Bitwage vs. Deel (2025)

When it comes to managing international payroll and payments, two names often come up: Deel and Bitwage. Both platforms aim to simplify the complexities of paying remote teams and freelancers across borders, but they do so in different ways. Bitwage, for example, boasts a client roster that includes Google, Airbnb, and other major corporations, and has expanded its payroll and cross-border payment services into Europe and India, demonstrating its readiness to serve clients in any country. Whether you’re a business owner looking to simplify your international payroll or a freelancer trying to get paid globally, understanding the strengths and differences between these two tools can help you make the right choice. In this post, we’ll break down how Deel and Bitwage stack up against each other, keeping things simple and easy to understand. Let’s dive in!

Introduction to Bitwage and Deel

Bitwage stands out as a trailblazer in the global payroll industry, founded in 2013 by visionaries John Lindsay and Jonathan Chester. Originally launched to provide Bitcoin payroll services, Bitwage has rapidly evolved to offer a full spectrum of international payroll services, empowering employers to pay salaries in Bitcoin, Ether, and a variety of local currencies. This evolution was driven by a large percentage of Bitwage’s payment volume coming from international clients, highlighting the growing demand for secure, efficient, and cost-effective cross-border payroll solutions. Bitwage started its international payroll services in February 2015, marking a significant milestone in its journey to becoming a global leader.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Bitwage is strategically positioned to serve companies and clients around the world. The platform’s impressive client roster includes global leaders such as Google, Airbnb, The World Health Organization, and Facebook, demonstrating its reliability and reach. By leveraging blockchain technology, Bitwage helps companies simplify payroll and payments across borders, reducing volatility risk and overcoming the challenges associated with traditional bank transfers. Whether you’re an employer looking to pay a distributed team or a freelancer seeking secure, fast payments, Bitwage’s platform is designed to meet the needs of the modern, global workforce.

Crypto & Payments

Since the world was struck by Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, whether you believe it or not, crypto has become the norm for international payments. Flexibility and speed in payments are more important than ever! Cryptocurrency brings lightning-fast transactions, leaving behind clunky bank transactions. Bitwage offers a cheaper alternative for international payments compared to traditional banks, reducing fees and overall costs.

Bitwage is designed with the future in mind by leveraging the power and speed of cryptocurrency and bringing it mainstream through the concept of crypto payroll. With Bitwage, you can pay your employees or contractors in various cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and even reserve-backed digital tokens (backed 1:1 with fiat currencies like USD or EUR) called stablecoins. These stablecoins have gotten a ton of attention because they are the same as local currencies but in a digital form. Stablecoins settle payments in seconds, 24/7, with fees often under $1. Bitwage enables employees to receive their paycheck in digital assets, providing flexibility and speed that traditional paychecks can't match. This versatility has made it an excellent choice for businesses embracing crypto or wanting the best and cheapest way to pay their employees without hefty fees, unwanted middlemen, or currency conversion costs.

With Bitwage, there are no wallet restrictions either; you can send payments to any wallet or exchange, giving your employees full control of their finances. But the best part is the transaction speeds. Transactions can be settled in a matter of seconds thanks to blockchain tech. Using crypto payroll through Bitwage can also help protect against inflation, allowing employees to maintain the value of their earnings even during periods of currency devaluation. Stablecoins further reduce volatility risk, ensuring consistent paycheck values for employees and contractors.

Deel, on the other hand, lags a bit behind in this area since they are more of a “traditional” approach to payroll. They don’t have native crypto support, so you rely on banks. Banks often take 3-5 days to process a payment, which makes it much slower than the speed of blockchain. Deel also limits where your employees or contractors can receive payments, you can also pay them to select platforms. Unlike Bitwage, which is non-custodial, Deel holds your funds in custodial accounts, meaning you don’t have full control over your money; you have to trust Deel and hope nothing happens. Bitwage allows employers to pay in crypto without requiring employees or clients to take extra steps or sign up for additional services.

For businesses and freelancers looking to leverage the speed, flexibility, and innovation of blockchain tech, Bitwage is clearly the winner here.

Fees and Pricing

When it comes to fees and pricing, Bitwage and Deel take very different approaches. Bitwage shines with a pay-as-you-go model. There are no registration fees, no monthly subscriptions, and no long-term contracts, you only pay when you use the service. This makes it an incredible option for small businesses that want to take it slow and don't want to pay insane amounts of money before even trying a service. On top of that, Bitwage offers competitive, transparent exchange rates with no hidden markups, ensuring you get the most bang for your buck.

Deel, on the other hand, operates on a more structured (and costly) pricing model. It charges upfront fees to get started and requires monthly plans that can add up quickly—$599 per employee or $49 per contractor (in USD). Additionally, Deel's currency conversions can also have additional fees.

So, if you're looking to save money without sacrificing quality, Bitwage's $0 cost per employee or contractor is a clear winner. Deel's subscription-based model forces you to pay thousands annually, even if your needs fluctuate.

Support & Reliability

Now, let's talk a bit more about customer support. This can be taken for granted, but if you've ever been stuck sending countless tickets to get a problem solved, you know this is just as important as the service itself.

When it comes to customer support, Bitwage goes way above the expectation to make you feel like a priority. Bitwage offers 24/7 global support directly via Whatsapp, along with direct access to a dedicated account manager to make sure you always have someone to turn to. These support agents are also real people, not a generic chatbot telling you that it's your mistake and no one can help you. Even if you decide to stop using Bitwage, our support agents will make your offboarding experience so unique that you'll miss it.

Deel also offers 24/7 chat support, or should we call it "chatbot support". No one likes getting a generic response to a question or concern about something; it's even worse if it's a problem with your account or payments. This can lead to making interaction more cumbersome, and since you do sign a contract when you start using Deel (apart from paying monthly), the offboarding process can be lengthy and unnecessarily complicated.

But why is customer support so important? Well, you're dealing with payroll and payments, so you need someone you can rely on, day or night. Bitwages' white glove service ensures you are never left hanging, no matter where you are. When it comes to support, once again, Bitwage is the clear winner.

Employer of Record (EOR) & Global Payroll Services

When it comes to services like HR compliance and global hiring, both Deel and Bitwage cater to different needs. Deel excels as an Employer of Record (EOR) by handling HR compliance for hiring in over 150 countries and providing legal contract templates for employers to use when hiring global workers. This is what Deel is mostly known for, and it makes it a strong choice for businesses that need end-to-end support when managing international employees.

Bitwage, on the other hand, focuses purely on payroll and payments, which means there are no EOR or built-in contract templates. However, Bitwage shines in its flexibility and agility, allowing you to send payments to vendors worldwide, not just employees or contractors. Bitwage also supports payments for remote and international work, making it easier for companies to compensate workers globally. Bitwage also can make last-minute adjustments to salaries or vendor payments. Deel, by contrast, has rigid deadlines for payroll changes and limits payments to employees and contractors only.

If you prioritize HR compliance and global hiring tools like contract templates, Deel is the better fit. But if you’re looking for a platform that prioritizes fast, flexible payments to vendors, employees, and contractors, Bitwage is your go-to.

Global Payroll Solutions

Bitwage offers a comprehensive suite of global payroll solutions tailored for businesses, freelancers, and remote workers across the world. The platform enables companies to pay wages in local currencies, Bitcoin, and Ether, making it easier than ever to manage international payroll without the need for a traditional bank account. This flexibility is especially valuable for freelancers and employees in regions where access to banking services is limited or where receiving payments from international clients can be challenging. Bitwage has processed more than $4.5 billion worth of payments to date, showcasing its reliability and scale in the global payroll industry.

With Bitwage, employers can pay salaries to workers in over 200 countries, ensuring that payments are both timely and secure. The non-custodial nature of Bitwage’s payroll system means users retain full control over their funds, reducing the risk of fraud and helping protect their wealth. By supporting payments in multiple currencies and offering seamless integration with global payroll processes, Bitwage helps businesses navigate the complexities of international payroll, manage compliance with local regulations, and mitigate currency exchange risks. For companies looking to expand their global reach and for workers seeking reliable, borderless payment solutions, Bitwage’s platform delivers the flexibility and security needed in today’s interconnected world.

Security and Compliance

Security is at the core of Bitwage’s mission, and the company is proud to have maintained a flawless security record with zero breaches since its founding. Bitwage’s robust security framework is designed to protect user data and funds at every step, ensuring that all payroll payments are secure and compliant with international standards. By leveraging blockchain technology, Bitwage provides an additional layer of protection—every transaction is recorded on an immutable, transparent public ledger, giving users peace of mind and full visibility into their payments. Automated blockchain processes also streamline reconciliation and compliance, making payroll management more efficient for businesses.

Bitwage is committed to offering a trusted and secure environment for businesses, freelancers, and employees worldwide. The platform’s dedication to security and compliance allows users to focus on growing their business and serving clients, without worrying about the safety of their payroll or payments. As a leader in global payroll solutions, Bitwage continues to set the standard for secure, reliable, and efficient international payroll services, helping companies and workers thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Ease of Use

When talking about onboarding and getting started, Bitwage is all about speed and simplicity. With 60-second onboarding times, you can add team members in a few clicks and can be off to process the first payment in as little as 48 hours. This makes it super simple to start paying global teams almost instantly.

Deel takes a more bureaucratic approach. Its multi-step verification process slows down onboarding, and compliance checks can stretch the timeline for your first payment to weeks. While it's understandable since these steps are designed to ensure regulatory compliance, they feel a bit hefty and can be a roadbump for businesses that need to hit the ground running.

Time is money! Bitwage allows you to launch your first payroll quickly and efficiently, while Deel might stop you in your tracks. If speed and simplicity are your priorities, Bitwage takes the win here as well.

Experience

When it comes to experience in the payroll industry, Bitwage has an edge. As the pioneer of the crypto payroll industry, Bitwage has been streamlining payments since 2014, giving it more than a decade-long track record of reliability and innovation. Through this experience, we learned everything about crypto payroll and how to make operations smoother. Our sole focus has been payroll since 2014 and finding the best ways for you to pay and get paid. Plus, it’s worth mentioning that since 2014, we have never had a security breach! For more information, check out the top reasons to choose Bitwage for cryptocurrency payroll.

Deel was founded in 2018 and has branched its focus to more than just payroll. While it did quickly gain traction amongst traditional payroll providers, its infrastructure and processes may still need some tweaking, and branching out into various services could make it forget what is the most important aspect. Payroll.

To learn more about Bitwage's decade of experience and how it has shaped the crypto payroll industry, visit our website.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing the best payroll service, the decision is ultimately up to you and your needs and priorities. Deel is a very solid option for businesses that value HR-heavy compliance tools and global hiring support. Bitwage stands out as a clear winner for speed, affordability, innovation, and scaleability with 0 monthly fees, instant crypto payments, and over 10 years of proven expertise doing what we do best: payroll.

Sign up or book a demo and experience the future of payroll today!