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Deel vs Oyster: startup credits compared

Side-by-side amounts, eligibility and access paths, both verified against the official program pages.

DeelFree US payroll for founders (first 5 seats, for life) + up to $10,000 partner creditsVerified Nov 3, 2026OysterSave up to $1,200 per EOR team member for 12 monthsVerified Nov 4, 2026

At a glance

FactDeelOyster
ValueFree US payroll for founders (first 5 seats, for life) + up to $10,000 partner creditsSave up to $1,200 per EOR team member for 12 months
TypeCredits + discountDiscount
DurationNot stated1 year
StagesPre-seed, Seed, Series APre-seed, Seed, Series A, Bootstrapped
RegionsGlobalGlobal
Max funding raisedNot statedNot stated
Max company ageNot statedNot stated
Ways to get it
  • Apply directly — Free US payroll for founders (first 5 seats)
  • Techstars — Up to $5,000 in Deel credits + free US founder payroll
  • Y Combinator Startup School — Up to $5,000 in Deel credits
  • Inventure VC — Up to $10,000 in Deel credits
  • Startup Mexico — 30% off all Deel products for the first year
  • Apply directly — Up to $1,200 off per team member
Requirements
  • Raised at least $500k, verifiable on Crunchbase (free founder payroll)
  • US entity for the US payroll offer
  • Affiliation with a listed partner for credit packages
  • Raised pre-seed, seed or Series A funding, or bootstrapped with under 50 employees
  • Hiring full-time team members through Oyster's Employer of Record
Not eligible
  • Bootstrapped companies below $500k raised (payroll offer)
  • Existing Deel customers where a partner offer is new-customer only (terms apply)
  • Series B and later
  • Bootstrapped companies with 50 or more employees
VerificationVerified· Nov 3, 2026Verified· Nov 4, 2026

Which should you pick?

Deel offers the larger headline amount (Free US payroll for founders (first 5 seats, for life) + up to $10,000 partner credits versus Save up to $1,200 per EOR team member for 12 months). Oyster accepts a wider range of funding stages, while Deel is more targeted. If you qualify for both, there is usually no reason not to apply to both; the programs are independent.

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