Kontrable vs Oyster HR: Contractor management for small teams

Oyster HR is built for companies that need comprehensive global employment management: handling payroll, benefits, tax compliance, and legal protections for full-time remote employees across 180+ countries. Kontrable is built for teams managing independent contractors who handle their own taxes and already have payment accounts set up.

These serve different needs. Understanding which one fits your situation determines whether you're paying for unnecessary infrastructure or whether you actually need it.

The core difference

Oyster HR is a global employment platform. They provide contractor and employee management with compliant contracts in 180+ countries, multi-currency payments, and some employment protections. Your money flows through Oyster to your contractor. You get managed global employment services.

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 and payments.

These solve different problems. Oyster provides managed global employment. Kontrable provides organization and tracking.

When you need Oyster HR

You need Oyster HR if:

• You want compliant contracts generated for 180+ countries automatically
• You want Oyster to handle payment processing across currencies
• You prefer a vendor managing employment compliance and legal protections
• You're hiring full-time remote employees (not just contractors)
• You want centralized management of global hiring across many countries
• You're willing to pay per-contractor monthly fees for managed services

Cost: $29/month per contractor. No setup fees, 30-day free trial.

Example: 10 contractors at $29/month = $290/month. 25 contractors = $725/month.

When Kontrable works better

You're better served by Kontrable if:

• You're managing independent contractors who handle their own taxes
• Your contractors already have their own payment accounts
• You want to pay contractors directly and maintain full control
• You need simple, organized record-keeping without a middleman
• You want to avoid per-contractor monthly fees scaling with your team size
• You value direct payment relationships with your contractors
• You work with contractors in a limited number of countries

Cost: $99/month for up to 25 contractors. Flat rate. No per-contractor charges.

The financial reality

Oyster HR cost for 10 contractors: $290/month ($29 × 10) minimum, every month.

Your money flow: You → Oyster HR → Contractor (processing delay + fees).

Kontrable cost for 10 contractors: $99/month. Flat rate. No per-contractor charges.

Your money flow: You → Contractor directly via Wise/PayPal/Payoneer (no middleman).

Financial comparison:

• 5 contractors: Oyster $145/month vs Kontrable $99/month = $46/month difference
• 10 contractors: Oyster $290/month vs Kontrable $99/month = $191/month difference
• 25 contractors: Oyster $725/month vs Kontrable $99/month = $626/month difference

For teams managing more than 3-4 contractors, Kontrable's flat pricing is significantly cheaper.

The real tradeoff

Oyster HR's advantage: They handle contract generation for 180+ countries, payment processing, and some employment compliance. One vendor manages global hiring. You don't have to think about country-specific contracts or payment flows. For teams hiring across many countries, this is valuable.

Oyster HR's cost: Per-contractor monthly fees. Money flows through them first, adding delays and fees. Your costs scale linearly with contractor count. You depend on their platform.

Kontrable's advantage: Flat pricing regardless of contractor count. You maintain direct control of money and contractor relationships. You use payment tools you already have. Complete audit trail in one organized system. No per-contractor monthly fees.

Kontrable's cost: You manage some work yourself. You handle contract generation (using templates or AI assistance, then reviewing with legal counsel). You organize documents and track milestones. But if your contractors are independent (which they should be), most of this is just record-keeping.

What Kontrable actually does

Contractor database: Store contractor information, payment details, and business information in one organized place instead of scattered emails and spreadsheets.

Contract and document management: Upload and organize contracts, statements of work, and compliance documents. AI-assisted contract generation (reviewed by your legal counsel before use).

Project and milestone tracking: Create projects with specific milestones, deliverables, payment amounts, and due dates. Track progress and pending items.

Payment management: Approve payments, record transaction IDs and proofs, track contractor confirmations. Complete audit trail.

Compliance organization: Centralize tax forms (W-9, W-8BEN), contractor status documentation, and other records needed for audits.

Alerts and reminders: Notifications for approaching deadlines, pending approvals, and contractor confirmations.

Monthly reporting: Export contractor lists, payment records, and status reports.

Who this is for

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

• Already use Wise, PayPal, or Payoneer for payments
• Have contractors managing their own taxes (as independent contractors should)
• Want to reduce platform fees significantly
• Need organized record-keeping and audit trails
• Value direct control over money and contractor relationships
• Work primarily with contractors in a limited set of countries (not 180+)

Who needs Oyster HR instead

Teams that:

• Want country-specific compliant contracts generated automatically for 180+ countries
• Are hiring across many different countries and need managed compliance
• Prefer a vendor handling payment processing and global employment management
• Are willing to pay per-contractor monthly fees for this convenience
• Want integrated employment management across contractors and employees
• Value having a global platform manage hiring complexity

The honest assessment

Oyster HR is expensive for independent contractors with a limited geographic spread who already handle their own taxes and payments. Per-contractor monthly fees add up quickly. For 10 contractors, you're paying $290/month. For 25, you're paying $725/month.

Kontrable costs $99/month regardless of whether you have 3 contractors or 25. If you're managing more than 3 contractors, Kontrable is significantly cheaper.

But Oyster HR is the right choice if you:

• Hire across many different countries and need country-specific compliant contracts
• Want a vendor managing payment processing and employment compliance
• Are willing to pay premium pricing for convenience and global coverage

Kontrable is built for teams that want to manage contractors directly, keep full control of their money, and use simple tools for organization.

What you give up with Kontrable

Kontrable doesn't generate country-specific contracts automatically for 180+ countries. You generate contracts using templates or AI assistance, then review them with legal counsel. This means:

• You're responsible for contract generation and legal review
• You manage more of the setup process
• You don't have automatic compliance for every country

If you hire in many countries and want automatic country-specific contracts, Oyster HR's built-in contract generation is valuable.

What you give up with Oyster HR

When you use Oyster HR:

• Your money flows through them first (payment delays)
• Per-contractor monthly fees (costs scale with team size)
• You depend on their platform for payment management
• More expensive as your contractor count grows

The choice

Choose Oyster HR if: You hire across many different countries and want automatic country-specific compliant contracts. You prefer managed global employment services and are willing to pay per-contractor fees.

Choose Kontrable if: You're managing independent contractors primarily in a few regions. You want direct control of money, simple organization, and flat pricing regardless of contractor count.

Neither is universally better. They serve different needs and preferences. The question is whether you need Oyster's global contract management and payment processing, or whether you need Kontrable's simplicity and direct control.

Get started

If you're managing independent contractors and want simple, organized record-keeping without per-contractor fees, Kontrable is built for you.

Start organizing your contractor relationships today.