, compliance, IT, and onboarding together in a single platform. Employers can generate contracts, collect documentation, and build high-performing teams directly within the system, creating a streamlined workflow from hiring to employee development and payroll compliance. Onboarding and payroll implementation can be self-guided for smaller businesses or supported by dedicated teams for larger enterprises, ensuring flexibility across company sizes.

Because Deel was built as a comprehensive “forever people platform,” users benefit from fewer gaps between modules, making the experience intuitive and cohesive across a suite of business operations beyond HR and payroll alone.

Analytics and reporting

CloudPay

CloudPay emphasizes their analytics and reporting capabilities with their Global Payroll Hub, dashboards, and AI-driven insights. Over time, CloudPay’s analytics framework has evolved to measure accuracy, process health, and automation efficiency. CloudPay’s dashboards show key meta data that allows businesses to optimize payroll and gain better payroll visibility across their operations.

Deel

Deel delivers real-time reporting that gives companies full visibility into global payroll spend, cost breakdowns, and workforce insights. Because all services are unified within a single platform, businesses can seamlessly cross-analyze HR and payroll metrics together. This integration makes it easier to spot trends, optimize budgets, and manage workforce performance without needing to stitch together data from multiple systems.

Implementation

CloudPay

CloudPay takes a structured, service-driven approach to implementation. Clients are supported by a dedicated Readiness Team that oversees setup, integrations, and data migration, helping to ensure consistency across all jurisdictions.

This approach works well for enterprises that already run large-scale HR systems like Workday or SAP since CloudPay is built to integrate tightly with them. However, the reliance on configuration and third-party integrations can make implementation more complex and time-consuming.

Deel

Deel offers a flexible implementation process designed to meet the needs of both small and large businesses. For SMBs, onboarding can be largely self-guided through intuitive workflows, while enterprises benefit from dedicated onboarding specialists and implementation managers who ensure payroll and compliance are set up correctly across multiple jurisdictions.

Because Deel owns much of its infrastructure and integrates payroll directly with its HR and compliance modules, the implementation is often faster and less dependent on third-party vendors. The main advantage is speed and simplicity, but some businesses may experience a steeper learning curve due to the platform’s breadth of features.

Customer support

CloudPay

CloudPay maintains in-region and culturally aware support teams across multiple offices, which helps with responsiveness and context in local jurisdictions. They have an average rating of 4 out of 5 on G2 based on six reviews.

Customers highlight Cloudpay’s ability to guide global companies through change management, optimizing operations, and improving employee experiences. However, some customers also mention lag in local configurations or tedious escalations that require contacting multiple parties. Because CloudPay often bridges several local vendors or partner entities, support may occasionally involve third-party handoffs, which can slow resolution in certain jurisdictions.

Deel

Deel’s support is frequently praised for being responsive, helpful, and accessible. On G2, Deel holds an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 based on 10,000+ reviews, and many users highlight 24/7 support across multiple channels.

Users often call out the speed of responses, clarity in communication, and willingness of support agents to go above and beyond, even when issues are complex. Customers also commend Deel’s staff for being quick and helpful in resolving payment and onboarding issues in addition to consistently following up.

Run payroll compliantly on a global scale with Deel

If you’re looking for a truly unified, all-in-one global people platform that combines hiring, payroll, compliance, HRIS, and IT, Deel is a compelling choice. Its in-house compliance expertise, embedded HR tools, and variety of integrations can reduce friction and operational silos for your growing business.

In many cases, the decision comes down to your business needs and goals, how much you want your payroll vendor to be a one-stop shop or plug into your existing stack, and your workforce’s geographical distribution.

Schedule a free, 30-min demo to see our unified platform in action and speak with one of our experts about how Deel Payroll can meet your business’ needs.