• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Switch On Business

Switch On Business

  • Secretary of State Search
  • Registered Agent Services
  • CRM
  • Payroll Software
  • Accounting Software
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Heartland vs Wave: Which Payroll Software Is Better?


Disclosure: We may earn commissions if you shop through the links below.

Last Updated: May 22, 2025

Both Heartland and Wave are leading payroll software solutions, but which one is better for you and your business?

Below we compare Heartland and Wave across nearly 50 different data points to help you make find the right one.

 

Heartland vs Wave Reviews

HeartlandWave
Trustpilot Rating01.6
Number of Trustpilot Reviews0126
iPhone App Rating2.34.5
Number of iPhone App Reviews1535700
Android App Rating3.63.7
Number of Android App Reviews33122900

Heartland vs Wave Pricing

HeartlandWave
Free Trialn/aYes
Free Trial Lengthn/a1 month
Cheapest Plan NameEssentialsSelf service states
Cheapest Plan Cost Per Month$By request$n/a
Mid Priced Plan NameAdvancedn/a
Mid Priced Plan Cost Per Month$By request$n/a
Top Plan NameCompleteTax service states
Top Plan Cost Per Month$By request$40

Heartland vs Wave Features

FeaturesHeartlandWave
Target Business SizeEnterpriseSmall business
Unlimited Payrolls✘✘
Automated Tax Filing & Payments✔✔
E-sign I-9 & W-4✘✘
Live Customer Support✔✔
Third-Party Integrations✘✔
Ability To Manage Employee Benefits✘✔
Employee Access To Platform✔✔
Direct Deposit✔✔
Expense Reimbursement✘✔
Time Off Accrual✔✔
Pre-Tax Deductions✔✔
Wage Garnishment✔✔
Background Checks✔✘
Check Printing✔✔
Check Delivery✔✘
API✘✘

Heartland Essentials Features

  • Payroll Processing
  • Tax Filing – Federal, State, Local
  • Tax Payments – Federal, State, Local
  • Payment Options – Check, Direct Deposit, Pay Card
  • New Hire Reporting
  • Child Support Reporting
  • Garnishment Support
  • Payroll Reporting – Standard, Exports, Custom
  • Employee Mobile Access
  • Live, Dedicated Support
  • Onboarding for New Hires, Integrated with Payroll
  • Employment Verification
  • Electronic Submission of New Hire Documentation
  • Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Screening

Wave Self service states Features

  • Wave makes filing your own payroll taxes easy
  • 36 states are self-serve, which means you’ll have to pay and file the paperwork yourself. Wave makes it easy by showing you what information and how much money you’ll need per payroll.

Heartland Complete Features

  • Payroll Processing
  • Tax Filing – Federal, State, Local
  • Tax Payments – Federal, State, Local
  • Payment Options – Check, Direct Deposit, Pay Card
  • New Hire Reporting
  • Child Support Reporting
  • Garnishment Support
  • Payroll Reporting – Standard, Exports, Custom
  • Employee Mobile Access
  • Live, Dedicated Support
  • Onboarding for New Hires, Integrated with Payroll
  • Employment Verification
  • Electronic Submission of New Hire Documentation
  • Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Screening
  • Job Postings to Top Job Boards*
  • Text to Apply
  • Candidate Screenings*
  • Applicant Tracking
  • HR Library
  • HR Tracking – Training, Certifications, IDs, etc.
  • Employee Handbook Builder
  • Job Descriptions
  • Labor Law Posters
  • Live HR Support

Wave Tax service states Features

  • Wave handles your payroll taxes
  • 14 states include tax services with the option to automatically transfer tax payments and file the paperwork with your state tax office and the IRS (this excludes 1099 Filings).

Heartland vs Wave Pro & Cons

HeartlandWave
Pros
  • Highly Responsive Account Representative
  • Extremely Easy to Use Online System
  • Convenient Onboarding Process with Heartland Hire
  • User-Friendly Interface
  • Accurate Payroll Calculation
  • Free Service
Cons
  • Missing Email Reminders
  • Lack of Local Support
  • Inconvenient Payroll Repeating Process
  • Slow Performance
  • Poor Customer Service
  • Limited Payroll Features

Other Payroll Software Comparisons

  • Paymate vs Inova Payroll
  • Rippling vs SumoPayroll
  • Heartland vs Aruti
  • Justworks vs Everee Payroll
  • Papaya Global vs HRONE
  • Multiplier vs Excelforce
  • Wave vs Checkwriters
  • Remote vs Fingercheck
  • Gloroots vs Zelt
  • Rippling vs Hourly

Switch On Business

Copyright © 2025 SwitchOnBusiness.com

Mailing Address:
Switch On Business
1178 Broadway, 3rd Floor #3166
New York, NY
10001
United States

Content is for informational purposes and is not legal or financial advice. All information was accurate at the time of publication but may have since changed.

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. Our team is committed to delivering honest, objective, and independent reviews all business products and services.

Please check our Privacy Policy page for more


Project Management Software

  • Home
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Business Stats
Change Location
Find awesome listings near you!