7 best employer of record (EOR) providers for global hiring

Published

Jul 2, 2025

Hiring overseas seems like an exciting thing to do. But then you hit the red tape, and it becomes a real life nightmare. There's a lot to take care of and getting any part of it wrong has consequences. The simplest and safest way to tackle global expansion is to use an employer of record (EOR).

An EOR is a third party that hires people for you. In a nutshell, they’re the legal employer on paper, but you’re still in charge of the work. It’s a smart option for Aussie businesses looking to build a global workforce without opening legal entities in multiple countries.

There's one major roadblock, though. And that's choosing the right EOR for your business.

To make it easier, we’ve compiled a list of the best employer of record services available to Australian companies. Every option on this list supports international hiring, but each has its own pros and cons.

The info here is accurate as of June 2025. It's important to check directly with the provider for the latest updates.

Summary: 7 best EOR services for Aussie businesses

Best for

Best feature

Rippling

Businesses that want to hire, manage, and pay global and Aussie teams in a single system

A powerful EOR for 50+ countries Aussies hire in most, plus local payroll, STP, super, HR, and IT, all from one dashboard

Deel

Businesses hiring employees and contractors worldwide

Covers 150+ countries through its own entities, with strong contractor tools

Oyster

Businesses that prioritise fair hiring and localised benefits when hiring offshore

Built-in tools for equitable pay and inclusive benefits across 180+ countries

Multiplier

Businesses on a tight budget looking for an affordable multi-country EOR

Competitive pricing and quick payroll for lean startups in 150+ countries

Skuad

Businesses interested in budget-friendly remote team hiring

Simple global hiring and payroll in 160+ countries, at a low price

Papaya Global

Business planning mass multi-country expansion

Coverage in 160 countries, contractor and payroll support, dedicated account managers

Remote

Businesses that want an all-in-one global HR system

Owns entities in 180+ countries, includes time tracking and basic performance tools

What is an employer of record (EOR)?

An employer of record is a third party that officially hires people outside Australia on your behalf. They become the legal employer in the country where your worker is based. This means they look after things like the employment contract, income tax, payroll, and general compliance with local employment laws. You still manage the employee and the work they do. And the EOR manages the admin and risk.

Engaging an employer of record service can be extremely useful when you're hiring in multiple countries and don’t want to go through the stress (or expense) of setting up legal entities. It's also invaluable for keeping your business on the right side of international legal compliance. This is particularly true if you're scaling fast.

Essentially, if you're hiring international employees and want to steer clear of delays, fines, or legal issues, an EOR gives you a clean way to get it done.

7 best EOR providers for Aussie businesses

1. Rippling

Capterra rating: 4.9/5 ⭐

Beyond being the best EOR for Aussie businesses wanting to hire overseas, Rippling is a complete workforce platform that runs your local Aussie payroll, STP, super, HR, and IT, too. It acts as the legal employer for staff in 50+ countries. For instance, New Zealand, the US, the UK, Singapore, and across Europe. Rippling manages local contracts, taxes, and employee benefits. It stays on top of minimum wage and leave laws, and automates compliance. With Rippling, you get full visibility with audit trails and alerts so you’re never in the dark.

It’s built to scale with you, whether you’re adding one international hire or a whole new market. You get everything in one system, which cuts out the usual mess of multiple vendors and spreadsheets. Rippling also offers round-the-clock support, with median reply times under two minutes and most issues solved on the first go. Pricing starts at around AUD $915 per employee per month. It replaces local lawyers, payroll providers, and HR consultants. This means huge savings in time, costs, and compliance stresses as you grow.

Features and integrations

  • Unified platform: Rippling isn't just an EOR. It connects comprehensive HR, payroll, and IT functions into a single system for smooth global operations.
  • Global payroll: The platform enables you to run payroll in local currency across 50+ countries, accurately, and on time.
  • Automated onboarding: Rippling offers rapid, automated onboarding of international employees. This reduces time-to-productivity and enhances the employee experience.
  • Compliance automation: The platform automates tax filings, benefits administration, and adherence to local laws.
  • Extensive integrations: Rippling integrates with over 600 applications. This includes accounting and productivity tools.

Strengths

✅A true one-stop shop for global and local teams: Rippling doesn't just cater to your overseas hires. It’s built to manage your Australian employees and contractors, too. That means you can onboard, pay, and manage every team member (no matter where they are) in one place, without jumping between platforms or payroll providers.

✅Direct infrastructure, full oversight: Rippling doesn't rely on third-party partners. It operates through its own infrastructure and legal entities. That means more control, fewer handoffs, and better visibility.

✅Designed for fast-moving companies: Rippling meets you where you are now and makes it easy to scale later. You can launch in new markets, pause when needed, and adapt your setup as plans change, without the messy migration down the track.

'Super easy to get started, has an easy learning curve, superb functionality, and is a literal lifesaver for remote work across geographic lines.' - Pulkit, Information Technology & Services

2. Deel

Capterra rating: 4.8/5 ⭐

Deel is a global employment platform that lets Aussie businesses hire employees in over 150 countries without opening local entities. It uses its own legal entities in each country, with in-house legal and HR teams taking care of local labour laws, tax, contracts, and benefits. This gives you a consistent way to hire across APAC, Europe, and the Americas. Deel keeps contracts, payroll, and compliance aligned with local rules. It automatically updates things as laws change.

It’s designed for businesses of all sizes and can scale into new markets without you reworking your setup. But it’s not a full HR system. So, you’ll need other tools for things like performance and deeper HR. Deel starts at about AUD $915 per employee per month. That covers the basics. Extras like background checks cost more. Support is 24/7 via chat, email, and help docs. Some Aussie users find response times lag because of time zones, especially on complex issues needing senior input.

Features and integrations

  • Global payroll: Deel manages payroll in over 150+ countries, in local currency.
  • Contractor management: Businesses can onboard, pay, and manage international contractors with native tools for contracts and compliance.
  • Basic HR tools: The platform includes simple HR functions. For example, document storage, contract templates, onboarding workflows, and leave tracking.
  • Benefits administration: Deel offers access to country-specific benefits managed through local providers. These can include health insurance and pensions,
  • Software integrations: Deel connects with various HR and accounting tools to keep data synced across systems.

Strengths

✅Support for both contractors and employees: Deel lets you manage EOR employees and international contractors from the same dashboard.

✅Centralised delivery model: Deel runs its EOR services through its own legal entities. This setup gives clients and their employees a single point of contact and a more consistent onboarding and HR experience.

'Deel is an excellent solution for companies expanding their global workforce, especially if they want a streamlined way to manage remote teams while staying compliant. However, it may not be the most cost-effective or flexible option for smaller organizations or businesses operating in niche markets.' - Verified LinkedIn User, Information Technology & Services

Weaknesses

❌Limited customisation of benefits packages: Deel provides standardised benefits packages across various countries. This might not align with the specific needs or expectations of employees in certain regions. This lack of flexibility can be a drawback. Especially if you want to offer tailored benefits to attract and retain talent in competitive markets.

❌Self-service compliance model places responsibility on clients: Deel automates many compliance tasks. But the platform operates on a self-service model where you retain ultimate responsibility for compliance. This approach may require your business to have internal expertise to manage and oversee compliance matters effectively.

❌Hard to escalate complex issues: It's not always easy to escalate more nuanced or urgent matters. Especially those involving legal interpretations or country-specific policies. Some users have found it difficult to get consistent, senior-level support when it counts most.

'There is no support, and the support I do get is actually factually incorrect every time I manage to get hold of someone. I found myself sending gov websites to the people answering my questions to show them their answers are incorrect.' - Lizzie, Media Production

3. Oyster

Capterra rating: 4.6/5 ⭐

Oyster is a global employment platform that offers EOR services in over 180 countries. It focuses on compliant hiring, payroll, and local benefits. It’s known for pushing fair hiring practices, with tools that help close pay gaps and tailor benefits by region. Oyster runs through a mix of owned entities and local partners. It covers markets like the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, and parts of Europe. They take care of country-specific contracts, payroll, tax, and benefits. But the quality of compliance can vary based on which partner is managing things locally.

Oyster can work well for startups and growing businesses building remote teams fast. But because it only manages hiring and payroll, you’ll still need separate tools for deeper HR or IT. Pricing starts at about AUD $1,070 per employee monthly. If you hire three or more people, you can unlock custom deals with extras like discounted rates, free seat reuse, and bulk onboarding. Support is mainly via email and a help centre. Australian companies sometimes see delays when issues fall outside local business hours.

Features and integrations

  • Global payroll: Oyster handles payroll processing in over 120 currencies.
  • Built-in compliance: The platform automatically addresses local labour laws when generating contracts and processing payroll.
  • Hiring toolkit: Oyster offers tools, like an employee cost calculator and information on probationary periods, to help with country-specific hiring.
  • Employee self-service: New employees can use the platform to go through onboarding, see their payslips, manage leave, and get help.
  • Software integrations: Oyster integrates with many popular HR and accounting tools.

Strengths

✅Built-in tools to support fair hiring: Oyster has a reputation for its mission-driven features that help drive equitable employment. For instance, it offers benchmarks for local salaries to lessen pay gaps. It also provides direction for inclusive benefits. If your aim is to be intentional about fair compensation when becoming a global employer, this can be helpful.

✅Benefits management: Oyster provides localised benefits packages that are tailormade for each country their EOR operates in. This means your team can get healthcare, insurance, or pension options that align with local standards, without having to find providers yourself.

'We used to hire some remote employees in other countries through our own direct entities, however our experience with Oyster has been so positive that we now only hire remotely through them.' - Stephanie, HR Manager

Weaknesses

❌No all-in-one HR system: Oyster can take care of global hiring, payroll, and compliance. But it doesn’t include comprehensive HR features. For example, performance management, learning and development, time tracking, or broader IT onboarding. You’ll still need separate tools for those HR functions.

❌Customer support tied to business hours: As mentioned, Oyster promises responses within 24 hours and resolution under 72 hours. But Australian customers find urgent issues can take longer than this for a response and resolution. This is especially true if they involve escalation to a local partner.

❌Not a well-rounded platform experience: Some users say Oyster feels a bit too basic overall. There's mention of rigid contracts, limitations with customisation, and support staff who can’t always advise on local laws or tax matters with confidence. This lack of depth can mean it may be challenging for your business to get the individualised help it needs as it grows.

'The platform is a little too basic, with no flexibility for exceptions or customisation. Employment contracts were also too rigid, with no flexibility for exceptions. Support staff assigned to me were not exceptionally informed of local laws and regulations and were unable to advise on tax, etc.' - Verified User, Computer Software

4. Multiplier

Capterra rating: 4.6/5 ⭐

Multiplier is a workforce platform with an EOR. It focuses on startups and growing businesses that want to hire remote teams across borders fast, without wading through endless admin. It covers over 150 countries. Multiplier uses a mix of its own entities and local partners across Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas, and more. They sort compliant contracts, taxes, social security, and local benefits. How smooth it all runs can depend on whether their own team or a partner is handling it.

Pricing starts at about AUD $610 per employee each month, which is cheaper than other providers. This covers key needs like multi-country payroll, tax filings, benefits, and local HR support. Just know it’s mostly built for lean, remote-first teams. If you’re planning to run complex local ops alongside your EOR hires, or need deep HR features, you’ll probably need extra tools. Support is through chat, email, and resources. However, clarity around true 24/7 help is patchy. Some users have found escalations slow for tricky international issues.

Features and integrations

  • Global payroll in 120+ currencies: Multiplier runs payroll in many currencies. It takes care of compulsory tax and social security contributions in each country.
  • Country-specific benefits: The EOR sets up benefits that meet local laws and expectations. These can include health insurance, pensions, and other statutory perks.
  • Detailed employment guides: The platform provides up-to-date, detailed country hiring guides to help you plan ahead. They cover things like hiring rules, statutory rights, and employment costs.
  • Employee dashboards: Multiplier enables your team members to view payslips, manage leave, and keep their documents organised in one place.
  • Integrations: The system connects to common HR and finance systems. So, your people and payroll data can stay consistent across platforms.

Strengths

✅Built for nimble global hiring: Multiplier's focus is on helping startups and remote-first companies expand globally in as little time as possible. Its tools are lightweight, without the extra layers that bigger enterprise systems sometimes have.

✅Competitive price point: Multiplier’s starting price makes it one of the more budget-friendly global EOR platforms out there. The trade-off is that it’s built mainly for standard employment needs, though. So, if you’re after deeper HR functionality or highly customised workflows, it might not cut it on its own.

'The problem we wanted to solve was building a lean yet multi-country team as an early stage company. The Multiplier team saved us a bunch of time, cost, and headaches.' - Hafiz, Co-Founder

Weaknesses

❌Not well suited for complex on-site operations: Multiplier is mainly for distributed professional teams. If you’re looking to staff factories or blend EOR hires with big direct local operations, it may not be the best fit.

❌Dependency on partner networks: Multiplier uses a combination of its own entities and local partners. As such, the service level and compliance expertise you experience may differ significantly from one country to the next.

❌Basic beyond core EOR needs: The platform does international hiring, payroll, and benefits well. But it lacks comprehensive HR tools, such as learning management, performance tracking, and IT provisioning. Ultimately, this equates to a need for more tools in your tech stack.

'We have experienced delays and unclear communication from customer support, especially during critical processes. The platform also offers limited integrations with other business tools, leading to potential manual workarounds. Additionally, it lacks advanced HR features such as performance management and employee development, requiring the use of supplemental HR software.' - Mhavi, Customer Success Specialist

5. Skuad

Capterra rating: 4.6/5 ⭐

Skuad is a global hiring platform with a built-in EOR. It mostly aims at startups and mid-sized businesses that want a fuss-free way to pay and manage staff across borders. It covers over 160 countries. Skuad uses a mix of its own entities and partner networks, with coverage across Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. They manage contracts, tax deductions, and local social charges. They also keep payroll compliant as rules change. But as they lean on partners in some places, the service quality can vary depending on the country.

Prices start at about AUD $305 per employee each month. That gets you hiring, payroll in 70 currencies, tax filings, benefits, IP protection, and multi-channel support. Skuad can suit lean, global teams who don’t need deep HR systems. If you’re planning big in-country operations or need more advanced workforce tools, you’ll likely need to invest in extra software. Support is available 24 hours, five days a week. Trickier compliance questions can still take time to sort, though. 

Features and integrations

  • Pays in 70+ currencies and handles local tax: Skuad processes payroll in 70 currencies. It also figures out the right tax and social security deductions, and files what’s needed with local authorities.
  • Sets up country-specific benefits: The platform organises health cover, pensions, and other legally required benefits to fit local rules in each country.
  • Covers key employment processes: You can send digital offer letters, sign contracts, onboard new hires, and manage all employee records in one spot.
  • Easy employee portal: Staff can log in to see payslips, track leave balances, update their details, and manage admin themselves.
  • Integrates with your systems: Skuad hooks into existing HR and finance tools, so your people and payroll data stay in sync. The integration range is smaller than some bigger platforms, though.

Strengths

✅Focused on fast, multi-country hiring: One of Skuad’s strong points is helping businesses quickly build distributed teams across many locations. This can be valuable for startups or digital-first businesses.

✅Decent value for essential needs: If you mainly need core EOR functions, like hiring, paying, and staying compliant, Skuad hits the mark without piling on features you may never use.

'My overall experience with Skuad was positive. The platform made it easy to manage international hiring and payments, and the support team was helpful whenever I had questions.' - Chanda, Senior Coordinator

Weaknesses

❌Relies on partner infrastructure: As mentioned, Skuad doesn’t have its own entities everywhere. So, it leans on third-party partners in some countries. This can mean inconsistent experiences. Especially when dealing with local tax nuances or unusual employment setups.

❌Not a full HR suite: Unlike platforms that combine EOR with advanced HCM and HRIS features, Skuad's main gig is global hiring and payroll. If you want performance reviews, deep analytics, or IT provisioning, you’ll need to invest in extra tools.

❌Questions around transparency on coverage: Some users have reported that Skuad’s marketing materials suggest broader EOR support than what’s actually available. They’ve raised concerns that country-specific pages imply Skuad can directly employ in those locations, when in reality the company may not offer EOR services there. This lack of clarity can make it harder for businesses to plan confidently.

'Lack of transparency from the company on supported EOR countries. Completely misleading advertising that I believe is used to lure in larger companies before opening businesses in those countries. This makes me question their knowledge of the regulations they operate in (if any).' - Ryan, CEO

6. Papaya Global

Capterra rating: 4.4/5 ⭐

Papaya Global is a workforce platform that helps Aussie businesses hire overseas. It uses a network of partners to deliver EOR services across 160+ countries. It also rolls in global payroll, contractor management, time tracking, and some workforce analytics. Because it leans on third-party partners rather than owning its own entities, the quality of local expertise can change from country to country. This can mean patchy compliance or service levels.

It’s built to handle onboarding and payroll as you scale into new markets. It offers dedicated account managers and 24/7 global support via email, WhatsApp, and help centre resources. Pricing starts at about AUD $915 per employee each month. This covers standard EOR needs like payroll, compliance, and access to their infrastructure. If you’ve got a complex setup, they’ll tailor a quote to suit. It can be a handy choice if you’re expanding into lots of countries at once. But remember that relying on partner networks usually slows things down or makes the service less consistent.

Features and integrations

  • Global payroll processing: Papaya Global supports payroll in over 100 currencies. It automates calculations and local tax requirements.
  • Contractor management: The platform enables onboarding, payment, and compliance management for international contractors.
  • Benefits administration: You can access country-specific benefits managed through local providers. For example, health insurance and pensions.
  • HR tools: Papaya Global includes document storage, contract templates, onboarding workflows, and leave tracking.
  • Software integrations: The system integrates with popular HR and payroll systems. It also offers API access for custom setups.

Strengths

✅Comprehensive global coverage: With EOR services in over 160 countries, Papaya Global lets you grow your workforce across borders with little limitation.

✅Dedicated account support: Every client gets their own account manager assisted by payroll and compliance pros. Thanks to their follow-the-sun support model, time zone differences don’t slow things down for Aussie businesses.

'I've had a very good experience with the platform, especially the implementation and customer success teams. They're very pleasant, professional, and great to work with.' - Verified LinkedIn User, Telecommunications

Weaknesses

❌Limited in-house HR features: While Papaya offers good integration with external tools, it doesn’t offer a comprehensive suite of HR features. This means you'll still need to manage HR tasks like performance management and employee engagement, across multiple platforms.

❌Relies on third-party partners: Unlike EOR providers that operate through their own entities, like Rippling, Papaya uses a network of local partners to deliver services. This approach can often lead to patchy service delivery.

❌Setup can be time-consuming: Implementing Papaya’s platform into your organisation isn’t always plug-and-play. Some users say that setting up workflows, linking tools, and coordinating processes across countries took longer than they expected.

'The initial setup process was a bit complex and took some time, but the customer support team was very helpful throughout. Additionally, I would love to see more customisation options in the reporting features.' - Idan, CEO

7. Remote

Capterra rating: 4.4/5 ⭐

Remote is a global workforce platform with a built-in EOR. It lets Aussie businesses hire and manage people in 180+ countries. It operates through its own legal entities, not external partners. Remote sorts everything from employment contracts and tax registrations to social contributions and filing obligations. It also keeps on top of rule changes.

It’s a full HR system too, so you can manage local and overseas teams in the same place. Support runs through a ticketing system and a detailed help centre. But there’s no live chat or phone support for quick fixes. Pricing starts at around AUD $1,070 per employee each month (or less if you pay yearly). This covers onboarding, payroll, compliance, benefits, and equity support. 

Features and integrations

  • Global payroll solutions and compliance: Remote enables you to pay employees in local currencies and manage international taxes. It does the heavy lifting to keep you on the right side of local employment laws.
  • Benefits administration: It manages country-specific health insurance, pensions, and statutory perks. This promotes compliance and competitiveness in each market.
  • Full HR suite: The platform covers essentials like time tracking, performance management, and document storage, in one place.
  • Employee self-service: Remote enables your team to view payslips, request leave, and keep their details up to date through a simple online dashboard.
  • Flexible integrations and API: The system offers pre-built integrations and a robust Remote API. This means you can connect with your existing HR tools without agonising workarounds.

Strengths

✅Full global workforce management system: Remote does more than just enable you to hire and pay. It gives you access to a range of HR tools, though at an additional cost. That means less bouncing between systems.

✅Direct control everywhere: Remote owns the local employing entities. So, you don't have to deal with patchy service from outsourced partners. This helps keep things consistent from one country to another.

'The Remote team takes care of every step of the onboarding and offboarding of the employee, ensuring that we are up to date with the process. The payroll administration is very helpful as well. With Remote, we don't have to worry about regulatory compliance. We are sure at all times that everything is done in accordance with the regulations of the given country.' - Katarzyna, Office Manager

Weaknesses

❌Costs add up with scale: Running lots of staff across many countries can get expensive pretty fast.

❌Not built for special cases: Remote’s setup is rather standardised. This means that it may not adapt well if you’ve got unique employment terms or want to offer highly tailored benefits.

❌Shallow reporting tools: The platform’s reporting is quite basic compared to what you’d get from bigger enterprise HR systems. It doesn’t give you much room to slice and dice data for deeper workforce analysis.

'Haven't loved it. It's an inherited system that I would not have chosen myself, I just think they've scaled too quickly and aren't ready to serve a lot of the countries they're working in. It has cost us so much financially but also in time and energy to rectify issues that could have so easily been avoided in the first place if the correct and relevant information had been available at the start of a hiring relationship.' - Rachel, Head of Operations

Why Aussie businesses use EOR services

It's not surprising that global hiring is tempting. There’s bigger talent pools, time zone perks, and it helps you break into new markets. But it also opens a can of worms with tax, employment law, and contracts in countries you’ve never dealt with. That’s where an EOR comes in. 

Here’s why more Australian companies are using one:

  • Avoids the cost and complexity of setting up foreign entities: Registering a local company is pricey and takes months. With an EOR, you can skip all that and start hiring right away.
  • Enables faster hiring with less compliance stress: You can deliver employment contracts and onboard in days, without losing sleep over local labour laws.
  • Handles paying teams across borders without tax or legal worries: The EOR handles currency, deductions, and filings. There's no need to keep up with ever-changing tax rules.
  • Keeps overheads low while you test new markets: You can hire in a country, see if it works, then scale up or down. And all without long-term lock-in.

Key features to look for in an EOR service

If you’re putting global hiring into someone else’s hands, you want to make sure they’re up to scratch. Here are some things to look for so you don’t end up stuck with a platform that creates more work than it takes care of:

  1. Local tax and labour law compliance: They should take care of all the country-specific tax rules, social contributions, and employee rights. Check that they’ve got appropriate local expertise.
  2. Onboarding speed and automation: You want new hires to start work fast. And without heaps of manual back and forth. Look for platforms that automate contracts, approvals, and payroll setup so your team is up and running in days, not months.
  3. Benefits administration: There's more to hiring globally than getting pay right. A decent EOR organises legally required health insurance, and pensions, so you’re competitive in each market. Bonus points if they help tailor benefits to your budget and goals.
  4. Integration with payroll, HR, and finance tools: Your EOR shouldn’t be an island. It should sync with the systems you already use, so you’re not downloading spreadsheets and uploading them somewhere else. It keeps data clean and saves hours.
  5. In-country legal infrastructure vs. third-party partners: Ask if they own the entities that employ your staff, or if they rely on local partners. Owned infrastructure usually means more control and fewer handoffs. Partner networks can sometimes mean slower service or less consistency.
  6. Transparency on pricing, service level agreements (SLAs), and support: Upfront costs, clear service agreements, and honest answers about support are key. If they dance around questions like how fast they respond or who fixes compliance mistakes, proceed with caution.

The main thing is to figure out what matters most for your business. Maybe you just need to sort one international hire. Or perhaps you’re planning serious international growth. Check if the EOR owns its local entities or outsources. Think about where you’re hiring now vs. later. Make sure it fits your existing tech stack. And, importantly, compare value (not just sticker price).

Why Rippling's EOR leads the pack

If you’re after a platform that’s genuinely going to make global hiring (and all your local Aussie HR processes) easier, Rippling’s hard to beat. It’s not just an EOR. It’s a complete workforce management system bundled into one.

With Rippling, you can hire full-time employees in over 50 countries without setting up local entities. But you can also pay your Australian staff, and handle STP reporting, super, and award compliance. Plus, you can manage IT provisioning, performance reviews, and keep tabs on headcount and costs. And you can do it all from the same place. That’s a big deal if you’re sick of battling (and paying for) multiple systems.

Because Rippling does the job of several platforms and a few external vendors, it can save you a lot of time and headcount. It means no more spreadsheets, no more hiring local consultants in each country, no more costly slip-ups if you miss a tax or leave obligation. Often, that adds up to mega savings compared to piecing it all together yourself and hoping for the best.

If you want to build teams globally and run your local Aussie payroll and HR like clockwork, Rippling’s the one platform that truly lets you do both.

Our methodology for ranking the best EOR providers

We’re familiar with these EOR platforms from working alongside Aussie businesses expanding overseas. We’ve seen firsthand how they handle international hiring and manage compliance in different countries. We also factored in real user reviews, what’s trending in Australia, and the latest product updates. 

None of these rankings are paid or sponsored. Rippling came out on top because it combines EOR, global payroll, and workforce management in one platform. It also has a strong focus on both local Aussie needs and global scale. The ratings speak for themselves. 

We update this guide twice a year, so it stays relevant as new tools enter the market.

Employer of Record (EOR) FAQs

How can an Australian company hire a foreign employee?

The simplest way is to use an EOR. This means the EOR becomes the legal employer in the foreign country. So, they handle all the contracts, payroll, taxes, and follow the local regulations for you. Your business still manages the person’s day-to-day work.

If you tried to hire directly without an entity there, you’d either be breaking the law or forced to set up a costly local company.

Can you hire someone from another country to work remotely in Australia?

Yes. Heaps of businesses do this now. But it’s a bit different from hiring an international employee who will work for you in their own country. If the worker is physically based in Australia, you’ll need to follow Aussie employment laws. For instance, paying super, observing the Fair Work Act, and sorting visas if they’re not an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

What is Australia's policy on hiring expats?

If someone’s an expat wanting to work in Australia, they’ll generally need the right visa. For example, a skilled worker visa. As the employer, you’re on the hook to make sure they’re legally allowed to work here. This usually means sponsorship or proof of existing work rights. If you skip that step and they’re not allowed to work here, you could cop serious fines.

Can an Australian employee work from overseas?

It’s possible, but there are catches. If your Aussie employee decides to work from Bali or London for a stint, it could trigger tax, social security, or labour law obligations in that country. You might also need to register for tax there. It’s best to get local advice, so you stay compliant and don’t accidentally set up a taxable presence.

What is the best employer of record service for a small business?

The best employer of record companies for small businesses are usually those that are affordable, easy to use, and can take care of global payroll management without extra tools. Rippling tends to stand out here because it’s an all-in-one HR software platform. 

It sorts your Aussie team’s payroll and HR alongside your overseas staff in the same place, which saves small teams heaps of chaos.

Can you use one EOR to hire in multiple countries?

Definitely. That’s one of the biggest reasons businesses use EORs. A single EOR platform can be your hub for managing international employees, ensuring compliance, and handling your global expansion. It can save you from repeating the same legal and tax dramas in every new country you hire in. 

Just make sure the EOR owns their local entities or has rock-solid partner arrangements, so things don’t get messy.

Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.

last edited: July 2, 2025

Author

The Rippling Team

Global HR, IT, and Finance know-how directly from the Rippling team.