Deel vs Rippling: Honest Employer of Record Service Comparison (2025)

General overview

When expanding a global workforce, choosing the right Employer of Record (EOR) service can significantly impact compliance, onboarding, and payroll management.

In 2025, two leading players in this space are Deel and Rippling. Both platforms offer simplified global hiring and compliance for companies without the need to set up local entities, but they have distinct strengths that cater to different business needs.

Rippling began as a payroll and HR-focused platform but has since expanded to offer Employer of Record (EOR) services as part of a broader workforce management suite that integrates HR, IT, and finance. Through a network of local partners, it supports hiring in over 80 countries. Rippling is best suited for larger organizations that want to centralize global hiring with their internal systems—particularly those with strong technical capabilities and established in-house HR teams.

Deel was built as the complete global hiring, payroll, and compliance solution from day one. It offers EOR services in over 150 countries through its own entities. It’s backed by in-house infrastructure, AI-powered tools, and a dedicated team of compliance, payroll, and HR experts. It’s ideal for small, medium, and large enterprises seeking a single, unified solution to global expansion and team management.

Let’s dive deeper into how these two Employers of Record stack up across key criteria.

Key features

Rippling

• Global coverage in 80 countries using a combination of owned entities and in-country partners
• Automated payroll processing through local providers
• Supports device management, contractor payments, and Contractor of Record services, and spend management
• Inbuilt HRIS available at a fee that includes performance and learning management tools
• Continuous compliance monitoring through the Compliance 360 system

Deel

• Global coverage in 150+ countries using owned local entities
• Automated payroll processing using in-house payroll infrastructure
• Advanced compliance management tools through its Compliance Hub and AI assistant
• Built-in global HRIS — the only global-first HRIS for any worker type
• Advanced learning management, performance management, and career development tools through Deel Engage
• Supports Contractor Management and Contractor of Record services, device and app management through Deel IT, and Equity Consulting
• 24/7, multichannel, and multilingual customer support

See also: What Are the Pros and Cons of Hiring With an Employer of Record (EOR)?

Pros and cons

Rippling

Pros:

• Advanced automation with minimal human intervention
• Ideal for large enterprises with strong internal resources
• Unified platform for HR, IT, and finance
• Wide integration options that go beyond global hiring and payroll

Cons:

• EOR and payroll depend on third-party partners, limiting the consistency of services
• Lack of transparency in pricing
• A crowded dashboard that can make it harder to navigate or locate specific HR tools quickly
• Limited customer support

Deel

Pros:

• Relies on owned entities and in-house payroll engines
• Transparent and scalable pricing of $USD 599 per employee, per month
• Ideal for both SMBs and large enterprises
• Combines advanced automation with dedicated 24/7 human support available when needed
• Always-on compliance monitoring with real-time alerts
• Integrates smoothly with key HR, payroll, and accounting systems with a user-friendly API

Cons:

• The platform’s depth can be intimidating for new users, but dedicated support helps you get up to speed fast
• Pricing may stretch lean budgets, but automation and built-in HR and compliance reduce long-term costs

Cost

Rippling

Rippling is not transparent about the cost of its EOR services. You have to contact the sales team for a custom price.

Moreover, most of its services are add-ons, which increases the overall cost. The HR tool, for instance, costs USD $8 per user per month, and you cannot subscribe to the EOR platform without first subscribing to the core HR platform.

Deel

Deel’s EOR services begin at USD $599 per employee, per month. This can vary based on your countries of operation and the unique needs of your company.

For a small extra fee, you can access Deel’s global HRIS, which includes people analytics, workflow automation, app provisioning, and more, at no extra cost. That means you don’t need to invest in third-party HRIS vendors, reducing your total cost of ownership.

For businesses with more advanced needs, Deel offers optional add-ons such as immigration and visa support, compensation management, talent sourcing, workforce planning, and background checks. These are priced separately, so you only pay for what you need.

Summary:

Deel provides greater transparency and more predictable pricing. You get full access to a global HR platform at a fixed base rate.

The lack of transparency in Rippling’s pricing and reliance on bundling and add-ons increase total spending and make budgeting more complex.

See also: EOR vs. Entity Costs: What’s More Affordable?

Compliance & legal reliability

Rippling

Rippling automates compliance tasks, including employee agreements, payroll filings, and onboarding. The platform also monitors compliance continuously and flags issues through its Compliance 360 system, which is available through the core HR platform.

The compliance alerts appear within the dashboard, are personalized by location and employee data, and include a recommended action.

Local HR advisors are also available to provide guidance on country-specific employment and regulatory concerns.

Deel

Deel ensures always-on compliance across more than 150 countries through its proprietary Compliance Hub. The Compliance Hub is an AI-powered compliance system that continuously monitors changes in wage thresholds, pension rules, payroll tax obligations, leave policies, and other local labor laws.

When regulations shift, Deel automatically updates contracts, agreements, and payroll processes to reflect those changes. A team of in-house legal experts reviews each update to ensure local accuracy and compliance.

To help you stay compliant at every stage of the employee lifecycle, Deel’s Compliance Hub includes three powerful features:

• Compliance Monitor: Scans global legal changes and delivers clear, actionable summaries of how each update impacts your operations
• Monthly Workforce Insights: Analyzes your team’s data and alerts you to compliance risks tailored to your specific workforce
• AI-powered Worker Classifier: Determines employee versus contractor status with over 90% accuracy, helping protect you from misclassification penalties

The Compliance Hub is free for all Deel users. You also get access to an AI Assistant that addresses your compliance questions in real-time based on your workforce data.

Summary:
Rippling provides automated legal compliance, proactive alerts, and an in-house team of legal experts, but Deel goes further.

Deel offers a more comprehensive compliance solution by combining in-house legal expertise with always-on monitoring and AI-driven risk prevention. These advanced capabilities are fully integrated into Deel’s EOR platform at no additional cost.

See also: Compliance Challenges When Managing a Global Contingent Workforce

Onboarding speed

Rippling

Rippling’s onboarding process takes minutes. It automates the process by connecting the EOR with the HR, IT, and finance modules. For example, when you add a hire, it automatically updates payroll and IT device ordering.

The platform has a self-serve dashboard that allows employees to upload their documents.

Through Rippling’s Workflow Studio, you can set up custom automations driven by triggers derived from employee data. It allows you to automate onboarding tasks like sending meeting invites, granting access to systems, dispatching corporate cards, or enrolling in training.

The Workflow Studio is available through Rippling’s HRIS offering.

Deel

Deel offers a fast, automated onboarding experience that takes minutes. Once you add an employee and select their location, the platform auto-generates a locally compliant contract.

New hires can e-sign and upload documents through a self-serve portal. If anything is missing, Deel sends automated reminders to keep the process moving without manual follow-up.

Deel complements the onboarding automation with a dedicated onboarding manager who addresses your questions.

With Deel’s built-in Workflow Builder, you can create onboarding flows tailored to each role or department.

You can set up custom multi‑step automations driven by triggers derived from employee data. Events such as “New hire added,” “Document uploaded,” or “Worker type changed” can kick off a sequence of actions like payroll setup, benefits enrollment, and equipment provisioning.

Your dashboard allows you to monitor onboarding in real time. This gives you a centralized view of each new hire’s status, task completion, and document submission.

Deel’s Workflow Builder is accessible through the EOR platform. You do not need additional subscriptions.

Deel also offers a Slack onboarding plugin. It allows you to assign tasks, track progress, and send updates directly through your Slack channels for a smoother, more connected experience.

Summary:
Rippling delivers minute‑speed onboarding through extensive automations and workflows available through the HRIS add-on. But it lacks a dedicated onboarding manager to help with the onboarding process.

Deel matches that speed with a highly automated onboarding process, then layers in dedicated human support and built‑in trigger‑driven workflows. All these are included at no extra subscription cost. Deel also offers an onboarding plugin for Slack, further streamlining the process.

See also: Elevate Employee Onboarding & Offboarding Efficiency with Deel

Benefits & payroll management

Rippling

Rippling offers global payroll processing in the 80 countries where it provides EOR services. However, it only operates in‑house payroll engines in 10 of those countries. For the rest, it relies on in-country partners. This can introduce inconsistencies in service quality across markets.

The platform automates salary calculations, deductions, and local taxes while letting you preview gross versus net pay before submission. It also offers some flexibility through off-cycle pay runs and on-demand pay.

The EOR has basic reporting capabilities, and an employee cost calculator lets you analyze the cost of employment in a particular country.

Rippling offers localized benefits support in countries where it provides EOR services. Benefit deductions sync directly with payroll, and you can manage enrollment, deductions, and compliance requirements directly within the platform.

Deel

Deel provides fully automated payroll using in-house infrastructure, backed by local payroll and tax experts.

The platform offers strong flexibility and transparency, including real-time gross-to-net calculations, off-cycle payment options, and an employer-friendly payroll cutoff on the 20th of each month.

Employees can access on-demand pay through the Anytime Pay feature and receive payments in their currency and method of choice, including digital currencies.

The platform features consolidated global payroll reporting and analytics that give you real-time visibility into employer costs, net pay, taxes, and bonuses across multiple countries and subsidiaries.

Benefits administration is integrated with payroll. Deel handles both statutory and voluntary benefits enrollment and deductions, ensuring compliance with local laws. Through its marketplace of top-tier providers, you can provide employees with enterprise-grade benefits at discounted rates.

For research, the Employee Cost Calculator lets you analyze payroll costs in one country or compare two side by side. Deel’s Global Benefits Tool helps you explore statutory, common, and competitive benefits across different countries.

Summary:
Rippling relies mostly on in-country partners to process payroll and benefits, which can affect service quality. Deel manages payroll in-house, offering more consistency and reliability across countries.

While both platforms provide flexible, compliant payroll, Deel goes further with advanced features like global payroll reporting and analytics.

See also: In-Kind Benefits Packages for Global Team Success

Support & user experience

Rippling

Rippling’s support options include live chat, email, and phone. However, the support is not available 24/7, and Rippling does not publicly specify its dedicated support hours. Additionally, it often restricts direct help to admins on the account with less access for EOR employees.

Its in-house team of local HR experts is also limited to a few countries.

Rippling’s interface unifies HR, IT, and finance in one place, which can make it overwhelming for users who only need basic EOR and payroll services.

Deel

Deel offers 24/7 multilingual support across multiple channels, including:

• In-app chat
• Email
• Phone
• WhatsApp
• Video calls
• Slack
• Microsoft Teams

You also get a dedicated Customer Success Manager, onboarding support, and access to Deel’s global HR experts.

Deel’s support covers clients and their EOR employees across all locations.

The platform’s user interface is streamlined for HR teams. It is clean and focused, built specifically for hiring, onboarding, and managing international workers without the clutter of extra tools unrelated to global employment.

Summary:
Rippling limits support to employers only, and its support hours are not clearly stated. It also bundles HR, IT, and finance functions into one interface, which may feel cluttered for users focused solely on global hiring.

Deel, by contrast, provides 24/7 multilingual, multichannel support for both clients and employees, along with a user interface purpose-built for international hiring.

Integrations

Rippling

Rippling boasts over 500 native integrations. However, many are not directly relevant to EOR-specific workflows. The list includes IT and SaaS management tools, sales and marketing apps, graphic design software, content platforms, and other non-HR systems.

That said, it does support native integrations with popular HR and finance tools like Greenhouse, Lever, and QuickBooks.

Rippling also provides an open API that allows developers to build custom integrations and automate workflows across apps. However, the API is more IT-focused and typically requires significant technical expertise to implement.

Deel

Deel offers over 120 pre-built integrations focused on the core needs of global HR and payroll. These include accounting tools like QuickBooks, Xero, and SAP; HRIS and ATS platforms like BambooHR and Greenhouse; and payroll systems like Workday.

However, many Deel users don’t rely heavily on external systems. Instead, they use Deel’s built-in workforce management tools. Alongside its built-in global HRIS, Deel offers features for:

• Learning management
• Career development
• Performance management
• Employee surveys
• Device lifecycle management
• And more.

Deel also provides a well-documented public API with sandbox access, allowing developers to build, test, and deploy custom integrations. The API is structured to support cross-border hiring, with endpoints for payroll, contracts, expenses, and more.

Summary:
Rippling offers a large number of integrations, but many are unrelated to EOR or global hiring needs. Its API is powerful but not user-friendly, often requiring advanced technical expertise.

Deel, while offering fewer integrations, focuses specifically on global workforce management. It’s built-in tools minimize the need for third-party systems, and its developer-friendly API supports essential HR workflows across integrated apps.

See also: 20 Best Payroll Integrations for Accounting, HR, and More

Scalability

Rippling

Rippling relies on local partners for most of its EOR operations. As you expand into new markets, each partner’s individual systems and timelines can slow onboarding, complicate compliance updates, and fragment your global HR operations.

Although Rippling offers add-on modules like performance management, learning, and device provisioning, using them often requires extra setup, configuration, and technical oversight.

For companies without dedicated IT support, it can be difficult to keep workflows aligned across different teams, countries, and systems.

Deel

Deel is purpose-built for businesses of all sizes**.** It’s simple enough for startups and small businesses with limited internal resources, yet powerful enough to support large enterprises with advanced functionality.

As your team grows, you can activate features like contractor management, immigration, performance management, learning, and device lifecycle management as needed. These tools are quick to set up and don’t require complex customization or technical configurations.

When expanding across subsidiaries, brands, or regions, Deel simplifies your operations through both white-glove and white-label services.

A key advantage is that Deel owns the legal entities in every country where it offers EOR services. This gives it full control over feature rollouts, compliance updates, and platform improvements. You can focus on growing your business and testing new markets without worrying about maintaining or updating your HR tech stack.

Summary:
Rippling relies on local partners for EOR delivery, which can introduce service inconsistencies and delays as your team expands across regions. Plus, its additional tools often require technical setup to work together smoothly.

Deel, by contrast, has full control over its global infrastructure. Its features are easy to turn on and manage, helping teams grow without needing IT support.

See also: A Guide on How to Scale Global HR

Review ratings from review sites

Rippling

• Trustpilot: 4.5
• G2: 4.8

Deel

• Trustpilot: 4.8
• G2: 4.8

Bottom-line

Rippling offers an extensive suite of HR, IT, and finance modules. However, its reliance on local partners can lead to fragmented operations as you expand globally. While the platform is feature-rich, many of its tools are unrelated to EOR or international hiring. It also has a steep learning curve, its API demands technical expertise, and live support is limited.

Rippling is best suited for large enterprises with strong internal tech and HR capabilities.

Deel delivers transparent pricing and full ownership of its legal entities and payroll engines. This wholly-owned infrastructure ensures consistent compliance and service across markets. Its platform combines automation, AI, and responsive human support with purpose-built tools to manage employees and contractors in one intuitive platform.

Choose Deel if you need a reliable global EOR solution that grows with you, whether you’re making your first international hire or already managing thousands of employees worldwide.

Expand your operations to 150+ countries with Deel

G2 has recognized Deel as the leading Employer of Record, citing the highest user satisfaction score and the strongest market presence. Today, over 20,000 companies worldwide trust the platform.

Deel is more than an EOR service. It’s an all-in-one Global People Platform for hiring, paying, and managing contractors and full-time employees in multiple countries. You can run global payroll using Deel’s in-house engines, offer localized benefits, and automate HR workflows across borders.

For companies that prioritize comprehensive, scalable global HR solutions and superior customer support, Deel is the clear choice.

See Deel in action by booking a 30-minute demo.