Haystack vs Wave Connect (2026): which should you pick?
As of Oct 24, 2026, we pick Haystack: it is second in our ranking of digital business cards, and they share a 3.0 GPA.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 by ToolGPA
Haystack grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Wave Connect grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Haystack
Digital-only business cards with directory sync for large companies
Wave Connect
Digital business cards with AI badge scanning on prepaid credits
Which one is for you
Pick Haystack if
- Fits if you want free digital cards and scan a lot of paper cards
- Works for companies that want staff cards created and switched off from their directory
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a physical NFC card, as Haystack sells none and suggests printing your QR code on paper
- Watch out: prices carry a dollar sign without saying US or Australian dollars, and the page takes both
- Not for you if you want your own card design, email signatures or CRM links for free: those need Pro or Business
- Tight if your team is under 10, as Business starts at 10 users, and HRIS sync and custom fields need Enterprise from 250
- Pricey if you pay monthly: Pro is $7.95 against $4.50 yearly, and the 14-day trial takes your card up front
Pick Wave Connect if
- Fits if you staff a booth and want badge scans sent to a CRM without renting the show's scanner
- Works for a team of three or more that wants cards and CRM sync on one plan
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you scan a lot: credits cost $250 for 115, a badge takes 4 and they expire after 12 months
- Tight if you want CRM sync alone or as a pair, since it starts on Teams, which bills three users at least
- Watch out: removing Wave branding and a branded QR code need Pro, at $7 a month yearly or $9 monthly
- Not for you if you need SSO, SCIM or unlimited lead-capture users without a quote, as those are Enterprise only
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAHaystackVery good | 3.0GPAWave ConnectVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $4.50 a user a month on yearly billing, inside this category's cheapest quarter ($4.99), though $7.95 monthly. Business is $2.50 a user for 10 users or more, $25 a month at the least. The page doesn't say which dollar. | CPro is $7 a month on yearly billing ($9 monthly in the iOS app), near this category's dearer quarter at $7.50. Teams is $5 a user, the middle, with three users at least. Scanning credits cost extra: $250 for 115. |
| Free plan and trial | APersonal is free with no cap on cards, shares, contacts or AI card scans, plus your logo, photos, notes, tags and both phone apps. Custom card design, email signatures and CRM links are the paid part. | BThe free card comes with a personal email signature, unlimited sharing and contacts, wallet passes, a lead form and personal analytics, with no end date. The 10 AI scanning credits are a one-off taste. |
| Features | CUnlimited cards, a paper card scanner, sharing by QR, link, widget and email signature, directory sync, admin templates, CRM links, Zapier, webhooks and a REST API. The listing's gap: no NFC cards, so a physical card means printing its QR code. | BCards with galleries, video and booking, a scanner that reads badges, paper cards and LinkedIn QR codes offline, waterfall enrichment, signatures for Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail, team templates and native CRM sync. That covers the whole job. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You make a card in the iOS or Android app and share it by QR, link or widget. Directory sync and admin templates are for companies setting up their staff. | AWave Connect rates 4.8 on the US App Store from 1,604 ratings, the top of our ease ladder. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zapier, webhooks and a public REST API. No desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with native sync to HubSpot, Salesforce, Dynamics 365, Zoho, Pipedrive and HighLevel, and Zapier to 5,000+ apps. No desktop app. |
| Best for | free digital cards with unlimited card scans | small teams scanning event badges into a CRM |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Haystack and Wave Connect. How we grade
Price against what you get
Haystack starts at $2.50 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Wave Connect starts at $5 a month for each person and scores 3.3.
Wave Connect scores higher, and starts $2.50 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other digital business cards on the chart, none scores higher than Haystack for less, and none scores higher than Wave Connect for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| Haystack | Wave Connect | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users) | $5 per user / month, billed annually (Teams, three-user minimum) |
| Free plan | Personal plan, free: unlimited cards, shares and contacts, unlimited AI card scans, logo and photos, social links, notes and tags, and the iOS and Android apps. | a digital card, a personal email signature, unlimited sharing and contacts, Apple and Google Wallet, a lead capture form, personal analytics and 10 trial credits for AI scanning. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Pro and Business; the card is charged only when the trial ends | 7-day free trial of Pro; 14-day free trial of Teams |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Haystack Australia Pty Ltd | Wave Connect Inc. |
| Price read from | thehaystackapp.com | wavecnct.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Haystack
- Prices carry a dollar sign without saying whether they are US or Australian dollars; the page lists USD and AUD as payment options.
- Haystack sells no NFC cards; it suggests printing your card's QR code on paper cards if you want something physical.
- Card design, smart email signatures and CRM integrations need Pro or Business; HRIS integrations and custom fields are Enterprise features.
- Business is for teams of 10 or more, and Enterprise starts at 250 users with usage-based pricing.
Wave Connect
- AI scanning uses credits: 4 per event badge and 1 per paper card, LinkedIn QR or lead form; 100 credits plus 15 free cost $250 and last 12 months.
- Teams needs at least 3 users, and CRM sync, templates and locked fields start there.
- Enforced SSO, SCIM provisioning and unlimited lead-capture users need Enterprise, which is quoted.
- Removing Wave Connect branding and using a branded QR code need Pro or higher.
Key features
Haystack
- Digital cards
- Unlimited cards with a logo, profile image, gallery, theme colors, social and video links, a portfolio, brochures and a calendar scheduler.
- AI card scanner
- Scan paper business cards into contacts without limit on every plan, including the free one, and add notes and tags.
- Sharing
- Share by QR code, personalized link, iOS and Android home screen widgets, or a smart email signature.
- Directory sync
- Sync employees from Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace or an HR system so new hires get a card on day one and leavers' cards switch off.
- Admin controls
- An admin dashboard with card templates and employee permissions, such as locking synced job titles while people add their own links.
- CRM, Zapier and API
- Send new contacts met in person or over Microsoft Teams to a CRM, or connect other tools through Zapier, webhooks and a public REST API.
Wave Connect
- Digital card and sharing
- Contact details, photo gallery, video and files, calendar bookings and a link in bio, shared by QR code, text, email, wallet pass, phone widget or offline.
- AI badge and card scanner
- Snap an event badge with only a name and company and Wave finds the rest; it also reads paper cards and LinkedIn QR codes, and keeps scanning offline.
- Waterfall enrichment
- Several data sources plus AI search look for each contact's email, phone and LinkedIn. Failed lookups and duplicate scans are not charged.
- CRM sync
- Teams syncs leads natively to HubSpot, Salesforce, Dynamics 365, Zoho, Pipedrive and HighLevel with custom field mapping, or to 5,000+ apps through Zapier.
- Email signatures
- Branded signatures for Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail; Teams admins set signatures for the whole team.
- Team admin
- Templates, bulk import from a spreadsheet, bulk edits and locked fields, admin, manager and viewer roles, and a shared lead dashboard.
Plans
Haystack
Personal$0
For sole operators: unlimited cards, shares, contacts and AI card scans, with logo, photos and social links.
Pro$4.50
per user / month, billed annually ($7.95 billed monthly)
Custom card design, user permissions, custom links, smart email signatures, CRM integrations and analytics. Currency not stated.
Business$2.50
per user / month, billed annually ($4.95 billed monthly)
For teams of 10 or more: everything in Pro plus teams for organizing shared contacts. Currency not stated.
EnterpriseCustom
For 250+ users: usage-based pricing, HRIS integrations, custom fields, contract terms and dedicated customer success.
Wave Connect
Free$0
A digital card and personal email signature, unlimited sharing and contacts, wallet passes and a lead form.
Pro$7
per month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly in the iOS app)
Branded QR code and profile, custom colors and fonts, no Wave branding, AI lead capture with enrichment and offline mode.
Teams$5
per user / month, billed annually (3-user minimum)
Admin platform, templates and locked fields, team lead capture with qualifiers and voice notes, CRM sync and a shared credit pool.
EnterpriseCustom
Enforced SSO, SCIM, unlimited lead-capture users on an annual credit package, CRM setup and a dedicated account manager.
Wave NFC Business Card$23
one-time, per card
NFC card linked to your Wave profile. Custom printed $42, metal $53, phone tap or bracelet $23.
Ways to pay less
Haystack
- Annual discount
Up to 40% off with annual billing
Haystack's pricing page marks annual billing -40%: Pro is $4.50 per user a month billed annually against $7.95 monthly, Business $2.50 against $4.95.
Wave Connect
- Annual discount
Save about 22% with yearly Pro
The US App Store lists Pro at $84 a year against $9 a month, and Wave's pricing page shows Pro at $7 a month billed annually.
- Other savings
Bonus credits on larger lead capture packs
Wave adds free credits to bigger packs: 5 extra with 50, 15 with 100, 35 with 200 and 70 with 400 credits.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Haystack or Wave Connect?
As of Oct 24, 2026, Haystack is cheaper to start with: $2.50 a month for each person, against $5 a month for each person for Wave Connect. Haystack starts at $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users), and Wave Connect starts at $5 per user / month, billed annually (Teams, three-user minimum).
Which has a free plan, Haystack or Wave Connect?
As of Oct 24, 2026, both Haystack and Wave Connect have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.