Wave Payroll is the cheapest credible name-brand payroll. In April 2025 Wave consolidated to a single national plan at $40/mo + $6/employee with tax filing in all 50 states (via partnership with Check). For a one-business owner who already uses Wave's free accounting software, it is genuinely the right answer at small scale. For an accounting firm, the per-company base × N clients math is the same problem you have with every non-bureau competitor — plus Wave does not have an accountant-channel program at all.
$12/client/mo flat. 5 employees included; $2/mo each additional.
$40/mo base + $6/employee per company. (Previously $20 in self-service states / $35 in tax-service states; consolidated April 2025.)
50 clients × 6 employees on Wave: $40×50 + $6×6×50 = $2,000 + $1,800 = $3,800/mo. Payrollix: ~$700/mo. Annual delta: ~$37,200.
| Feature | Payrollix | Wave Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Per-client flat pricing | $12/client | $40 base × N clients |
| Accountant program | Native | No accountant tier |
| Multi-client dashboard | Native | |
| Tax filing coverage | 50 states + federal MeF in-house | 50 states via Check partnership |
| IRS e-filing | Direct MeF (in-house) | Via Check / Wave |
| W-2 / 1099 generation | Batch + 4-year S3 archive | Included |
| Mobile app (iOS + Android) | Employee + client portals | Wave employee app (basic) |
| Dedicated client portal | ||
| Geofencing time tracking | Built-in | |
| Bookkeeping included | Wave Accounting (free tier exists) | |
| Free invoicing tool | Included (Wave Invoicing free) | |
| Single tool for accounting + payroll for sole proprietors | No | Yes (integrated) |
| Customer count / brand recognition | New (2025) | ~4M small businesses using Wave (free + paid) |
| QuickBooks / Xero | Bidirectional | Wave-only by design |
| Onboarding packet (8655 + state POAs) | One e-sign | Piecemeal |
| API access | Agency+ |
Start your 14-day free trial. We'll help you migrate your data.