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Wave Review

4.3(3,900)Starting at Free
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Verdict: Wave earns 4.3/5 from 3,900 reviews, ranking #5 of 5 accounting tools we track. It suits Micro-businesses & freelancers best. Core features free is its standout strength, while limited integrations is the main trade-off to weigh.

Our take on Wave

Wave offers genuinely free accounting and invoicing, earning money on payments and payroll. The best pick for micro-businesses and side hustles on a budget.

Key features

  • Free accounting
  • Unlimited invoicing
  • Receipt scanning
  • Paid payments add-on
  • Payroll add-on

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Core features free
  • Easy for beginners
  • Good invoicing

Cons

  • Limited integrations
  • Support paid

Who Wave is for

A good fit if…

  • • You are micro-businesses & freelancers.
  • • Your use case is side hustles.
  • • Your use case is micro-businesses.
  • • Your use case is free invoicing.
  • Core features free matters to you.

Look elsewhere if…

  • Limited integrations would be a dealbreaker.
  • Support paid would be a dealbreaker.
PlanPricePer year
StarterPopularFree
Pro$16/mo$192

How Wave compares

MeasureWaveCategory average
Rating4.3/54.5/5
Starting priceFree$25/mo
Rank by rating#5 of 5
Public APINo4 of 4 offer one

Integrations

Stripe (payments)PayPalEtsyZapier

Alternatives to consider

All Wave alternatives →
FreshBooks logo
FreshBooks

Simple accounting built for freelancers

4.5/5 · from $19/mo
Compare →
Zoho Books logo
Zoho Books

Affordable accounting inside the Zoho suite

4.5/5 · from Free
Compare →
QuickBooks Online logo
QuickBooks Online

The market-leading small-business accounting suite

4.4/5 · from $35/mo
Compare →
Xero logo
Xero

Beautiful cloud accounting with unlimited users

4.4/5 · from $20/mo
Compare →

Bottom line on Wave

4.3/5 · Freemium · best for Micro-businesses & freelancers

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Frequently asked questions

Is Wave worth it?+

Wave is rated 4.3/5 across 3,900 reviews and is best suited to Micro-businesses & freelancers. Core features free is the standout strength; the main trade-off is limited integrations.

What do users like most about Wave?+

Core features free, Easy for beginners, Good invoicing.

What are the downsides of Wave?+

Limited integrations, Support paid. Whether these matter depends on your use case — see who it is and isn't for above.

How much does Wave cost?+

Wave offers a free plan, with paid plans from $16/mo.

How does Wave compare with other accounting tools?+

Among the 5 accounting tools we track, Wave ranks #5 by rating (4.3/5 vs a 4.5/5 category average).

What is Wave best used for?+

Side hustles, Micro-businesses, Free invoicing.