Introduction
As work becomes more flexible and project-based, traditional payroll platforms no longer fit how real teams operate. Deel and Apron were designed for employer-driven payments, great for HR and payroll. But when agencies, subcontractors, and freelancers collaborate across borders, they need something faster, cheaper, and built around shared work rather than headcount.
That is where Rafiki OS comes in, the collaboration, invoicing, and payments layer designed specifically for flexible, multi-party teams.
Headquartered in London and operating across the UK, Europe, US, South Africa, and Latin America, Rafiki connects modern teams through instant, low-cost global payments.
1. Understanding the categories of FinTech & Payments Platforms
Before comparing, it helps to define the difference between payroll and collaborative payments.
- Payroll platforms such as Deel focus on full-time or contractor payroll, handling compliance, benefits, and tax filings.
- Payment tools such as Apron simplify vendor payments but assume a single business paying many suppliers.
- Collaboration-driven platforms such as Rafiki OS automate multi-party invoicing, time-based billing, and instant payments between agencies, subcontractors, and freelancers working on shared projects.
In short:
Payroll pays employees. Rafiki powers collaboration and instant payments for independent contractors, freelancers, and B2B payments.
2. Quick comparison: Deel vs Apron vs Rafiki
3. Comparing Deel to Apron & Rafiki
Deel remains one of the most trusted payroll platforms for managing remote employees, offering compliance, tax, and benefit support in over 100 countries.
However, it is optimised for companies with formal employment relationships, not agile, short-term collaborations.
Typical cross-border payments through Deel can take two to three business days, with total transaction costs reaching about 2–3 percent once FX and platform fees are included. That delay and cost structure make sense for monthly payrolls, not for fast-moving projects.
4. Comparing Apron to Deel & Rafiki
Apron streamlines vendor payments and reconciliations for SMEs. It connects with accounting tools and handles bulk payouts neatly, ideal for finance teams managing recurring suppliers.
However, Apron is not designed for dynamic, multi-party projects. There is no native way to share invoices between collaborators or split payments automatically once a client pays.
Payments typically clear in one to three business days, depending on the bank rails used.
5. Where Rafiki OS leads
Rafiki OS is built for how modern work actually happens: fast, decentralised, and collaborative.
Instead of forcing one party to manage everyone else’s payments, Rafiki automates the flow end to end.
Key advantages
- Instant cross-border payments
Using stablecoin and fiat rails, Rafiki processes international transfers in under two minutes (for example USD→ZAR, GBP→NGN, USD↔LatAm), eliminating multi-day delays.
- Fees from just 0.2%
Stablecoin rails drastically cut international transfer costs, making Rafiki around two percent cheaper than traditional platforms.
- Automated, multi-party invoicing
Grouped invoices across teams are created and settled in less than half the time compared with manual or single-vendor systems.
- Wallet-to-wallet instant transfers
Within the Rafiki network, payments between users and businesses are instant and free.
- Built for collaboration
Each project lives in one shared workspace connecting clients, agencies, subcontractors, and finance teams through a single, auditable flow.
6. Recognised by the ecosystem
Rafiki has been featured across Tech in Africa, Disrupt Africa, and Fintech News Byte for re-engineering subcontracting and collaboration across borders.
It is also listed as a Circle Partner, integrating stablecoin infrastructure for faster, cheaper settlements.
Rafiki was recently spotlighted by AfricArena as one of the startups shaping Africa’s fintech future, alongside commentary from Tom Fairburn on the strategic value of stablecoin infrastructure.
(Sources: Tech in Africa, Disrupt Africa, Fintech News Byte, Circle Partners)
7. Why this matters for flexible teams
Freelancers, micro-agencies, and hybrid teams work like networks, not corporations. They need infrastructure that reflects that, not legacy payroll.
By automating the entire flow from time-tracking to invoicing to instant payout, Rafiki turns collaboration into clarity and cashflow.
In summary:
- Deel = Payroll
- Apron = Vendor payments
- Rafiki OS = Collaborative invoicing and instant global payments
Conclusion
The world of work is shifting from employees to ecosystems.
Deel and Apron solved important problems for traditional teams, but Rafiki OS is solving what comes next: cross-border collaboration at speed.
Instant, compliant, multi-party payments from 0.2% fees, in as little as two minutes.
That is the new standard for flexible, global work.
Enquire about Rafiki OS today.
