Employer of Record · FreeMalta Duel
Deel
Full EOR + contractor management + HRIS + equity + background checks + immigration support — all in one platform across 150+ countries. Deel has owned entities in most markets, not just partnerships. The widest footprint in the industry....
vs
Remote People
EOR, recruitment and payroll in one operation — from $199/employee/month in 150+ countries. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certified. Live in 48 hours. Designed for companies that want a single team handling finding, hiring and paying their people....
The category leader vs the specialist. Which EOR fits your stage?
Scale vs precision. Both are legitimate. The choice is about your company, not the products.
Deel and Remote People both do the same fundamental thing: let you hire internationally without opening a local entity. The difference is in reach, depth, price and what kind of company each one was built to serve.
Deel scaled to $12B valuation by going everywhere fast — 150+ countries, owned entities, deep platform. Remote People built from a different philosophy: fewer countries, deeper compliance expertise, recruitment and payroll on the same invoice, from €199/month. One is the airport. The other is the taxi driver who actually knows the city.
ROUND 01
What it actually does
Core purpose
Full EOR + contractor management + HRIS + equity + background checks + immigration support — all in one platform across 150+ countries. Deel has owned entities in most markets, not just partnerships. The widest footprint in the industry.
EOR, recruitment and payroll in one operation — from $199/employee/month in 150+ countries. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certified. Live in 48 hours. Designed for companies that want a single team handling finding, hiring and paying their people.
Both are real EORs with genuine global coverage. The difference is platform depth vs operational simplicity — and whether you want an enterprise platform or a tighter operation.
ROUND 02
Skin in the Game
Who carries the risk
Deel is the legal employer in 150+ countries. $12B valuation, backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue. They have the capital, legal infrastructure and institutional accountability to absorb employment disputes. Their legal machine is large.
Remote People takes on EOR liability too — but as a smaller, more focused operation. ISO 27001 + SOC 2 Type II certification signals serious compliance investment. Skin in the game, proportionate to their scale.
For high-stakes international employment, Deel's institutional scale provides more reassurance when things go wrong. Remote People is serious — but Deel's legal infrastructure is larger.
ROUND 03
The real cost
Price vs total cost
Deel EOR from $599/employee/month. Premium pricing for a premium platform. For companies that need the full suite — HRIS, equity management, immigration, background checks — the cost per feature is competitive. For companies that only need basic EOR, it may be overkill.
Remote People from $199/employee/month — and that includes recruitment, payroll and benefits on one invoice. If you're hiring through them too, the all-in cost can be significantly lower than using Deel for EOR plus a separate recruiter.
Remote People wins on price — significantly. At 3x less per employee, the question is whether Deel's additional platform depth justifies the premium for your specific needs.
ROUND 04
The Malta angle
Local reality
Deel has a direct entity in Malta and is widely used by iGaming and financial services companies. Known quantity in the local ecosystem. Enterprise-grade for enterprise Malta operations.
Remote People was built with Malta roots and deep knowledge of the local iGaming, tech and financial services hiring landscape. Their team understands the specific nuances of hiring from Malta outward across Europe.
Genuinely too close to call for Malta. Both have real presence. Talk to both. Compare pricing for your specific headcount and countries. The $400/month per employee difference is worth a conversation.
The Verdict
For most Malta companies, Remote People deserves a serious look before defaulting to Deel.
Choose if you're
Deel
A scaling company that needs the full EOR platform — HRIS, equity, immigration, background checks across many markets and wants institutional-scale legal infrastructure.
Start with Deel →
Choose if you're
Remote People
A Malta company that wants EOR, recruitment and payroll from one team at $199/month — especially if hiring within Europe or familiar Remote People markets.
Start with Remote People →
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