The Wave Payroll quick read
- You already use Wave for accounting/invoicing
- You have a tiny team and simple payroll
- You're price-sensitive
- You don't use Wave
- You need multi-state or complex compliance
- You need HR or benefits
| Best fit | Wave accounting users |
|---|---|
| Weakest fit | Non-Wave businesses |
| Starting price | Wave Payroll (US): $40/mo + $6 per active employee/mo |
| Pricing transparency | Strong — published, plan-based pricing |
| Payroll tax support | Good — federal, state, and local filings included |
| Contractor support | Good — 1099 payments and year-end filings |
| W-2 support | Full-service, included in paid plans |
| Multi-state support | Available — handles employees across U.S. states |
| Benefits | Basic — health, 401(k), and workers' comp through partner integrations |
| HR tools | Light — onboarding, PTO, document storage, and basic templates |
| Accounting integrations | Strong — native ecosystem plus QuickBooks, Xero |
| Setup difficulty | Easy |
| Support quality | Good — phone, chat, and email; priority on higher plans |
| Overall rating | 7.4 / 10 |
A CPA's take on Wave Payroll
As a CPA and business owner, I care less about whether payroll software has the longest feature list and more about whether it helps a business owner avoid expensive payroll mistakes. The right payroll provider should make tax payments, filings, employee onboarding, contractor payments, and year-end forms feel routine — because payroll is one area where small mistakes can create real compliance problems.
Ecosystem fit. If you're invoicing in Wave, payroll-in-Wave keeps everything in one place.
Wave is a microbusiness tool. It files taxes in all 50 states now, but it won't carry you through multi-state growth, benefits, or HR.
Wave-based microbusinesses with a handful of employees or contractors.
If you're not on Wave, Gusto, OnPay, or Patriot are usually better picks.
A 30-second decision
- You use Wave accounting
- You're a microbusiness with simple payroll
- You want automated tax filing at a low published price
- You don't use Wave
- You need multi-state or HR
- You're growing
Who Wave Payroll is best for
- Wave accounting users
- Microbusinesses with simple payroll
- Price-sensitive owners
- Non-Wave businesses
- Multi-state or complex employers
- Companies needing HR / benefits / growth
Wave Payroll pricing
Payroll pricing changes frequently. Always confirm current pricing on the provider’s site before signing up.
Wave Payroll in the US is $40/month plus $6 per active employee and $6 per independent contractor paid. Wave enabled automated tax filing in all 50 US states, effective for customers who signed up after April 2, 2025 — the old split between "tax service" and "self-service" states no longer applies to new accounts. Pricing verified August 2026.
- Full-service payroll
- Automated tax filing in all 50 states
- Direct deposit
- W-2 and 1099 filings
Automated tax filing applies in all 50 states for customers who signed up after April 2, 2025. Pricing verified August 2026.
- Tax-service support is limited to specific U.S. states — confirm yours before signing.
- If your state isn't covered, you'll be filing taxes yourself.
See current Wave Payroll plans and offers.
Feature scorecard
Payroll features
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Direct deposit
- Multiple pay schedules
- Bonus, off-cycle, and reimbursement runs
- Employee self-service portal
- Federal, state, and local payroll tax calculation
- Automatic deposits and filings
- Quarterly and annual filings
- Tax-notice support
- 1099 contractor payments
- Year-end 1099-NEC filings
- Multi-state payroll supported
- Remote-employee tax setup
- W-2 generation and filing
- 1099 generation and filing
- Employee/contractor year-end form access
HR, benefits, and compliance tools
- Employee onboarding
- PTO tracking
- Document storage
- Basic HR templates
- Health, 401(k), and workers' comp through partner integrations (where available)
- New-hire reporting
- Federal, state, and local payroll tax filings
- W-2 and 1099 year-end filings
- Tax-notice support
Ease of use and setup
- Modern web interface
- Self-serve employee onboarding where available
- Mobile experience for employees
- EIN
- State payroll tax account numbers
- State unemployment account numbers
- Employee information (I-9, W-4)
- Contractor information (W-9)
- Prior payroll history
- Bank account for funding
- Pay schedule
- Benefits information (if any)
- Workers' comp details (if any)
- Accounting software login
- PTO policy
- Existing payroll provider info (if switching)
Integrations
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- When I Work
- Homebase
- Deputy
- Available through provider or partner networks
- Common SSO and HRIS connectors where applicable
PayrollSignal take: Integrations matter because payroll is rarely isolated. If your payroll system doesn’t talk cleanly to your accounting software, time tracking, or benefits tools, you may end up spending more time fixing payroll than running it.
Customer support
| Support feature | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Phone support | Yes | Standard business hours |
| Chat support | Yes | In-app chat |
| Email support | Yes | Available across plans |
| 24/7 support | No | Standard business hours |
| Dedicated representative | Depends | Typically higher-tier plans only |
| HR advisor access | Add-on | Available as add-on or higher tier |
| Tax-notice support | Yes | Included with full-service payroll |
| Setup support | Yes | Self-serve with optional guided setup |
Payroll support matters more than ordinary software support because payroll problems often have deadlines attached. A login issue is annoying. A missed payroll tax deadline can be expensive.
Wave Payroll pros and cons
- Tight Wave accounting integration
- Published pricing
- Microbusiness-friendly
- Thin on HR and benefits
- Not a growth platform
- Fewer integrations than larger providers
- Contractors are billed per person paid on top of the employee fee
Which businesses should use Wave Payroll?
Wave Payroll's sweet spot.
Use Gusto, OnPay, or Patriot.
Works well for very simple needs.
Use OnPay.
Use Gusto.
PayrollSignal Fit Meter
Watch-outs before you buy
- Accounts opened before April 2, 2025 may still be on legacy self-service tax terms — confirm your own account's filing status.
- Contractors cost $6 each per month paid on top of the $40 base and the $6 per employee.
- If you'll grow past a few employees, plan to graduate to Gusto or OnPay.
- If you're not on Wave, you're losing the main benefit.
Best alternatives to Wave Payroll
Published pricing, clean UX, and a low-cost contractor-only plan ($35/mo + $6 per contractor).
Wave wins for Wave-accounting microbusinesses.
Best for: Modern small businesses that want transparent pricing and built-in benefits
Flat $49 base + $6/person includes multi-state by default.
Wave wins for Wave-based microbusinesses.
Best for: Multi-state small businesses that want flat transparent pricing
Lowest published price.
Wave wins when you live in Wave accounting.
Best for: Cheapest full-service payroll for simple cases
Not sure if Wave Payroll is right for you?
Payroll companies can look similar on the surface, but the best choice depends on your employees, contractors, states, benefits needs, HR support, accounting software, and growth plans. Take the free PayrollSignal quiz and get a recommendation built for your business.
How we reviewed this provider
We review payroll providers based on small business fit, not just feature count. A provider can have many features and still be the wrong choice for a very small business if it’s too expensive, too complex, or unclear about pricing.
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Payroll functionality | 20% |
| Payroll tax & compliance support | 20% |
| Pricing & transparency | 15% |
| Ease of use | 15% |
| HR, onboarding & benefits | 10% |
| Integrations | 10% |
| Customer support | 5% |
| Scalability | 5% |
Our ratings are intended to help small business owners choose payroll software based on fit. A lower-rated provider may still be the better choice for a specific business if its pricing, integrations, service model, or HR features better match that business’s needs.
Wave Payroll FAQs
The bottom line
Wave Payroll is a reasonable fit for small Wave users with simple payroll.
If you already know Wave Payroll fits your needs, you can check current pricing below. If you’re still comparing options, take the free PayrollSignal quiz first.