Side-by-side record

PayPal Payments Pro vs. Wave

A side-by-side view of the product records we have today. Use it to narrow the question, then confirm current pricing, limits, and security details with each vendor.

The short version

Wave starts at Free per seat, versus PayPal Payments Pro at $0. PayPal Payments Pro carries the higher aggregate rating (9.5/5 vs 4.4/5).

Full comparison

	PayPal Payments Profrom $0 per month	Wavefrom Free
Audyense Score	29AS*Low	70ASStrong
Positioning	PayPal Payments Pro is a payment processing solution built on PayPal’s technology that enables online merchants and businesses to accept credit card payments online as well a	Free accounting and invoicing for small businesses
Free tier	Yes	Yes
Deployment	Cloud / SaaS	Cloud / SaaS
Best fit	Startup, SMB, Mid-market	Startup, SMB
Pricing plans	Free or entry planFree Higher tiersCustom pricing	StarterFree Pro$19 Payroll (add-on)$25 Wave Advisors (add-on)$149
Accept PayPal payments	YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.	—
Accept Visa	YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.	—
Mastercard and American Express	YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.	—
Virtual Terminal	YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.	—
Accept payments in 25 currencies from 202 countries	YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.	—
Payment Gateway	YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.	—
Options to simplify PCI compliance.	YesDocumented in the independently researched profile.	—
General ledger & accounting	—	YesReal double-entry accounting with general ledger
Accounts payable & bill pay	—	PartialCan record and track bills, limited AP automation
AI features	—	NoNo notable AI features; automation limited to bank categorization
Bank reconciliation	—	YesBank connections with auto-import and reconciliation
Corporate cards	—	NoNo corporate card product offered
Expense management	—	YesReceipt capture and expense tracking (unlimited on Pro)
Financial reporting	—	YesStandard financial reports and dashboard insights
Invoicing & billing	—	YesCore strength; unlimited customizable invoices
Multi-currency	—	NoNo multi-currency invoicing, a common limitation cited
Public API	—	YesGraphQL API over OAuth 2.0, scoped to accounting objects
Integrations verified	—	8+
Aggregate rating	9.5 · No reviews yet	4.4 · 1.7k reviews
Integrations	—	Wave PaymentsWave PayrollZapierPayPalStripe (via Zapier)Google Sheets+6 more
Security & compliance	—	PCI DSS Level 1
Pros	Independent review documents a concrete business workflow Documented capability: Accept PayPal payments Documented capability: Accept Visa Documented capability: Mastercard and American Express Documented capability: Virtual Terminal	Free Starter plan covers unlimited invoices, estimates, and bookkeeping Simple, intuitive interface with quick setup praised across review sites Real double-entry accounting with bank connection and reconciliation Integrated payments and payroll add-ons keep finances in one place
Cons	Pricing and usage limits should be checked against the exact plan Implementation effort depends on the team's data and process maturity Reported outcomes should be validated with the buyer's own data	Limited customer support, especially on the free tier (chatbot only; live support requires Pro) No multi-currency support for foreign-currency invoicing Lacks inventory management, time tracking, and advanced reporting Reports of slow load times, freezing, and occasional crashes
	Visit PayPal Payments Pro ↗	Visit Wave ↗

Editorial read of this comparison

The table summarizes structured facts; this section explains what the differences mean for a real buying decision.

Where each tool fits, and where it may not

PayPal Payments Pro

PayPal Payments Pro is a payment processing solution built on PayPal’s technology that enables online merchants and businesses to accept credit card payments online as well as process mobile and retail credit card. On top of that, users can create and host their own checkout pages for full control. With PayPal Payments Pro, users are charged with a flat rate of 2.90 percent along with a $0.30 per-transaction fee, which is beneficial for companies with large tickets. The flat fee remains the same whether the cards used are debit, credit, corporate or rewards. PayPal Payments Pro doesn’t require buyers to have a PayPal account to complete the purchase. Aside from accepting payments online, users of PayPal Payments Pro are able to process credit card payments via phone, fax, and mail (Virtual Terminal).

A particularly good fit for: B2B teams evaluating finance and accounting software Teams that need documented workflow capabilities and fit guidance Organizations willing to validate implementation and plan limits

May be a poor fit if: Teams seeking a workflow outside the product's documented focus Teams needing unlimited usage without plan limits

Wave

Wave is cloud-based accounting and invoicing software built for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small businesses. It offers a genuinely free plan for unlimited invoicing, bookkeeping, and expense tracking, with paid add-ons for payments, payroll, and bookkeeping advisors. Wave uses real double-entry accounting and connects to bank accounts, but has fewer native integrations than larger competitors.

A particularly good fit for: Freelancers and solopreneurs needing free invoicing and bookkeeping Micro-businesses with fewer than ~10 employees and simple finances Service-based businesses that want double-entry accounting without a subscription

May be a poor fit if: Businesses invoicing international clients that need multi-currency support Growing mid-market or enterprise teams needing inventory, advanced reporting, or phone support

Pricing and plan structure

PayPal Payments Pro: Published starting price $0 per month

Free or entry planFree
Higher tiersCustom pricing

Wave: Published starting price Free

StarterFree
Pro$19 flat / month
Payroll (add-on)$25 from / month
Wave Advisors (add-on)$149 from / month

Capabilities worth validating

PayPal Payments Pro: Accept PayPal payments, Accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express, Virtual Terminal, Accept payments in 25 currencies from 202 countries
Wave: General ledger & accounting, Accounts payable & bill pay, Bank reconciliation, Expense management, Financial reporting Integrations include Wave Payments, Wave Payroll, Zapier, PayPal.

Questions to answer before switching

Does PayPal Payments Pro's selected plan include the features and limits we need?
Does Wave's selected plan include the features and limits we need?
Does the exact integration path for Wave Payments, Wave Payroll, Zapier support the sync direction, permissions, and volume we need?
Is a hosted-only deployment acceptable for the team and customers who will use this system?

How to evaluate this shortlist

A useful comparison turns the differences between Finance tools into a concrete test. Use these steps to avoid choosing from a feature table or the lowest headline price alone.

Start with a representative Finance workflow, not a feature checklist. Define who will use it, what data goes in, and what outcome the team needs.
Test the complete path through Wave Payments, Wave Payroll, Zapier: permissions, sync direction, failure handling, and volume limits often matter more than the integration name.
Compare the cost of the real scenario, including users, usage, storage, support, and contract requirements. The entry price alone does not measure adoption cost.
Before switching, list the evidence gaps, request a demo of the critical workflow, and confirm security, data residency, export, and support with each vendor.

Structured signals help narrow the shortlist, but a trial with a real workflow is still the best way to validate the decision.

Research basis

Last checked: 2026-08-18. Pricing, integrations, feature support, and review signals can change, so treat this as a research snapshot and verify the final decision with the vendor.

Sources consulted: PayPal Payments Pro product site, FinancesOnline review, Vendor website; Wave product site, G2, Capterra