EOR vs own entity: break-even calculator
Find out when opening your own company in a country costs less than paying an employer of record. You supply the quotes; we do the arithmetic and show the onboarding times providers claim for each country.
EOR $43,128 · Own entity $46,200
With these inputs the entity starts to cost less after about 31 months. The EOR is cheaper over this period.
Not professional advice. Rates, rules and prices change often. Figures here are researched estimates from the sources listed; anything marked “unverified” needs checking with the provider or a local adviser before you rely on it.
Onboarding time by country, as providers claim it
| Country | Through an EOR | Own entity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | 3-5 business days to onboard, start in about 15 days (Deel claim) | Not verified from a retrieved source | Unverified: Own-entity timeline (Deel says 4-5 months) |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 5-10 business days (Deel claim) | About 4-6 months for CNPJ registration (Deel claim), plus ramp-up for payroll/eSocial | Provider claim, medium confidence |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | Not verified from a retrieved provider source | Not verified from a retrieved source | Unverified: EOR and entity timelines |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | Deel claim: as little as 3 days; not independently verified | Deel claim: setting up in LATAM can take 3-12 months depending on country; Chile-specific figure not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines are provider claims |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | Under 5 working days once documents are ready (Deel claim) | 16-28 weeks (Deel claim) | Provider claim, medium confidence |
| 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | Deel claim: a few days; not independently verified | Deel claim: LATAM entity set-up can take 3-12 months; Costa Rica-specific figure not verified | Unverified: Costa Rica EOR/entity timelines are provider claims |
| 🇫🇷 France | not verified | not verified | Provider claim, medium confidence |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Days to ~2 weeks (provider claims; specific figure unverified) | Roughly 1-3 months for a GmbH plus payroll registrations (estimate, not verified) | Unverified: EOR/entity timing |
| 🇮🇳 India | Days to ~2 weeks (provider claims; specific figure unverified) | Roughly 1-3 months for a private limited company (estimate, not verified) | Unverified: EOR and entity timing |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | not verified | not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | not verified | not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | not verified | not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | not verified | not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | not verified | not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | not verified | not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 1-2 business days to start, contract in ~5 days (Deel claim) | About 4-5 months (Deel claim) | Provider claim, medium confidence |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Not verified from a retrieved provider source | Not verified from a retrieved source | Unverified: EOR and entity timelines |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | not verified | not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | Deel claim: as little as 3 days; not independently verified | Deel claim: LATAM entity set-up 3-12 months; Peru-specific figure not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines are provider claims |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | Days to ~2 weeks (provider claims; specific figure unverified) | About 1-3 months (estimate, not verified) | Unverified: EOR and entity timing |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | Days to ~2 weeks (providers advertise 'days'; specific figure not verified) | Roughly 1-3 months for a Polish sp. z o.o. incl. KRS, bank account, ZUS/tax registrations (estimate, not verified) | Unverified: EOR onboarding speed and entity setup time |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | Not verified from a retrieved provider source | Not verified from a retrieved source | Unverified: EOR and entity timelines |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | Not verified from a retrieved provider source | Not verified from a retrieved source | Unverified: EOR and entity timelines |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | not verified | not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | not verified | not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | Not verified from a retrieved provider source | Not verified from a retrieved source | Unverified: EOR and entity timelines |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | Days to ~2 weeks (providers advertise 'days', no verified specific figure) | Months (Payoneer: 'takes months'; specific duration unverified) | Unverified: Own-entity setup time; EOR onboarding time |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | not verified | not verified | Unverified: Entity/EOR timelines |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | not verified | not verified | Unverified: EOR/entity timelines |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Days to ~2 weeks (provider claims; specific figure unverified) | Roughly 2-6 weeks for a UK Ltd plus PAYE and pension setup (estimate, not verified) | Unverified: EOR and entity setup timing |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | Days to ~2 weeks (provider claims; specific figure unverified) | About 2-4+ months (estimate, not verified) | Unverified: Own-entity setup time and EOR onboarding time |
Quick answers
When does opening an entity beat an EOR?
When the entity's set-up and fixed running costs, spread over the months you will employ people, are lower than the EOR's per-employee fees. The calculator finds that point from your own quotes. More employees in one country moves it earlier.
Does this include salary and employer taxes?
No. Salary and statutory on-costs are the same under both models, so the comparison leaves them out. Use the EOR cost calculator for the full cost.
Where do the starting numbers come from?
They are examples so the page works, not market data. We do not publish entity set-up prices because none of our sources states one we could verify.
Related: EOR vs PEO vs own entity · EOR cost calculator
If you open an entity
Wise BusinessPaying your team abroadPay contractors and suppliers abroad in their local currency at the mid-market rate with transparent fees.PayoneerPaying your team abroadMass payouts to freelancers and local bank accounts in many currencies; many contractors already hold an account.AirwallexPaying your team abroadMulti-currency business account with local collection and global payouts.FirstbaseSetting up the hiring companyUS company formation, registered agent and compliance if you are setting up the company that will hire abroad.doolaSetting up the hiring companyBusiness formation and bookkeeping for non-US founders and small teams.
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