Deel products and programs for eligible builders.
Deel free US payroll for founders and startups
Deel offers free US founder payroll and five free payroll seats for venture-backed startups with at least $500,000 raised.
Verified 30 Sept 2026
Who can get this
Does not require incorporation
Does not require funding
Does not require a partner referral
Use Deel US Payroll for founder payroll
First-five-seat startup benefit: at least $500,000 raised, verifiable on Crunchbase
Confirm applicable company and worker eligibility with Deel
- Available in
- Worldwide
- Company stage
- Any stage
US payroll only. Founder payroll is advertised free for life; the first five seats require at least $500,000 in verified venture funding. Overseas workforce products are separate.
How to redeem
- 1
Check eligibility
Review the startup pricing bundle and determine whether the founder or five-seat offer applies.
Open provider page - 2
Apply
Book a demo through the official startup page and provide funding verification for the five-seat benefit.
Open provider page - 3
Activate the benefit
Confirm the US payroll contract, free seats, and excluded costs before onboarding.
Open provider page
Worth knowing
- The founder offer and the first-five-seat funded-startup benefit have different eligibility.
- Free payroll service does not cover employee wages, taxes, insurance, EOR, PEO, or other paid Deel products.
- The page describes the payroll benefit as free for life; confirm contract terms and any additional service fees.
