ApplicantStack vs Oyster pricing: which is cheaper for your team?
Oyster's cheapest paid tier (Global Contractors) lists at $29/month, which beats the other on entry pricing. Mid-tier and enterprise math can flip the answer — use the per-tier table below to see the real cost for your team size at each tier.
Calculate the cost for your team
ApplicantStack pricing tiers
| Tier | Monthly | Annual (eq) | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29.99 | $29.99 | month | 1 active job, 1 admin, 5 hiring managers |
| Growth | $49.99 | $49.99 | month | 3 active jobs, ideal for scaling teams |
| Recruit | $109.99 | $109.99 | month | Unlimited jobs, scalable seats |
| Bundle | $159.99 | $159.99 | month | Recruit plus onboarding module with W4 and I9 |
Oyster pricing tiers
| Tier | Monthly | Annual (eq) | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Contractors | $29 | $29 | contractor/month | Free 30 days, instant contracts in 180+ countries |
| Global Payroll | $29 | $29 | employee/month | Automated calculations and local payroll experts |
| US PEO | $114 | $114 | employee/month | Co-employment in any US state with benefits |
| EOR | $699 | $699 | employee/month | Compliant employment in 120+ countries |
Feature by feature
The non-pricing differences that drive the real decision.
| Capability | ApplicantStack | Oyster |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | month | month |
| Pricing model | Flat monthly ATS with onboarding bundle option | Per-worker EOR, contractor, and payroll pricing |
| Cheapest paid tier | Starter at $29.99/month | Global Contractors at $29/contractor/month |
| Mid-tier benchmark | Recruit at $109.99/month | US PEO at $114/employee/month |
| Total paid tiers published | 4 | 4 |
| Last verified | 2026-05-17 | 2026-05-17 |
Best for…
Hand-picked use cases mapped to the winner.
| Use case | Winner |
|---|---|
| Lowest entry price (10-person team) | Oyster Global Contractors |
| Most pricing tiers (room to grow) | ApplicantStack (4 tiers) |
| Predictable per-seat billing | Neither (both flat/usage) |
| Most recently verified pricing | ApplicantStack |
Choose ApplicantStack when
- Month-to-month ATS for small businesses with four published tiers, no setup costs, and an onboarding-included bundle plan.
- Entry tier (Starter) at $29.99/month is your budget ceiling.
- Month-to-month credit card billing with no contracts or cancellation penalties; annual pricing not published.
Choose Oyster when
- Global hiring and EOR platform with published per-worker pricing for contractors, EOR, payroll, and US PEO services.
- Entry tier (Global Contractors) at $29/contractor/month is your budget ceiling.
- Annual EOR commitments unlock discounts; Oyster Shell adds $500K liability coverage as an optional add-on.
Switching considerations
Watch the hidden fees on both sides. ApplicantStack: Candidate texting add-ons billed separately Oyster: Currency conversion fees apply if paying in a different currency Always confirm with the vendor before purchase.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper for a 10-person team, ApplicantStack or Oyster?
At entry tier and 10 seats on annual billing: ApplicantStack Starter comes to $30/mo; Oyster Global Contractors comes to $29/mo. Oyster is the cheaper entry-tier choice at this team size.
Does ApplicantStack have more pricing tiers than Oyster?
Both publish 4 paid tiers. The mid-tier benchmark is Recruit for ApplicantStack and US PEO for Oyster.
Which pricing was verified more recently?
ApplicantStack's pricing was last verified 2026-05-17; Oyster's on 2026-05-17. Both pages link to the vendor's official pricing source so you can re-check before committing.