Paychex vs Wave Payroll
A detailed comparison of Paychex and Wave Payroll. See how they stack up on features, pricing, and user ratings.
At a Glance
| Paychex | Wave Payroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Starting Price | $39/mo | $40/mo |
| Free Trial | No | Yes |
| Free Plan | No | No |
| Features | 7 | 7 |
| Best For | SMB | SMB |
Paychex
Payroll and HR outsourcing provider for small to mid-sized businesses, offering payroll processing, retirement plans, insurance, and HR advisory services with dedicated support.
Rating
4.2/5
Best for
SMB
Free trial
No
Free plan
No
Wave Payroll
Affordable payroll solution from Wave, designed for small businesses and freelancers already using Wave's free accounting software.
Rating
4.1/5
Best for
SMB
Free trial
Yes
Free plan
No
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Paychex | Wave Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow Automation | ||
| Reporting Dashboard | ||
| EEO/OFCCP Compliance | ||
| GDPR Compliance | ||
| API Access | ||
| HRIS Integration | ||
| Mobile App |
Pricing Comparison
Paychex
Essentials
$39/mo
Select
Custom
Pro
Custom
Wave Payroll
Tax Service
$40/mo
Self Service
$20/mo
Integrations
Both tools integrate with
Zapier
Only Paychex
Google Calendar
Microsoft 365
Outlook
Outlook Calendar
QuickBooks
Salesforce
Slack
Only Wave Payroll
Gmail
Google Workspace
Pros & Cons
Paychex
Pros
- +Reliable payroll processing for SMBs
- +Strong tax filing and compliance
- +Local payroll specialist support
- +Benefits administration included
Cons
- -Pricing not fully transparent
- -Add-on costs can increase quickly
- -Interface less modern than Gusto or Rippling
- -Contract lock-in with some plans
Wave Payroll
Pros
- +Seamless integration with Wave's free accounting and invoicing
- +Affordable pricing for very small teams
- +Direct deposit and automatic payroll tax calculations
- +Simple interface designed for non-accountants
Cons
- -Full tax-service payroll limited to certain US states
- -No HR features — purely payroll
- -Fewer features than competitors like Gusto at a similar price point
- -No benefits administration
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Paychex if:
- • Your company is SMB size
- • Higher user ratings matter to you (4.2 vs 4.1)
- • Budget is a priority (starts from $39/mo vs $40/mo)
- • Reliable payroll processing for SMBs
Choose Wave Payroll if:
- • Your company is SMB size
- • You want to try before committing (free trial available)
- • Seamless integration with Wave's free accounting and invoicing
How we evaluate tools
Our ratings combine verified user reviews from G2 and Capterra with hands-on feature analysis. Pricing is checked against official sources. We may earn a commission through affiliate links, but this never influences our rankings or recommendations. Read our full methodology.