Contractor payments

Contractor of record: what each service charges and what it takes on

A contractor of record engages and pays your independent contractor itself and carries the classification risk it describes. Every contractor of record product we track, cheapest published price first, with what each provider says it takes on, linked to its own page.

Updated weekly · checked 12 d ago
28services tracked
14publish a price
$199median price per contractor a month

Of the 28 contractor of record services we track, 14 publish a price, from $99↗ to $400↗ per contractor per month, with a median of $199; the rest quote on request.

Every contractor of record service, cheapest first

Each provider's published starting price per contractor per month for its contractor of record product, read from its own pages between 2026-10-06 and 2026-10-31. The middle column states, in the provider's own terms, what it takes on and links to the page that says so; what is covered, and up to what amount, differs by provider, so read its terms before you rely on it.

Contractor of record, a contractor platform or an employer of record?

The difference is who holds the relationship. With contractor management you contract with the person yourself and the platform handles agreements, invoices and payments, so the classification question stays yours. With a contractor of record the provider holds the contract and, under its terms, the risk. With an employer of record the person becomes an employee of the provider's local entity, with payroll, taxes and statutory benefits, and there is nothing left to reclassify.

The prices follow that order: a median of $37 per contractor per month for contractor management, $199 for a contractor of record and $349 per employee per month for an employer of record, before the employer contributions an employee carries.

A contractor of record fits work that is genuinely independent: a defined project, a specialist with other clients, someone who decides how and when the work is done. It does not change the facts that labour inspectors and courts look at, so for a role that works like a job (full time, under your direction, inside your team) the safe route is an employee through an employer of record. Our EOR vs contractor vs COR guide quotes how each major hiring country draws that line and what misclassification costs there, and the contractor or employee check scores one role in a couple of minutes.

What to check before you rely on one

  • What the cover pays for: back contributions, penalties, the worker's own claims, legal costs.
  • What voids it: most require you to manage the contractor by the provider's rules, which usually means not managing them like an employee.
  • Whether it is capped, and up to what amount.
  • Which countries it excludes, and how the provider engages contractors where third-party arrangements are restricted.

A contractor of record pays the contractor; their health cover is usually theirs to arrange. Health insurance for contractors and remote staff abroad: the plans a company can buy for them, or they buy alone.

Paying a contractor abroad? Get the contractor platforms and contractor of record services ranked for your country, or switch to employer of record if the role is really a job.

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Contractor of record questions

What is a contractor of record?

A contractor of record is a provider that engages your independent contractor under its own agreement, pays them and invoices you, and usually takes on some or all of the risk that the arrangement is challenged as employment. The person stays a contractor: a contractor of record moves the paperwork and, under its terms, the cost of a challenge, but it does not change how the work is done.

What is the difference between a contractor of record and an employer of record?

An employer of record employs the person under a local employment contract, runs payroll and pays the employer contributions, so there is nothing left to reclassify. A contractor of record keeps the person a contractor and indemnifies you under its terms. For a role that works like a job, an employer of record is the safe route; a contractor of record fits genuinely independent work.

Is a contractor of record the same as an agent of record?

Providers use both names for the same service: the provider stands between you and the contractor, holds the contract and pays them. Deel calls its product an agent of record arrangement; most others say contractor of record.

Does a contractor of record protect me if my contractor is really an employee?

Only as far as its terms say. Authorities and courts look at how the work actually runs, whoever holds the contract, so an indemnity pays after a finding rather than preventing one. Read what it covers, what voids it, whether it is capped and which countries it excludes.