Wave Payroll plans
Wave Payroll (US)
$6/employee/mo + $40/mo base1
Monthly
- Federal and state payroll tax payments and filings in all 50 states
- Unlimited free direct deposits
- W-2, W-3 and 1099-NEC forms
Price at a glance
Wave Payroll cost by company size
- Wave Payroll (US)$40/mo base + $6/employee/mo
| Employees | Wave Payroll (US) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $46/mo$1,656 over 3 yrs |
| 5 | $70/mo$2,520 over 3 yrs |
| 10 | $100/mo$3,600 over 3 yrs |
| 25 | $190/mo$6,840 over 3 yrs |
| 50 | $340/mo$12,240 over 3 yrs |
| 100 | $640/mo$23,040 over 3 yrs |
List prices before discounts and add-ons.
Extra and hidden costs
Is it worth the price?
25th percentileWave Payroll at $190/mo1 vs a category median of $201.50 (list price per month at 25 employees, 10 payroll software products with published prices).
At 25 employees, Wave Payroll lists at $190 a month. Of the 10 payroll software products with published prices, 2 cost less and 7 cost more.
Price comparison
| Product | Starting price | Pricing model | Pricing details |
|---|---|---|---|
 Patriot Payroll | $37/mo + $5/employee/mo (Full Service Payroll plan)2 | Base fee + per employee | Patriot Payroll plans and prices |
 Square Payroll | $35/mo + $6/employee/mo3 | Base fee + per employee | What Square Payroll costs |
 Wave Payroll | $40/mo + $6/employee/mo1 | Base fee + per employee | Wave Payroll pricing |
 Gusto | $49/mo + $6/employee/mo4 | Base fee + per employee | Gusto plans and prices |
 SurePayroll | $29/mo + $7/employee/mo (Full Service plan)5 | Base fee + per employee | SurePayroll pricing |
 Paychex Flex | $39/mo + $5/employee/mo (up to 19 employees)6 | Base fee + per employee | Paychex Flex pricing |
Lowest published monthly price of a plan that files payroll taxes for payroll software, cheapest first at 25 employees. Paychex Flex’s priced plan is not sold at 25 employees. “See plans”: priced on another basis; “Quote only”: no published price.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Wave Payroll cost?
In the US, Wave Payroll costs $40 a month plus $6 per active employee and $6 per independent contractor paid for US customers who signed up since April 2, 2025. There are no set-up fees.
What do alternatives to Wave Payroll cost?
At 25 employees Wave Payroll lists at $190 a month; the lowest-priced alternatives compared here are Patriot Payroll ($162, $28 less), Square Payroll ($185, $5 less), and Gusto ($199, $9 more), at list price.
Does Wave Payroll offer a free trial?
Yes. Wave Payroll offers a free trial.
How much does Wave Payroll cost per month?
On its lowest published plan ($40 plus $6 per head), Wave Payroll comes to about $100 a month for 10 employees and $340 for 50, at list price before add-ons and taxes; the Wave Payroll (US) plan lists at $6/employee/mo + $40/mo base. How that compares across the category: What payroll software costs.
Does Wave Payroll charge an implementation fee?
No. Wave Payroll states no implementation fee.
Who makes Wave Payroll?
Wave Payroll (payroll software) is sold by Wave, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its plans and contract terms are set by Wave; see the Wave company profile for the products it sells and its ownership.
How this page was made
What it is built from
19 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 3, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Passed our independent review on Oct 31, 2026. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested Wave Payroll hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction
Compare Wave Payroll pricing for your team
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Wave Payroll Pricing
Sources
The 8 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- Wave waveapps.com/payroll“$40 USD base fee+ $6 per active employee+ $6 per independent contractor paid” “No set-up fees or hidden charges.”
- Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/pricing“Basic Payroll is $17/month + $4 per worker paid; Full Service Payroll is $37/month + $5 per worker paid.”
- Square squareup.com/us/en/payroll/pricing“For full-service payroll, the cost is $35 per month, plus $6 per person paid per month.”
- Gusto gusto.com/product/pricing“Simple Run basic payroll in one state. $49/mo + $6/mo per person”
- SurePayroll (Paychex) surepayroll.com/payroll“Pay employees in minutes, easily access reports, and get payroll taxes filed and deposited automatically.”
- Paychex paychex.com/payroll/paychex-flex-essentials“Our most affordable option: Only $39/mo. + $5 per employee”
- Wave waveapps.com/about-us/about“Wave has helped more than 5.9 million small business owners in the US and Canada manage their money since 2010.”
- H&R Block investors.hrblock.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hr-block-completes-acquisition-wave-financial“Wave will maintain its leadership team, including co-founder and CEO Kirk Simpson, operating independently within H&R Block from its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario.”