Iris HR Software vs. Payroll by Wave

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Iris HR Software
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Iris HR Software (formerly Octopus HR, acquired by Iris Software Group April 2016) is an HR suite.
$1.50
per month per user
Payroll by Wave
Score 10.0 out of 10
N/A
Wave Accounting headquartered in Toronto now offers Payroll by Wave, a payroll app for small businesses.N/A
Pricing
Iris HR SoftwarePayroll by Wave
Editions & Modules
Standard
$1.50
per month per user
Plus
$2
per month per user
Pro
$3.50
per month per user
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Iris HR SoftwarePayroll by Wave
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPrices are in British Pounds.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Iris HR SoftwarePayroll by Wave
Features
Iris HR SoftwarePayroll by Wave
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.6
2 Ratings
6% above category average
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
7.6
2 Ratings
7% below category average
Payroll by Wave
9.4
5 Ratings
13% above category average
Pay calculation8.01 Ratings10.05 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.01 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.01 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.02 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Direct deposit files7.01 Ratings9.05 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.02 Ratings9.55 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.02 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.3
2 Ratings
2% above category average
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
Approval workflow9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.2
2 Ratings
0% below category average
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
7.0
1 Ratings
14% below category average
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
7.3
2 Ratings
3% below category average
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
Report builder9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data6.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.5
2 Ratings
6% above category average
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
New hire portal8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.3
2 Ratings
3% above category average
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.4
2 Ratings
6% above category average
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
Performance plans8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.0
2 Ratings
2% above category average
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
Create succession plans/pools8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate development8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
7.8
2 Ratings
0% above category average
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting7.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Iris HR SoftwarePayroll by Wave
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.3 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.2 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.2 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
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User Ratings
Iris HR SoftwarePayroll by Wave
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(3 ratings)
10.0
(6 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Iris HR SoftwarePayroll by Wave
Likelihood to Recommend
IRIS Software Group
Our staff is kept updated with more company policies and we are able to track their holiday and sick days much better. The help and support of their contact support are super good. They reply super fast and are very kind. Also, their sales department isn't pushy like other services they are very knowledgeable and kind.
Read full review
Wave
Great for small business payroll needs. Reports and taxes are taken care of, everything is automated and once you're set up it's literally just a matter of minutes to run payroll each time. You also get email reminders which is helpful. There are premium features available for companies with larger/more robust needs, and I would definitely recommend looking into this software if you are searching for a user friendly payroll solution
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Pros
IRIS Software Group
  • It's simple. I really appreciate that the layout of Octopus HR isn't something I have to question. I know where to look for something because it's clearly labeled, that's more than I can say for a lot of other HR systems I've seen.
  • Support. If I ever have a question about setting something up, or if something goes wrong, they're always on top of it. For instance, I had no idea how to set up employee photos on our accounts. I tweeted them and they responded right away, I'm based in LA and they're a UK company, I was impressed that they were able to respond right away. They make sure their customers are taken care of.
  • Great self guide. If there's ever an ordinary question I need answered their "Octopus Guide" is very thorough and walks you through everything.
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Wave
  • An intuitive, clear UI helps you know where everything is, what options are at your disposal. Calendars and timelines show that Wave really thought out how to provide you with useful tool.
  • Pay day can be automated and straightforward.
  • Wave onboarding provides guidance at what information to input next until you are all set up.
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Cons
IRIS Software Group
  • initial scope/setup support (outside of template)
  • Contacting support can be difficult
  • case sensitive username for end users (email addresses have to match exactly)
Read full review
Wave
  • Implement an employee time clock option through a separate link which automatically applies to the weekly time sheets.
  • Option to further customize payroll statements
  • Add a per employee payroll dashboard with the option to review rolling, quarterly, and weekly snapshot. Info to include gross pay, employer paid tax, employee paid tax, etc...
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Likelihood to Renew
IRIS Software Group
Employees don't complain about it! If anything they've commented on how nice of a tool it is to have.
Read full review
Wave
No answers on this topic
Usability
IRIS Software Group
Iris HR Software is a stable and fairly intuitive product which has had a positive impact on our organisation. We have had some support issues but generally feel we've had a positive experience and our personnel and finance teams have benefitted from this process structure. Whilst contacting the correct Iris HR Software support channel has been our biggest issue once we have established contact our tickets have been raised and resolved promptly.
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Wave
Very simple & straightforward system to learn and when time is always of the essence the efficiency is much appreciated
Read full review
Support Rating
IRIS Software Group
No answers on this topic
Wave
Quick response times, personalized service. They offer in-depth videos and guides for helping to get set up. Any time I have a question about taxes or reporting, they answer quickly and give comprehensive answers. Members of the team with whom I've interacted have been courteous, friendly, and helpful. Overall, great support.
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Alternatives Considered
IRIS Software Group
I would say the pricing is good but it could be better. Also, the customer service is amazing they do such a great job and you can tell they know what they are doing. Visually it is very easy to use and looks very professional. It is a quick set up and they do their best to give you what you want and need.
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Wave
First is the cost. Since QuickBooks removed the inhouse solution and moved everything to the cloud, the cost for a small business is prohibited. Wave is reasonable in cost. Support for QB isn't great they are always trying to upsell and commit. Wave support in comparison is 100% better, and most of the answers are in their manual
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Return on Investment
IRIS Software Group
  • Our staff is super happy with the service
  • Huge improvement
  • Looks quite professional
Read full review
Wave
  • Peace of mind that all the payroll tax-related stuff is taken care of accurately and on time.
  • Easy to use interface saves time and helps ensure I am paid on time.
Read full review
ScreenShots