Deel's answer

Deel owns its infrastructure. We don't rely on third-party payroll processors or legacy systems; we built the entire platform from scratch, which means faster fixes, total accountability, and global compliance that actually works.We're also built for Web3. We're the only HR platform that supports stablecoin payouts, token equity, and on-chain accounting; because the future of work isn't traditional.And AI isn't something bolted on. It's embedded in every workflow; from hiring and onboarding to payroll reconciliation and support. It takes action, not just chat.

Split Fee's answer:

Split Fee is the first purpose-built platform for split fee recruitment in the UK. Instead of relying on LinkedIn groups, WhatsApp messages, and manual agreements, agencies upload their candidates and vacancies and the platform automatically matches them across agencies.

Candidate identities are revealed gradually; anonymised at first, then progressively disclosed as both sides accept, so agencies can collaborate without the risk of circumvention.

Deel's answer

Real global infrastructure, not third-party plumbing. You get local payroll expertise in 150+ countries without managing a vendor network. Compliance is native, not outsourced. True modularity. Plug Deel's products into your existing tech stack instead of ripping and replacing. Use what you need, scale what you grow. One experience for everyone. Whether someone's hired in São Paulo, managed from Denver, or working from a co-working space, they get the same seamless onboarding, payroll, and benefits experience. That consistency matters for retention. Built for the future of work. Crypto payouts. Distributed teams. Complex tax jurisdictions. We handle them natively—not as afterthoughts.

Split Fee's answer:

Most "split fee networks" are just directories or social groups where agencies post and hope someone responds. Split Fee is an actual matching engine. It scores candidate-vacancy pairs, handles the legal agreements (non-circumvention, self-billing), automates invoicing and fee splits, and manages the entire placement lifecycle from match to payment. Everything that normally requires trust, phone calls, and spreadsheets is handled by the platform.

Deel's answer

Deel was founded in 2019 to solve a problem we saw firsthand: hiring and paying global talent shouldn't require hiring a global team of compliance experts. The world's work had already gone remote and distributed, but the HR systems hadn't. We built Deel to bridge that gap—one platform where a startup in Austin could hire a developer in Ukraine, a designer in Nigeria, and a content writer in the Philippines, and actually manage and pay them all compliantly without a compliance nightmare. Today, we work with over 40,000 customers across 150+ countries. We've grown from a contractor-payment tool into a complete people platform for hiring, payroll, mobility, device management, and performance—powered by our own infrastructure and designed for the future of work.

Split Fee's answer:

Abbie, our founder, knew that although split fee arrangements have existed in recruitment for decades, the process has always been manual: find a partner agency, negotiate terms, trust them with your candidate data, chase invoices. Most agencies avoid it because the overhead and risk outweigh the reward. Abbie built Split Fee to remove that friction entirely, with automated matching, progressive identity disclosure, built-in legal agreements, and automated billing, making split placements as straightforward as direct ones.

Deel's answer

We serve globally distributed companies across all sizes. But we're built specifically for leaders who are tired of fragmented systems. Scaling companies (50–1,000 people) who need payroll and compliance to keep pace with growth. Enterprise teams (1,000+) managing complex multi-country operations and local vendor sprawl. People leaders and finance teams who want automation to replace manual admin. And crypto-native companies that need stablecoin payouts and on-chain accounting baked in. The common thread: leaders who value simplicity over complexity, and who need to scale across borders without sacrificing compliance or employee experience.

Split Fee's answer:

UK recruitment agencies; from boutique firms with a handful of consultants to mid-sized agencies with specialist sector coverage. Any agency that has either strong candidates without the right vacancies, or client vacancies they can't fill from their own candidate pool. Split Fee turns those dormant assets into placements.

Deel's answer

We've invested heavily in building owned infrastructure rather than relying on off-the-shelf solutions. Payroll engine: Custom-built tax, compliance, and calculation logic across 150+ countries. No third-party processors—we own this. Architecture: Modern microservices, real-time data processing, and scalable cloud infrastructure designed to handle millions of transactions across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. AI: Built into hiring, payroll, mobility, IT, and support workflows. Our AI takes action, not just provides insights. Security: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR-compliant data residency, and regular pen testing. All auditable. We don't license compliance—we build it.

Split Fee's answer:

A next-generation serverless platform, built for AWS.