Payroll by Wave vs. UKG Ready

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
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
UKG Ready
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
The UKG Ready® software suite is a centralized HCM solution designed for small to mid-sized businesses. It automates and streamlines HR, payroll, benefits, time, talent, and scheduling processes. UKG Ready's suite of tools offer actionable insights while helping to ensure compliance. Using AI, it draws on work, people, and culture data to boost efficiency and productivity. For example, UKG Ready streamlines core HR…N/A
Pricing
Payroll by WaveUKG Ready
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Payroll by WaveUKG Ready
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Payroll by WaveUKG Ready
Features
Payroll by WaveUKG Ready
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
9.4
5 Ratings
13% above category average
UKG Ready
9.5
194 Ratings
17% above category average
Pay calculation10.05 Ratings9.6182 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors9.03 Ratings9.3112 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.03 Ratings9.282 Ratings
Benefit plan administration9.01 Ratings9.6141 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.05 Ratings9.8145 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.55 Ratings9.6133 Ratings
Reimbursement management10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
9.4
196 Ratings
18% above category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings9.7172 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings9.5167 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings9.5168 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings9.5157 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings8.1127 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings9.5149 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings9.7125 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
9.5
175 Ratings
17% above category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings9.6159 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings9.4167 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings9.6142 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
8.7
183 Ratings
8% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings9.7163 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings9.7170 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings5.9143 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings9.6146 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
9.8
67 Ratings
19% above category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings9.867 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
8.7
191 Ratings
15% above category average
Report builder00 Ratings8.2184 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings9.1185 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.7
129 Ratings
3% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings7.2127 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings8.3102 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
8.3
74 Ratings
5% above category average
Individual goal setting00 Ratings8.466 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings8.373 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.2
93 Ratings
9% below category average
Performance plans00 Ratings6.283 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings6.276 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings8.284 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings8.887 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings6.773 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.0
27 Ratings
11% below category average
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings5.826 Ratings
Candidate ranking00 Ratings7.46 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings7.37 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings7.45 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Payroll by Wave
-
Ratings
UKG Ready
7.2
100 Ratings
7% below category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings7.186 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings9.383 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings6.162 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings7.265 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings5.764 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings8.088 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings6.793 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Payroll by WaveUKG Ready
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Payroll by WaveUKG Ready
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(6 ratings)
8.9
(221 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(1 ratings)
7.1
(18 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.0
(103 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(7 ratings)
Support Rating
8.9
(2 ratings)
6.6
(74 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.8
(2 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(10 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(4 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
5.3
(75 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
User Testimonials
Payroll by WaveUKG Ready
Likelihood to Recommend
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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UKG
There’s not much for me to share here other than multiple mobile apps for employees to download for different functions. We have the learning function activated and employees had to download a second mobile app (HCMToGo Learning) to be able to access the Learning portal on the go. Concerned that if we continue to add more functionality, there will be more apps to download.
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Pros
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.
Read full review
UKG
  • Support—UKG support, from the Account Managers to CSMs to Ready Support, is amazing. They are always willing to help!
  • Documentation—UKG has built-in online documentation, which is a live, easy-to-use version of a very lengthy manual.
  • Ease of use- the system is intuitive, easy to train others to use.
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Cons
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...
Read full review
UKG
  • We have had ongoing issues with our accruals.
  • Auto generate timesheets in the "Team Timesheets" view.
  • Granting manager access is cumbersome - access needs to be given in multiple places.
  • The sync between Pro and Ready in my opinion is terrible and needs much improvement.
  • Auto assign Employee Time Zones based on work location.
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Likelihood to Renew
Wave
No answers on this topic
UKG
We plan to renew our support and use of UKG Ready each year unless it becomes unavailable or the district seeks another vendor. As of now, there are no plans to changes vendors. The district staff is now familiar with using UKG. Another vendor will need to meet the same expectations we have come to enjoy with using UKG
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Usability
Wave
Very simple & straightforward system to learn and when time is always of the essence the efficiency is much appreciated
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UKG
The few challenges we have encountered have been with creating reports for the organization, managing performance goals and creating service tickets for urgent matters. Overall we have found UKG Ready to be super helpful and it has streamlined many of our HR processes for us but there could be some improvements on the items listed
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Reliability and Availability
Wave
No answers on this topic
UKG
The system seems very stable. Being hosted in the cloud, we are vulnerable to internet speeds and busy times. The system has been down a couple times over the 3 months we have been live, but Kronos resolved the issues very quickly. To have access from a desktop, tablet, time clock, or phone app is one of the best features....users have almost NO REASON they can't clock in.
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Performance
Wave
No answers on this topic
UKG
We were always told that Kronos was the best, but there are reports that we got out of ADP and other payroll providers that we cannot get out of Kronos. One example is a report of Productive/Non-productive hours by department. We also need the dollar amount associated with the hours. This is information that is required on our cost report and we were told that that report is unavailable. It is very frustrating when I can't get what I need.
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Support Rating
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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UKG
If I was only rating support itself that would be a 10. Every support case I have entered has been addressed efficiently and with the desired result. On the implementation and transition to support there were multiple issues that those doing the implementation or transition could not answer or workflows and various settings left undone only to be discovered later. We implemented 3 different modules and the expertise we got for each one varied widely.
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In-Person Training
Wave
No answers on this topic
UKG
Our in-person training was a hybrid. Live online training with an instructor. They were very knowledgeable of the product & the area they were training on. I asked several specific questions and if they didn't know the answer immediately they followed up after class.
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Online Training
Wave
No answers on this topic
UKG
Pretty good online training, you have many how to options and can watch them several times. It can be hard at times to dig through the amount of data online but can usually find what you are looking for. Also you can download documentation for setting up the profiles and policies.
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Implementation Rating
Wave
No answers on this topic
UKG
Make sure the people who are doing the build have extensive knowledge on employment law and asking the right questions. I would bet that the people who helped with our builds did not read any of our employment contracts or ordinances; and when I asked questions about how other companies handled certain basic dictates from federal employment laws, they didn't have any idea what FMLA, FLSA, etc were.
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Alternatives Considered
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
Read full review
UKG
We currently use Paycom and are extremely dissatisfied with the lack of functionality and poor customer service. Rippling and ADP were other vendors we evaluated who performed well and offer a lot of functionality but we decided UKG was the best fit for our needs now and to scale with our strategic growth plans.
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Scalability
Wave
No answers on this topic
UKG
Thus far we are able to add as many users as necessary, implement 3 different bargaining units, 5 different types of user groups. Very flexible.
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Return on Investment
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
UKG
  • This is basic, but we finally know how many employees we have! It sounds ridiculous, but prior to UKG Ready we were on a payroll system that's reports were only as accurate as the last payroll cycle, so they were always 2 weeks behind and static. UKG Ready allows for realtime, daily reporting of information.
  • We are able to get salary data for our various locations to be able to compare them to each other, as well as across our "competitors" and external competition.
  • The data provided allows us to be able to understand the trends at individual locations including attrition, advancement, raise information, and other data points that we haven't historically done comparisons on
  • We can see the demographic and geographical information for our employees and the benefits that they elect
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ScreenShots

UKG Ready Screenshots

Screenshot of the employee mobile interface.Screenshot of trust index survey results.Screenshot of the manager dashboard.Screenshot of payroll analytics.