Contractor payments · September 20, 2026
Best contractor payment tools (2026)
The job is paying people you do not employ — on time, with a record. Classification is still on you.
By Gregory GreensteinUpdated September 20, 2026Affiliate disclosure
Contractor payments fail when you Venmo a designer and reconstruct December for a 1099. The job is: pay US 1099s, maybe pay abroad, and keep a file. This is not employment-law advice. If they are employees, use payroll.
Gusto is the US default. Deel is the global contractor (and EOR) product. Wise is the cheap cross-border rail. PayPal is what the contractor already has.
Prices as of September 20, 2026. Gusto Contractor Only is $35 + $6. Deel publishes per-contractor SKUs. We are not your counsel on classification.
The short list
Public list prices as of September 20, 2026. Promos change. Confirm on the vendor page before you buy.
| # | Product | Best for | Public starting price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto | US companies paying 1099s who may hire a W-2 next | Contractor Only $35/mo + $6 per contractor (base sometimes promoted). Employee plans: Simple $49 + $6; Plus $80 + $12. Per-person fees apply in months you pay them. International contractor payments use per-payment fees. | 8.4 |
| 2 | Deel | Teams paying international contractors (or considering EOR) from one admin | Public contractor plans have been listed around $49 per contractor/month with cheaper contractor-of-record / management SKUs and EOR in the hundreds per employee (figures such as $14 management and $325 EOR appear on third-party recaps). Confirm deel.com/pricing. Treat EOR as a different contract. | 8.1 |
| 3 | Wise | Paying a known international person at a transparent FX rate without an HRIS | Per-transfer fees and mid-market FX plus a small markup — published in the Wise calculator. Business account fees vary. Confirm wise.com. No invented “Wise is always 0.4%” figure. | 7.8 |
| 4 | PayPal | When the contractor will only accept a logo they already have | Commercial rates commonly around 3.49% + 49¢-class for goods/services — confirm the live PayPal business fee page. Goods vs services and cross-border change the number. | 7.2 |
01
Gusto
US companies paying 1099s who may hire a W-2 next
Public pricing: Contractor Only $35/mo + $6 per contractor (base sometimes promoted). Employee plans: Simple $49 + $6; Plus $80 + $12. Per-person fees apply in months you pay them. International contractor payments use per-payment fees.
Gusto pricing (gusto.com/product/pricing), reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
Everyone you pay is abroad and will stay abroad. Start with Deel or Wise.
Why it ranks
- 1099s and a path to W-2 without changing vendors.
- Published US math.
- Contractors are first-class, not a leftover.
- The first-hire stack already assumes this product.
Watch-outs
- International is not the core SKU.
- You still decide employee vs contractor.
- Simple is single-state for W-2s.
- Not a global EOR.
02
Deel
Teams paying international contractors (or considering EOR) from one admin
Public pricing: Public contractor plans have been listed around $49 per contractor/month with cheaper contractor-of-record / management SKUs and EOR in the hundreds per employee (figures such as $14 management and $325 EOR appear on third-party recaps). Confirm deel.com/pricing. Treat EOR as a different contract.
Deel official pricing (deel.com), reviewed September 20, 2026. Confirm live SKUs.
Skip if
You only pay two US 1099s. Gusto Contractor Only is cheaper and calmer.
Why it ranks
- Global contractors are the product, not an add-on.
- Compliance paperwork lives next to payout.
- A path to EOR if a country requires it — still a legal decision.
- Useful when Gusto’s international fees become the tax.
Watch-outs
- EOR is not “contractor software.” Read the agreement.
- Per-contractor monthly fees add up vs Wise transfers.
- US-only shops overbuy.
- We are not your global employment counsel.
03
Wise
Paying a known international person at a transparent FX rate without an HRIS
Public pricing: Per-transfer fees and mid-market FX plus a small markup — published in the Wise calculator. Business account fees vary. Confirm wise.com. No invented “Wise is always 0.4%” figure.
Wise official pricing calculator, reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You need 1099 filing and onboarding as the product. Wise is a payments rail.
Why it ranks
- The rate is the product. Banks and PayPal often lose here on FX.
- Good for a recurring foreign contractor you already trust.
- Business accounts exist when volume grows.
- You keep Gusto for US 1099s and Wise for the London designer.
Watch-outs
- Not a 1099 engine.
- You still need a contract and a ledger entry.
- Account verification can take days. Do not start Friday for Monday payday.
- Recipient must be able to receive Wise.
04
PayPal
When the contractor will only accept a logo they already have
Public pricing: Commercial rates commonly around 3.49% + 49¢-class for goods/services — confirm the live PayPal business fee page. Goods vs services and cross-border change the number.
PayPal business fees, reviewed September 20, 2026.
Skip if
You can use ACH or Wise. PayPal’s commercial fees and account-hold risk are the cost of convenience.
Why it ranks
- The recipient already has an account. That unblocks Friday.
- Familiar for international people who will not open Wise this week.
- Pairs with our Stripe vs PayPal advice: use it for the stubborn payee.
- A record exists — better than cash.
Watch-outs
- Fees and FX can dwarf Gusto’s monthly on a $5,000 invoice.
- Holds happen. Diversify.
- Not a classification or 1099 product by itself.
- Personal PayPal is not a contractor program.
How we picked
The job is paying non-employees from a US company. We scored 1099 path, cross-border, published prices, and whether the product is HR or a rail. Rippling contractors and Bill.com sit adjacent; four is enough.