Small business
Cloud payroll for smaller employers, scaling with headcount.
R380/mo
per month
- PAYE, UIF and SDL at current rates
- Monthly EMP201 figures
- Emailed payslips
- Leave tracking
Paymaster vs Deel
Verified ratings, feature-by-feature comparison and rand pricing — everything a South African business needs to pick between these two.
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Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension — Paymaster against Deel, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
5 – 0
Paymaster vs Deel, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+0,3
Paymaster leads on value for money
Verified reviews
225
36 for Paymaster, 189 for Deel
Paymaster
4,3
36 verified reviews
Deel
4,1
189 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- Paymaster
- Deel
Overall
4,3
4,1
Ease of use
4,2
4,0
Value for money
4,3
4,0
Customer service
4,3
4,0
Functionality
4,3
4,1
Share of verified reviews
Who South African reviewers actually write about.
- Paymaster (36)
- Deel (189)
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
Paymaster
R380/mo
Deel
R900/mo
Paymaster is the cheaper way in. Lower isn't automatically better — weigh it against the ratings above.
Head to head
Where each one wins
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| Paymaster | Deel | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4,3 | 4,1 |
| Reviews | 36 | 189 |
| Ease of use | 4,2 | 4,0 |
| Value for money | 4,3 | 4,0 |
| Customer service | 4,3 | 4,0 |
| Functionality | 4,3 | 4,1 |
| Starting price | R380/mo | R900/mo |
| Free trial | Yes | No |
Features
Feature by feature, checked off
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | Paymaster | Deel |
|---|---|---|
| PAYE, UIF and SDL calculations | ||
| Monthly EMP201 figures | ||
| IRP5 and IT3(a) certificates | ||
| EMP501 reconciliation output | ||
| Emailed payslips | ||
| Employee self service | ||
| Leave and loan management | ||
| Standard payroll reports | ||
| Optional outsourced bureau service | ||
| Local South African support | ||
| Employer of record in 100+ countries | ||
| Contractor contracts and payouts | ||
| Global payroll for owned entities | ||
| Free core HR platform | ||
| Digital contract signing | ||
| Local currency payouts | ||
| Compliance document collection | ||
| Time off tracking | ||
| Expense reimbursements | ||
| Integrations with accounting platforms |
Pricing
Both price lists, in rand
Every plan from both vendors, priced as South African teams actually pay.
Paymaster plans
Try it free
Bureau service
Fully outsourced payroll run by the Paymaster team.
Custom
no card needed
- Everything in Small business
- Outsourced processing
- EMP501 reconciliation handled for you
- Dedicated payroll administrator
Straight from the vendor
Get current pricing
These are list prices in rand and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Paymaster People Solutions for the figure you'll actually pay.
Deel plans
Deel HR
Free core HR for companies under 200 people.
Free
no card needed
- Employee records
- Time off
- Documents
- Org chart
Contractors
About 49 dollars per contractor per month.
R900/mo
per month
- Compliant local contracts
- Invoicing and approvals
- Payouts to local banks
- Tax form collection
EOR
From about 599 dollars per employee per month.
R11 000/mo
per month
- Deel employs on your behalf
- SA PAYE, UIF and leave handled
- Statutory benefits
- Local contracts
Global Payroll
Payroll for your own entities, priced per employee.
Custom
no card needed
- Multi country payroll
- Local filings
- One dashboard
Straight from the vendor
Get current pricing
These are list prices in rand and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Deel for the figure you'll actually pay.
Verdict
Our verdict
Paymaster edges this comparison on verified user ratings (4,3 vs 4,1), but the right choice depends on your workflows: Deel remains a strong pick where its strengths — EOR that employs SA staff for foreign companies compliantly and Contractor payouts through local rails in rand — match your priorities. Shortlist both, take the free trials where offered, and test against a real month of your own data.