Abillio vs DistantJob: remote recruiting or contractor payments?
DistantJob recruits remote developers, mainly from Latin America and Eastern Europe, and can employ them through an employer of record. Abillio pays independent contractors and handles their invoices and taxes. Here is the comparison.
Quick answer: use DistantJob to recruit full-time remote developers. Use Abillio to pay the ones who work as independent contractors: 4% of each paid invoice for businesses (3% above €50k a month), with no subscription.
DistantJob vs Abillio at a glance
| DistantJob | Abillio | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Remote recruitment agency, with employer of record | Payment and compliance layer for contractors |
| Price | Salary plus a service fee (not published) | 3% to 5% depending on volume, custom pricing available |
| After the hire | Employ through its EOR, or hire directly | Abillio handles invoices, payouts and reporting for contractors |
What DistantJob does
DistantJob is a remote recruitment agency. It sources developers mainly in Latin America and Eastern Europe, and can handle contracts, payroll and benefits through an employer of record or support a direct hire. Clients pay the developer’s salary plus a service fee; the fee is not published (DistantJob pricing, checked 12 November 2026).
What Abillio does
Abillio is not a marketplace, a recruiter or an employer of record. It is the payment and compliance layer for the freelancers and contractors you already work with. More than 17,400 freelancers have used it, and it has paid out over €30M.
- Invoices in the contractor’s name. The contractor does not need their own company or VAT number.
- Identity checks and payouts to bank (SEPA or SWIFT), card, PayPal or Airtm in 170+ countries, one by one or in bulk.
- Reporting: DAC7 for everyone outside Latvia and Estonia, and 1099 support for US freelancers.
- Income tax withheld and paid for Latvian and Estonian tax residents, through Abillio’s own entities there.
- Setup in about 5 minutes for a freelancer or a business account.
Price: 3% to 5% depending on volume, custom pricing available. A freelancer who invoices their own client pays 5% of each paid invoice, with no subscription. When a business pays contractors it is 4% of each paid invoice, paid by the business or by the freelancer, their choice, and 3% above €50k a month. Above that, pricing is custom. There is no setup fee and no per-seat fee.
The key differences
- Recruiting vs paying. DistantJob finds people; Abillio pays contractors.
- Employment vs contracting. For full-time employees, an employer of record fits. For independent contractors, Abillio does.
When DistantJob is the better fit
Pick DistantJob to recruit full-time remote developers and have them employed for you.
When Abillio is the better fit
Pick Abillio to pay independent contractors simply and compliantly, wherever you found them.
Using DistantJob and Abillio together
Use DistantJob to find the person and Abillio to pay them if they work as an independent contractor.
Paying contractors you found through DistantJob? Talk to us. In a 30-minute call we work out what your setup would cost on Abillio.
For contractors in Latvia and Estonia
If a client you met through DistantJob pays you directly as a contractor, you can invoice them through Abillio without a company or VAT number of your own. For Latvian and Estonian tax residents, Abillio withholds and pays the income tax and sends the rest to your bank account. In Latvia this runs through the Abillio Services cooperative, in Estonia through Abillio Services OÜ. Create a free account in about 5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Does DistantJob publish its fee?
No. DistantJob says clients pay the developer’s salary plus a service fee, shown before you commit, but it does not publish the fee (checked 12 November 2026).
Can Abillio pay a developer hired through an agency?
Yes, if they work for you as an independent contractor. They invoice you through Abillio, even without their own company, and Abillio pays them out.
How much does Abillio cost a business?
4% of each paid invoice when a business pays contractors, and 3% above €50k a month, with custom pricing above that.
