Wave
Free invoicing and bookkeeping for very small North American businesses, with paid payments and payroll.
- Verified facts
- 4 of 4
- Alternatives ranked
- 6
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Wave
Wave is aimed at freelancers and micro businesses in the US and Canada that want basic accounting without a monthly bill. The free Starter plan covers unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and bookkeeping records, and Wave makes money from card and bank payment fees, payroll, and its Pro plan, which adds bank-feed automation, receipt capture, automatic reminders and lower payment rates. The accounting is real double-entry, with reports such as profit and loss and balance sheet, but it is deliberately simple: no inventory tracking, limited multi-user controls and fewer integrations than paid rivals. Wave is owned by H&R Block. It runs in the browser, with a mobile app for invoices, receipts and expenses. It is a good starting point for a one-person business; once you have staff, stock or an accountant who wants more control, most people move to QuickBooks Online, Xero or Zoho Books.
Best for: Freelancers and very small US or Canadian businesses that want free bookkeeping.
Pros and cons
What works
- Free plan with unlimited invoices and records
- Simple enough for owners with no accounting background
- Payments and payroll available in the same account
Why people leave
- No inventory tracking
- Bank-feed automation needs the paid Pro plan
- Limited integrations and multi-user controls
Top Wave alternatives
See all 6- 1
Zoho Books66.5Free plan with more depth, plus paid tiers that grow into inventory and projects.
- 2
QuickBooks Online62.6The standard step up once you need payroll, inventory or an accountant.
- 3
FreshBooks59.6More polished invoicing and time tracking for service businesses.
- 4
Zoho Invoice57.2Free invoicing with no payment-fee strings if you only need to bill.
- 5
Kashoo55.3Simple paid bookkeeping with unlimited users included.
Why people left Wave
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Wave: common questions
Is Wave free?
Wave has a free plan and paid plans. Free plan: Yes (Starter, $0) (checked on Wave's own site).
Is Wave open source?
No, Wave is not open source.
What platforms does Wave run on?
Wave is available for Web, iOS and Android.
What are the best alternatives to Wave?
The highest-ranked Wave alternatives right now are Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online and FreshBooks. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.