Published 13 September 2026 by Offshored. Every Cloudstaff, MicroSourcing and Staff Domain fact below comes from the provider's own website or public profile and is linked to the page it appears on, with the date we checked it. Offshored is one of the three alternatives, and we say plainly where it is not the better fit.
Cloudstaff, founded in 2005, reports over 6,000 staff across the Philippines, India, Colombia and Kenya, quotes on request, and asks for 90 days' notice to disengage staff. The three alternatives below are MicroSourcing and Staff Domain, the two competitors with the most branded search in Australia after Cloudstaff, and Offshored, a Sydney-founded provider with published prices from A$1,900 a month, no setup fee and 30 days' notice. Which is the better fit depends on whether you need certifications, multi-country talent and scale, or a published price, short notice and a fast start.
This page contains no opinion about Cloudstaff's quality or anyone else's. It sets out what each of the four companies publishes about its pricing model, fees, minimum term and notice, offices, staffing model, certifications and industries, so you can compare like with like before you take a sales call.
On those facts, Cloudstaff is the fit for a business that wants a large, multi-country, certified provider with a 20-year history. The alternatives below differ on price transparency, fees, notice, speed and scale.
Why these three: MicroSourcing and Staff Domain are the two competitors with the most branded search in Australia after Cloudstaff (Google Ads Keyword Planner, Australia, September 2025 to August 2026, supported by Google Australia autocomplete). Offshored is included because this is Offshored's site; its facts are held to the same standard and linked to the same kind of source.
Australian-owned, founded in Sydney in 2023, with its own office in BGC, Manila. 50+ team members employed by its Philippine entity Australian Pathways OPC for 18+ Australian clients, rated 5.0 on Google from 7 reviews6.
Founded 2006, a subsidiary of Probe Group backed by KKR, reporting 10,000+ professionals and 1,000+ clients across 13 delivery centres in the Philippines and Colombia, with an Australian office in Melbourne23, 17, 19, 21.
Full comparison: Offshored vs MicroSourcing.
Established 2018 by Justin Pavsic and Ben Rajah, with an Australian office in Homebush NSW, staff offices in Pasig City, Alabang, Pampanga and Cebu, and a delivery centre in Randburg, South Africa25, 31, 27, 28.
Full comparison: Offshored vs Staff Domain.
Facts as published by each provider on 13 September 2026. Numbered links go to the source list at the end of the page.
| What you are comparing | Cloudstaff | Offshored | MicroSourcing | Staff Domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | "Staff salary + Cloudstaff Fee + Hardware rental", with no markup on the salary. The Cloudstaff fee covers workspace, office and technical support and staff benefits8. The homepage describes "one clear monthly rate per staff member"9 | One all-inclusive monthly fee per full-time team member, invoiced in advance. Salary, statutory contributions, 13th month pay, HMO after probation, payroll, HR and equipment are inside the fee1 | Fixed monthly service fee per employee plus salary and benefits with no margin17 | Salary at cost plus a facility fee24 |
| Published prices | Not published. The TeamBuilder calculator gives "indicative pricing only" and the site offers pricing from a specialist in under 30 minutes10, 9 | Published: from A$1,900 a month, with a cost band for every role, up to A$4,800 for senior finance and software and A$5,500 for AI Operators1, 2 | Not published; contact us17 | Not published; contact us24 |
| Setup and recruitment fees | The FAQ states "a one-off setup fee for the preparation of your staff's workspace"8; the homepage states "No setup fees and no hidden charges"9. Ask which applies to your quote | No recruitment, placement, setup or exit fees. Nothing is payable until you choose a candidate1 | Not published; recruitment described as included18 | $500 upfront recruitment advertising fee24 |
| Minimum term and notice | "We do not have long-term lock-in contracts, but 90 days notice is required when disengaging staff"8. A minimum term is not published | No minimum term, month to month. 30 days' notice to end the arrangement, and a part month is prorated1, 3 | Terminate "at any time with proper notice"; notice length not published17 | No minimum term; 90 days' notice24 |
| Replacement policy | Not published8 | Replacement recruited at Offshored's cost if the team member leaves or is not the right fit, with candidates presented before the termination date. AI Operators carry a 30-day proficiency warranty4, 3, 5 | Performance management framework; no replacement guarantee published17 | Free replacement within the first six months24 |
| Where staff are recruited | Philippines, India, Colombia and Kenya11 | Philippines only | Philippines and Colombia19 | Philippines and South Africa25 |
| Where staff work | "Work from home, office or dedicated suite", on Cloudstaff-managed PCs12, 8 | From Offshored's office in BGC, Manila, or from home, depending on the role and the client's requirements | In-office and remote options17 | Office, remote and hybrid24 |
| Who employs the staff | "Cloudstaff is the employer for offshore staff", acting as Employer of Record11, 12. Clients contract with Cloudstaff Pty Ltd13 | Australian Pathways OPC, Offshored's registered Philippine entity, holds the employment contract. The client contracts with Offshored Pty Ltd in Sydney and directs the work day to day4 | MicroSourcing, as Employer of Record17, 20 | Staff Domain, as Employer of Record26 |
| Time to hire | As little as seven days, and typically 14 to 30 days from initial contact to team-ready8 | Typically one to two weeks from the scoping call to the start date4 | As little as six weeks17 | Typically four weeks26 |
| Australian office | Registered head office Sydney: Level 11, 1 Margaret Street, Sydney NSW 2000; Brisbane PO Box8, 14 | Sydney: Level 7, 99 York St, Sydney NSW 20006 | Melbourne, 485 La Trobe Street21 | Homebush NSW, 43/52 Parramatta Rd27 |
| Philippine sites | Primary operations centre in Clark (five sites), plus Ortigas, Makati and Cebu; other offices in London, Dover, Houston and Mumbai8, 14 | One office: Suite 706, HSS Corporate Building, BGC, Manila6 | 13 delivery centres in the Philippines and Colombia19 | Pasig City, Alabang, Pampanga, Cebu; Randburg in South Africa28 |
| Security certification | ISO 27001, ISO 9001, PCI-DSS, SOC 1 and 2, Essential Eight, HIPAA and GDPR statements9, 11 | Not ISO 27001 certified (certification is in progress). Confidentiality and IP assignment clauses in every employment contract, NBI police clearance for every hire, client logins removed on the last day | ISO 27001, ISO 9001, HIPAA, PCI-DSS22 | ISO 2700126 |
| Industries named | Accounting, administration, construction, customer support, debt collection, digital marketing, ecommerce, real estate, software development, tourism and travel, conveyancing15 | Accounting and bookkeeping, trades and construction, architecture and drafting, law firms, mortgage brokers and advisers, NDIS and allied health, property, plus 32 published roles7, 2 | Banking and insurance, healthcare, professional services, consumer and retail22 | Property, healthcare and aged care, accounting, IT, professional services, construction29 |
| Founded and size | Founded 2005 by Lloyd Ernst, Philippine operations from 2010, "over 6,000 staff", 1,000+ businesses served16, 9 | Founded in Sydney in 2023. 50+ team members, 18+ Australian clients, 5.0 Google rating from 7 reviews6 | Founded 2006, 10,000+ professionals, Probe Group subsidiary23, 17 | Established 2018; size not published25, 30 |
"Not published" means the statement could not be found on the provider's site on the date checked. Every provider may state these terms in a proposal; ask for them in writing before you sign.
Offshored publishes this page, so here is the part a provider usually leaves out. Choose Cloudstaff, MicroSourcing or Staff Domain instead of Offshored if you need any of the following.
Cloudstaff's FAQ describes the model as staff salary plus a Cloudstaff fee plus hardware rental, with no markup on the salary. It does not publish a rate; its TeamBuilder calculator gives indicative pricing only and the site offers a quote from a specialist. Offshored publishes a monthly band for every role, from A$1,900 a month, on its pricing page.
Cloudstaff's FAQ states it does not have long-term lock-in contracts but that 90 days' notice is required when disengaging staff. Staff Domain also requires 90 days. MicroSourcing states proper notice without publishing the length. Offshored requires 30 days.
Cloudstaff's FAQ states a one-off setup fee for preparing a staff member's workspace, while its homepage states no setup fees and no hidden charges, so ask which applies to your quote. Staff Domain charges a $500 upfront recruitment advertising fee. Offshored and MicroSourcing publish no setup fee; Offshored states in full that it charges no recruitment, setup or exit fee.
MicroSourcing and Staff Domain both publish ISO 27001 certification, as does Cloudstaff. Offshored is not ISO 27001 certified today; certification is in progress. If your procurement requires the certificate, choose one of the certified providers.
Based on each provider's published statements: Offshored one to two weeks, Cloudstaff typically 14 to 30 days, Staff Domain typically four weeks, MicroSourcing as little as six weeks (30 days on its remote product). Actual timing depends on the role.
Cloudstaff requires 90 days' notice to disengage staff, so plan the handover around that window. Whether an individual team member can move with you depends on their employment contract with Cloudstaff, which is a question for Cloudstaff and your own legal adviser. Offshored recruits a new team member from its Manila candidate pool in one to two weeks and can overlap the start with your notice period.
All competitor pages checked 13 September 2026. Branded search ranking: Google Ads Keyword Planner (Australia, September 2025 to August 2026) and Google Australia autocomplete, read 13 September 2026.
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