Both Paychex and Wave are leading payroll software solutions, but which one is better for you and your business?
Below we compare Paychex and Wave across nearly 50 different data points to help you make find the right one.
Paychex vs Wave Reviews
 |  |
| Paychex | Wave | ||
| Trustpilot Rating | 1.2 | 1.6 | |
| Number of Trustpilot Reviews | 233 | 126 | |
| iPhone App Rating | 4.8 | 4.5 | |
| Number of iPhone App Reviews | 411200 | 5700 | |
| Android App Rating | 3.8 | 3.7 | |
| Number of Android App Reviews | 29400 | 22900 |
Paychex vs Wave Pricing
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| Paychex | Wave | |
| Free Trial | n/a | Yes |
| Free Trial Length | n/a | 1 month |
| Cheapest Plan Name | Essentials | Self service states |
| Cheapest Plan Cost Per Month | $By request | $n/a |
| Mid Priced Plan Name | Select | n/a |
| Mid Priced Plan Cost Per Month | $By request | $n/a |
| Top Plan Name | Pro | Tax service states |
| Top Plan Cost Per Month | $By request | $40 |
Paychex vs Wave Features
 | |
| Features | Paychex | Wave |
| Target Business Size | Enterprise | Small 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 | ✔ | ✘ |
Paychex Essentials Features
- Payroll Processing
- Taxpay® Payroll Tax Administration with W-2/1099
- Employee Pay Options
- Garnishment Payment Service
- Employee Self-Service and Mobile Experience
- Financial Wellness and Cashflow Assistance
- Employee Onboarding
- HR Library
- Analytics and Reports Center
- New Hire Reporting
- Labor Posters
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.
Paychex Pro Features
- Payroll Processing
- Taxpay® Payroll Tax Administration with W-2/1099
- Employee Pay Options
- Garnishment Payment Service
- General Ledger Service
- Employee Self-Service and Mobile Experience
- Financial Wellness and Cashflow Assistance
- Learning Management System1
- Employee Onboarding
- HR Library
- Employee Handbook Builder
- Pre-Employment Screening
- Analytics and Reports Center
- New Hire Reporting
- Labor Posters
- State Unemployment Insurance Service
- Workers’ Compensation Payment Service2 or Report Service
- General Ledger Integrations
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).
Paychex vs Wave Pro & Cons
| Paychex | Wave | |
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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