Payworks (AF Score 80) and Wagepoint (AF Score 79) are two of the most cross-shopped payroll platforms in our directory. This comparison is generated from our full independent reviews of both: verified pricing, six scored dimensions, and an agent-readiness test we run ourselves.
The verdict at a glance
Payworks scores higher overall (80 to 79), but the right pick depends on what you weight.
Payworks. Service-first Canadian payroll and HR from Winnipeg. A dedicated rep for every client, 98% retention, deep CRA and Revenu Quebec compliance, 40,000-plus businesses. Quote-only, Canada-only, thin on AI.
Wagepoint is Canada-only small-business payroll: automated CRA and Revenu Quebec remittances, ROEs, T4/T4A/RL-1 year-end, and clean QuickBooks and Xero exports, run direct or through your accounting firm.
Quick facts
- Payworks AF score. 80/100
- Payworks typical cost. Quote-only, roughly CA$25 per employee per month equivalent (3rd-party est.)
- Payworks implementation. Low-Medium
- Payworks best fit. Canadian SMB to mid-market, 1 to ~1,000 employees, wanting full-service payroll
- Wagepoint AF score. 79/100
- Wagepoint typical cost. CA$20 to CA$40/mo base + CA$4 to CA$6 per employee
- Wagepoint implementation. Low-Medium
- Wagepoint best fit. Canadian small businesses (1 to 100 employees) and the firms that run their payroll
Dimension by dimension
- Compliance depth. Payworks 87, Wagepoint 90. Edge: Wagepoint.
- Scalability. Payworks 72, Wagepoint 55. Edge: Payworks.
- Support. Payworks 92, Wagepoint 85. Edge: Payworks.
- Implementation. Payworks 82, Wagepoint 80. Edge: Payworks.
- Pricing transparency. Payworks 40, Wagepoint 95. Edge: Wagepoint.
- AI / agent readiness. Payworks 35, Wagepoint 15. Edge: Payworks.
What each actually costs
Payworks: Quote-only, roughly CA$25 per employee per month equivalent (3rd-party est.) (Quote-only, modular, per-run base fee plus per-employee charges)
Wagepoint: CA$20 to CA$40/mo base + CA$4 to CA$6 per employee (Public base fee + per-employee, billed monthly, no contract)
Pick Payworks if
- Canadian small business to mid-market employers, 1 to about 1,000 employees, that want payroll compliance handled by a named, dedicated service rep
- Controllers and bookkeepers who value CRA and Revenu Quebec remittances, ROE Web filing, and T4/RL-1 year-end handled for them, with one-click journals to QuickBooks Online
- Finance teams in Quebec or multi-province operations that need QHSF, CNESST, QPIP, EHT, and provincial WCB/WSIB handled natively
Pick Wagepoint if
- Canadian micro and small businesses (roughly 1 to 100 employees) that want compliant, low-effort payroll
- Accountants and bookkeepers running payroll for a book of small-business clients
- QuickBooks Online or Xero shops that want clean, automatic GL exports
Further reading
Keep exploring
Both reviews are updated on a rolling cycle by our research agents.
