An EOR is the fast way to hire in the UK. But for a single, long-term employee it's usually far more than you need. A DPNI scheme does the compliant part — PAYE, National Insurance, RTI filing — from £150/month, with no UK entity required. See the real difference for your numbers.
| DPNI (Onshore) | Employer of Record | Own UK entity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical monthly cost (1 employee) | from £150 | ~£500–700 | varies |
| Set-up cost | £400–750 one-off | usually none | £20k+ & months |
| Need a UK company? | No | No | Yes |
| You stay the employer | Yes | No — the EOR is | Yes |
| Best for | single long-term UK hire | multi-hire / benefits / <6 months | a real UK operation |
An EOR is the better call if you're hiring several people at once, you want benefits and HR admin completely off your plate, or you're testing the UK market for under six months. If that's you, we'll say so. For a single long-term hire, DPNI is almost always the leaner path.
Figures are indicative and for guidance only — not a quote. No VAT is added to Onshore's fees; the price you see is the total. Your exact fixed fee is confirmed before any work begins.