The #1 alternative
Commenda vs Deel vs Remote
Two ways into Estonia: employ through an EOR, or own an Estonian OU and run it. Here's how the three compare.
Comparison at a glance
Deel and Remote employ people for you. Commenda runs four suites across 70+ countries, so one platform takes you from your Estonian OU to a full multi-country group.
Commenda
Global entity management software with complete compliance. Incorporates your Estonian OU (legal-entity, PoA, or e-Residency route), includes the local contact person and first-year address, then runs payroll, accounting, VAT, corporate tax, and transfer pricing alongside entities in 70+ countries.
Deel
EOR. $599/employee/month platform fee to employ a worker on Deel's Estonian entity (excludes salary and Estonian employer taxes). 110+ countries. Built to hire in Estonia without your own entity.
Remote
EOR. $599/employee/month platform fee, flat across countries, to employ a worker on Remote's Estonian entity (excludes salary and Estonian employer taxes). EOR in 80+ countries.
Feature comparison
Why we do it better
 | Deel | Remote | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Own Estonian OU | EOR (their entity) | EOR (their entity) |
| Starting price | $1,500-$3,500 | $599/emp/month | $599/emp/month |
| You own an Estonian entity | |||
| Incorporate an Estonian OU | |||
| Local contact person + registered address | n/a | n/a | |
| Hire / payroll in Estonia | |||
| VAT registration & monthly declarations | |||
| Corporate income tax + annual report | |||
| Transfer pricing (cross-border + CbCR) | |||
| Multi-entity consolidation / audit trail | |||
| Manage entities in other countries | |||
| 100+ ERP integration support | |||
| Jurisdiction reach | Global, 70+ | 110+ (EOR) | 80+ (EOR) |
Built for different buyers
Pricing compared
Advertised rates as of June 2026. Competitor pricing changes often.
Commenda
$1,500to $3,500, route-based
- Legal-entity shareholder $3,500, Power of Attorney $2,500, or e-Residency card $1,500 (+ EUR 120 state fee)
- Every route includes the first-year registered address and the mandatory local contact person
- Modular: address renewal $500/yr, Basic Compliance $4,000/yr, VAT registration $1,000, payroll from $90/employee/yr
- Customers typically retire 3 to 5 vendors
Deel
$599per employee / mo
- Platform fee on the annual plan; excludes gross salary, Estonian 33% social tax, employer unemployment, and benefits
- Negotiated $400-$500 at 20+ headcount; 110+ countries; no Estonian entity under your own company
Remote
$599per employee / mo
- Same flat rate across countries; excludes gross salary and Estonian employer taxes
- EOR coverage in 80+ countries; no Estonian entity under your own company
How each model works
What's the difference?
How Deel and Remote stack up against Commenda for entity management in Estonia.
Commenda: you own the Estonian entity, Commenda runs it
- Incorporates the Estonian OU, includes contact person and registered address
- Runs payroll, accounting, VAT, the annual report, corporate tax, and transfer pricing
- Consolidates Estonia with your entities in 70+ countries, one audit trail
Deel and Remote: they employ your worker, you own nothing local
- A fast way to place one or two people before you have an entity
- Per-employee monthly fee on top of salary and Estonian employer taxes
- No Estonian entity, VAT registration, corporate tax filing, or group consolidation
Making a decision
Which one should you choose?
The right fit depends on your footprint and stage in Estonia.
Choose Commenda if…
- You want to own an Estonian entity and run it as part of your group
- You want formation, payroll, VAT, accounting, corporate tax, and transfer pricing in one place
- Estonia is a commitment, not a one-off placement
Choose Deel if…
- You want to place one or two people in Estonia before you have an entity
- You want EOR coverage across many countries from one vendor
Choose Remote if…
- You want to place a hire in Estonia without your own entity, at a flat platform fee
- You want EOR coverage in many countries with predictable per-employee pricing
Common questions
Use an EOR (Deel or Remote) to place one or two people fast before you have an entity. Set up your own Estonian OU once Estonia is a commitment: it is lower total cost of ownership at headcount and the only route that gives you an entity, VAT registration, corporate tax filing, and consolidation. Commenda incorporates and runs the OU for you.
Both charge $599/employee/month as a platform fee on the annual plan. That excludes gross salary and Estonian employer costs (the 33% social tax, employer unemployment insurance, and pension withholding). Deel negotiates $400-$500 at 20+ headcount.
No. Estonia requires no local or resident director. A foreign-managed company must appoint a local contact person and keep a registered Estonian address, both included in Commenda's formation package.
It depends on the route: $1,500 via e-Residency card (plus the EUR 120 e-Residency state fee), $2,500 via Power of Attorney, or $3,500 for a foreign-parent subsidiary. Every route includes the first-year registered address and local contact person.
Yes. Commenda runs Estonian payroll from employee one (compilation, salary calculations, and employment start/termination registration), priced per employee per year, alongside accounting, VAT, and corporate tax on your own entity.
100 questions, from real customer calls.
The questions finance teams actually ask about entity management: EINs for non-residents, Delaware vs Wyoming, cleaning up the entities a previous provider left behind, and more. If you're looking for something, you'll find it here.
