Tool profile
Remote: cost, fit and limits
Remote is an employer of record and global payroll platform made by Remote Technology, Inc. that employs staff in countries where a company has no entity, pays contractors, and runs local payroll, with an MCP server and API for connecting outside AI tools.
What to know first
Remote sells five priced products on one platform with no base fee: employer of record from $599 per employee per month on annual contracts, Global Payroll from $19, Contractor Management from $29, Contractor Management Plus from $99 and Contractor of Record from $325. A US PEO plan is listed separately. The homepage describes AI workforce intelligence and Remote Agents, and the privacy policy rules out training language models on personal data.
Remote at a glance
| Maker | Remote Technology, Inc., United States |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Entry price | $29 per employee per month |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI Employer of Record Services in 2026, rank 2 of 13 |
| Website | remote.com |
Who Remote is best for
Companies mixing employees and contractors
Contractor tiers run from $29 to $325 per month, so a team can start with contractors and move key people to employment without changing platforms.
Teams with entities abroad already
Global Payroll from $19 per employee suits a company that owns a local entity and only needs gross-to-net, filings and reports by country, entity and cost center.
Engineering teams that automate HR data
Remote lists an API, an MCP server and a CLI, so developers can wire workforce data into their own tools or AI assistants.
Remote plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Employer of Record | Starting at $599 per employee per month, annual contracts | Hire in 90 plus countries without an entity, with a dedicated onboarding specialist, local payroll, compliance protections and localized benefits. |
| Global Payroll | Starting at $19 per employee per month | Local gross-to-net, tax filings and statutory contributions in each country, for companies that own the entity. Reports by country, entity and cost center. |
| Contractor Management | Starting at $29 per contractor per month | Onboard and pay contractors in 190 plus countries with localized contracts, one-click invoice approval or auto-pay, compliance screening and 1099-NEC forms. |
| Contractor Management Plus | Starting at $99 per contractor per month | Adds $100,000 indemnity per contractor, up to $1M per company, and contracts and statements of work drafted by Remote. |
| Contractor of Record | Starting at $325 per contractor per month | Remote holds the contract and pays the contractor, with uncapped indemnity for misclassification and local compliance and IP transfer handled in the contract. |
Checked October 2026.
What Remote does
- Dedicated onboarding specialist
- Each employer of record hire gets a named specialist during onboarding, who coordinates local contracts, payroll setup and benefits so the first payslip is correct and on time.
- Local payroll and filings
- Global Payroll calculates gross-to-net locally and remits taxes and statutory contributions in each country, with reports that split by country, entity and cost center for finance.
- Contractor tiers by risk
- Four contractor options sit side by side, from plain payments to full Contractor of Record, so a company can match liability coverage to how risky each engagement is.
- AI connections
- Remote says AI tools can connect through MCP, CLI or API, and that customers can build with Remote Agents. The pages read do not describe a built-in chat assistant.
- US PEO
- A US PEO plan covers employees across the United States without state entities, and is listed from $99 per employee per month on the pricing page.
How Remote handles your data
Remote's privacy policy says personal data is not used to train large language models and that suppliers are contractually barred from training their AI models on it. The policy says data is kept as long as needed for its purposes and legal obligations, and sometimes longer. Remote states SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification and lists Data Privacy Framework certification for Remote Technology, Inc. and Remote Technology Services, Inc. The pages we read do not name a hosting region, so that question goes to the vendor.
Where Remote falls short in practice
- Narrower country list. Employer of record is offered in 90 plus countries, against 160 to 185 plus at several competitors, so a hire in a less common country may need a different provider or a contractor arrangement.
- Annual contract pricing. The $599 entry price applies to annual contracts, and the pricing page does not say what month to month terms cost. Ask for both numbers if headcount is uncertain.
- Unstated headquarters and region. Neither the headquarters country nor the hosting region appears on the pages read, which matters for buyers with data residency rules or a preference for a European vendor.
Works with
Alternatives to Remote
Remote: common questions
Does Remote charge a platform fee on top of employment?
The pricing page says the Remote Platform is included with no base fee, and each product has its own per-person price. Benefits, equipment and other extras are not part of the headline figure, so ask for a written quote showing everything billed for your countries.
What is the difference between Contractor Management Plus and Contractor of Record?
Plus keeps the contractor relationship with you but adds $100,000 indemnity per contractor, up to $1M per company. Contractor of Record, from $325, has Remote hold the contract and pay the contractor, with uncapped indemnity for misclassification and local compliance.
Can Remote's AI read my employee data?
The homepage says customers can connect AI tools through MCP, CLI or API, and the privacy policy says personal data is not used to train large language models. What an outside assistant may read depends on the permissions you grant, so check the integration scopes.
Does Remote publish a security certification?
The privacy policy and infrastructure security statement say Remote is SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified. It also lists Data Privacy Framework certification for two group companies. Certificate scope and report dates were not seen, so request the reports before sending employee files.
Is Remote a European company?
The pages we read do not state a headquarters country. The corporate group holding company is named Remote Technology, Inc. If European ownership or an EU hosting region matters, ask in writing before signing, because the pricing and privacy pages do not answer it.