Wave Payroll vs Insightly

Wave Payroll

Wave Payroll is a simple payroll solution built into the Wave accounting ecosystem. It is designed for very small businesses that already use Wave for accounting and want an integrated payroll solution. Wave Payroll handles direct deposit, tax payments, and W-2s, making it a natural choice for businesses already in the Wave ecosystem.

Paid pricing · Get Pricing →

Insightly

Insightly is a CRM and project management platform designed for growing businesses. It uniquely combines sales pipeline management with post-sale project delivery so teams can manage the full customer lifecycle in one place. Insightly is popular with professional services firms and companies that need to track complex projects alongside their sales pipeline.

Freemium pricing · Get Pricing →

Pros

• ✓Seamlessly integrates with Wave accounting — no manual data transfer needed
• ✓Very affordable pricing for micro-businesses
• ✓Simple interface with minimal setup required
• ✓Free Wave accounting included with subscription

Cons

• ✗Limited features compared to dedicated payroll platforms
• ✗Tax filing is only automatic in select states — manual filing required in others
• ✗No mobile payroll app
• ✗Not suitable for businesses with complex payroll needs

Pros

• ✓Unique combination of CRM and project management in one tool
• ✓Good free plan for up to 2 users
• ✓Strong workflow automation on paid plans
• ✓Good fit for professional services businesses

Cons

• ✗Interface feels dated compared to modern CRM tools
• ✗Customer support can be slow on lower tiers
• ✗Mobile app is less polished than competitors

Best For

Micro-businesses already using Wave accounting that want simple integrated payroll

Best For

Growing businesses that need CRM and project management in one platform