European Alternatives to Globalization Partners
Looking for a European alternative to Globalization Partners? Globalization Partners LLC (G-P) lists its privacy-policy contact address at 175 Federal Street in Boston, Massachusetts, and its pricing page shows G-P EOR starting at USD 599 per employee per month and G-P Contractor starting at USD 39 per contractor per month. Its privacy policy has a separate section for individuals in the EU, UK and Switzerland that refers to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
The European providers below include Teamed and Playroll in London, Rivermate in Amsterdam, Lano in Berlin and Native Teams, and several publish a starting price per employee that you can set against G-P's.
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11 European Alternatives to Globalization Partners
Teamed
London EOR with an itemised invoice and one fixed monthly fee
Rivermate
Amsterdam provider with 38 owned entities and a dedicated account manager
Playroll
English-law EOR with a published feature table and no minimum term
Native Teams
Low entry price plus an EOR variant on a dedicated EU entity
Lano
Berlin platform that joins EOR, local payroll and contractors in one view
SD Worx
Antwerp payroll group that resells G-P's EOR and offers a step towards its own local payroll
Zalaris
Oslo HR and payroll service offering EOR under its own local entities
TopSource
London group employing in 164 countries through owned entities and partners
Worksome
Copenhagen workforce platform that adds EOR to freelancer management
EuroDev
Almelo HR outsourcer employing staff in 20+ European markets
EOR International
Fully managed London service for EOR, contractors and advisory
Key takeaways
- Globalization Partners LLC lists its privacy-policy address as 175 Federal Street, Boston, and its pricing page shows G-P EOR from USD 599 per employee per month.
- G-P Contractor starts at USD 39 per contractor per month, is not charged in a month without a payment, and is negotiable above roughly ten contractors, according to G-P's own FAQ.
- Rivermate (Amsterdam, from $349), Playroll (London, from $399) and Native Teams (London, from $99) all publish a lower EOR starting price than G-P.
- SD Worx, the Antwerp payroll group, delivers its EOR through G-P, so choosing it for EOR does not remove G-P from the employment chain.
- Teamed states its own legal entities in 57 countries and Rivermate 38, while G-P's pricing and privacy pages do not give a country-by-country list of employing entities.
Why people leave Globalization Partners
Globalization Partners, which trades as G-P, sells the service most companies picture when they hear "employer of record": G-P becomes the legal employer of your hire in a country where you have no company, signs the local contract, runs payroll and files the taxes. Its pricing page claims coverage in 180+ countries without a local entity, and it sits alongside a contractor product and an AI compliance assistant called Gia.
The contracting company is Globalization Partners LLC, and the address in its privacy policy is 175 Federal Street, Boston. For a German or Dutch employer, that means the document that governs how your new colleague's salary, bank account and tax number are handled comes from a US group. The policy has a separate section for people in the EU, UK and Switzerland and says G-P takes part in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
People start looking elsewhere for two ordinary reasons. The first is price, because the starting figure of USD 599 per employee per month is one of the higher ones on the market and the final number comes from a proposal. The second is that some buyers want their employment data to stay with a company that answers to European law first, with a country list that says who actually employs the person.
- A starting price that only becomes a quote G-P's pricing page shows USD 599 per employee per month for EOR, with volume discounts and a "request a proposal" button instead of a checkout. Several European providers publish a lower or similar starting figure: Playroll from $399, Rivermate from $349, Lano from €499 and Native Teams from $99. Those are also starting points, so the real comparison is a written quote per country with deposits and statutory costs itemised.
- A US contracting party for European employment data G-P's privacy policy names Globalization Partners LLC in Boston and lists transfers to group companies and business partners, including outside the EEA. The Data Privacy Framework it relies on is a political agreement between Brussels and Washington, and its two predecessors, Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield, were both struck down by the Court of Justice. A UK, German or Dutch provider does not need that bridge.
- One brand, three products, one budget line The pricing page splits G-P into EOR, Contractor and Gia, each priced separately: USD 599 per employee, USD 39 per contractor and USD 500 per seat per month. A company that wants only employment in two countries pays for a platform built for 180+. Smaller providers such as EuroDev, covering 20+ European markets, or EOR International, a managed service, are scoped more narrowly.
- Little visible about who employs your hire The pages we read do not list which G-P company signs the contract in each country. Teamed (57 owned entities), Rivermate (38) and Lano (local partners) each state their own model, and the category page asks you to request that detail in writing from every provider. Whatever you choose, the employing entity is a contract term, not a brochure claim.
What you have to replace, not just match
The first thing to replace is the employment contract itself. When your hire in Spain or Poland moves to another provider, the old employer of record ends the employment and the new one starts it, so notice periods, holiday balances, probation clauses and any equity or bonus terms have to be written into the new contract by hand. Ask both providers for the same country template and read them side by side.
The second is everything that G-P wires into your own systems. Its pricing page lists custom APIs, a partner network of HCM and payroll providers, and elsewhere in its navigation an embedded product and an MCP server.
If your finance team pulls payroll journals through the G-P API, a European replacement has to offer an export your accounting setup can read: Lano has an API and HRIS or finance integrations, Playroll names BambooHR and HiBob, TopSource lists an API plus HRIS and ATS connections, and Teamed's invoices are itemised line by line.
The third is the pieces that never appear on the price list: the benefits package your people already have, immigration paperwork for anyone on a work visa, and the contractor payments if you use G-P Contractor. Rivermate sells visa work in the same service and Native Teams starts contractor payouts at $19, but nobody can promise the same benefits plan in every country, so ask for the plan documents before you move anyone.
The alternatives compared
| Position | Tool | Headquarters | Pricing | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Teamed | London, United Kingdom | EOR starts at €560 monthly per employee and contractor management at €45 per contractor, with no setup or exit fee | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| #2 | Rivermate | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Employer of record from $349 per employee monthly on the pricing page (the homepage quotes €319), contractor of record from $149, visas by request | EU (Netherlands) |
| #3 | Playroll | London, United Kingdom | EOR priced from $399 per employee each month with no minimum term; other services quoted on request | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| #4 | Native Teams | London, United Kingdom | EOR from $99 per employee monthly, or $49 under Eorly for 50 employees and up; Contractor of Record from $99 and Contractor Pay from $19 | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| #5 | Lano | Berlin, Germany | EOR begins at €499 per employee monthly; payroll in several countries from €19 per employee, consolidation from €3, contractors from €19, payments as an add-on | EU (Germany) |
| #6 | SD Worx | Antwerp, Belgium | Enterprise payroll and HR services quoted to each organisation; no published price | EU (Belgium) |
| #7 | Zalaris | Oslo, Norway | Managed payroll for enterprises, quoted to each organisation; no published price | EEA, not EU (Norway) |
| #8 | TopSource | London, United Kingdom | No published price; a reply within one business day states the cost, a flat monthly fee for each employee | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| #9 | Worksome | Copenhagen, Denmark | Unpublished; the EOR service is an add-on priced for each active engagement | EU (Denmark) |
| #10 | EuroDev | Almelo, Netherlands | Unpublished; a setup fee plus a monthly service fee, quoted separately for each country | EU (Netherlands) |
| #11 | EOR International | London, United Kingdom | No published price; a quote comes on request | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
How each alternative compares to Globalization Partners
Best for: Finance-led teams that want to see every cost line and may later take over the entity
Teamed Ltd is a London company registered in England and Wales, and its pricing page shows EOR at €560 per employee per month where G-P shows USD 599. The page prints a sample invoice for a Berlin engineer with a monthly total of €13,292.00, so you can see the service fee, the statutory charges and the benefits as separate lines. G-P's page gives a starting number and a proposal button.
Teamed also sells entity management, which sets up an entity and hands it back, and a 90-day satisfaction guarantee. The weak spot is coverage: it advertises 187+ countries but says it owns entities in 57, and it asks for a deposit equal to one month of salary plus first-month funding before the first payroll.
What Teamed does better than Globalization Partners
- Sample invoice with each cost line shown, which G-P's pricing page does not offer
- Zero setup and exit fees listed on the page
- An entity-management route to your own company, hand-over included
- UK company with a published number and London office
Where Teamed is a step down from Globalization Partners
- Upfront deposit and first-month funding before anyone is paid
- Owned entities in 57 countries against G-P's 180+ claim
- No AI compliance product comparable to G-P Gia
Standout against Globalization Partners. Teamed is the only provider on this page whose pricing page shows a complete invoice for a named hire.
Best for: Companies that want a person on WhatsApp or Slack more than a portal login
Rivermate B.V. contracts from Amsterdam, and its terms of service name that company. Its pricing page shows EOR from $349 per employee per month and Contractor of Record from $149, against G-P's USD 599 and USD 39, though the two contractor products are not the same service: Rivermate signs the contract itself.
The group states 38 owned entities, 180+ countries covered and visa support in the same service. Its prices are in dollars and the homepage uses €319 as a starting figure, so the written proposal is the number to trust. The group also includes entities outside Europe through acquisitions, which a privacy-minded buyer should read.
What Rivermate does better than Globalization Partners
- EOR starting price of $349 against USD 599
- A Dutch B.V. named as contracting party in the terms
- Visa and immigration support inside the same service
- A named account manager reachable on Slack, WhatsApp, email or phone
Where Rivermate is a step down from Globalization Partners
- Contractor of Record at $149 is far above G-P's USD 39 payment product
- Homepage and pricing page disagree on the starting figure
- Acquired entities outside Europe sit in the group
Standout against Globalization Partners. Rivermate gives every client a named account manager and a Dutch B.V. as the contracting party in its terms.
Best for: Start-ups hiring one or two people abroad who want to keep BambooHR or HiBob
Playroll Limited is registered in England and Wales under number 13596140 and lists a London registered office. Its pricing page shows EOR from $399 per employee per month, with no minimum headcount and no onboarding or offboarding fees, plus a long feature table. G-P's pricing page makes the same no-minimum-term point, but at USD 599.
Each client gets a Customer Success Manager and each employee an Employee Success Manager at no extra cost, according to the FAQ, and support runs five days a week around the clock. The cost is a refundable deposit of one month of salary, and the website terms say services are delivered through a network of international companies, so ask which one employs your hire.
What Playroll does better than Globalization Partners
- Lower EOR starting price at $399 against USD 599
- Customer and Employee Success Managers included in the price
- Named HRIS connections to BambooHR and HiBob on the pricing page
- UK company number and registered office disclosed
Where Playroll is a step down from Globalization Partners
- Services run through a network of companies, not one stated entity
- Only the EOR price is public, where G-P also lists contractor and Gia prices
- Support hours are 24x5, not seven days
Standout against Globalization Partners. Playroll publishes its monthly starting price in twelve currencies, including £319, €379 and CHF 359 for the same $399.
Best for: Cost-focused companies paying employees, contractors and gig workers from one wallet
Native Teams Limited is registered in England and Wales under company number 12584623, with an office at One Canada Square in London. Its pricing page starts EOR at $99 per employee per month, Contractor of Record at $99 and Contractor Pay at $19. G-P's equivalents start at USD 599 for EOR and USD 39 per contractor.
The company grew out of work payments, and its menu still opens with payroll, gig payments and a multi-currency wallet before employment features. Its Eorly option places employees on a dedicated EU entity at $49 each for 50 or more employees. The terms say a service may be invoiced by another company in the group, and the final price depends on plan and tier.
What Native Teams does better than Globalization Partners
- EOR entry price of $99 against USD 599
- Contractor Pay from $19, below G-P Contractor's USD 39
- Eorly gives a route to owning an EU entity
- Company and ICO numbers disclosed in the terms and privacy policy
Where Native Teams is a step down from Globalization Partners
- Fewer HR-suite features around the payments core
- Eorly needs 50 or more employees to reach $49
- The invoicing group company can differ from the contracting one
Standout against Globalization Partners. Native Teams combines the lowest starting price in the category with Eorly, a dedicated EU entity that can be taken over later.
Best for: Mid-market finance teams that already pay people in several countries
Lano Software GmbH is registered at the Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg under HRB 198116 B, and its pricing page lists EOR from €499 per employee per month, multi-country payroll from €19, payroll consolidation from €3 and contractors from €19. G-P's pricing page prices EOR, Contractor and Gia but not payroll consolidation.
Consolidation is Lano's distinctive product: it standardises gross-to-net data from other payroll providers into a single dashboard. Delivery runs through local partners in 170+ countries, not owned entities, and the security page states SOC 2 Type II. Lano says it is built for mid-market companies, so a two-person start-up gets less from it.
What Lano does better than Globalization Partners
- German GmbH with a commercial register number in the legal notice
- Payroll consolidation across existing providers, which G-P does not list
- EOR starting price of €499 stated for four separate services
- API plus HRIS and finance integrations
Where Lano is a step down from Globalization Partners
- Delivery through local partners rather than owned entities
- Aimed at mid-market, so small teams see less value
- Payments is an add-on with a €25 SWIFT fee
Standout against Globalization Partners. Lano is the only provider here that can read payroll output from your other payroll vendors, as well as employ people itself.
Best for: Large employers that want European payroll first and treat EOR as an entry step
SD Worx NV is an Antwerp payroll and HR group dating from 1945, listed on this site with KBO number BE 0644.841.746. Its EOR page says that SD Worx delivers EOR through a long-standing partnership with G-P, and that G-P manages contracts, payroll, benefits and offboarding. So the employer behind a hire in, say, Brazil is not SD Worx.
The reason to look at SD Worx is the step after EOR: its page says it supports the move from EOR to its own global payroll without disruption, on the back of own legal entities in around 30 European countries. Prices are not published, and the buying route is an account manager, not a sign-up.
What SD Worx does better than Globalization Partners
- Own European entities and payroll in about 30 countries
- A route from EOR to full payroll once you open an entity
- Belgian group majority-owned by the Belgian holding WorxInvest
Where SD Worx is a step down from Globalization Partners
- EOR itself comes from G-P, so the jurisdiction question remains
- No published pricing and an enterprise sales process
- Not built for a single hire or a very small company
Standout against Globalization Partners. SD Worx is the one entry on this page whose own EOR page names Globalization Partners as the provider behind it.
Best for: Large European employers that want a service team to run payroll and EOR
Zalaris ASA is an Oslo company with organisation number 981 953 134, and its EOR page says it becomes the employer through its own local legal entities, with a focus on Europe. That is a different model from G-P, which is built around a worldwide count of 180+ countries from one platform.
Zalaris sells managed payroll as a service: consultants run it, and its site mentions more than 150 countries for payroll. It changed owner in 2026, when a vehicle linked to the Norwegian fund Norvestor completed an offer for the shares. Norway is in the EEA but not the EU, and no price is published.
What Zalaris does better than Globalization Partners
- EOR through its own local entities, as stated on its page
- Managed service where consultants handle payroll
- A Norwegian ASA with a published organisation number
Where Zalaris is a step down from Globalization Partners
- No published price and no self-service sign-up
- European focus, so far less reach than G-P's 180+ countries
- A recent change of owner to a private equity fund
Standout against Globalization Partners. Zalaris is the one provider here that frames EOR as a managed payroll service handled by consultants rather than a platform.
Best for: Enterprise and private-equity-owned companies that accept quote-based pricing
TopSource Group Limited has a registered address on Shelton Street in Covent Garden, London, and describes itself as the result of a merger of TopSource Global Solutions and PEO Worldwide. Its EOR page states 164 countries through owned entities and vetted partners, with typical onboarding of five business days.
Against G-P the difference is the commercial model: a flat monthly fee per employee covering contract, payroll, tax filings and statutory benefits, with the amount sent by reply within one business day. The group has grown by acquisition, including Blueback Global in 2022, so the company that employs your hire can differ from the one you contract with.
What TopSource does better than Globalization Partners
- Flat monthly fee described as covering legally required items
- Portico platform with one dashboard and one invoice
- API plus HRIS and ATS integrations
Where TopSource is a step down from Globalization Partners
- No published price at all
- Owned entities and partners mixed without a country list
- Fewer countries than G-P's 180+
Standout against Globalization Partners. TopSource's history page records the founder's return as CEO in 2026, which is rare detail among EOR vendors.
Best for: Companies that run a freelancer programme and need EOR for a few conversions
Worksome ApS has its address at Dampfaergevej in Copenhagen, with Worksome Ltd in London and Worksome USA, Inc. in Colorado listed in the footer. Its EOR page promises employment in 150+ countries and a separate US EOR for domestic hires. EOR sits beside sourcing, compliance and payments for independent workers.
That origin suits a company that already manages freelancers there and wants to turn one into an employee under the same invoice, in USD, GBP or EUR. A buyer who only wants EOR may prefer a specialist like G-P or Teamed. No amount is published and the entity model is not described.
What Worksome does better than Globalization Partners
- Freelancers, contractors and employees on one platform
- Agent of Record option for independent workers
- Danish company with a Copenhagen address
Where Worksome is a step down from Globalization Partners
- EOR is secondary to freelancer management
- No published pricing and no stated entity model
- UK and US subsidiaries sit in the group
Standout against Globalization Partners. Worksome converts a long-term freelancer into an employee without leaving the platform where the freelancer was engaged.
Best for: Non-European companies hiring in Europe who want a named contact
EuroDev Holding B.V. has its head office at Windmolen 22 in Almelo and a second office in Belgrade. The founder started it in 1996 to help North American businesses operate in Europe, and HR outsourcing began in 2000. Its EOR covers more than 20 European markets, so it replaces G-P only if your hires are all in Europe.
The service is relationship-based: a setup component by country and role, and a monthly fee linked to the scope of administration, quoted per country. EuroDev says it can support the move to your own entity later. No platform or price is shown, which makes comparison harder than with Teamed or Playroll.
What EuroDev does better than Globalization Partners
- A Dutch company with a stated head office and a track record since 1996
- Dedicated contact instead of a ticket queue
- A PEO option once you have a European entity
Where EuroDev is a step down from Globalization Partners
- Europe only, nothing like G-P's worldwide list
- No published price and no self-service platform
- EOR is one of several service lines
Standout against Globalization Partners. EuroDev is the only entry here built around North American companies moving into Europe.
Best for: Smaller employers that want a hands-on team and no dashboard
EOR International Ltd is registered in England and Wales under number 16090269 at Great Portland Street in London. Its about page says the service was formed in 2022 and the company launched in 2024. The homepage frames it against portal-based providers: the team handles contract, payroll and compliance work itself.
It offers EOR, global contractor engagement and international advisory, and claims 150+ countries. No prices, platform, integrations or entity model are published, and the track record is short. It is worth a call if you prefer a service desk, but ask for the employing entity per country before signing.
What EOR International does better than Globalization Partners
- Company number, address and phone number are public
- Contractor engagement and advisory in the same offer
Where EOR International is a step down from Globalization Partners
- Short track record since the 2024 launch
- No published prices, platform or integrations
- Nothing like G-P's API or product range
Standout against Globalization Partners. EOR International positions itself against portal-based EORs, with no self-service platform shown at all.
What actually breaks when you switch
Switching an employer of record is mainly a paperwork exercise on two dates. The old provider has to end the employment and settle final pay, holiday and any statutory termination terms; the new one has to issue a contract that preserves what the person already has. Staff in countries with strong continuity rules, such as Germany or the Netherlands, should see the draft before the date is fixed. Expect to run a parallel month where both providers are paid.
Data is the second snag. G-P's pricing page mentions custom APIs and reporting, so ask for a full export of employee records, payslip history, contract PDFs and benefit enrolments before you give notice.
Then check what the new provider imports: Lano and Playroll connect to HR systems, Rivermate and EuroDev work through account managers. Contracts matter last: G-P says EOR has no minimum contract length, but deposits and notice terms still have to be checked, and Teamed and Playroll both collect a refundable deposit when a person is onboarded.
Does the EU-US Data Privacy Framework make G-P fine for European employees?
It makes transfers to G-P lawful in the way the framework intends, which is a narrower claim than "fine". G-P's privacy policy says Globalization Partners LLC and Globalization Partners US, Inc have certified to the framework for personal data from the EU, the UK and Switzerland, and that data may also move to group companies and partners outside the EEA.
What the framework does not change is who your contract is with. A UK or Dutch provider keeps the employment contract and the data processing agreement inside one legal system, and you avoid depending on an adequacy decision that earlier versions of the same idea did not survive. For a handful of hires that may not matter; for a works council or a DPO it often does.
What does a European provider cost compared with G-P?
Take the published starting figures and read them as a floor. G-P shows USD 599. Playroll shows $399 with no minimum commitment, Rivermate $349 on its pricing page (its homepage says €319), Lano €499, Teamed €560 with €0 setup and exit fees, and Native Teams $99, or $49 for its Eorly entity at 50 or more employees. SD Worx, Zalaris, TopSource, Worksome, EuroDev and EOR International quote per case.
Ask each provider for the same sample: one engineer in one named country on a given salary, with the deposit, the first-month funding, statutory employer costs and any FX margin on separate lines. Teamed's pricing page shows such an invoice for a Berlin engineer, which gives you a template for what to ask the others.
Which one to pick
If you want the nearest like-for-like swap for G-P EOR and you care about reading every cost, start with Teamed or Playroll: Teamed for the itemised invoice and the entity route, Playroll for a $399 starting price and no minimum commitments. If a named person matters more than the portal, Rivermate in Amsterdam is the better fit, and if budget is the main constraint, Native Teams starts at $99.
Pick Lano if you pay people through several local payroll providers and want one dashboard, and Zalaris or SD Worx if you are a larger European employer who already buys payroll as a service, remembering that SD Worx's EOR is delivered by G-P. Keep G-P when you need a single provider across a very wide country list and are comfortable with a Boston contracting party and the Data Privacy Framework behind it.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on what you buy. Teamed in London and Rivermate in Amsterdam publish a starting price and say they run their own entities, Playroll offers a $399 starting price with no minimum term, and Lano in Berlin fits companies that also want payroll consolidation. SD Worx and Zalaris suit larger employers that already buy European payroll, though SD Worx delivers its EOR through G-P itself.
The pricing page shows G-P EOR from USD 599 per employee per month, G-P Contractor from USD 39 per contractor per month and G-P Gia from USD 500 per seat per month. Volume discounts exist for all three, and the page says there is no minimum contract length for EOR hires. The final number comes from a proposal.
The privacy policy gives Globalization Partners LLC, Global Data Privacy Office, 175 Federal Street, 17th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, USA. The policy adds that Globalization Partners US, Inc is also certified under the Data Privacy Framework. We did not find a European contracting entity named on the two pages we read.
Yes, but it is a transfer of employment, not a settings change. The new provider becomes the legal employer in the country, issues a new contract and runs payroll from a start date you agree, while G-P closes the old one. Plan one payroll cycle of overlap with both providers and check notice terms in the country first.
Teamed advertises 187+ countries but states owned entities in 57, TopSource claims 164 through owned entities and partners, Worksome 150+ and EOR International 150+. None of them publishes a country list showing which model applies where, so ask for it. EuroDev limits itself to more than 20 European markets by design.
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