Both Wave and Xero Payroll are leading payroll software solutions, but which one is better for you and your business?
Below we compare Wave and Xero Payroll across nearly 50 different data points to help you make find the right one.
Wave vs Xero Payroll Reviews
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| Wave | Xero Payroll | ||
| Trustpilot Rating | 1.6 | 4.3 | |
| Number of Trustpilot Reviews | 126 | 5747 | |
| iPhone App Rating | 4.5 | 4.7 | |
| Number of iPhone App Reviews | 5700 | 26300 | |
| Android App Rating | 3.7 | 4.3 | |
| Number of Android App Reviews | 22900 | 7410 |
Wave vs Xero Payroll Pricing
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| Wave | Xero Payroll | |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free Trial Length | 1 month | 1 month |
| Cheapest Plan Name | Self service states | Early |
| Cheapest Plan Cost Per Month | $n/a | $9.25 |
| Mid Priced Plan Name | n/a | Growing |
| Mid Priced Plan Cost Per Month | $n/a | $9.25 |
| Top Plan Name | Tax service states | Established |
| Top Plan Cost Per Month | $40 | $17.5 |
Wave vs Xero Payroll Features
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| Features | Wave | Xero Payroll |
| Target Business Size | Small business | 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 | ✘ | ✔ |
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.
Xero Payroll Early Features
- Send quotes and 20 invoicesâ€
- Enter 5 bills
- Reconcile bank transactions
- Capture bills and receipts with Hubdoc
- Short-term cash flow and business snapshot
- Payroll with Gusto (Optional)
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).
Xero Payroll Established Features
- Send invoices and quotes
- Enter bills
- Reconcile bank transactions
- Capture bills and receipts with Hubdoc
- Short-term cash flow and business snapshot
- Bulk reconcile transactions
- Use multiple currencies
- Track projects
- Claim expenses
- Analytics Plus
- Payroll with Gusto (Optional)
Wave vs Xero Payroll Pro & Cons
| Wave | Xero Payroll | |
| Pros |
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