Big platforms publish free tools to bring small businesses to their main products, and a pay stub generator is a popular one. They're genuinely free and fine for a simple stub. This post looks at what each of the three asks for and produces, based on their live pages, so you can see which fits your situation, and when a tool that calculates tax is worth paying for.
The three tools side by side
| Shopify | Wix | Wave | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free |
| What it asks for first | Company details and an email address; entering it signs you up for Shopify marketing emails | Business name or website, business email and address | Company details, with an optional logo |
| How pay is entered | Annual income and pay frequency | Annual salary, pay frequency, and hourly or salary status | Salary only: the page says the tool is for salary-based employees |
| Pay frequencies | Daily to annually, eight options | Chosen from a list | Not stated on the page |
| Tax calculation | No: deductions such as income tax are typed in | No: additions and deductions are typed in | No: deductions are typed in |
| Year-to-date figures | Not shown on the form | Yes: YTD gross, deductions and net pay | Start date defaults to 1 January |
| Employee or contractor | Not asked | You choose employee or contractor | Employees only |
| Branding on the stub | Not stated | Prints a line saying it was made with the Wix Pay Stub Generator | Your logo |
| Output | A generated pay stub | Email to the employee or download | PDF to save, email or print |
Checked October 4, 2026. From shopify.com/tools/pay-stub-generator, wix.com/tools/pay-stub-generator and waveapps.com/tools/pay-stub-generator. "Not stated" means the page didn't say.
Shopify's pay stub generator
Shopify's tool is a four-step form: company information, employee information, income, and deductions. Income is an annual figure plus how the person is paid, from daily to annually, with an optional check number. Deductions are free-text lines with an amount, and the example the form gives is income tax, union dues or life insurance. It supports a long list of currencies, which is unusual. The company step needs an email address, and Shopify says entering it means agreeing to receive its marketing emails.
Best for: a single salaried stub where you already know each deduction. Less suited to hourly pay, since there's no hours-and-rate field, or to a US employer who needs the tax lines worked out.
Wix's pay stub generator
Wix's form has three sections: your business, the employee, and salary details. It asks for an employee ID or Social Security number, pay date, pay period, pay frequency, annual salary, whether the worker is an employee or a contractor, and whether they're hourly or salaried. You add each earning and deduction by hand, and the preview shows current and year-to-date gross, deductions and net pay. You can upload a logo and email the stub to the employee or download it.
Two things to know. The finished stub carries a line saying it was generated by the Wix Pay Stub Generator. And Wix's terms on the page say the tool is a pay stub maker, not a payroll service, and that your business stays responsible for meeting your state's requirements. A contractor option exists, though contractors usually don't need pay stubs, because nothing is withheld from their pay.
Wave's pay stub generator
Wave's page asks for company, employee, income and deduction details and produces a pay stub you can save as a PDF to email or keep. Two limits are stated on the page: the tool is only for salary-based income employees, and the start date defaults to 1 January.
Best for: a salaried employee who started at the beginning of the year. Hourly pay, overtime and mid-year starts are outside what it's built for.
What all three leave to you
- Tax figures. You need the correct federal income tax withholding (IRS Publication 15-T for 2026), Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%) and any state tax for each paycheck before you start.
- Hours and overtime. Only Wix has an hourly option, and none works out overtime for you.
- Consistency across pay periods. Each stub is made from scratch, so year-to-date totals are only as right as the figures you carry forward.
- Payroll itself. None of the tools pays employees, deposits taxes or files returns. Like any pay stub tool, they produce the document only.
Alternatives when the free tools fall short
| If you need | Consider |
|---|---|
| One simple salaried stub, deductions known | Any of the three free tools |
| Tax lines worked out, hourly pay or year-to-date carried forward | A paid pay stub generator that calculates tax |
| Employees paid, taxes deposited and returns filed for you | A full-service payroll provider |
| Just to know the right tax amounts | A free paycheck calculator, then any generator |
PayDocs is one of the paid options. You fill in the pay period and watch the stub build in a live preview, with hours and rate or salary, additional hours at their own rate, and earnings and deductions on separate lines. PayDocs works out federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and supported state taxes for 2026 pay dates (see what we calculate); every line stays editable. Previewing is free; the PDF price is $4.99 per pay stub once checkout opens, less in packs of 4 or 12. It doesn't pay employees or file taxes, and it doesn't handle local or city taxes.
Questions
Is Shopify's pay stub generator free?
Yes. It was free and working on 4 October 2026. It asks for an email address, and entering it signs you up for Shopify marketing emails. You type each deduction yourself.
Does the Wix pay stub generator calculate taxes?
No. You enter each addition and deduction by hand, and the tool totals net pay and year-to-date figures. Wix's own terms say it is not a payroll service.
Can I use Wave's pay stub generator for hourly employees?
Wave's page says the tool is only for salary-based employees, and the start date defaults to 1 January. For hourly pay, use a generator with an hours-and-rate field.
Which free pay stub generator shows year-to-date totals?
Of the three, Wix's preview shows year-to-date gross, deductions and net pay. Shopify's form doesn't show them, and Wave's page only says the start date defaults to 1 January.
Sources
- Shopify: Pay stub generator
- Wix: Free pay stub generator
- Wave: Pay stub generator
- IRS: Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
Sources checked October 4, 2026. This article explains how pay documents work; it is not tax or legal advice.
