- Plane's $499 EOR fee covers only the platform layer; statutory employer contributions of 2%–45% of gross salary and unpublished FX markups are billed separately, making country-specific cost modeling essential before signing.
- Plane publishes no annual-billing discount, volume discount, or enterprise pricing tier, so teams with growing headcount pay the same per-employee rate regardless of scale.
- Plane's US-headquartered eligibility restriction excludes UK, EU, and Asia-registered companies, meaning non-US entities must evaluate alternative providers such as Gloroots before assuming access.
- At listed rates, Gloroots EOR starts at $199 per employee monthly versus Plane's $499, a $300 per-employee gap that compounds to $36,000 annually for a ten-person EOR team.
- Teams should request an itemized invoice from Plane before committing, separating platform fees, statutory contributions, and FX costs to build a reliable total employment cost model by country.
Plane’s advertised fees are only one part of an international hiring budget. This guide separates plan charges from country-specific payroll obligations and operational constraints that can change your bill.
Use it to compare Plane’s stated pricing with the costs, eligibility rules, and support requirements your team should examine before choosing a provider.
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What each stated plan is intended to cover, which workforce type it fits, and where a quoted recurring fee may exclude payroll taxes, benefits, currency conversion, or local administration costs.
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Which variables can make a monthly total differ across countries, including statutory employer contributions, local payroll funding, and whether the service is available to your company under its eligibility rules today.
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How Plane compares with Gloroots when your priority is transparent budgeting, compliant employment, contractor management, and practical support for a distributed team across multiple countries as headcount grows over time predictably.
Read the plan details alongside your hiring countries and worker types, then decide whether Plane’s model matches your budget.
Plane Pricing at a Glance
| Plan | Price | Offerings | Best For | Biggest Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global EOR | $499 per employee per month | Employer of Record employment | Companies hiring employees internationally without a local entity | Platform fee excludes statutory employer costs and foreign exchange markups |
| International Contractors | $39 per active contractor per month | International contractor management | Teams paying and managing active overseas contractors | Charges apply per active contractor each month |
| US Employees (US Hire) | $19 per employee per month | US employee hiring and management | US-headquartered teams hiring US employees | Limited to US-headquartered eligibility |
| HRIS Platform | Free | HRIS platform | Teams needing a no-cost HRIS starting point | Does not cover employment, contractor, or payroll service fees |
How Plane’s Pricing Structure Actually Works
Plane’s $499 EOR platform fee covers compliance management, localized contracts, statutory-benefits setup, payroll routing, and tax management, while salary, employer contributions, and FX costs are invoiced separately.
Plane confirms monthly contracts but does not publish an annual-billing discount. It also publishes no volume discount, enterprise tier, or custom-pricing structure, so teams above their planned headcount should request a custom quote.
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The platform fee is fixed per active worker, rather than country-specific.
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A hire’s country changes statutory obligations, not the platform-fee rate.
Gross pay remains a separate cost for every employed worker.
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FX costs can change invoices when payroll requires currency conversion.
This per-unit model makes platform-fee forecasting straightforward, but total employment cost still varies by country because statutory contributions and FX conversion are separate.
Plane Pricing Plans Explained for 2026
| Plan | Price | Offerings | Best For | Biggest Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global EOR - $499 per Employee per Month | $499 per employee per month | Hire in 100+ countries, locally compliant contracts, immigration and visa assistance, health insurance and other benefits, without setting up local entities. | Companies hiring international employees without establishing local entities. | EOR pricing is $499 per employee/month, which can become more expensive as international headcount grows. |
| International Contractors - $39 per Active Contractor per Month | $39 per active contractor per month | Payments in 240+ countries, 70+ local currencies, W-8/W-9 collection, 1099 filing, automated payments, locally compliant contracts, and contractor support. | Companies hiring and paying international contractors without putting them on payroll as employees. | Contractors remain contractors and are responsible for their own taxes and filings; companies needing employee hiring require the EOR option. |
| US Employees (US Hire) - $19 per Employee per Month | $19 per employee per month | Multi-state W-2 payroll, automated tax filing and payments, regular earnings, bonuses and commissions, plus Form I-9 and W-4 support. | Companies hiring and paying employees in the United States. | This plan is designed for US employees; international employee hiring requires Plane’s EOR offering. |
| HRIS Platform - Free | Free | Guided hiring and onboarding tasks, contractor and employee directory, custom reports, holidays and time tracking. | Companies that need a centralized HRIS to manage their workforce data and HR processes. | The free HRIS does not itself provide international employee employment or contractor payment services; those are covered by the paid plans. |
Global EOR - $499 per Employee per Month
Who This Plan Is For
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US-headquartered companies hiring full-time employees in countries where they need an employer of record.
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Teams that prefer monthly EOR contracts rather than a confirmed annual-commitment option.
Base Price
Plane charges $499 per employee per month on monthly contracts, with no startup or cancellation fee. No annual-commitment discount is confirmed. Access is limited to US-headquartered companies.
What’s Included
Country-specific employment contracts across 100+ countries.
Statutory benefits administration.
Payroll routing in local currency.
IP protection through Plane Direct IP.
Immigration and visa assistance.
24/5 support via email, chat, and Slack.
Where This Plan Starts Breaking Down
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The $499 fee covers the platform layer only. Gross salary and statutory employer contributions of 2% to 45% of salary are billed separately.
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For a $5,000 monthly salary in France, roughly 40% employer contributions produce an invoice of about $7,200 to $7,700 before FX. Local execution partners apply an unpublished FX markup. Compare employer of record software for broader EOR evaluation criteria.
International Contractors - $39 per Active Contractor per Month
Who This Plan Is For
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Teams paying contractors across multiple countries, particularly variable or project-based workforces.
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Businesses needing contracts, invoices, and payments without a minimum contractor commitment.
Base Price
Plane charges $39 per active contractor monthly. Contractors unpaid in a billing cycle cost $0, with no setup fee or minimum headcount.
What’s Included
Create global contractor agreements.
Collect and approve contractor invoices.
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Automate payments across 240+ countries at rates close to mid-market.
Get country-specific guidance on contractor classification.
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Pay $0 for contractors who receive no payment during the billing cycle.
Avoid setup fees and minimum headcount requirements.
Where This Plan Starts Breaking Down
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The plan does not provide EOR legal-employer protections or shield buyers from misclassification in high-scrutiny markets.
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Genuinely full-time contractors in regulated markets may need conversion. Each converted employee moves to the $499 EOR fee plus statutory costs. Read how does EOR work.
US Employees (US Hire) - $19 per Employee per Month
Who This Plan Is For
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US companies hiring domestic W-2 employees who need payroll, onboarding, and tax administration.
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Teams with US employees only, rather than workers requiring international employment support.
Base Price
Plane charges $19 per domestic W-2 employee monthly. Contracts are monthly, and international hires use its $499 EOR rate.
What’s Included
Guided US employee onboarding, including I-9 verification.
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I-9 Section 1 completion on day one and Section 2 completion within three business days.
State tax registration management where employees are located.
Domestic payroll processing for W-2 employees.
Salary disbursement, payroll withholding, and tax filing.
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No benefit administration, HRIS features, or advanced HR workflows at this tier.
Where This Plan Starts Breaking Down
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Benefit administration, centralized HRIS data, and advanced reporting require the free HRIS tier or a paid HR platform.
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This is a narrow payroll-and-onboarding tool, not a full HR suite.
HRIS Platform - Free
Who This Plan Is For
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Companies that need a basic HR data foundation before buying paid HR software.
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Teams pairing core records with Plane's paid employment services.
Base Price
Plane lists its HRIS platform at $0 per month for centralizing core HR records and employee data, giving early-stage teams a basic foundation before paid HR tooling.
What’s Included
Free access to Plane's HRIS platform.
Centralized core HR records.
Employee data centralization.
A foundational layer for teams delaying paid HR tooling.
Where This Plan Starts Breaking Down
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Teams needing automated onboarding workflows, HR analytics, or payroll integration will reach the free tier's limits quickly.
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The free HRIS tier works best as a data layer alongside EOR or US Hire, rather than as standalone HR software.
What Actually Drives Your Monthly Cost on Plane
Statutory Employer Contributions by Country
Statutory employer contributions range from about 2% of gross salary in lower-tax markets to 45% in Western Europe, so the country of hire, rather than Plane’s platform fee, drives total employment cost. In France, contributions average roughly 40%: health insurance about 13%, old-age insurance 8.55%, unemployment 4.05%, and family allowances 3.45% to 5.25%. On $5,000 monthly gross pay, that adds approximately $2,000 to $2,500 before FX. Compare mid-range markets through EOR in India, then request Plane’s country-specific estimate before onboarding and use this employer of record cost framework to model the invoice.
Foreign Exchange Conversion Markup on Local Payroll
Plane’s local execution partners apply a currency-conversion markup to EOR payroll invoices paid in local denominations. Plane says it aims for rates close to mid-market, but does not publish the spread. As a budgeting guide, 3% adds $150 and 5% adds $250 to a $5,000 monthly salary invoice, multiplying across countries. Providers that publish spreads or guarantee zero-markup mid-market rates offer greater certainty; request Plane’s FX spread in writing before signing.
Third-Party Entity Dependency and Compliance Variability
Plane uses third-party local entities, so compliance quality and liability transparency can vary by market. As teams scale, buyers cannot directly audit or contract with each legal employer. Compare providers with owned networks in our best employer of record guide.
US-Headquarter Eligibility Restriction
Plane is available only to legally US-headquartered companies, excluding UK, EU, and Asia-registered entities. A UK parent with a US subsidiary must contract through its subsidiary; non-US teams should consider EOR services.
Competitor Pricing vs Alternatives
| Platform | Starting Price | Key Strength | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plane | $499 per employee per month | Global EOR | Teams benchmarking a mid-market EOR platform fee |
| Gloroots | $199 per employee per month | 150+ country coverage, 24/7 human support, IP protection, and localized agreements included | Founder-led and growth-stage teams hiring internationally |
| Deel | $599 per employee per month | Global EOR | Teams comparing established global employment platforms |
| Remote | $699 per employee per month | Global EOR | Teams comparing higher-priced global employment platforms |
Where Plane Pricing Falls Short as You Scale
Plane pricing falls short as teams scale because published pricing shows no volume discounts or enterprise tier, leaving larger EOR teams at $499 per employee monthly.
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Growing across countries adds more third-party local entities, while customers lack direct relationships that support audits and compliance verification.
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Each 50-person EOR team continues paying $499 per employee monthly, with no published commitment discount despite substantially higher recurring spend.
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US-headquartered eligibility can become an access constraint when international growth changes a company's parent-company structure materially.
Teams approaching this point can compare options built for growth across countries through EOR for mid-market companies.
How Gloroots Approaches Pricing Differently
Gloroots uses flat, itemized pricing. EOR starts at $199 per employee monthly for 150+ countries, including 24/7 support, IP protection, and localized agreements; Contractor of Record costs $99.
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Flat, itemized pricing has no hidden platform fees, forced bundles, or percentage-of-salary charges.
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Companies headquartered outside the United States can use Gloroots without Plane’s stated US-headquarters eligibility restriction.
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At listed rates, ten EOR employees save $3,000 monthly, or $36,000 yearly, in platform fees.
Readers can review current pricing before deciding. Gloroots is a lower-cost, broader-eligibility option, although Plane may suit some teams better.
Plane vs Gloroots: Which Is the Better Fit?
These seven decision-relevant criteria compare costs, reach, pricing visibility, eligibility, contractor options, discounts, and support, rather than auditing every feature.
| Criteria | Plane | Gloroots |
|---|---|---|
| EOR platform fee | $499 per employee per month | Starts at $199 per employee per month |
| Countries covered | 160+ countries | 150+ countries |
| FX markup transparency | Plane states it does not mark up exchange rates for contractor payments; for EOR payroll, the exact FX markup is not publicly disclosed | No FX markup on disbursements; uses transparent, country-specific pricing |
| Volume discounts | No volume discount is publicly listed; Plane uses a flat $499 per employee per month EOR fee | No volume discount is publicly listed; pricing is based on the selected plan and hiring arrangement |
| US-only eligibility | Available only to US-based companies | Available to companies regardless of where they are headquartered |
| Contractor pricing | $39 per active contractor per month | Contractor Management starts at $29 per contractor per month; Contractor of Record starts at $99 per contractor per month |
| Support hours | 24/5 support via email, chat, and Slack | 24/7 human support |
When Plane Makes Sense (And When Gloroots Is a Better Choice)
Plane Makes Sense If…
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Plane suits US-headquartered companies employing full-time staff in more than 100 countries when its $499 flat monthly fee beats salary-percentage alternatives for lower-paid roles.
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It also fits teams already using Plane’s free HRIS tier, which value one system for domestic workers and international employees across payroll workflows.
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Plane can work for businesses with stable, predictable headcount, where the lack of volume discounts does not create a meaningful cost disadvantage as hiring grows.
Gloroots Is a Better Fit If…
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Non-US-headquartered companies unable to use Plane because of its eligibility restriction can consider Gloroots for compliant employment across 150+ countries with 24/7 human support.
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Teams managing more than five EOR employees may see material annual savings when Gloroots starts at $199 and a $300 monthly per-employee gap applies.
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Companies needing compliance ownership and 24/7 human support may prefer Gloroots through EOR for mid-market companies, with flat, itemized pricing and no hidden platform fees.
Frequently Asked Questions About Plane Pricing
Does Plane have hidden costs?
Plane does not hide costs, but its advertised price covers the platform layer only. The published $499 EOR fee is real, yet it is one of three invoice layers, alongside statutory contributions and FX markup.
Statutory contributions (2% to 45% of gross salary) and FX conversion markups are billed separately. Disclosed in documentation but absent from the headline, these costs make country-specific estimates necessary before signing.
Why is my Plane bill higher than expected?
Higher bills often reflect employer contributions in France, Germany, or Brazil, partner FX markups, or full platform fees after mid-month headcount changes.
Ask Plane support for an itemized invoice to isolate the overage, then compare the employee’s country contribution rate with the assumption in your original budget model.
Can I predict my monthly cost on Plane?
Yes. Model platform fees, country-specific statutory contributions, and FX costs. Plane lists $499 per active EOR employee, $39 per active contractor, and $19 per US W-2 employee. Contribution rates are predictable by market, while Plane does not publish partner FX spreads.
Estimate in three steps: multiply active headcount by each fee, add gross salary times each country’s employer contribution rate, then apply a 3% to 5% FX buffer to local payroll. See our employer of record cost guide for a detailed model.
When should I switch from Plane to Gloroots?
Switch after a US-parent eligibility change, five-plus EOR hires without discounts, unclear FX spreads, or need for 24/7 support and owned entities.
Before moving, request a Gloroots comparison using current headcount and countries. A best employer of record review can inform a transfer without termination where country coverage matches.
Is Gloroots more expensive than Plane?
No. Gloroots EOR starts at $199 per employee monthly, versus Plane’s $499, a $300 platform-fee difference that grows with headcount.
For 10 EOR employees, that is $3,000 monthly, or $36,000 yearly, before statutory and FX costs. Statutory contributions follow local law regardless of provider; platform fees and FX transparency differ. See pricing.
