The best PEO providers in China, ranked
“PEO” means something different in China from what it means in the United States. Here it describes a licensed provider that either co-manages HR and payroll for your own Chinese entity, or employs and dispatches staff to you under the labour dispatch rules. This ranking scores the same ten providers as our EOR comparison against what a PEO engagement actually demands.
Guangzhou — Guangdong Class 1 minimum wage RMB 2,520PEO in China is not co-employment
The American PEO model — two employers sharing one worker under a co-employment agreement — has no equivalent in Chinese law. What providers call PEO here is one of two things: HR and payroll outsourcing for a company that already has its own Chinese entity and remains the legal employer, or labour dispatch, where the provider is the employer and places the worker with you. Know which you are buying, because the legal consequences are entirely different.
When PEO is the right instrument in China
- You already have a WFOE or joint venture and want payroll, social insurance filings, IIT withholding and HR administration run by specialists while you remain the employer of record. This is outsourcing, and it is unconstrained by the dispatch rules.
- You have an entity and need auxiliary or temporary staff — reception, drivers, seasonal roles, maternity cover — within the 10 per cent cap. This is dispatch, and it is what the 2014 Interim Provisions were written for.
- You have no entity yet. Then what you need is an Employer of Record, and every provider below offers one. Some will still call it PEO.
| # | Provider | Score | PEO model offered | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RemotePeople | 9.1 | Dispatch via own entity; payroll outsourcing | Foreign companies with or without an entity |
| 2 | MSA Asia | 8.9 | Outsourced payroll, HR and dispatch | WFOEs wanting an adviser-grade back office |
| 3 | Acclime | 8.5 | Outsourced HR, payroll and dispatch | Multi-city entities |
| 4 | Safeguard Global | 7.7 | Payroll outsourcing; dispatch via entity | Enterprise payroll programmes |
| 5 | Deel | 7.4 | Platform payroll; dispatch via entity | Companies already on the platform |
| 6 | Globalization Partners (G-P) | 7.1 | Dispatch via entity | Enterprise multi-country programmes |
| 7 | Links International | 7.2 | Payroll outsourcing, dispatch | Hong Kong-based groups |
| 8 | NNRoad | 7.0 | Dispatch and payroll | Cost-conscious SMEs |
| 9 | Multiplier | 6.3 | Platform payroll | Asia-wide platform users |
| 10 | Atlas | 6.1 | Dispatch via entity claimed | Single-vendor global programmes |
PEO pricing in China is quoted as a monthly fee per employee for outsourcing, or as a percentage of payroll or a fixed fee for dispatch; published rates are rare. Ask for the fee, what it includes — social insurance filings, IIT, annual bonus processing, work permit support — and how the employer contributions are passed through.
RemotePeople takes the top position for the same structural reasons it leads our EOR ranking: it employs through its own licensed Chinese entity rather than a partner, it runs the region from Shanghai, and its co-founders and senior staff speak fluent Mandarin. For a PEO engagement that matters twice over — dispatch requires the licence to be held by the party doing the dispatching, and payroll outsourcing requires people who read bureau notices in the original. Operating since 2018 and, by its 2024 announcement, the only China EOR formally recognised by the Chinese government, it is also the provider most able to move you from dispatch into your own WFOE when the headcount justifies it.
- Holds its own Chinese entity and licence — it dispatches, it does not subcontract the dispatching
- Shanghai regional headquarters for a global provider, so decisions are made in the same time zone as your team
- Mandarin-fluent co-founders and senior staff handling filings, contracts and disputes directly
- Operating in China since 2018; formal government recognition announced 2024
- Recruitment and WFOE incorporation offered, so the PEO phase has a natural exit
- US-dollar pricing; plan for RMB exchange on invoices
- Fewer HR-platform integrations than Deel
- Confirm which model — outsourcing or dispatch — applies to your specific roles
- Chinese entity
- Own entity; Shanghai regional HQ
- Models
- Dispatch, payroll and HR outsourcing
- Also offers
- EOR, recruitment, WFOE setup
MSA Asia
For a company that already has a Chinese entity and wants its back office run by people who also do its tax and accounting, MSA Asia is arguably the strongest choice in the market — and on payroll outsourcing specifically it edges RemotePeople, which is why its PEO score is closer than its EOR one. Social insurance filings, IIT, annual bonus tax treatment and audit interfaces all sit with one adviser. Dispatch is offered but is not the centre of gravity.
- Adviser-grade payroll and HR outsourcing with tax and accounting under the same roof
- Shanghai-headquartered, own entity, local team
- Best-in-class published guidance on Chinese payroll mechanics
- Smooth path to and through WFOE ownership
- Quote-only pricing
- China and selected Asia only
- Less oriented to dispatch-heavy staffing
- Chinese entity
- Own entity, Shanghai
- Models
- Outsourced payroll and HR; dispatch
- Price
- Quote only
Acclime
Acclime’s value in a PEO engagement is geographic: entities and bureau relationships in several Chinese cities, which matters because social insurance rates, bases and housing fund rules are set locally. A company with staff in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing gets one adviser handling three regimes. Its group scale is a strength for consistency and occasionally a weakness for speed.
- Own entities in multiple cities, each with local bureau familiarity
- Payroll, HR, tax and corporate secretarial in one group
- Pan-Asian coverage
- Quote-only pricing
- Group processes can be slower than a boutique
- Less China-deep published material than MSA Asia
- Chinese entity
- Own entities, several cities
- Models
- Outsourced HR and payroll; dispatch
Safeguard Global
Safeguard Global’s strength in a PEO context is payroll outsourcing at enterprise scale — running Chinese payroll for a WFOE as one country in a multi-country programme. That is a different proposition from the Shanghai specialists’ adviser-grade local service, and it suits a different buyer. Confirm the platform arrangement following the 2025 sale of its enterprise payroll division to Deel.
- Enterprise multi-country payroll experience with Asia coverage
- Established processes and documentation
- Own China entity claimed for dispatch
- Quote-only pricing
- Clarify the Deel technology arrangement post-2025
- Less city-level China depth than MSA Asia or Acclime
- Chinese entity
- Own entity claimed
- Models
- Payroll outsourcing; dispatch via entity
Deel
Deel’s global payroll product can run payroll for your own Chinese entity, and its EOR arm handles dispatch-style employment. The platform experience is the best here. The trade-off in a PEO context is that Chinese payroll is unusually local — city by city — and a global platform’s strength is uniformity.
- Excellent platform, integrations and self-service
- Payroll for owned entities plus EOR in one vendor
- Publicly stated EOR pricing
- City-level nuance is where global platforms are weakest
- Support follows global time zones
- Premium pricing
- Chinese entity
- Own entity claimed
- Models
- Platform payroll; dispatch via entity
Globalization Partners (G-P)
G-P is built for large multi-country programmes and its China PEO offering follows from its EOR entity. For an enterprise consolidating vendors it is a defensible choice; for a China-specific PEO need, the specialists above deliver more for less.
- Mature contractual framework
- Broad multi-country coverage
- Own entity claimed
- High pricing
- Enterprise processes for small teams
- Limited China-specific depth
- Chinese entity
- Own entity claimed
- Models
- Dispatch via entity
Links International
Links International’s payroll outsourcing heritage gives it a slightly higher PEO score than EOR score. For a group run from Hong Kong with mainland staff, having one provider across both is convenient and the payroll operation is well established.
- Established Asia-Pacific payroll outsourcing
- Hong Kong plus mainland from one group
- Own mainland entities
- Quote-only pricing
- Less mainland-specific depth than Shanghai specialists
- Regional, not global
- Chinese entity
- Mainland entities, HK parent
- Models
- Payroll outsourcing; dispatch
NNRoad
NNRoad focuses squarely on China PEO and EOR and publishes clear guidance on employer contributions. It suits smaller employers who want a practical, price-sensitive provider and do not need a global footprint or a full advisory stack.
- China-focused and practical
- Competitive when quoted
- Useful published contribution guidance
- Quote-only pricing
- Smaller operation and review base
- Limited adjacencies
- Chinese entity
- Own entity, Shanghai
- Models
- Dispatch and payroll
Multiplier
Multiplier’s platform can run multi-country Asian payroll and its pricing is competitive. Its China structure is not clearly disclosed, and for PEO — where the question of who holds the dispatch licence is central — that is the first thing to establish.
- Competitive pricing
- Modern platform
- Asia orientation
- China structure not clearly disclosed
- Ask who holds the licence
- Thin China guidance
- Chinese entity
- Not clearly disclosed
- Models
- Platform payroll
Atlas
Atlas’s no-partner claim, if it holds for China, would be a genuine advantage in a dispatch context. Its China material is thin and pricing high; verify the claim for this market specifically.
- Claims no intermediary layer
- Single vendor globally
- Long history
- Premium pricing
- Thin China material
- Verify the direct model applies here
- Chinese entity
- Direct model claimed; verify
- Models
- Dispatch via entity claimed
The dispatch rules in one place
- Licence: the dispatching agency needs a labour dispatch business licence, with registered capital of at least RMB 2 million and bureau approval.
- Contract: the agency signs a fixed-term labour contract of at least two years with the worker and pays monthly, including between placements at no less than local minimum wage.
- Positions: at a Chinese employing unit, dispatch is limited to temporary positions of up to six months, auxiliary positions supporting the core business, or substitute positions covering absent staff.
- Cap: dispatched workers may not exceed 10 per cent of the employing unit’s total workforce.
- Equal pay: dispatched workers are entitled to equal pay for equal work with directly employed colleagues.
- Substance over form: arrangements labelled “outsourcing” but managed like dispatch can be recharacterised, with the dispatch rules then applied — a point sharpened by the Supreme People’s Court’s Judicial Interpretation II in September 2025.
Entity or no entity?
If you have a Chinese entity, PEO gives you specialist payroll and compliant dispatch for auxiliary roles. If you do not, you need an Employer of Record — and the same ten providers offer one.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PEO and EOR in China?
In China, EOR means the provider is the legal employer and you have no entity. PEO usually means either outsourced payroll and HR for your own entity, or labour dispatch of specific roles to your entity. Many providers use the terms loosely; the question to ask is who signs the labour contract and who holds the dispatch licence.
Can a PEO employ my whole China team?
If you have a Chinese entity, no — dispatch is capped at 10 per cent of your workforce and limited to temporary, auxiliary or substitute positions. Your core team should be employed directly by your entity, with the PEO running payroll. If you have no entity, the cap does not apply to you and the arrangement is an EOR one in substance.
Is a FESCO a PEO?
FESCO began as the mandatory agency through which representative offices employ Chinese staff, and the larger FESCO-branded firms now offer dispatch and outsourcing to any client. So a FESCO can perform PEO functions, but “FESCO” is a category of licensed agency rather than a service model. More here.
How is PEO priced in China?
Outsourced payroll is usually a monthly fee per employee. Dispatch is a management fee per head or a percentage of payroll, plus the pass-through of salary and employer contributions. Ask what is included: social insurance and housing fund filings, IIT withholding, annual bonus processing, work permit support and offboarding.
What changed in 2025?
The Supreme People’s Court’s Judicial Interpretation II on labour disputes took effect in September 2025, sharpening how courts treat arrangements that are labelled one thing and managed as another. Social insurance collection has also moved progressively into tax-authority enforcement, which makes under-declared contribution bases riskier. Both favour providers with a clean, disclosed structure.
Sources
Reviewed September 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rankings are our assessment against published criteria; no provider paid for placement.
- Interim Provisions on Labour Dispatch, MOHRSS, 2014
- China Briefing — Direct hiring vs outsourcing vs labour dispatch, 2026
- Seyfarth — PRC employment law 2025 review
- China Briefing — FESCO as a tool for labour dispatch
- Providers’ own public China pages, accessed September 2026.