Wave Payroll

Who Wave Payroll Is Right For

Wave Payroll suits US and Canadian micro and small businesses, sole proprietors, freelancers-with-employees, and 1-25 person service teams that already use Wave's free invoicing and accounting and want payroll inside the same workspace rather than adding a separate Gusto or QuickBooks Payroll subscription. The ideal buyer runs simple W-2 (US) or T4 (Canada) payroll with predictable schedules and modest tax complexity. It is overkill for solo-no-employees freelancers (skip payroll entirely) and underbuilt for mid-market HR needs requiring time tracking, PTO management, performance, or benefits administration (look at Gusto, Justworks, OnPay, or ADP RUN).

Wave Payroll vs Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, and OnPay

Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, and OnPay all win on broader HR feature depth (benefits administration, PTO, performance, hiring tools) and US state coverage including tax service in all 50 states with deeper compliance support. Wave Payroll wins when the buyer is already on Wave's free invoicing and accounting (now strengthened under H&R Block ownership) and wants payroll on the same dashboard without paying for a second tool. US tax service plan at $40/month base + $6/employee/month sits below Gusto Plus and on par with OnPay's starter pricing.

Wave Payroll 2026 Pricing

Wave Payroll runs as an add-on to Wave's free Starter plan or paid Pro plan ($19/month). The US Tax Service Plan auto-files federal and 50-state taxes. The Canada Self-Service Plan handles CRA remittances; employer files at year-end. Limited-Access Subscriptions let businesses pause payroll while keeping historical data, automated tax filings (US), and year-end slips (Canada).

Fees and Limits to Watch For

• Per-employee charge: $6/employee or contractor each month adds up at 10+ headcount.
• US tax service only: tax filing auto-handled in all 50 US states.
• Canada self-service: CRA remittances handled but year-end employer filing self-managed.
• Limited-Access: pauses payroll, retains data and tax filings, but no new pay runs.
• Online payment fees: 2.9% + $0.60/transaction (Starter); 2.9% + $0/transaction first 10 monthly transactions (Pro).

Integrations

• Wave accounting and invoicing: native integration with free Wave accounting.
• Wave Money: small-business banking integration (where available).
• H&R Block Block Advisors: US tax filing escalation via Block Advisors.
• Bank feeds: auto-import bank transactions on Pro plan.
• Limited third-party: Wave is intentionally narrower than Gusto on third-party integrations.

Security and Compliance Posture

Wave Payroll ships SSL encryption in transit, AES-256 at rest, two-factor authentication, role-based access, automated 50-state tax filing (US), CRA-compliant remittances (Canada), GDPR-compliant data handling, audit logs, and Canadian data hosting via parent H&R Block infrastructure. SOC 2 attestation is not publicly listed; enterprise-comparable compliance is not the target market.

Customer Support and SLA

Email and chat support during business hours. Pro plan adds priority routing. Help centre with documentation, video tutorials, and webinars. Wave Advisors (bookkeeping service) from $149-$199/month includes dedicated bookkeeper for businesses wanting outsourced support. Wave is part of H&R Block which provides additional tax-filing support for US customers via Block Advisors.

Eligibility and Sign-up

US and Canadian businesses only. Sign-up via email; KYC for direct deposit setup. No minimum employee count. Limited-Access Subscription available for businesses pausing payroll.

Mobile App and Customer Portal

Mobile apps cover invoicing and receipt capture. Payroll runs on web (no native mobile pay-run flow). Employee self-service portal for pay stubs and tax documents. Direct deposit free and unlimited.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: tightly integrated with Wave's free invoicing and accounting (significant value when both are needed), auto-filing federal and 50-state taxes (US), CAD pricing for Canadian buyers, H&R Block parent provides US tax-filing depth via Block Advisors, free unlimited direct deposits, simple per-employee pricing, Limited-Access option to pause payroll without losing data.
• Cons: US and Canada only (no UK Australia or other regions), narrower HR feature depth vs Gusto Justworks or OnPay (no benefits administration, PTO management, performance, or hiring tools), Canada self-service requires owner-managed year-end filing, fewer third-party integrations than Gusto, no native mobile payroll run.

2026 Updates

The 2026 roadmap deepened Wave Money small-business banking integration, refreshed the Pro plan ($19/month) with bank-feed auto-merge and unlimited receipt capture, expanded Wave Advisors bookkeeping service, and tightened integration with H&R Block tax filing via Block Advisors for US customers.

What Real Buyers Say

US and Canadian micro-business owners on the r/smallbusiness subreddit describe Wave Payroll as the credible choice when the buyer is already on Wave's free invoicing and accounting and the payroll need is simple (1-15 employees, W-2 or T4 only, no benefits). The recurring praise is the integrated dashboard and CAD pricing; the recurring complaint is narrower HR breadth vs Gusto and the per-employee charge stacking at 15+ headcount.

Wave Payroll Alternatives

Field Guide

How to Get Started With Wave Payroll

1. Open the official Wave website and sign up for free Wave accounting.
2. Add the Payroll module (US Tax Service or Canada Self-Service).
3. Set up employees (W-2/T4) and contractors (1099/T4A) with direct deposit details.
4. Run your first pay run; tax filing happens automatically (US).
5. Optionally add Wave Advisors bookkeeping if outsourcing financial management.

How to Cancel or Pause

Cancel at any time; subscription ends at next billing cycle. Use Limited-Access Subscription ($17/month US, CAD $10/month Canada) to pause payroll while keeping historical data, automated tax filings (US), and year-end slips (Canada).

Eligibility Checklist

• You are a US or Canadian micro or small business (1-25 employees).
• You already use Wave's free invoicing and accounting (or plan to).
• You run simple W-2 (US) or T4 (Canada) payroll with predictable schedules.
• You do not need benefits administration, PTO management, or hiring tools (else Gusto fits better).
• You want auto tax filing in all 50 US states (US Tax Service Plan) or owner-managed CRA remittances (Canada Self-Service Plan).

Pricing FAQ

• What does Wave Payroll cost in the US? $40/month base + $6 per active employee or contractor per month. Full 50-state tax filing included.
• What does Wave Payroll cost in Canada? CAD $25/month base + CAD $6 per active employee or contractor per month. CRA remittances handled; year-end filing self-managed.
• Can I pause payroll? Yes — Limited-Access Subscription at $17/month (US) or CAD $10/month (Canada) retains historical data, automated tax filings, and year-end slips.
• Is Wave's accounting free? Yes — Wave Starter is free for invoicing and accounting (online payment fees 2.9% + $0.60 apply). Pro at $19/month adds bank-feed auto-merge, unlimited receipt capture, automated reminders, and custom branding.

Bottom Line

For US and Canadian micro and small businesses, sole proprietors, freelancers-with-employees, and 1-25 person service teams that already use Wave's free invoicing and accounting and want payroll inside the same workspace rather than adding a separate Gusto or QuickBooks Payroll subscription, Wave Payroll is a credible 2026 shortlist option from Toronto-based Wave Financial (H&R Block subsidiary) with full 50-state US tax filing, CRA remittances for Canada, free unlimited direct deposits, CAD pricing for Canadian buyers, Limited-Access pause option, and H&R Block tax-filing depth via Block Advisors. The trade-off is narrower HR feature depth than Gusto, US and Canada only, and a per-employee charge that stacks at 15+ headcount. Shortlist Wave Payroll against Gusto for US SMB payroll plus benefits, QuickBooks Payroll for US SMBs on QuickBooks Online, OnPay for US SMB payroll plus HR, ADP RUN for enterprise-grade compliance, and Patriot Software for ultra-low-cost basic payroll. For broader market context, see the related SaaSRat blog guide. Verified on 2026-06-25. Vendor information verified from the official Wave Payroll website.