1. Who this guide is for
This page is written for agencies, studios, and project-based teams that:
- Work with a mix of employees, contractors, and partner agencies
- Run multi-party projects across regions and currencies
- Need employee payroll and compliance, plus a clean way to manage contractor and supplier workflows
- Care about project visibility and operational control, not only HR and headcount
It can also apply to project operators such as construction, events, and design-build teams that use a mix of employees and subcontractors.
2. At a glance: Petl Pay vs Deel vs Remote
- Deel is strongest for global hiring, payroll, and Employer of Record (EOR) for employees.
- Remote is similar, with a focus on global payroll and EOR for employees.
- Petl Pay is built for project-based work: approvals, invoicing, multi-party earnings, and payment coordination for contractors and partner agencies.
Many teams use Deel or Remote for employees and use Petl Pay for flexible, project-based suppliers on the same client accounts.
3. Platform comparison
| Platform | Best for | Worker type | Project and multi-party support | What it does with payments | Indicative cost shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petl Pay | Project-based teams paying contractors and partner agencies across borders | Contractors, micro-agencies, collectives, flexible teams | Yes: project workflows with split and merge logic | Coordinates payout instructions; execution and settlement handled by licensed providers | Typically workflow + provider fee shape (varies by corridor and provider) |
| Deel | Hiring and paying employees abroad via EOR and global payroll | Employees, plus contractor management options | Limited: focus on worker-level HR and payroll | Runs payroll/EOR payments as part of HR + employment workflows | Per-worker pricing and employment/payroll fees |
| Remote | Global payroll and EOR for employees | Employees, plus contractor management options | Limited: not built for complex project splits | Runs payroll/EOR payments as part of HR + compliance workflows | Per-worker pricing and employment/payroll fees |
Deel and Remote are powerful for employment, payroll, and HR compliance. Petl Pay is optimised for multi-party project workflows and flexible supplier payment coordination.
4. Where Petl Pay fits alongside Deel and Remote
Petl Pay is not an EOR platform. It is a complementary workflow layer for project-based work, contractors, and partner agencies.
4.1 When to use Petl Pay
- You run projects or retainers with mixed internal teams and external partners.
- You need one client invoice linked to many contributors and earnings records.
- You want consistent approvals, invoice generation, and auditable payout instructions.
- You want to reduce spreadsheet-based reconciliation and improve project margin visibility.
4.2 When to use Deel or Remote
- You want to hire employees in countries where you do not have a legal entity.
- You need EOR coverage, payroll tax management, benefits, and HR processes.
- You want a system of record for employee contracts and employment compliance.
4.3 Using Petl Pay and Deel or Remote together
Many teams use a blended model:
- Employees are hired and paid via Deel or Remote.
- Contractors, fractional specialists, and partner agencies run through Petl Pay workflows.
- Projects, approvals, and invoicing live in Petl Pay so flexible work stays consistent and auditable.
5. Workflow: Petl Pay vs Deel vs Remote
5.1 Typical EOR workflow (Deel or Remote)
- Hire employees through an EOR entity in the target country.
- Run payroll on a recurring schedule.
- Handle taxes, benefits, and employment compliance at the employee level.
- Project work allocation often sits in separate tools (PSA, PM, finance).
5.2 Petl Pay workflow for project-based teams
- Create a project with the client, scope, and commercial terms.
- Invite contractors and partner agencies and define rates or split rules.
- Log and approve time, milestones, or deliverables.
- Generate a client invoice and link contributor earnings records.
- Produce payout instructions and track reported settlement updates where available.
- Maintain an audit trail across approvals, invoices, and settlement instructions.
6. Cost shape and flexibility
The cost model differs between project workflows and EOR payroll.
6.1 Petl Pay cost shape
- Typically priced around workflow usage and the third-party provider routes you choose.
- Designed to stay economical when teams add or remove contributors per project.
- Can reduce total operational cost by cutting manual reconciliation and approval overhead.
6.2 Deel and Remote cost shape
- Per-worker pricing plus employment, payroll, and compliance fees.
- Works well for stable headcount and long-term roles.
- Can be less cost-effective for highly variable, project-based resourcing.
7. Example scenarios
7.1 Global agency with core employees on EOR and flexible bench on Petl Pay
- The agency uses Deel or Remote to employ country leads and long-term roles.
- They use Petl Pay to run project workflows for contractors, creators, and partner studios.
- Client invoicing and contributor earnings stay linked to the same project record.
7.2 Product company with Remote for employees and Petl Pay for launch partners
- The product company uses Remote for core engineering and product headcount.
- They use Petl Pay for agencies, growth partners, and regional specialists tied to campaigns.
- Approvals and invoice generation follow the same pattern across every launch project.
7.3 Services firm shifting non-core work off EOR
- The firm keeps EOR for leadership roles that need employment coverage.
- They move variable project work to contractors and partner agencies.
- They standardise flexible work through Petl Pay workflows to reduce admin and improve cost visibility.
8. Frequently asked questions
Is Petl Pay an Employer of Record like Deel or Remote?
No. Petl Pay is not an Employer of Record. Deel and Remote focus on employing workers and running payroll. Petl Pay focuses on project workflows, invoicing, multi-party earnings, and payment coordination for contractors and partners.
Can Petl Pay replace Deel or Remote?
Not if you rely on EOR for employees. Petl Pay is a better fit for contractor and partner workflows and is commonly used alongside an EOR solution.
When should I choose Petl Pay instead of an EOR?
Choose Petl Pay when you work with independent contractors, micro-agencies, or fractional talent and need project-based approvals and invoicing. Choose an EOR when you want full-time employees in a country where you do not have an entity.
Does Petl Pay hold funds or execute payments?
No. Petl Pay does not hold or control funds and does not execute payments. Execution and settlement are handled by licensed third-party providers, or occur directly between users and such providers.
Can I use Petl Pay together with Deel or Remote?
Yes. Many teams hire core employees through Deel or Remote and run contractor and project-based work through Petl Pay.
9. Next steps
If you already use Deel or Remote for employees, Petl Pay can give you a cleaner way to run project-based work and contractor workflows alongside that stack.
- Use Petl Pay for multi-party projects, contractor and partner agency workflows, and audit-ready invoicing.
- Keep Deel or Remote for stable full-time roles that need EOR and payroll coverage.