Five steps, in order

1. Employee or contractor? How to classify your next hire.
2. Choose the route. Employer of record, your own company or a contractor.
3. Run the numbers. Compare 12 months of fees.
4. Compare employer-of-record providers side by side, below.
5. Add admin support with a virtual assistant if recurring admin is eating your week.

Providers side by side

These are list prices. Multiplier says compliance-mandated add-ons and an implementation fee can apply. Get written quotes for your country and your hire, and compare the first-year total. We do not claim any of them is cheaper or better.

A virtual assistant

Wing is one virtual assistant provider we would look at. As of October 2026, Wing says General Virtual Assistant plans start at US$699 a month part-time (80 hours) and US$999 a month full-time (160 hours), and that specialist roles cost more. Wing quotes teams on a call, from hours and scope.

Wing says clients usually start with one dedicated assistant and hand over the inbox, the calendar and recurring admin first, and that company size matters less than whether you have recurring work someone else should own and want a dedicated, managed person rather than a freelancer you have to oversee. Skip it if you cannot yet list five tasks: our 5-task worksheet helps, and so does our guide to hiring a virtual assistant.

Be honest about it

• You are hiring in your own country: you do not need an employer of record.
• You want one flat all-in price with no add-ons: ask each provider what is extra.
• You only need a freelancer for one short project: a contract and an invoice may be enough.