Best payroll services for independent contractors in 2025

Hiring across borders is no longer just a competitive advantage—it’s quickly becoming a necessity for growing businesses. But as global teams become the norm, managing payments to independent contractors has grown more complex and critical.

Whether you’re working with remote designers, freelance developers, or a fully distributed contract workforce, choosing the best payroll service for independent contractors is about more than just sending payments. It’s about staying compliant, scaling efficiently, and building trust across international lines.

In this guide, we’ll compare the best payroll services for independent contractors in 2025.

Best payroll services for independent contractors

Below, we’ve outlined the best payroll services for independent contractors, highlighting what each platform does.

1. Payoneer Workforce Management

Payoneer WFM provides a comprehensive solution for managing global payouts and contractor compliance. Our built-in mass payout infrastructure sets us apart—a system designed to send high volumes of payments quickly and efficiently to recipients worldwide. This makes Payoneer WFM especially well-suited for marketplaces and businesses that work with large networks of vendors or freelancers.

In addition to streamlined payouts, Payoneer WFM offers agent of record (AOR) services, contractor onboarding, freelancer wallets, foreign exchange (FX) optimization, and scalable APIs. These features enable companies to manage payments and compliance across over 160 countries with speed, cost efficiency, and complete regulatory alignment.

2. Deel

Deel is a global payroll platform known for its compliance engine and ability to support contractor hiring in over 150 countries. 

3. Papaya Global

Papaya Global provides a unified platform for managing payroll and contractor payments across more than 160 countries.

4. Remote

Remote provides contractor and AOR services across 180 countries, strongly focusing on transparent pricing, a streamlined user experience, and privacy-first compliance. T

5. Oyster

Oyster enables companies to hire contractors and full-time employees in over 180 countries. It strongly emphasizes ethical employment practices, global equity, and values-driven operations. 

What makes a great payroll service for independent contractors?

When evaluating payroll solutions for independent contractors, there are a few key factors that businesses need to consider. Chief among them being:

• Global hiring and contractor onboarding: The ability to hire contractors in multiple countries is essential for building a diverse and scalable workforce. A strong platform should streamline onboarding by offering localized contracts, document collection, and compliance verification tailored to each country’s labor laws.
• Local tax and compliance support: Misclassifying contractors or mishandling tax obligations can lead to legal and financial penalties. Top-tier solutions provide built-in compliance tools that adapt to local laws, offer tax form generation (like 1099s or equivalents), and help mitigate misclassification risks.
• Multi-currency payments with FX optimization: Paying contractors in their local currencies, while managing exchange rates efficiently, is vital for smooth operations and strong contractor relationships. Look for platforms that support multi-currency payments, offer competitive FX rates, and reduce hidden fees.
• Scalability across countries and contractor volume: As your business grows, your payroll solutions need to scale with you. Whether you’re managing five contractors in one country or five hundred across multiple countries, the platform you choose should handle increasing complexity without compromising efficiency or accuracy. 
• Automation tools (like mass payouts and APIs): With that increase in scale comes the need for an increase in efficiency. The best solutions will include automation features such as mass payouts, recurring payment scheduling, and API integrations to sync with accounting, HR, or workforce platforms. This reduces manual work and the risk of human error.
• Cost-effective and intuitive platforms: The best platforms offer powerful features without overwhelming users or draining their budgets. Transparent, accessible pricing, clean user interfaces, and approachable workflows make it easier for teams to onboard quickly and stay productive. 

How Payoneer WFM helps

Payoneer WFM brings everything together in a single platform—global onboarding, local compliance, multi-currency payouts, and automation—without needing workarounds or third-party tools.

It’s a purpose-built solution for businesses that need reliable, scalable infrastructure to manage contractor payments efficiently and compliantly.

Payoneer WFM is the only payroll service provider that embeds a global payout infrastructure with contractor compliance. 

This means Payoneer WFM uniquely combines:

• Mass payout APIs (ideal for marketplaces, platforms, and multi-vendor businesses)
• Freelancer wallets with FX optimization
• Integrated contractor onboarding and compliance tools

With all of these built into one ecosystem, businesses of any size can hire, onboard, and pay contractors or vendors at scale in over 160 countries, without relying on multiple platforms. 

The best payroll service for you

When considering the best payroll services for independent contractors, it’s essential to look beyond the marketing and see what fits your needs.

We encourage you to take advantage of our demo. A little time upfront can go a long way in finding the right fit for your business.

When you’re ready, we’d be glad to show you what Payoneer WFM can do.

FAQs

1. How to do payroll for independent contractors?

To run payroll for independent contractors, collect their tax info (like a W-9 or W-8BEN), agree on payment terms, track their work or invoices, and issue payments. You’re not required to withhold taxes, but you must issue a 1099-NEC if they’re U.S.-based and earn $600 or more.

2. How can a U.S company pay international contractors?

A U.S. company can pay international contractors using wire transfers, digital payment services, or contractor management platforms like Payoneer WFM. These tools help with fast, compliant, and cost-effective cross-border payments.

3. Who has the best payroll service?

The best payroll service offers automated payments, accurate tax handling, strong compliance features, multi-currency support, and easy integration with your existing tools. Payoneer WFM is one of the leading providers with these qualities. The right choice depends on your team size, location, and type of workers.