The best Employer of Record providers in China, ranked
Fifteen providers that can employ on your behalf in China, scored on what actually determines whether a China hire works: whether the provider employs through its own licensed Chinese entity or subcontracts, how it structures the arrangement under China’s labour dispatch rules, how it handles city-level social insurance, and whether anyone on the account speaks Mandarin.
Read this before the ranking
China does not have an “EOR” category in law. A provider employing your people here is doing so as a licensed labour dispatch agency, as a service outsourcing contractor, or — for representative offices — as a FESCO. Each has rules, and a provider that cannot tell you which one it uses, and whether it holds the licence itself or borrows a partner’s, is the single biggest risk in this market. We weight that above price. Full explanation below and on our FESCO guide.
How we scored
Every provider is assessed against the same published criteria, RemotePeople at number one included. Where a competitor beats a higher-ranked provider on a criterion, we say so in that provider’s entry.
What we could and could not verify: entity claims are taken from providers’ own public statements and, where available, the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. Where we say “own entity claimed”, the provider says so and we have no evidence against it; it is not an independent confirmation. Pricing is each provider’s published headline rate as at October 2026 and excludes Chinese employer contributions, which are substantial.
| # | Provider | Score | Published price | China structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  RemotePeople · our review | 9.3 | from $199/mo | Own Chinese entity; Shanghai regional HQ |
| 2 |  MSA Asia · our review | 9.0 | from $199/mo | Own Shanghai entity; incorporation, payroll and EOR |
| 3 |  China Payroll · our review | 8.7 | from $150/mo | Shanghai; employing entity to confirm |
| 4 |  Deel | 8.5 | $599/mo | Own entity claimed |
| 5 |  CIIC International · our review | 8.3 | Quote only | State-owned dispatch agency, 300+ cities |
| 6 |  FDI China | 8.1 | Quote only | Formation specialist; EOR via HROne |
| 7 |  HROne | 7.9 | from $150/mo | Licensed non-state FESCO, Shanghai |
| 8 |  Globalization Partners (G-P) | 7.7 | from $599/mo | Own entity claimed |
| 9 |  Links International | 7.6 | Quote only | Hong Kong group with mainland entities |
| 10 |  NNRoad | 7.5 | Quote only | China PEO specialist, Shanghai |
| 11 |  Multiplier | 7.4 | from $459/mo | Structure not clearly disclosed for China |
| 12 |  Atlas | 7.3 | from $599/mo | Direct-employment model claimed |
| 13 |  Safeguard Global | 7.2 | Quote only | Own entity claimed; long Asia payroll record |
| 14 |  Remote | 7.1 | $599/mo | Own entity stated; four regions only |
| 15 |  CMS Asia | 7.0 | Quote only | Hong Kong firm; mainland via partner |
RemotePeople
RemotePeople is the only provider in this comparison that combines a genuinely global footprint with a regional headquarters in Shanghai, its own Chinese entity, and Mandarin-speaking leadership. It is also, by its own announcement in 2024, the only China Employer of Record to have been formally recognised by the Chinese government — a distinction that matters in a market where most global platforms cover China through a subcontracted local partner rather than a licence of their own. Both co-founders and much of the senior team speak fluent Mandarin, so contracts, bureau filings and disputes are handled in the language they are written in rather than through a translation layer. Operating here since 2018 makes it one of the longest-serving EORs in the market, and it publishes the lowest headline rate we found.
Read our full RemotePeople review →
- Only China EOR to announce formal recognition by the Chinese government — the company’s 2024 announcement
- Only global EOR with its regional headquarters in Shanghai; the other China-headquartered providers are local or regional rather than global
- Employs through its own Chinese entity rather than subcontracting — several global platforms that list China route the work to a local partner, and in some cases that partner is RemotePeople
- Co-founders and many senior staff are fluent Mandarin speakers, so nothing is lost between the English-language client and the Chinese-language bureau
- Operating in China since 2018, one of the longest track records among international EORs
- Lowest published rate here, from $199 per employee per month; also offers recruitment and WFOE incorporation when you outgrow EOR
- Pricing is in US dollars, so budget for RMB exchange movement on the invoice
- Fewer software integrations than the largest platforms such as Deel
- Ask for the entity’s Unified Social Credit Code and confirm it on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System — a step we recommend for every provider
- Chinese entity
- Own entity; Shanghai regional HQ
- Government recognition
- Announced 2024 — see source
- Price
- From $199 per employee per month
- Languages
- Mandarin, English and others
- Also offers
- Recruitment, executive search, WFOE setup
MSA Asia
MSA Asia is the strongest pure China specialist in this comparison. It is an advisory firm headquartered in Shanghai that grew EOR and PEO out of its accounting and payroll practice, which means the people running your payroll are the same kind of people who read the Shanghai social insurance bureau’s circulars for a living. Its published guidance on Chinese payroll, social security and minimum wages is among the most detailed available in English. It beats RemotePeople on depth of published China material; where it falls short is geographic breadth if China is one country in a wider rollout.
Read our full MSA Asia review →
- Shanghai-headquartered with its own Chinese entity and a genuinely local team
- Payroll, tax and corporate-secretarial depth that most EOR platforms cannot match
- Detailed, regularly updated published guidance on Chinese payroll and social insurance
- Natural route into a WFOE later, with the same adviser
- No published pricing; everything is quoted
- China and a handful of Asian markets only — not a global platform
- Advisory-firm processes are thorough but not fast
- Chinese entity
- Own entity, Shanghai
- Price
- EOR from US$199; payroll from US$19; incorporation from US$2,999
- Coverage
- Greater China and selected Asia
China Payroll is the lowest-priced published route in this comparison: payroll outsourcing or Employer of Record from US$150 per employee per month, work visas from US$880, recruitment from US$5,000 through its parent, the Shanghai recruitment group DaCare. It covers twelve mainland cities and Hong Kong and quotes three to five business days to onboard once documents are ready. The caution is evidence: the Chinese employing company is not named, the contracting entity verified on Clutch is a Hong Kong company from 2019, the pricing page dates from 2023 and the review record is two Clutch reviews. Ask for the employing company’s business licence before signing.
Read our full China Payroll review →
- Lowest published rate here: payroll or EOR from US$150 per employee per month
- Clear add-on pricing for visas and recruitment; onboarding in three to five business days
- Twelve mainland cities plus Hong Kong; recruitment and office rental through DaCare
- Chinese employing company not published; verified contracting entity is a 2019 Hong Kong company
- Pricing page last updated 2023; two public reviews
- No platform or statutory guides described
- Chinese entity
- Not published; DaCare International Ltd (HK) contracts
- Price
- From US$150 per employee per month
- Cities
- 12 mainland + Hong Kong
Deel is the best-resourced platform in the category and states that it employs in China through its own entity. Its tooling, documentation and integrations are the strongest here. Two caveats specific to China: support is global-first rather than Shanghai-first, and the platform’s flat $599 rate is three times RemotePeople’s entry point before contributions. If you are already on Deel for twenty countries, adding China is convenient; if China is the point, a specialist is usually the better call.
- Own entity in China claimed, within the largest owned-entity network in the sector
- Best tooling, integrations and self-service of any provider here
- Publicly stated flat rate
- Three times the entry price of the cheapest option here
- Support is predominantly English-language and follows global time zones
- Confirm the contracting entity on the Chinese-language labour contract matches the platform’s claim
- Chinese entity
- Own entity claimed
- Price
- $599 per employee per month
CIIC International
China International Intellectech Group is a central state-owned enterprise founded in 1987 and, with FESCO, one of the two agencies that have staffed foreign representative offices for decades. Its HR arm disclosed revenue of about RMB 15.5bn and 220,000 people on its labour contracts in a 2023 IPO filing, later withdrawn. For a representative office, which must use a designated agency, or for a large dispatch programme, it is the incumbent with licences in every major city. For a foreign SME wanting published prices, English onboarding and a named manager, it is the wrong shape.
Read our full CIIC International review →
- State-owned incumbent with licensed companies across 300+ cities
- Designated provider for representative offices; dispatch and position outsourcing at scale
- Payroll and statutory handling at a volume no private provider matches
- No published pricing; no reachable English website; no ratings
- Dispatch model: the 10 per cent cap and position test apply to WFOE clients
- Public figures stop in 2022
- Chinese entity
- State-owned group companies by city
- Price
- Quote only
- Best for
- Representative offices, large dispatch programmes
FDI China is a Shanghai company-formation firm: WFOE, representative office, joint venture and branch registration, tax and accounting, trademarks, import-export and ICP licences, e-commerce store setup and free-trade-zone registrations, with landing pages for some forty mainland cities. Its Employer of Record page redirects to HROne, which shares its Jing’an address, so the two should be read as the formation arm and the employment arm of one operation. It belongs on this list for a company whose plan is to incorporate and that wants EOR as the bridge, delivered by the same group.
- Deep company-formation offer: WFOE, RO, JV, branches, licences, e-commerce setup, free-trade zones
- Forty mainland city pages and Hong Kong; published market-entry guide and salary calculator
- EOR available through sister brand HROne from US$150 per employee per month
- No EOR pricing or entity of its own published; the EOR page redirects to HROne
- Founding year given as 2006 or 2016 in directories; small team
- Visa services not a headline offer; one public review
- Chinese entity
- FDI China Co., Ltd. (name per site); EOR via HROne
- Price
- Formation on quote; EOR via HROne from US$150
- Cities
- About 40 mainland cities
HROne was incorporated in Shanghai in 2005 by the JLJ Group and spun out in 2013 under founder and chief executive Chunjie Chen. It describes itself as one of the few non-state-owned but fully licensed FESCO companies, and it publishes its prices: EOR from US$150 per employee per month, PEO for companies with their own entity at US$100, payroll at US$9.99 and recruitment at 20 per cent of salary. Offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore and San Jose; by its own count more than 1,500 EOR and PEO cases and 1,000 client companies. G2 4.7 from 12 reviews.
- Published prices for EOR ($150), PEO ($100), payroll ($9.99) and recruitment (20%)
- Twenty years in Shanghai; licensed dispatch provider by its own account; own payroll portal
- EOR, PEO, payroll, recruitment and expatriate relocation, with EOR-to-PEO transition
- Chinese registered name and licence number not published on the English site
- Deposit required in some cases; price varies by city and salary
- Small review base (G2 4.7 from 12); staff size unclear
- Chinese entity
- HROne Co., Ltd. (name per site); licence number not published
- Price
- EOR from US$150; PEO US$100; payroll US$9.99
- Also offers
- Recruitment, expatriate relocation, formation via FDI China
One of the originals, with among the broadest country coverage available and mature contractual documentation. G-P positions firmly at the enterprise end and prices accordingly. For a multi-country programme with China in it, the calculus works; for a first Shanghai hire it is heavier and more expensive than necessary.
- Broad country coverage and mature documentation
- Strong fit for large multi-country programmes
- Own entity in China claimed
- High entry price, from $599 per employee per month
- Enterprise processes can be slow for a one- or two-person China team
- Limited China-specific published guidance
- Chinese entity
- Own entity claimed
- Price
- From $599 per employee per month
Links International is a Hong Kong group with mainland Chinese entities and a long record in Asia-Pacific payroll and PEO. Its natural strength is the Greater China combination — Hong Kong plus mainland cities — and it is a sensible choice for companies whose Asian base is in Hong Kong. Less differentiated on the mainland alone.
- Hong Kong and mainland coverage from one group
- Long-established Asia-Pacific payroll operation
- Own mainland entities
- Quote-only pricing
- Less mainland-specific depth than the Shanghai-based specialists
- Coverage is Asia-Pacific, not global
- Chinese entity
- Mainland entities, HK parent
- Price
- Quote only
NNRoad is a China-focused PEO and EOR provider that publishes useful guidance on Chinese employer contributions and has a practical, hands-on approach. It is smaller than the providers above it and less known outside its niche, which affects its score more than any specific shortcoming.
- China-focused, with practical published payroll guidance
- Hands-on service model
- Competitive on price when quoted
- Quote-only pricing
- Smaller operation with a limited independent review base
- Mainly China and a few Asian markets
- Chinese entity
- Own entity, Shanghai
- Price
- Quote only
Multiplier is a fast-growing Singapore-based platform with a natural Asia orientation and competitive published pricing. Its China structure is not as clearly disclosed as the specialists’, which in this market is the thing to ask about first. Good tooling and a reasonable price; verify the entity question before signing.
- Competitive published pricing
- Modern platform with good self-service
- Asia-first orientation
- China employment structure not clearly disclosed publicly
- Ask whether employment is through an owned entity or a partner
- Less China-specific published guidance
- Chinese entity
- Not clearly disclosed
- Price
- From $459 per employee per month (annual)
Atlas markets itself on employing directly through its own entities with no local partner. If that holds for China it is a real advantage, because the partner layer is exactly where dispatch-structure accountability blurs. The claim is worth testing for this specific market; Atlas’s China-specific material is thin and its pricing sits at the top of the range.
- Claims a direct-employment model without intermediaries
- Single vendor across many countries
- Long operating history
- High entry price, from $599 per employee per month
- Thin China-specific material
- Ask for written confirmation that the no-partner model applies to China
- Chinese entity
- Direct model claimed; verify for China
- Price
- From $599 per employee per month
Safeguard Global
Safeguard Global has run multi-country payroll for large employers for two decades and has a long record in Asia, which is what earns it a place above the pure platforms. Its China EOR runs through an entity it states is its own. Two things to ask about: it sold its enterprise payroll division to Deel in March 2025 and continues on Deel technology under agreement, so confirm whose platform will actually process your Chinese payroll; and its China-specific published material is thin compared with the Shanghai specialists above it.
- Genuine multi-country enterprise programme experience, including Asia
- Realistic onboarding timelines rather than “minutes” claims
- Own China entity claimed; established compliance documentation
- No published pricing
- Post-divestment technology arrangement with Deel needs clarifying
- Little China-specific published guidance; ask who on the account reads Chinese
- Chinese entity
- Own entity claimed
- Price
- Quote only
- Note
- Enterprise payroll division sold to Deel, March 2025
Remote states that it employs in mainland China through its own legal entity and provides all EOR services in-house, at US$599 per employee per month on annual billing or US$699 monthly, with contractor management and global payroll from US$29. Two things define it for China: hires can only be onboarded in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong and Zhejiang, and its China guide is uneven, with placeholder tax tables and inconsistent minimum-wage figures. The review base is the largest in this comparison: G2 4.5 from 5,414, Trustpilot 4.6 from 3,530.
- Own Chinese entity stated; in-house EOR, contractor management and global payroll
- Published price; no setup fee; very large review base
- Full country explorer with a Chinese-language version
- Onboarding limited to Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong and Zhejiang
- US$599 is the annual-billing rate; US$699 monthly
- China guide carries placeholder tax tables and inconsistent minimum-wage figures; no China visa support stated
- Chinese entity
- Own entity stated; name not published
- Price
- US$599 annual / US$699 monthly
- Regions
- Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Zhejiang
CMS Asia
CMS (Asia) Limited is a Hong Kong managed-services firm founded in 2013, with a Singapore sister company, offering payroll, Employer of Record, HR and contractor management from offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia and claiming hiring in more than 150 countries. Its EOR page is written for Hong Kong and Singapore, and no mainland Chinese entity is evidenced, so China delivery is most likely through a partner. It is a reasonable regional option for a Greater China team anchored in Hong Kong; confirm who employs on the mainland.
- Hong Kong and Singapore entities; Greater China and APAC coverage from one firm
- Payroll, EOR, HR and contractor management; visa services listed in directories
- Small firm with named founding directors
- No mainland Chinese entity evidenced; China likely partner-delivered
- No published pricing and no independent reviews
- Thin website; unrelated to the CMS law firm
- Chinese entity
- None evidenced; HK and SG companies
- Price
- Quote only
- Offices
- Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia
How EOR is lawful in China
There is no Employer of Record statute in China. What exists is a set of recognised structures under which one company can employ a worker who performs work for another, and a provider is using one of them whether or not the marketing says so.
- Licensed labour dispatch (劳务派遣)The most common vehicle. The provider must hold a labour dispatch business licence — which requires registered capital of at least RMB 2 million and approval from the local human resources bureau — and signs a fixed-term labour contract of at least two years with the worker, who is then dispatched to the client. The 2014 Interim Provisions restrict dispatch at a Chinese employing unit to temporary, auxiliary or substitute positions and cap dispatched workers at 10 per cent of its workforce. A foreign company with no Chinese entity is not itself an employing unit under those rules, which is why the structure works for EOR — but if you also have a WFOE, the cap and the position rules apply to it.
- Service outsourcing (劳务外包)The provider employs the worker and delivers a defined service to you; the worker is not “placed” and the dispatch rules do not apply. Courts look at substance, not labels: if you exercise day-to-day management, they may recharacterise outsourcing as dispatch. The distinction matters after the Supreme People’s Court’s Judicial Interpretation II on labour disputes, in force since September 2025.
- FESCO for representative officesA representative office cannot employ Chinese nationals directly and must engage them through a licensed agency — the original FESCO role since 1979, now performed by many licensed firms. It is the right structure for an RO and the wrong one for anything else. Our FESCO guide covers it.
What to ask a provider
Which of the three structures applies to your hire. Whether the provider holds the dispatch licence itself or through a partner — and if a partner, who. The Unified Social Credit Code of the entity that will appear on the Chinese-language labour contract, so you can check it on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. And whether the contract will be issued in Chinese with an English reference copy, since only the Chinese version binds in a Chinese court.
The criteria we score against
- Employment through the provider’s own licensed Chinese entity versus a subcontracted partner, and whether that is disclosed
- A nameable lawful structure — dispatch, outsourcing or FESCO — and the licence to go with it
- Mandarin-speaking account and compliance staff, not only sales
- Correct city-level social insurance and housing fund handling, since rates and caps are set locally
- Published, verifiable pricing versus quote-only
- Length of China track record
- Work permit and Z-visa capability for foreign hires
- Adjacent services — recruitment, payroll, WFOE incorporation — for when you outgrow EOR
- Independent review volume and standing
Comparing providers for a China hire?
Start with the structure question, because in China it separates providers that hold a licence from providers that borrow one. Then compare on loaded cost: employer contributions add about a third to gross salary before any fee.
Frequently asked questions
What should I know about the prices in this table?
Two things about the prices. First, they are platform fees; the employer’s five social insurances and housing fund add roughly a third on top of gross salary in Shanghai, and a similar amount in Beijing and Shenzhen, before any fee. Second, China is a market where the difference between a provider that employs through its own licensed entity and one that subcontracts to a local partner is the whole product — not a footnote. Several global platforms that list China cover it through a partner, and in a number of cases that partner is one of the specialists higher up this table.
Is an Employer of Record legal in China?
Yes, when the provider uses one of the recognised structures: licensed labour dispatch, service outsourcing, or FESCO for a representative office. What is not lawful is an unlicensed company employing people and placing them with you, or a foreign company paying Chinese residents as “contractors” for what is in substance employment. Ask which structure applies and who holds the licence.
Why is RemotePeople ranked first?
Because it is the only provider here that is global in footprint and headquartered regionally in Shanghai and employing through its own Chinese entity and led by Mandarin speakers — and the only one to have announced formal recognition by the Chinese government. It also publishes the lowest rate. MSA Asia beats it on the depth of published China guidance and on incorporation; China Payroll beats it on headline price. We say so in their entries.
What does a China hire really cost?
Take the gross salary and add roughly a third for the employer’s five insurances and housing fund — 33.8 per cent in Shanghai for 2026, with Beijing and Shenzhen in a similar range — then add the EOR fee. Contribution bases are capped at about three times the local average wage, so the percentage falls for high earners. A 13th-month payment is customary rather than statutory, but budget for it.
Do global platforms really subcontract China?
Several do. It is not necessarily a problem — a good local partner can be excellent — but you should know who actually employs your person, because that entity’s name is on the labour contract and its licence is what makes the arrangement lawful. Providers that employ through their own entity tend to say so prominently; those that do not tend to say “we cover China”.
Can an EOR sponsor a work permit for a foreign hire?
Only an entity licensed to employ foreigners can sponsor a Z visa and work permit, and the applicant must meet the points-based Category A, B or C criteria. Providers with their own Chinese entity can generally do this; subcontracted arrangements are more complicated. Ask before you recruit a non-Chinese candidate.
When should we set up a WFOE instead?
Beyond roughly ten to fifteen employees, when you need to issue fapiao, or when you want to sign contracts and hold licences in your own name. Incorporation typically runs several months and brings ongoing audit, tax and HR obligations. Several providers here — RemotePeople, MSA Asia and Acclime among them — handle both EOR and incorporation, which makes the transition simpler.
Sources
Reviewed September 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice. Chinese employment rules are set nationally and implemented locally, so confirm your own city’s position.
Official and primary sources
- Interim Provisions on Labour Dispatch (MOHRSS, in force 1 March 2014)
- Seyfarth — PRC employment law 2025 review, including Judicial Interpretation II
- Shanghai Municipal Government — social insurance rates and bases
- MOHRSS minimum wage standards as of 1 January 2026 (via L&E Global)
- National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System — verify any Chinese entity here
Other sources
- RemotePeople co-founder announcement of Chinese government recognition, LinkedIn, 2024.
- MSA Asia — Payroll in Shanghai 2026.
- China Briefing — Labour dispatch in China.
- Providers’ own public pricing and China pages, accessed September 2026.