Homebase vs Wave Payroll
Two payroll & HR tools side by side. Prices are the starting plan a small business would pick, in USD.
Short version
Wave Payroll costs less for a six-person team.
Homebase fits retail shop, restaurant or café.- Wave Payroll fits service business, agency or studio, trades or contractor, online store.
- Homebase suits teams past ten people.
| Compare | HomebaseHomebase | Wave PayrollWave Financial |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | Payroll and scheduling for hourly teams | Payroll add-on for Wave accounting users |
| Starting price | From $49/mo + $6/person | From $40/mo + $6/person |
| Six-person team | $85/mo | $76/mo |
| Plans | Payroll $49/mo + $6 per employee paid, first 6 months free (limited time); Basic scheduling free for 1 location, up to 10 employees | $40/mo + $6 per employee + $6 per contractor paid; tax service in all 50 states; Canada $25 CAD + $6 (not Quebec); does not file 1099s |
| Pricing model | Paid | Free trial |
| Free trial | — | 30 days |
| Users | Per person | No minimum |
| Both connect to | No shared connections on record. | |
| Also connects to | QuickBooks Online, Homebase Scheduling | Wave |
| Team size | 2–10 people · 11–50 people | Just me · 2–10 people |
| Available in | US | US · CA |
| Phone support | Every paid plan | None listed |
| Live chat | Every plan; every paid plan | Every plan |
| Support hours | Live chat: 24/7 · Live chat: 7:00am-7:00pm CST, Mon-Sun (excluding holidays) · Phone: 7:00am-7:00pm CST, Mon-Sun (excluding holidays) | Live chat: Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern |
| Incidents posted | 2 incidents posted on Homebase's status page, which covers all Homebase products and regions, in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 0 marked major or critical by Homebase. Status page | 5 incidents posted on Wave Financial's status page, which covers all Wave Financial products and regions, in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 1 marked major or critical by Wave Financial. Status page |
| Capterra score | 4.6 / 5 from 1,157 reviews | Not listed |
| Fit: Retail shop | 88 | 65 |
| Fit: Restaurant or café | 92 | 60 |
| Fit: Service business | 60 | 80 |
| Fit: Agency or studio | 20 | 65 |
| Fit: Trades or contractor | 50 | 72 |
| Fit: Online store | 30 | 50 |
| Why people pick it |
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| Where it falls short |
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| Visit Homebase | Visit Wave Payroll | |
Six-person prices are what a team of six would pay on the published plans; "Not listed" means those plans don't cover six. How we calculate prices
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