5 Best EOR Solutions for Australian Businesses
Key Takeaways
What is an EOR and why do Australian companies need
one? An Employer of Record becomes the legal employer in new countries,
letting you hire globally without setting up local subsidiaries. This
eliminates legal complexity, tax setup, and compliance burden across 100+
jurisdictions.
What are the different EOR models? Some
providers own 100% of their entities in every country (direct accountability).
Others partner with local experts across networks (faster setup, shared
responsibility). Australia adds complexity: Modern Awards, 12% superannuation,
state payroll taxes, and Fair Work compliance require specialist knowledge.
How do EOR providers differ on speed and scale?
Deel and RemoFirst scale fastest across 185+ countries. Remote prioritises
direct accountability through owned entities. Rippling offers one unified
platform. Multiplier specialises in Asia Pacific. Speed depends on whether you
value ownership certainty or rapid multi-country deployment.
What makes Modern Award compliance complex?
Australia has 120+ industry-specific awards setting minimum pay far beyond
national minimums. Misclassification triggers Fair Work investigations and
back-pay liability. Not all EOR providers specialise at this level—Remote does,
Deel handles standard payroll only.
How do you choose the right EOR provider? Start
by defining your hiring geography and compliance risk tolerance. Then decide:
do you want direct entity ownership (accountability, slower) or partner
networks (speed, lower cost)? Request quotes from 2–3 providers matching your
priorities.
Table of Contents
● The Five
Best EOR Providers Ranked
● Rippling:
Best for Global + Australian Hiring Through One Platform
● Remote:
Best for Compliance-First Expansion with Direct Accountability
● Deel: Best
for Fast Multi-Country Scaling
● RemoFirst:
Best for Budget-Conscious Global Hiring
● Multiplier:
Best for Asia Pacific Expansion
● Australian
Compliance at a Glance
● How to
Choose Your EOR
● Quick
Reference
●
Next Steps
The Five Best EOR Providers Ranked
|
Provider
|
How They Operate
|
Coverage
|
Australian Pricing
|
Details
|
|
1. Rippling
|
Unified platform: hire globally & in Australia
through one dashboard
|
Multiple countries
|
Quote-based
|
View EOR details
|
|
2. Remote
|
Owns 100% of entities, no partner handoff
|
90+ countries
|
Contact for pricing
|
View EOR details
|
|
3. Deel
|
Owns entities in 130+ countries
|
150+ countries total
|
Quote-based
|
View EOR details
|
|
4. RemoFirst
|
Partner network with local experts
|
185+ countries
|
USD $199/month
|
View EOR details
|
|
5. Multiplier
|
Direct employment model
|
150+ countries with APAC depth
|
Starts $275/month
|
View EOR details
|
1. Rippling: Best for Global +
Australian Hiring Through One Platform
Provides global hiring and Australian compliance
through one integrated platform—Modern Award classification, superannuation
(12%), PAYG tax, STP reporting, state payroll taxes.
● How it
works: Single platform for hiring, onboarding, and employment across
multiple countries. Best for teams already using Rippling globally who want one
system for global + Australian hiring.
● Speed:
Direct employment setup through one dashboard without setting up multiple legal
entities.
● Australia:
Comprehensive Modern Award classification, superannuation (12%), PAYG tax, STP
reporting, state payroll taxes.
●
Pricing: Quote-based, varies by team size and countries.
2. Remote: Best for Compliance-First
Expansion with Direct Accountability
Remote owns and operates 100% of their legal entities
across 90+ countries (no partner handoff model). This means direct
accountability for employment law compliance in those countries.
● How it
works: Remote operates as the legal employer in each country they serve.
They take direct responsibility for employment law compliance.
● Speed:
Fast onboarding because they own the entities—no coordination delays with
external partners.
● Australia:
Modern Award expertise, superannuation reconciliation, Fair Work Act
compliance, state payroll taxes, STP with audit trail, termination guidance.
Unlimited indemnity for compliance errors.
●
Pricing: Contact for Australian pricing details.
3. Deel: Best for Fast Multi-Country
Scaling
Deel owns and operates its own legal entities in 130+
countries. They operate in 150+ countries total.
● How it
works: Deel operates the legal entity in your target country—no handoff to
third parties. Direct employment setup without requiring you to establish local
companies.
● Speed:
Fast because they own the infrastructure. Onboarding and payday happen on time.
● Australia:
Handles standard payroll, superannuation, PAYG tax, STP submission. Not
specialist-level for Modern Award complexity; works best for straightforward
roles.
●
Pricing: Quote-based. Contact them for Australian pricing.
4. RemoFirst: Best for
Budget-Conscious Global Hiring
RemoFirst coordinates with vetted local partners across
185+ countries rather than owning entities directly. You get local expertise
through existing infrastructure.
● How it
works: RemoFirst partners with local experts to hire you as an employee in
each country. Faster global expansion because partners already have
infrastructure in place.
● Speed:
Fastest time-to-hire across most countries because they leverage existing local
entities rather than building new ones.
● Australia:
Basic payroll processing, superannuation, PAYG tax, STP submission. Modern
Award complexity requires external advisory.
●
Pricing: USD $199/month per employee. No minimums, transparent
pricing.
5. Multiplier: Best for Asia Pacific
Expansion
Multiplier operates as a direct employer across 150+
countries with particular depth in Asia Pacific (including Australia,
Singapore, New Zealand).
● How it
works: Direct employment through Multiplier's entities. APAC expertise
means local knowledge in Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand.
● Speed:
Fast in the APAC region. International hiring outside APAC may use different
arrangements.
● Australia:
Superannuation, PAYG tax, STP, state payroll taxes. Reasonable Modern Award
support.
●
Pricing: Starts at $275/month with tiered pricing (Core, Growth,
Enterprise). Transparent upfront pricing.
Australian Compliance at a Glance
|
Requirement
|
What It Means
|
Risk
|
|
Modern Awards
|
120+ industry-specific awards set minimum pay rates far
beyond national minimums
|
Misclassification triggers a Fair Work investigation and
back-pay liability
|
|
Superannuation
|
Employers must contribute 12% of ordinary time earnings to
compliant super funds
|
Incorrect calculation or fund selection causes ATO
scrutiny and penalties
|
|
State Payroll Taxes
|
NSW, Victoria, and Queensland each manage payroll tax and
workers' compensation independently
|
Mishandling creates state tax audit risk and WorkCover
coverage gaps
|
|
Single Touch Payroll
|
ATO requires real-time STP reporting of PAYG tax,
superannuation, and employee details
|
Missed submissions create ATO visibility issues and
compliance risk
|
How to Choose Your EOR
Rapid multi-country hiring? Deel owns entities
in 130+ countries. RemoFirst uses partner networks across 185+ countries for
fastest setup.
Direct entity accountability? Remote owns 100%
of entities across 90+ countries.
Australia + APAC focus? Remote operates across
90+ countries. Multiplier operates across 150+ countries with APAC depth.
Contact both to verify which countries they own entities in.
Budget priority? RemoFirst at USD $199/month
with partner network model.
Already using Rippling globally? Rippling
provides a global hiring platform with Australian compliance. Contact Rippling
for entity ownership details across countries.
Modern Award complexity? Remote specialises in
Modern Award expertise with unlimited indemnity. Deel handles standard payroll
(not specialist-level). Multiplier offers reasonable Modern Award support.
Quick Reference
|
Provider
|
Model
|
Countries
|
Australia Pricing
|
|
Rippling
|
Not disclosed
|
Not disclosed
|
Quote
|
|
Remote
|
Owns 100% of entities
|
90+
|
Quote
|
|
Deel
|
Owns entities
|
130+ (150+ total)
|
Quote
|
|
RemoFirst
|
Partner network
|
185+
|
USD $199/month
|
|
Multiplier
|
Direct employment
|
150+ (APAC focus)
|
$275+/month
|
Important: EOR pricing varies by team size,
countries hired in, and compliance complexity. Always request current quotes
directly from providers. Information based on published data as of August 2026.
Next Steps
Start by defining which countries you'll hire in over
the next 12 months, then assess how complex your Australian compliance needs
are (Modern Awards, multi-state hiring, sensitive roles).
Next, decide whether you want direct entity ownership
(Remote, Deel, Multiplier) or can work with partner networks (RemoFirst).
Request quotes from 2–3 providers based on your target countries, Australian
states, industry roles, and compliance complexity.
When you speak with them, ask how they ensure
employment law compliance in each country, which countries they own entities
in, how fast they can set up hiring in Australia specifically, and what happens
if there's a compliance error.
|