Global Expansion

The Top 8 Global Payroll Platforms for 2022

March 15, 2023
Brett Ungashick
Founder

Due to the increase in remote work and the tight US labor market, many organizations are starting to expand their horizons when it comes to hiring talent. For companies that have set up entities outside of the US, finding the right global payroll partner can be a huge benefit. These are the top 8 global payroll platforms in 2022:

Have a specific global payroll question on your mind? Send it to hello@outsail.co

As companies continue to hire talent wherever they can find it, finding the right global payroll partner can help keep payroll, compliance and hiring processes streamlined.

Most businesses start their global journey with an ad hoc approach that leverages in-country bookkeepers in each new country. However, having different providers in each region can limit the ability to create holistic, consistent, real-time reports.

See HRIS Cost Comparisons

As you learn about the global payroll space, you'll see that there are a number of different approaches to the market:

  • Some companies can offer full-suite HRIS's on top of their global payroll capabilities
  • Some focus purely on global payroll and process payroll themselves in-country
  • Some others focus purely on global payroll but take an aggregator approach
  • And finally, others will provide global payroll in addition to other global payment services like global EOR (employer of record).

If you're not sure what type of solution you need, or which vendors to focus on, you can reach out to OutSail. OutSail's free services help companies get matched to the right global payroll platforms.

Learn More: Request a vendor report comparing the leading global payroll platforms

Below are the leading global payroll platforms in the market today:

1.) Blue Marble

Type of solution: Global Payroll Aggregator

Blue Marble is one of the pioneers of the global payroll space and offers a comprehensive service at a great price. Their technology platform provides a time, leave management, employee file and compliance portal for employees to access, and also allows for a single dashboard for admins to view all global employees. Blue Marble can also provide in-country consulting support too. They do not process US payroll directly but they have pre-built integrations with many market leading HRIS’s who can meet most company’s US needs. Blue Marble was recently acquired by Paylocity, so it's unclear if they will continue to maintain their friendliness towards other HRIS systems

Blog: Rippling vs ADP vs Paylocity

2.) CloudPay

Type of solution: Global Payroll Aggregator / In-Country Provider

CloudPay has been in the global payroll space since 1996 and continues to develop their platform through strategic investments. CloudPay is best suited for enterprise companies and has prioritized integrations with enterprise HRIS systems like Workday, SAP and Oracle. CloudPay offers a technology platform to streamline the entire global payroll process, providing visibility into your global workforce and they can also provide in-country expertise where needed.

Workday Reviews - Pricing, Pros/Cons, User Reviews

Blog: The Best Payroll Systems to Integrate with NetSuite

3.) Activpayroll

Type of solution: Global Payroll Aggregator / In-Country Provider

Activpayroll is unique in the marketplace for the fact that they do not rely on a 3rd party payroll network, but instead process payroll themselves in all 46 countries they operate in. Activpayroll offers fully outsourced payroll services and can manage all of a company’s compliance needs too. Activpayroll is also a highly consultative company that helps their partners understand and plan for global expansion. Additionally, they leave their US payroll processing operations up to UKG Pro and offer a deep bi-directional integration.

Want more info on these global payroll platforms? Talk to an advisor about firsthand experience

4.) ADP Celergo

Type of solution: HRIS + Global Payroll Aggregator

ADP rarely needs an introduction as the leading payroll provider in the US for decades. ADP has a few different HRIS solutions that they can provide to global companies, including Workforce Now and Vantage. Additionally, ADP acquired Celergo a few years ago, giving them a global payroll platform that is available in over 130 countries. Like most vendors, Celergo uses a payroll aggregator model, and the Celergo system is separate from ADP's HRIS's, which can lead to some additional consolidation work from admins.

5.) Ceridian

Type of solution: HRIS + In-Country Provider / Global Payroll Aggregator

Ceridian offers a scalable, global HRIS system called Dayforce that is used by many enterprise companies. Ceridian can also process payroll natively in over a dozen countries, far more than almost any other HRIS provider. And in the countries where Ceridian doesn't natively process payroll, they leverage global payroll aggregators so that they can span the entire globe. One of the biggest differentiators for Ceridian globally is that their global payroll is processed within Dayforce, ensuring that all global HR and global payroll happens in the same system.

Blog: How Long Does it Take To Buy and Implement an HRIS

6.) Safeguard Global

Type of solution: Global Payroll Aggregator + EOR

Safeguard Global has been in the industry since 2008, originally as a managed payroll service provider. For companies that want a strong partner in both global payroll and EOR, Safeguard can be a strong fit. They can offer EOR services across the globe through partners. And Safeguard also provides a tech platform for payroll, time and expenses. Safeguard is one of the largest company in the global payroll space and their internal team provides full in-country compliance and tax support

7.) Papaya Global

Type of solution: Global Payroll Aggregator + EOR

Papaya is one of the fastest growing companies in the global employment space. They are the only company that can currently provide full global payroll, EOR and contractor management services. Papaya also differentiates on technology and can provide a broad set of modules in a modern, easy-to-use platform. Papaya uses an aggregator model for their global payroll processing.

8.) Velocity Global

Type of solution: Global Payroll Aggregator + EOR

Velocity Global is one of the market leaders in the global EOR space. Velocity Global’s biggest differentiator is their comprehensive service model which leads to very high client retention rates. VG can also offer a lightweight HRIS platform with a broad scope of modules. Velocity Global has recently entered the global payroll processing space and is on their way to also launching contractor management services.

Shopping for a global payroll platform? Work with an OutSail advisor to streamline your shortlisting, evaluations and selection - for free!

Subscribe to OutSail's Newsletter

Get industry insights that you won't delete, straight in your inbox.
We use contact information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For information, check out our Privacy Policy.
Brett Ungashick
Founder
Brett is the founder of OutSail. He spent the early part of his career selling HR software before switching sides and going to work for the people buying the software.

More news

Why Company Size Matters When Selecting an HRIS System
Buying Strategies

Why Company Size Matters When Selecting an HRIS System

When trying to find the right HRIS platform, one critical evaluation point is to find a system that is a strong fit for your company's size and growth trajectory. If the system is too robust for your needs, you may be paying for more functionality than you need. And if the system is too limiting, you will have manual processes outside of the system inhibiting your efficiency.

Read Article
What to Look for When Choosing an HRIS System
Buying Strategies

What to Look for When Choosing an HRIS System

There are over 60 HRIS platforms listed on G2 and even more viable options across the internet. How can one person or one team be tasked with finding the right one? Having the right strategy for your HRIS search is critical:

Read Article
A step-by-step guide to HRIS implementation for non-technical HR professionals
Buying Strategies

A step-by-step guide to HRIS implementation for non-technical HR professionals

Many customers that we work with experience increased anxiety as they finish their buying process and move into implementation. Much of the anxiety that surrounds HRIS implementations comes from the fact that most HR professionals do not know what is coming next, since the implementation process is often under explained in the sales process. Here is a brief overview of what you can expect as you transition into implementation:

Read Article