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Rise

Pay global contractors in fiat or crypto

Global PayrollContractorsEORCrypto PayrollCompliance

By Trace Cohen · Facts checked 2026-10-28 · How we assess tools

Quick answer

Rise is a global payroll platform that hires, onboards and pays contractors and employees in 190+ countries, in 90+ local currencies or 100+ cryptocurrencies. Contractor payments start at $49 per contractor per month, Agent of Record is $299, and Employer of Record is $399 per employee per month, with startup discounts.

Rise (riseworks.io) is a global payroll and compliance platform for startups. It hires, onboards and pays contractors, freelancers and full-time employees in 190+ countries. Workers can be paid in 90+ local currencies or 100+ cryptocurrencies. Rise offers contractor management, an Agent of Record service that takes on misclassification risk, an Employer of Record for hiring without a local entity, and US payroll.

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190+
Countries
90+
Local currencies
100+
Cryptocurrencies
$49
/contractor/month

Key Highlights

Pay contractors in local currency or crypto from one platform
Agent of Record to reduce misclassification risk
Employer of Record to hire without a local entity
US direct payroll with tax filing and W-2s/1099s
Discounts for startups and non-profits

Why We Recommend Rise

01

Global Contractor

Compliant contracts, compliance checks, annual tax reporting and automated payments in fiat or crypto, from $49 per contractor per month.

02

Agent of Record

Rise acts as the legal contracting entity to reduce misclassification risk, at $299 per contractor per month.

03

Employer of Record

Hire full-time employees abroad without setting up an entity, with benefits and HR support, at $399 per employee per month.

04

US Direct Payroll

Federal, state and local payroll taxes, IRS filings, unlimited payrolls and year-end W-2s and 1099s, starting at $49.

Best For

Startups paying international contractors, especially in crypto or stablecoins
Web3 and remote-first teams with workers in many countries
Companies hiring abroad without opening a local entity

Pricing

Global Contractor: $49 per contractor/month Agent of Record: $299 per contractor/month Employer of Record: $399 per employee/month US Direct Payroll: starting at $49 Discounts for startups and non-profits

Limitations to Know

Agent of Record and EOR cost far more per worker than plain contractor payments
Crypto payouts add tax and accounting work some teams may not want

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Rise cost?

According to riseworks.io/pricing, Global Contractor is $49 per contractor per month, Agent of Record $299, Employer of Record $399 per employee per month, and US payroll starts at $49. Rise offers discounts for startups and non-profits.

Can Rise pay contractors in crypto?

Yes. Rise pays in 90+ local currencies or 100+ cryptocurrencies across 190+ countries.

What is the difference between Rise's Agent of Record and Employer of Record?

Agent of Record makes Rise the legal contracting entity for contractors, reducing misclassification risk. Employer of Record makes Rise the legal employer for full-time hires in countries where you have no entity.

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