Kontrable, the Deel alternative for contractor management

Deel is built for companies that need employee of record services: managing payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for full-time remote employees across borders. Kontrable is built for teams managing independent contractors who handle their own taxes and already have payment accounts set up.

These are fundamentally different problems. Understanding which one solves yours determines whether you're paying for unnecessary complexity or whether you actually need it.

The core difference

Deel is an Employer of Record platform. When you use Deel, they become the legal employer of record. They handle payroll processing, tax withholding, benefits administration, and local employment compliance. Your money flows through Deel to your employee. You get a fully managed employee relationship.

Kontrable is a contractor management platform. You manage contractors directly. You pay them through your own Wise, PayPal, or Payoneer account. Kontrable organizes contracts, tracks milestones, stores documents, and creates an audit trail. Your contractors handle their own taxes.

These solve different problems. Deel is for hiring full-time employees internationally. Kontrable is for managing independent contractors.

When you need Deel

You need Deel if:

• You're hiring someone as a full-time employee (not a contractor)
• You want Deel to handle all employment compliance and tax withholding
• You want centralized payroll processing across multiple countries
• You need benefits administration (health insurance, retirement, etc.)
• You want someone else to bear the risk of employment law compliance

Cost: $49/month per contractor for basic contractor management. $325/month per contractor for Employer of Record services (if you want them to be the legal employer and handle all compliance).

When Kontrable works better

You're better served by Kontrable if:

• You're working with independent contractors (not hiring employees)
• Your contractors already have their own payment accounts (Wise, PayPal, Payoneer, bank accounts)
• Your contractors handle their own taxes in their jurisdiction
• You want to manage contractors directly without a middleman
• You need a simple system to organize contracts, track projects, and maintain audit trails
• You want to pay contractors directly and maintain full control of your money

Cost: $99/month for up to 25 contractors. No per-transfer fees. You pay contractors directly through your own payment accounts.

The financial reality

Deel cost for 10 contractors: $490/month base fee + transfer fees + any payment processing fees = $500+/month minimum, every month, whether you're actively paying or not.

Your money flow: You → Deel → Contractor (3-5 day delay through Deel's system).

Kontrable cost for 10 contractors: $99/month. No transfer fees. No payment processing charges.

Your money flow: You → Contractor directly via Wise/PayPal/Payoneer (1-3 day delay via the payment provider).

For small teams with 3-15 contractors who are already set up with payment accounts, the difference is significant. You're saving $400+/month in platform fees.

The tradeoff

Deel's advantage: One platform handles everything. You don't manage payment details, tax forms, or compliance. Deel does. For teams that want full-service employee management, this is valuable.

Deel's cost: You pay premium pricing for that service. You also accept that your money flows through Deel first, which adds processing time and fee layers.

Kontrable's advantage: You maintain direct control. You use the payment tools you already have. You keep your money until the moment you send it to the contractor. Kontrable provides organization and audit trails without the middleman.

Kontrable's cost: You need to handle some of the administrative work. You manage tax forms (W-9, W-8BEN). You initiate payments yourself. You organize contracts. But if your contractors already handle this (which independent contractors should), it's mostly record-keeping.

What Kontrable actually does

Contractor database: Store all contractor information, contact details, and business details in one place instead of scattered across email, spreadsheets, and documents.

Contract management: Upload and organize contractor agreements, statements of work, and other legal documents. Track signature status.

Project and milestone tracking: Create projects with specific milestones, deliverables, and payment amounts. Track deadlines and what's been delivered. See project status at a glance.

Payment tracking: Record payment approvals, initiate transfers through your own payment account, attach proof of payment (transaction ID and receipt), and track contractor confirmations. Complete audit trail.

Compliance checklist: Organize tax forms (W-9, W-8BEN), contractor status documentation, and other compliance records. Know what's on file for each contractor.

Alerts and reminders: Get notified of approaching deadlines, pending approvals, unpaid invoices, and contractor confirmations. Stay on top of operations without manually tracking everything.

Monthly exports: Export payment records, contractor lists, and status reports for finance and accounting.

Who this is for

Small agencies, remote-first startups, and growing teams that work with 2-15 independent contractors and:

• Already use Wise, PayPal, or Payoneer for payments
• Have contractors who handle their own taxes (as independent contractors should)
• Want to stop paying $500+/month in platform fees for contractor management
• Need a professional system to organize contracts, projects, and payments
• Value direct control over money and contractor relationships

Who needs Deel instead

Teams that:

• Are hiring full-time employees (not contractors)
• Want one vendor to manage all employment, compliance, and payroll
• Don't want to manage payment details or tax forms
• Are willing to pay premium pricing for full-service employee management
• Have complex multi-country hiring needs where they want centralized compliance management

The honest assessment

Deel is expensive if you're managing independent contractors who are already set up to handle their own taxes and payments. You're paying for employee management infrastructure when you have contractors.

But Deel is the right choice if you're actually hiring employees internationally and want someone else to handle all the compliance risk.

Kontrable is built for the contractor use case: simple, organized, direct. You manage the relationship and the records. You pay through providers you already use. You keep 100% of your money until you send it to the contractor.

Neither approach is universally "better." They solve different problems for different situations. The question is which one matches what you actually need to do.

Get started

If you're managing independent contractors and want a simpler system than spreadsheets but don't need Deel's employee management services, Kontrable is designed for you.

Start organizing your contractor relationships today.