Audyense
Wave
VerifiedFinance · www.waveapps.com
Overview
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.
The problem Wave solves
Small businesses and freelancers often can't justify paying monthly subscriptions for accounting software just to send invoices and track expenses. Wave addresses this with a free plan that covers core bookkeeping, invoicing, and expense tracking, monetizing instead through payment processing, payroll, and bookkeeping advisor add-ons. The trade-off is limited support and a narrower feature set than paid-first competitors.
Decision context
Use these points to test whether the product fits your operation, not just whether it has a long feature list.
- Published starting price: Free. Confirm user, usage, and feature limits for the plan you would actually buy.
- Deployment: cloud. Check security, data-residency, and access requirements for every team that will use it.
- Verified integrations include Wave Payments, Wave Payroll, Zapier, PayPal, Stripe (via Zapier), Google Sheets. Validate sync direction and plan limits for the connections that matter.
- This record was last checked on 7/21/2026; pricing and features can change.
How to evaluate Wave
A listing helps create a shortlist; a trial with the team’s real workflow decides whether the tool fits. Use this reading with the structured facts and confirm changes with the vendor.
Workflow fit
The record describes it as a 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. Check that this context matches the volume, roles, and processes your team needs it to support.
Pilot questions
- Can Wave complete the critical workflow without manual work outside the product?
- Do the recorded connections (Wave Payments, Wave Payroll, Zapier, PayPal) support the sync direction, permissions, and volume we need?
- What user, usage, storage, support, or security limits appear after the headline starting price?
Evidence and freshness
This record was checked on 7/21/2026. That date tells you when the record was reviewed, not that the vendor has left its terms unchanged since then.
Best 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
Not a fit if
- Businesses invoicing international clients that need multi-currency support
- Growing mid-market or enterprise teams needing inventory, advanced reporting, or phone support
Why it’s listed
- One of the few accounting tools with a genuinely free, unlimited invoicing and bookkeeping plan
- Consistently strong review scores across G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius for ease of use
- Popular default choice for freelancers and micro-businesses entering the finance software category
Pricing
Starter
FreeFree plan with unlimited invoicing and bookkeeping for new and small businesses.
- Unlimited estimates, invoices, and bills
- Unlimited bookkeeping records
- Accept online card payments (2.9% + $0.60 per transaction)
- Mobile app invoicing
- Cash flow and customer dashboard
Pro
$19 flat / monthAdds automation, receipt capture, and reduced payment fees for growing businesses.
- Everything in Starter
- Auto-import, merge, and categorize bank transactions
- Discounted payment processing on first 10 monthly transactions
- Unlimited receipt capture and expense tracking
- Automated late payment reminders
- Logo/brand customization and remove Wave branding
Payroll (add-on)
$25 from / monthOptional payroll add-on for paying employees and contractors.
- Run payroll for employees and contractors
- Direct deposit
- Automatic tax filing in supported states
- Employee self-service
Wave Advisors (add-on)
$149 from / monthBookkeeping and accounting support service with a dedicated expert.
- Dedicated bookkeeper
- Monthly financial statements
- Expert accounting support
- Personalized bookkeeping guidance
Features
Integrations
Security & compliance
Pros & cons
Pros
- 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
- 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
What we found
Reviewers praise Wave's free price and ease of use for simple businesses, while criticizing limited support and missing advanced features like multi-currency.
Ratings and review counts come from public review platforms. We link to the original source and keep the underlying review text out of this profile.
User reviews
Written by Audyense accounts · moderated before publishing
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