Payworks vs Wagepoint

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.

What each costs

Payworks
Price
CA$23/run + CA$2.65 per employee (online quote)
How it's priced
Per pay run fee plus per employee per run; add-ons extra
Wagepoint
Price
CA$20/mo + CA$4 per employee (published)
How it's priced
Published tiers: base fee plus per employee, monthly

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. Priced per pay run via an online quote, 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 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 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 65, Wagepoint 95. Edge: Wagepoint.
  • AI / agent readiness. Payworks 35, Wagepoint 15. Edge: Payworks.

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.