Where Wedge is genuinely good
Wedge is the minimum-viable tip log done well. The UI is simple, the entry flow is fast, and it works. For a server or bartender who just wants to track shifts and tips and doesn't need anything else, Wedge gets out of the way. The single-purpose focus is a real virtue — there's less to learn, less to set up, less to ignore.
Wedge also has a strong reputation among bartenders specifically. Word of mouth in the bar industry is durable, and Wedge has earned a place.
Where NeighCheck pulls ahead
1. Tax tools that actually work
NeighCheck includes a full paycheck calculator, SE tax calculator, and quarterly estimated tax projection — all updated for 2026 federal brackets and every state's tax structure. Log a shift; your year-to-date federal + state + FICA projection updates in real time. See our tax guide for what these numbers actually mean.
Wedge doesn't include tax projection. You're tracking tips for some other tool to handle the math.
2. Mileage and expense tracking
NeighCheck handles the entire mileage deduction workflow: per-trip logging, the IRS-required date/purpose/odometer records, and automatic conversion at the 2026 standard rate ($0.70/mile). Plus receipt scanning, expense categorization, and end-of-year export for Schedule C.
Wedge has no mileage feature. If you do any 1099 work — rideshare, delivery, freelance — you're using a second app.
3. Community and transparency
NeighCheck's Wage Wire is unique among tip trackers. Anonymous workers post their actual hourly take-home by employer, shift type, and tenure. Over time the feed becomes a peer-sourced wage map of your local market. Employer Intel adds peer-written reviews of specific managers and policies. Pastures groups your local restaurant scene by neighborhood.
Wedge has no community layer at all. The data your tip log generates stays with you (which has its own merits) but never aggregates into useful market intelligence.
4. AI Coach and analytics
NeighCheck's Coach is a conversational interface to your own data, powered by Claude. Ask "Should I quit my Tuesday job?" or "What's my real hourly take-home including tax?" and get a contextual answer that uses your actual shifts. Plus correlation analysis: how do your tips correlate with weather, with sleep (via HealthKit), with day of week, with co-worker on shift.
Wedge is a tip log. It tells you what you logged. It doesn't help you understand it.
Who Wedge is better for
If you fit all four of these, Wedge might be the simpler choice:
- W-2 employee at a single restaurant — no 1099 income, no side gigs
- You use a separate tax preparer who handles all the math for you
- You don't drive for work and don't claim mileage
- You don't want community or wage transparency features
Who NeighCheck is better for
NeighCheck is the better fit if any of these apply:
- You want to know your real tax bill before April
- You have any 1099 income — gig driving, freelance bartending, side hustles
- You drive for work and want to capture the mileage deduction
- You want anonymous insight into what coworkers and competitors actually pay
- You manage multiple jobs simultaneously
- You're new to tipped work and want the AI Coach to explain the math
Privacy and data handling
Both apps store your tip log. NeighCheck adds end-to-end encrypted DMs for community features and an anonymous-by-default Wage Wire posting flow that decouples your post from your account. NeighCheck has no ads, no data resale, and no analytics SDKs that send your data to third parties — see the privacy page for specifics. Wedge's data handling is similar at the basic level; their published policies are the source of truth.