OnPay vs Wave: Complete Comparison 2026

An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.

OnPay

8.3(1,400 reviews)

Straightforward payroll and HR for small businesses. One plan at $40/month + $6/person with no feature gating or upsells.

8.0(5,600 reviews)

Free accounting software for small businesses with invoicing, receipts, and financial reporting.

Aspect	OnPay	Wave
Best For	Small businesses under 50 employees that want all features without tiered pricing games	Bootstrapped startups and new businesses
Pricing Model	Subscription	Freemium
Starting Price	$40/mo	Free
Deployment	cloud	cloud
Platforms	WEB, IOS, ANDROID	WEB, IOS, ANDROID
Rating	8.3/10	8.0/10

One plan with everything included — no feature gating, no tiers, no surprise upsells
Transparent pricing at $40/month + $6/person makes budgeting dead simple
Free accountant dashboard lets CPAs manage multiple client payrolls from one login
Rock-solid QuickBooks and Xero integrations that sync without manual intervention
US-based customer support with dedicated specialists who actually know payroll

No international payroll — US only, no contractor payments abroad
Mobile app is functional but limited compared to desktop experience
Reporting is basic — standard reports only, no custom report builder
No 24/7 support — business hours only, which is tough for after-hours emergencies
Limited scalability past 100 employees — features plateau for larger companies