PAYROLL Showdown: Software vs. Service – Who Wins?

Let’s be real—if you tell me you’ve got a solid payroll software that gets the job done, I won’t argue. There are tons of user-friendly, reasonably priced options out there. If you’ve got the time and energy to install, learn, maybe train staff, and stay on top of deadlines and reporting—great! You’ll probably do just fine.

But here’s the thing: you’re still working harder than you have to.

And let's face it, payroll isn’t exactly a fun Friday night activity. I’ve met a few business owners who say they like handling it themselves to keep a close eye on payroll costs and employee hours—but doing payroll manually is a pretty exhausting way to stay informed. Trust me, there’s a better way.

Many small business owners get drawn in by payroll software designed just for them. It’s pitched as a do-it-yourself solution—but the “yourself” part? That’s you, or the person you hire and train to run it. And while you’re calculating hours, chasing deadlines, and navigating software, there's a hidden cost: your time.

So, I’ve put together a chart comparing the most popular and affordable payroll software options in Canada to LEVELUP PAYROLL SOLUTIONS. Spoiler alert: the cost of your time isn’t included in those software prices.

Let the battle begin!

Round 1: 1–4 Employees

First hit: LEVELUP takes an early blow. Wagepoint’s Solo plan rings in at just $24/month compared to LEVELUP’s $49.99–$53.99 (depending on whether you want direct deposit). That’s nearly half the price!

But wait...

As soon as you hire employee #2, you’re bumped up to Wagepoint’s $40/month plan, plus $6 per employee. Suddenly, once you hit 3 employees, Wagepoint becomes more expensive than LEVELUP.

Just when LEVELUP starts gaining ground, QuickBooks and Sage jump in with lower prices—about $20 cheaper. But LEVELUP isn’t done yet. Here's the knockout move: all of those software packages still require your time to manage payroll and meet remittance deadlines. And LEVELUP has calculated that your time is worth more than $25/month.

Winner of Round 1: LEVELUP

Round 2: 5–10 Employees

LEVELUP, fresh off a win, starts swinging hard—leading with pricing punches that take out Wave and Wagepoint early. But Sage and QuickBooks sneak in from behind with only slightly better pricing.

LEVELUP responds with a classic move: your time is still not free.

At this stage, saving $5 to $15/month just isn’t worth the hours you (or your staff) spend running payroll manually. LEVELUP lands the final blow.

Winner of Round 2: LEVELUP

Round 3: 11–20 Employees

LEVELUP steps into the ring strong, delivering three heavy hits right out of the gate. Sage stumbles. The others can’t keep up. At this point, LEVELUP takes a page from the competitors' own playbook and flips it:

There is no clear advantage to using Wagepoint, QuickBooks, Wave, or Sage once you factor in the hidden cost of your time and energy.

The result is undeniable.

Winner of Round 3 (and the whole match): LEVELUP

So, if you think your current payroll software is “working,” that’s okay. But remember: researching, purchasing, and learning new software—just to process payroll and track deadlines yourself—might not be the best use of your time.

With LEVELUP, payroll becomes simple, stress-free, and hands-off. And isn’t that what we all want?