Wave Payroll
Payroll software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$20 per month
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
Small
Medium
Large
- Real estate and property management
- Agriculture, fishing, and forestry
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
What is Wave Payroll
Wave Payroll is a small-business payroll application used to run payroll, calculate withholdings, and file payroll taxes in supported jurisdictions. It is designed for employers that want payroll tightly connected to Wave’s accounting workflow and employee self-service for pay stubs and tax forms. The product is typically used by very small businesses with straightforward payroll needs rather than organizations requiring complex HR, global payroll, or extensive configuration.
Integrated with Wave accounting
Wave Payroll connects directly to Wave’s accounting records, which reduces duplicate entry between payroll and bookkeeping. Payroll transactions can post into the general ledger to support basic financial reporting. This setup fits businesses that already use Wave for invoicing and accounting and want a single workflow for payroll-related entries.
Built-in tax filing support
The service supports automated payroll tax calculations and tax form generation within supported regions. It is oriented toward helping small employers handle routine filings without building custom processes. For eligible customers, this can reduce reliance on manual tax calculations and separate filing tools.
Employee self-service access
Employees can access pay stubs and year-end tax documents through a self-service portal. This reduces administrative requests to the employer for common payroll documents. The self-service model aligns with small teams that need basic access without a full HR suite.
Limited geographic coverage
Wave Payroll availability and tax filing features are limited to specific countries and, in some cases, specific states/provinces. Businesses operating in multiple countries or needing broader regional coverage may require a different payroll approach. This constraint is important for companies with distributed workforces or expansion plans.
Not a full HR platform
Wave Payroll focuses on payroll processing rather than end-to-end HR capabilities such as advanced benefits administration, device/app provisioning, or complex workforce management. Organizations that need deeper HRIS functionality, policy workflows, or extensive integrations may find the feature set insufficient. It is better suited to straightforward payroll than to broader people operations.
Fewer advanced payroll controls
The product is designed for simpler payroll scenarios and may not meet needs for complex pay rules, multi-entity structures, or highly customized approval workflows. Reporting and configuration options are typically more limited than enterprise payroll systems. Companies with union rules, intricate job costing, or sophisticated compliance requirements may outgrow it.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States — states with Automated Tax Payments & Filings | $40 monthly base + $6 per active employee per month + $6 per contractor paid | Automated tax payments & filings available in AZ, CA, FL, GA, IL, IN, MN, NY, NC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI; includes direct deposit, W-2/W-3 and 1099 generation, tax payment reminders. |
| United States — states without Automated Tax Payments & Filings | $20 monthly base + $6 per active employee per month + $6 per contractor paid | Wave calculates tax liability but filings/payments are self-service; includes direct deposit, W-2/W-3 and 1099 generation, tax payment reminders. |
| Canada | $25 CAD monthly base + $6 CAD per active employee per month + $6 CAD per contractor paid | Includes automatic remittances to the CRA, ROE preparation when offboarding, and T4 generation at year-end. Available in all provinces and territories except Quebec. |
| Limited access (Pause payroll) — United States | $17 per month | Limited-access subscription retains reporting, employee/business details, support, access to prior pay stubs and tax forms; cannot approve or process payroll. |
| Limited access (Pause payroll) — Canada | $10 CAD per month | Limited-access subscription retains reporting, CRA remittance access, employee/business details, support; cannot approve or process payroll. |
Seller details
Wave Financial Inc.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2009
Private
https://www.waveapps.com/
https://x.com/wavehq
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wave-financial-inc/
