Remote.com vs. Deel for hiring in Jamaica, Trinidad and the Dominican Republic

Same list price, different terms

At list price the two platforms charge the same: $599 PEPM for EOR billed annually. Remote also publishes a $699 PEPM rate for month-to-month billing. Both offer self-serve onboarding, contractor management, benefits add-ons and global coverage, and both are credible choices for a company hiring a handful of people across several countries.

Because the fee is a tie, a Caribbean buyer should judge them on four things the fee does not show:

• Entity. Remote markets a model built on its own owned entities. Deel operates owned entities in many countries and works through partners in others. In the Caribbean, coverage and structure vary island by island, so verify for each of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Dominican Republic which entity would sign the employment contract.
• Funding and FX. TTD funding is the hard case. Trinidad commercial banks have a tight USD supply, and spreads of 2.5% to 4% on TTD conversion are commonly reported. Ask both how they fund TTD payroll and what spread applies.
• Deposit. One to two months of gross pay is commonly requested by global platforms. On a TTD 144,000 monthly payroll that is USD 21,000 to 42,000 of working capital.
• Local operations. Who registers the employee with NIBTT, who applies the Class XVI ceiling, and who remits by the 15th of the following month.

Remote and Deel side by side for Caribbean hiring

List prices are published rates; other terms are commonly quoted or reported in quotes we have seen, and both vendors negotiate. Treat every cell as a question to confirm for your countries.

Worked example: 8 staff in Trinidad for 12 months

Eight employees at TTD 18,000 a month. Monthly pay is above the TTD 13,600 insurable ceiling, so employer NIS is capped. Benchmark FX USD 1 = TTD 6.78, deposit cost at 5% a year. The Health Surcharge is employee-only and does not add to employer cost.

The fee is a tie; the contract is not. A 12-month commitment, a pass-through FX rate and a one-month deposit are worth more than any brand difference. Model your case in the EOR fee audit and read the Trinidad NIS and FX payroll guide. Note also the scheduled rise of Trinidad NIS to 19.2% in January 2027, which will lift employer cost on capped earnings.

Jamaica and the Dominican Republic: what to check

In Jamaica the employer pays NIS 3.0% (capped at JMD 5,000,000 a year), NHT 3.0%, Education Tax 3.5% on statutory income and HEART 3.0%. Ask each platform to show a sample payslip for a JMD 350,000 earner: employer statutory should total JMD 43,382.50. A provider that computes Education Tax on gross rather than on gross less employee NIS will show JMD 12,250.00 instead of JMD 11,882.50, a small but telling error.

In the Dominican Republic, employer TSS runs about 15.29% to 15.79% (SFS 7.09%, AFP 7.10%, SRL 1.10%-1.60%) plus INFOTEP 1.0%, and the 13th-month Salario de Navidad of one-twelfth of annual ordinary wages is due by December 20. Ask whether the EOR accrues the 13th month monthly in its invoice or bills it in December; the cash timing matters for a large CX team. Severance (cesantía) of 21 days per year from year one to five also accrues from the first year, so ask how each platform handles it on termination.

For both countries, ask whether payroll can be funded in USD to a local account and paid out in local currency at a disclosed bank rate.

Who each suits, and questions to put in writing

Remote tends to suit buyers who weight owned-entity structure and predictable contract terms highly, and who can commit annually to secure the $599 rate. Deel tends to suit buyers who need the widest country list, heavy contractor use and fast self-serve onboarding. If you have 10 or more staff concentrated in one island, also price a direct regional operator; see Deel vs regional Caribbean EOR.

Questions to send both vendors:

1. Name the employing legal entity in each of our countries and state whether you own it.
2. State the FX reference rate and spread for TTD, JMD and DOP funding.
3. State the deposit amount, refund timing and whether it can be replaced by a guarantee.
4. Confirm the PEPM for annual and monthly billing, and any minimum term.
5. Confirm who files NIBTT returns by the 15th and who pays penalties caused by your error.
6. Explain how severance and the DR 13th month are accrued and invoiced.

Decision checklist

• Fee tie confirmed: compare total provider-layer cost, not PEPM.
• Entity named per country, in the contract.
• TTD funding route agreed and FX spread capped in writing.
• Annual vs monthly billing chosen with your hiring plan in mind.
• Deposit negotiated down to one month or a bank guarantee.
• 2026 rates confirmed with NIBTT, TAJ and TSS before first payroll.
• Read the vendor audits: Remote Caribbean review and Deel Caribbean pricing review.