Horizons Review
Our verdict
Horizons is the EOR provider you shortlist when the budget conversation matters more than the brand name on the contract.
Pricing now starts from $199 per employee per month, and even the EOR Plus plan for teams of five-plus ($399 a seat on an annual commitment) undercuts Deel and Remote by around $200 a head. For a 15-person international team the gap is worth roughly $36,000 to $72,000 a year depending on the plan, before you factor in the zero setup fees and zero offboarding fees. If your Finance team is scrutinising the per-employee cost line, Horizons belongs on the comparison sheet.
Best for rapid Asian market entry.
The coverage is broad: 150+ countries, contractor management, global payroll, and an in-house recruitment service that most competitors do not offer.
Founded in 2018, headquartered across Berlin and Singapore, Horizons has grown to serve 3,000+ companies with a team that includes 130+ in-house legal experts.
In February 2026, the company rebranded to Remote People, signalling a strategic shift toward a people-first positioning.
The trade-offs sit exactly where you would expect from a younger, price-competitive provider. The platform is functional but less polished than Oyster or Deel.
The entity model is hybrid, meaning some countries use owned entities and others rely on local partners, and Horizons does not publish a clear list of which is which. Your legal team will flag that immediately.
What we like
- Budget-tier pricing from $199 a seat that undercuts Deel and Remote by $200 to $400 per head depending on plan, with zero setup and zero offboarding fees.
- Broad coverage: 150+ countries spanning the UK and Germany through Southeast Asia and Latin America.
- Bundled in-house recruitment service that sources candidates in target markets, which most competitors do not offer.
- 24-48 hour onboarding covering bilingual contract generation, benefits setup, and a dedicated customer success manager.
- Benefits administration included in the base EOR fee without markup.
Watch out for
- Hybrid entity model with no published list of which countries are owned-entity versus partner-served. Your legal team will flag it.
- No mobile app, the most frequent user complaint (12 G2 mentions).
- Basic reporting only: standard exports, no real-time dashboards or advanced analytics for Finance teams.
- Support degrades after onboarding, with some users reporting 1-2 week response times on non-urgent queries.
- Strategic uncertainty from the February 2026 rebrand to Remote People, including a headline EOR rate that moved from $299 to $199.
What Is Horizons and How Does It Work?
Horizons provides EOR across 150+ countries alongside contractor management, global payroll for companies with existing entities, and international recruitment through in-house recruiters.
It covers markets from the UK and Germany to Southeast Asia and Latin America, with flat-rate pricing aimed at mid-market buyers where per-head cost is a procurement constraint.
Who Horizons Is Designed For
Horizons targets mid-market companies (5-50 international employees) where cost per employee drives procurement decisions. On the entry Flex plan ($199 a seat) 15 employees cost from $35,820 a year in platform fees, rising to about $71,820 on the EOR Plus plan that teams of five-plus usually take ($399 a seat, annual commitment), still well under the $100,000-plus you would pay with Deel or Remote. The bundled recruitment service adds value for companies entering new markets without local hiring networks.
How Horizons Setup Works
Onboarding follows a 24-48 hour timeline, covering bilingual contract generation, benefits setup, and dedicated customer success manager assignment. Partner-dependent markets may take longer, and Horizons does not publish which countries those are, so have that answer ready for your legal team.
What does Horizons actually offer?
Employer of Record covers compliant employment, payroll processing, benefits administration, and local compliance across 150+ countries from $199/employee/month on the entry Flex plan.
Contractor Management handles invoicing, payments, and compliance for independent contractors from $29/contractor/month across the same country footprint, with a Contractor of Record tier (from $199/contractor/month) that folds in misclassification protection.
Global Payroll processes payroll for companies with existing local entities on a custom-quote basis, handling tax calculations and statutory filings.
International Recruitment provides in-house recruiters who source candidates in target markets, bundled with EOR services for companies entering new countries. The bundled Recruit and EOR option is priced at 2% of the hire’s annual salary spread over 12 months, rather than a one-off placement fee, while standalone global recruitment runs at 20% of annual salary paid on the first day.
Visa and Immigration support covers work permits and end-to-end relocation in 80+ countries, quoted per case by destination and visa type.
Benefits Administration is included in the base EOR fee without markup, covering health insurance and mandatory local benefits tailored to each country’s requirements.
What Horizons features matter in practice?
Payroll processing includes multi-currency support, automated tax calculations, and statutory filing management. Contract generation produces bilingual employment agreements tailored to local labour law requirements.
Benefits management handles health insurance enrollment and mandatory benefit administration without additional fees. Expense reimbursements and bonus processing are built into the platform workflow.
Leave management tracks statutory leave entitlements and handles leave requests through the platform interface. Reporting provides basic payroll and employee data exports, though advanced analytics are not available.
Picture your HR manager on their phone trying to approve a leave request. They can’t. The mobile experience is essentially non-existent, a complaint that appears in 12 separate G2 reviews.
Customer support operates 24/5 with legal, payroll, and HR specialists available via email and platform messaging.
Notable absences: Mobile app support (frequently mentioned in G2 reviews as missing), advanced reporting dashboards, real-time cost analytics, and integration with major HRIS platforms.
What does Horizons actually cost?
Horizons rebranded to Remote People in 2025 and dropped the headline EOR rate from $299 to $199, putting it in the budget tier alongside Remofirst and Skuad. Quotes on the old brand and the old rate are no longer current; here is what is published today, what is not, and what we would put in writing before signing.
| Employer of Record (current, Remote People brand) | From $199per employee / month |
|---|---|
| Employer of Record (pre-rebrand, Horizons brand) | $299per employee / month (historical) |
| Contractor management | From $29per contractor / month |
| Setup, onboarding and priority-support upsells | $0advertised as no hidden fees |
What the headline price leaves out
Brand changed mid-cycle; quotes from 2024 will not match. Horizons rebranded to Remote People in 2025 and dropped the headline EOR rate from $299 to $199. If you have a historical quote on Horizons letterhead or are comparing to old review data, the prices have changed. Reconfirm the current rate before building the business case.
The headline rate splits into two plans. Remote People publishes EOR Flex from $199 a seat (no minimum headcount, monthly billing, cancel anytime, no setup fees) and EOR Plus from $399 a seat (built for teams of five or more, on an annual commitment, with zero deposit required). Either way, employer taxes (10 to 35 percent of gross by country), FX margin on cross-border payroll (typically 1 to 3 percent at this tier) and any country-specific surcharges still apply on top of the seat fee. The provider only spells out the deposit position on the Plus plan, where it is zero, so if you take the cheaper Flex plan get the deposit answer in writing before you sign.
Coverage is wide on paper, thinner in practice. Remote People covers 150-plus countries but operates a mix of owned entities and local partners, and the partner-served countries make up the majority. For mainstream markets the model is fine; for compliance-heavy jurisdictions (France, Germany, Brazil) confirm which partner is on the contract and what their track record looks like before signing.
Before you sign, ask Remote People to confirm in writing:
01. The current $199 rate confirmed in writing on Remote People letterhead, not a historical Horizons quote.
02. Which of your target countries are owned-entity and which are partner-served, and the partner name.
03. FX margin per currency corridor and how it appears on the monthly invoice.
04. Whether onboarding timelines for partner-served countries differ materially from owned-entity countries.
05. Notice period and severance pass-through exposure on early termination.
06. For UK hires, how IR35 and off-payroll status is assessed and who carries the classification risk.
Request Remote People pricing →How does Horizons’s compliance model hold up across key markets?
Horizons claims 150+ country coverage through a hybrid entity model that combines owned entities with local partner relationships, though the specific breakdown between owned and partner countries is not publicly disclosed.
Horizons Entity Model
Horizons states it operates owned entities in 100+ countries with the remainder of its 150+ country coverage provided through local partners. This hybrid approach allows broader geographic reach while maintaining cost efficiency.
The challenge for procurement teams is the lack of transparency about which countries use owned entities versus partner relationships.
This distinction affects compliance responsibility, onboarding timelines, and escalation procedures when issues arise. When your German employee has a tax question, is it resolved by Horizons directly or by a local partner who may have different response times?
Compare this to Remote’s 100% owned entity model or Deel’s clear acknowledgment of its mixed approach with published entity status by country.
Coverage for Specific Use Cases
European expansion appears well-supported with claimed owned entities across major EU markets. APAC coverage spans developed markets like Singapore and Australia plus emerging markets across Southeast Asia.
Latin American hiring includes major markets like Brazil and Mexico with broader regional coverage. African markets are included in the 150+ count though specific country availability requires verification during procurement.
For complex compliance requirements in markets like Germany or France, confirm whether Horizons uses owned entities or partners in your specific target countries during the evaluation process.
Compliance Responsibility
Horizons positions its 130+ in-house legal experts as covering employment law compliance across its footprint. In owned-entity countries, the compliance chain is direct between Horizons and local authorities.
In partner-dependent markets, compliance flows through the local partner with Horizons maintaining oversight. Your legal team will want to know exactly who is liable if something goes wrong, so request the entity list for your target countries before signing.
What is the Horizons platform and support experience like?
Horizons Onboarding
Onboarding completes within 24-48 hours, covering bilingual contract generation, benefits enrollment, and platform access. G2 reviewers rate onboarding positively (64+ mentions). Partner-dependent markets may require additional coordination time.
Horizons Platform
Standard EOR functionality: payroll processing, contract management, employee data administration. The interface is functional but not sophisticated. No mobile app is the most frequent user complaint (12 G2 mentions).
Reporting capabilities are basic: standard payroll and employee data exports, no real-time dashboards or advanced analytics for Finance teams.
Security and data residency are stronger than the platform polish suggests. Remote People states it is SOC 2 Type II certified and ISO 27001 and GDPR compliant, hosts data on Amazon Web Services within the European Union, and applies end-to-end encryption. That EU-hosting position is useful if your data-residency review rules out US-based storage.
Horizons Customer Support
Support operates 24/5 with coverage from legal, payroll, and HR specialists. Initial response times are generally positive according to published reviews (88+ positive G2 mentions for customer support quality).
Longer-term reviews indicate response times extend to 1-2 weeks for non-urgent queries once initial onboarding ends. For compliance-critical questions, verify escalation paths and guaranteed response times during procurement.
What are Horizons customers actually saying?
Across G2 (229+ reviews), Capterra (23 reviews), and Trustpilot (52 reviews) covering 2025-2026: users consistently praise flat-rate pricing transparency, 24-48 hour onboarding speed, and initial support responsiveness.
The recurring complaints are no mobile app (12 G2 mentions), basic reporting with no dashboards, and support degradation after initial onboarding, with some users reporting 1-2 week response times on non-urgent queries.
Who Is Horizons Best For?
Cost-conscious mid-market companies hiring 5-30 international employees where per-employee cost is a hard procurement constraint. Companies entering multiple new markets that need broad geographic coverage plus bundled recruitment support. Teams prioritizing cost predictability where zero setup and exit fees simplify Finance team conversations.
Choose Horizons if
- You are a cost-conscious mid-market company hiring 5-30 international employees where per-employee cost is a hard procurement constraint
- You are entering multiple new markets and need broad geographic coverage plus bundled recruitment support
- You prioritise cost predictability, where zero setup and exit fees simplify Finance team conversations
Look elsewhere if
- Entity model transparency is non-negotiable for your legal team
- Finance requires enterprise-grade reporting and analytics
- Daily platform experience matters to HR team productivity
When should you consider a Horizons alternative?
Horizons competes most directly with the EOR providers below on the dimensions that matter for your specific procurement criteria and operational requirements.
Whichapp may earn a commission if you book a demo through our links. Reviews remain editorially independent.
Final Verdict: Is Horizons Worth It?
Horizons is worth it when you have explicit budget constraints on per-employee EOR costs and need broad country coverage without paying premium provider pricing.
The $199 entry rate (and the $399 Plus rate for teams of five-plus) creates meaningful savings against the premium platforms that can fund additional international headcount or improve unit economics for distributed team expansion.
The bundled recruitment service addresses a real gap for companies entering new markets without local hiring networks.
Most EOR providers treat talent sourcing as someone else’s problem. Horizons bundles both services under predictable pricing.
It’s not worth it when entity model transparency is non-negotiable for your legal team, when Finance requires enterprise-grade reporting and analytics, or when daily platform experience matters to HR team productivity.
The hybrid entity model with limited disclosure creates compliance uncertainty that premium providers eliminate through owned-entity clarity.
The fundamental question: does $200 to $400 per employee per month in savings justify accepting platform immaturity, entity model opacity, and strategic uncertainty from the February 2026 rebrand?
If your procurement criteria prioritize cost efficiency over platform sophistication, and you verify entity status and FX terms during evaluation, Horizons represents credible value at its price point.
Just make sure your legal team is comfortable with the answers they get about entity ownership in your target countries.
Whichapp may earn a commission if you book a demo through our links. Reviews remain editorially independent.
Horizons at a glance
How Horizons scores on the Whichapp Index
| Coverage model | Hybrid 150+ countries |
|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | High from $199/month |
| Integration depth | Low |
| Security & compliance | Moderate |
Composite is a weighted index across these verified dimensions — see methodology.
| Best for | Teams hiring in China and Southeast Asia where most EORs lack owned entities Owned entities in China, Vietnam, and Thailand across 186+ countries total |
|---|---|
| Services | EOR · Global payroll · Contractor management |
| EOR price | From $199per employee / month · Deposit by quote |
| Reviewed | June 2026 Pricing verified June 2026. Employer costs, salary, and FX spreads excluded. |
| Watch out | Less brand recognition outside APAC; entity depth in Europe and the US is lighter than pure-play Western providers. |
Horizons FAQ
What does Horizons EOR cost?
From $199/employee/month on the EOR Flex plan (no minimum headcount, monthly billing, no setup or offboarding fees), or $399 on the EOR Plus plan built for teams of five-plus (annual commitment). Contractor management starts at $29/contractor/month. Employer statutory contributions (10-40% of gross salary) and FX spreads apply on top of the published rate.
Remote People states zero deposit on the Plus plan; it does not publish a deposit position for the cheaper Flex plan, so confirm it in writing before you sign.
Does Horizons own entities in every country?
No. Horizons uses a hybrid model with owned entities in 100+ countries and local partners in others to reach 150+ total coverage.
The company does not publish a country-by-country breakdown of owned versus partner markets. Request this information for your target countries during procurement.
How does Horizons compare to Deel?
Horizons costs roughly a third the price on its entry plan (from $199/month vs about $599/month) with comparable country coverage; Deel adds HRIS, US payroll, and IT management with a more mature platform. Choose Horizons for cost savings, Deel for breadth and sophistication.
Is Horizons suitable for large enterprises?
Generally not for 200+ employees. Horizons lacks enterprise reporting, mobile app support, and the platform sophistication required at scale. Enterprise buyers should evaluate Deel, Remote, or Papaya Global instead.
What happened with the Horizons rebrand?
In February 2026, Horizons rebranded to Remote People to reflect people-first positioning combining recruitment and EOR services. Existing customers should verify how this affects contract terms, support contacts, and platform roadmap with their account teams.
Does Horizons include recruitment services?
Yes. Horizons bundles in-house recruiters who source candidates in target markets alongside EOR services, differentiating it from most competitors. Verify recruiter availability in your target countries during evaluation.
Methodology and Disclosure
Whichapp is an independent comparison site for global payroll, EOR, and contractor management platforms. We do not sell these services and do not accept payment for editorial placement or reviews. We may earn a commission if you book a demo or request a quote through links on this page.
This review was produced by our editorial team and was not reviewed or approved by Horizons before publication.
Data Sources
Horizons pricing page (verified June 2026) · G2 and Capterra reviews (Jan–Apr 2026) · Horizons help centre documentation and APAC country guides.
Research Approach
Assessed across owned-entity model in China and APAC markets, country coverage depth and partner-network quality, pricing transparency, onboarding capabilities in high-complexity markets, customer support model, and verified user feedback from G2 and Capterra. Live paid pilot was not conducted.
Tools to Evaluate Horizons
Provider Coverage Lookup: check which countries each provider covers and compare coverage side by side. EOR vs Entity Break-Even Modeler: find the headcount at which setting up your own entity beats paying EOR fees. Employer Cost & Burden Calculator: turn a gross salary into a realistic total employer cost by country.
Whichapp Research used in this review
Pricing Transparency Index: how clearly this provider discloses pricing compared to the market. EOR Cost Benchmark: published EOR fee range and first-year cost context across 17 providers. Global Payroll Coverage Index: country breadth and owned-entity depth scored across providers. Integration Depth Index: HR and finance integration coverage scored by provider. Security Disclosure Benchmark: SOC 2, ISO 27001, and public security disclosure ratings.