About Wave

Online accounting software that provides features including invoicing, billing, payment tracking, payroll management, finance management, credit card processing, and receipt scanning. Wave Accounting is designed to help businesses streamline bookkeeping processes. With Wave's bank reconciliation tools, businesses can manage all bank account and credit card information in real-time to improve bookkeeping. Businesses can also generate reports that include various data such as sales tax, balance sheet, cash flow, profit/loss, plus more. Wave's dashboard includes an invoicing tool that collects invoice payments. A small business owner can choose customizable invoicing templates based on unique business needs. Invoices can be sent via email and the software's credit card processing feature allows users to collect payments online. Recurring invoices and automatic payment features are available for regular customers. Wave empowers users to keep track of their business's financial health by offering accounting reports. These reports provide insights by allowing for month-to-month or year-to-year comparisons. By identifying cash flow trends, businesses can make informed decisions to navigate their financial landscape. It organizes income, expenses, payments, and invoices through the dashboard. Its security measures assist with the protection of sensitive financial data. Bank data connections are read-only and encrypted using 256-bit encryption. The servers are housed under physical and electronic protection, and Wave is PCI Level-1 certified for handling credit card and bank account information, further enhancing the security of users' financial information.
Wave Software - Wave dashboard
Wave Software - Wave payments
Wave Software - Wave invoice schedule
Wave Software - Wave invoice list
Wave Software - Wave invoice creation
Wave Software - Wave bank transactions
Wave video
Wave Software - Wave dashboard - thumbnail
Wave Software - Wave payments - thumbnail
Wave Software - Wave invoice schedule - thumbnail
Wave Software - Wave invoice list - thumbnail
Wave Software - Wave invoice creation - thumbnail

Wave pricing

Wave has a free version and does not offer a free trial. Wave paid version starts at US$16.00/month.

Starting Price:
US$16.00/month
Free Version:
Yes
Free trial:
No

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Browse Wave Reviews

1,663 of 1,663 reviews
Sort by:
Erik
Erik
  • Industry: Logistics & Supply Chain
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
4
Customer Support
5

4
Reviewed on 11/1/2025

Wave Review.

The system is great cost effective not the easiest to use but great system overall.

Pros

The features in the platform are great. Simple to use not user friendly but easy to use.

Cons

Their platform doesn't integrate with other systems in the transportation industry.

Alternatives Considered

FreshBooks, TruckingOffice and QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

There system do not integrate with transportations systems.
Verified Reviewer
  • Industry: Health, Wellness & Fitness
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 2/1/2025

Wave really is the way to go!

Once of the easiest programs, I honestly can't find anything to 'complain' about. Supper effective, easy, and the right features for a small business.

Pros

-Very affordable for a single owner small business
-EASY to use
-Makes accounting anxiety free
-You can hire professional bookkeeper if needed
-Can add your accountant to the account with ease
-Can invoice and track customer payments

Cons

-Would love more categories for expenses

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online and Xero

Reasons for Choosing Wave

Xero was increasing their fees and Quickbooks was too costly

Switched From

QuickBooks Online and Xero

Reasons for Switching to Wave

I chose Wave for the ease of use, overall cost, and it's webbased.
Brie
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source
Value for Money
4
Functionality
3
Ease of Use
4
Customer Support
3

3
Reviewed on 14/12/2024

Good for Small Business That Doesn’t Need Job Costing

This is a great app for small businesses or startups that don’t need job costing and don’t have complex accounting situations.

Pros

Its free version is pretty robust. You can add your branding to forms. You can accept payments.

Cons

Not a good app for job costing Or if you have multiple projects under one customer. Not robust enough for complex accounting situations

Alternatives Considered

FreshBooks and Zoho Expense

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Because it offered the most robust system for free
Brigitte
  • Industry: Consumer Goods
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 10/12/2024

Raving About Wave

I have been using Wave for our small business bookkeeping for the past five or six years and love the ability to connect my bank accounts and credit cards and run weekly, monthly, and yearly reports.

Pros

For our small business, it is nice to have an affordable accounting option.

Cons

I wish they had not done away with the free scan receipts feature. I still pay for it, though.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop

Reasons for Choosing Wave

QuickBooks was much more expensive and had may more features than I needed for a small business.

Switched From

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Wave was less expensive and easier to learn and teach to our employees.
Zeah
  • Industry: Accounting
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
3
Ease of Use
4
Customer Support
4

4
Reviewed on 16/12/2024

Wave-Great Free Resource

Overall, it is a good experience and gives small businesses who are just getting started, a way to organize their books and access reporting without a higher monthly software price point.

Pros

Wave is a great software that is free to most users as a way to pull their accounting records together. Clients that I have that use it, think it works great for it being free.

Cons

I do think overall it is a little less intuitive for someone who doesn't have an accounting background. The transaction screen and recording process with it listing everything in the main screen, is sometimes hard to track, especially if all the accounts are selected. Great for basic bookkeeping, but more complicated businesses with more transactions & accounts, I would recommend a more sophisticated software.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Cost of monthly subscription relative to the product features offered
Ana
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
4
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
0

4
Reviewed on 22/1/2025

Great for small business bookkeeping

Wave is more useful for my bookkeeping than actually collecting payments - I would probably use the payroll option via wave is I ever need it again, just to keep things streamlined

Pros

I like how simple Wave is for reconciling all my business expenses and auto-categorizing, based on previous years. Invoicing is also fairly straightfoward.

Cons

Invoicing is great for one off invoices, but doesn't integrate with other apps and more automated checkout systems. It can become cumbersome to manage service inventory, having to create new 'products' for each custom service to then sift through.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online and Zoho Expense

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Wave is free and VERY easy to setup and deploy. I don't have to be an accountant to be able to reconcile my own expenses as a small business owner.
Drew
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
3

4
Reviewed on 3/1/2025

Great CHEAP solution for a tiny-small business

It's been a great experience so far. We had a simple setup, it's easy to use. We've had no issues.

Pros

The ease of use for creating invoices and estimates. The ability to send invoices, reminders, statements right from the app. Their customer database is very simple. Vast assortment of software needed to run your business.

Cons

Haven't really experienced any cons thus far. Have been using Wave for approximately 3 and a half years.

Hannah
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
4
Ease of Use
4
Customer Support
4

4
Reviewed on 30/12/2024

Easy to use, great for the price

I really enjoy wave, I've been using it for over 5 years and it super simple and easy for the client to pay invoices.

Pros

It is super easy to use and very affordable for the start-up business owner or side hustler.

Cons

It has limited features in some areas, like payroll, but if you're a solo team, that doesn't matter.

Alternatives Considered

HoneyBook, Stripe and QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Choosing Wave

Because quickbooks was too expensive for my needs

Switched From

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Because it had what I needed for invoicing for the right price
Joseph
  • Industry: Professional Training & Coaching
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 16/12/2024

Easy to Use, especially for those starting a business

Very easy to use with the basic level being completely free. You would have to be foolish to try anything else, especially when starting a business and having to be concerned about expenditures.

Pros

I have used it for over two years now with great success for my corporation's accounts. I recently asked my accountant if he needed me to get another program to help him with my company's Tax Returns and he flatly said, "No, what you are using now does everything I would want a program to do and is also super simple to use."

Cons

It has all the features I need. I will explore if I can sync it with my corporate credit card to automatically upload entries.

Alec
  • Industry: Health, Wellness & Fitness
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 6-12 months
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
3
Ease of Use
4
Customer Support
3

4
Reviewed on 23/12/2024

A good alternative to QBO

Overall, if I were more knowledgeable at setting up the account properly from the beginning, I'm sure the experience would have been just fine. I ended up switching to QuickBooks online once I had an actual bookkeeper who could do all the setup for me. As for an alternative to QB, this seemed almost identical to the base properties of the program, but it's been a few years so I can't compare what features they offer now.

Pros

free version offered a lot of great features comparable to QB Online

Cons

Not being an accountant-minded person, I needed to catch up on account reconciliation. It was not easy to figure out and took a lot of time, even with the help pros. Spent hundreds of $$ for multiple calls with a help pro who did the work and had me watch but never actually taught me how to do it myself. And then never answered my questions via email as he explained he would.

Karen
  • Industry: Mental Health Care
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 14/10/2024

An Accounting Dream!

Fantastic! I'm able to pull my profit and loss statement quickly and clearly. There are many options for running reports and seeing where your money is going.

Pros

Wave is fantastic! It's easy to use and provides many options for running reports and managing your money. I also love the ability to connect my business card and my business bank account.

Cons

Any problems I have with Wave are not because of the software. Wave has made it as easy as possible.

Josh
  • Industry: Sporting Goods
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

4
Reviewed on 2/8/2024

Not paying for more than I need!

Overall I’m extremely satisfied. I don’t feel like I’m forced to pay for things that I really don’t need. The basics are free and the add-ons are reasonably priced

Pros

It’s simple and straightforward. It’s got a clean sleek look and it’s very affordable.

Cons

I wish I could view my transactions within the app instead of just online.

Alternatives Considered

Sage Accounting, Square Payroll and Microsoft Excel

Reasons for Choosing Wave

Cost is the main reason I was looking for an alternative, but other than a much more affordable price, the simplicity and sleekness of wave played a huge part in earning my business.

Reasons for Switching to Wave

The simplicity and sleekness of wave played a huge part in earning my business over the others.
Soma
  • Industry: Arts & Crafts
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
0
Functionality
3
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
0

4
Reviewed on 8/6/2024

Compact invoicing software

Was positive till a section of the app was discontinued for non-US subscribers.

Pros

I love ease of use and functions that match my business needs.
Allows branding and customisation of invoices. Love that I can clone invoices saving time for repeat services to same clients ( art coaching in my case)

Cons

Disappointed that they removed wave receipts for non-US clients. This particular feature was critical to document hard copies of receipts on the go, into the online wave system. Now their is nothing else to integrate the hard copies of receipts into the wave system

Theodore
  • Industry: Entertainment
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
3
Functionality
3
Ease of Use
3
Customer Support
1

3
Reviewed on 25/4/2024

Wave Accounting Services and Customer Service are ABYSMAL!!!

Its great UNTIL you need to speak to someone... Then they are among the worst companies I have ever dealt with.

Pros

Invoice creation and sending. Charts are nice.

Cons

They withdrew money from my account to pay payroll taxes, then didn'tpay the tax. You can't speak to anyone there and thy take forever to get back to you. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!

Elvis
  • Industry: Information Technology & Services
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
0
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
4
Customer Support
0

5
Reviewed on 1/9/2023

Best Account App for Small Businesses

Wave Accounting has saved me lots of time, given me a great brand impression before my clients and saved me money.

Pros

The most impactful features of Wave Accounting for my business are invoicing and receipting. Generally, it was easy to setup and would recommend it for anyone looking for a bookkeeping app specially designed for small business at little or no cost.

Cons

One thing that can be improved is sending of receipts. If it can be possible to send receipts via WhatsApp for clients that prefer communication on that platform, that will be very helpful.

Alternatives Considered

Zoho Invoice

Reasons for Switching to Wave

I liked the look of the platform and ease of use.
Jolly
  • Industry: Information Technology & Services
  • Company size: 1,001–5,000 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
4

4
Reviewed on 2/12/2024

Improved visibility, control and efficiency.

Working smarter for quick and easy results with predictive analytics and insights.

Pros

Wave has the visibility and control needed across accounts payable, global payments, procurement and employee expenses to run business more efficiently and drive growth. It's users friendliness has been enhanced by the power of AI.

Cons

Personal designing of the dashboard is not desirable. It is also disappointing that some banks are not fully implementable on the software.

Michael
Michael
  • Industry: Retail
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
4

5
Reviewed on 29/3/2024

Wave Review

Excellent. It makes a massive difference to our business and keeps track of our progress.

Pros

It's the best accounting system I have ever used before. Very effective and user friendly and I would recommend it to any business.

Cons

It's taken long to have a great app for it and also they've restricted new accounts to North America which is a drag.

Bill
  • Industry: Computer Software
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 26/11/2024

Amazing Cloud Accounting Product for SMBs

very positive overall and have been using it for years.

Pros

Love the fact that you can do payroll, invoicing, payment by credit card and taxes all in 1 solution for small business

Cons

Probably the payroll fee each month that I have to pay. Some providers are free and for small business every single $ counts.

LISA
  • Industry: Real Estate
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 24/7/2024

I love WAVE!

I love Wave. It makes my life so much easier. Its so affordable and easy to use. Everyone should sue it

Pros

I love everything about Wave. I have been using it for several years for small business accounting. Its connected right to my business account so I never have to worry about forgetting anything

Cons

There is not a single thing I can say wrong about Wave. I have used it for several small businesses of different types and it works for them all!

Celine
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
0
Functionality
3
Ease of Use
2
Customer Support
1

1
Reviewed on 26/11/2023

Worst nightmare during the worst time

About 6 months into the business, we heard of wave. We are based on the west coast, and saw that they were on the east coast in Canada, but we had clients in different time zones, so that was no issue. Starting out, we wanted to make a good impression, so we had 5 clients run through wave, our biggest one being my cousin's boyfriend, although that was never disclosed because it didn't have to be. Further along, readers will understand why I mentioned it. We had transactions that averages between $500-$2000, but he was the main client that we used with wave. Overall, he paid us $12,000 for all of his small businesses as he is an entrepreneur. They saw that he had made many payments within a span of 3 months, and froze our account altogether, saying that they could not release the funds until 6 months had passed, and even gave us the specific day the funds were to be released. We didn't know what to do, so we waited the entire 6 months. When we reached out to them, they told us to collect payment in another way, but they had already collected payment for us, and we can't double charge anyone. It makes no sense. [sensitive content hidden] (her boyfriend) was furious, and tried to call the company several times himself, but THERE IS NO ACTUAL PHONE LINE for them! So all that could be done were emails that were ignored. He had business up in Canada and somehow got ahold of someone, asking to refund his money so he could pay us directly, but again received no response. 6 months passed and we never received our money. My cousin would log on daily and we had our business account linked to it, so all was in order, but all it was was a copy of everything wells Fargo had. We tried for 2 years to get our money back, even after the company was dissolved, with no luck. They decided to close our account (we weren't using it for anything anyway) and gave us the reason that our company didn't have enough of a presence for them. After 3 years and the actual person that paid trying to contact them and no chargeback of any sort occuring, it's quite obvious that there is no fraudulent or suspicious activity whatsoever. My cousin spoke to a different person every day via live chat who never knew what was going on and would forget about our case. One day she finally got to the right person, who saw the mistake on their end, and we finally received our money over 3 years later.

Pros

The only positive thing that I can say about them, is that after THREE years and having to lose the company that my cousins and I started together, we did finally get our money, or rather most of it.

Cons

I will just tell you our story with it. My 2 cousins and I decided to go into business together before COVID happened. We all have degrees in different categories and wanted to join forces. One had a degree in computer engineering, one in graphic design, and I had a business degree although at the time I had a huge following on social media and was working as an influencer. We wanted to help small businesses get their names out, and started a business advertising for them. I used my presence on social media to advertise by word of mouth, while my cousins would design web sites, and create custom logos and business cards for our clients. We began with just friends to test, so we didn't have a set price for anyone. It was also a side gig so we let people set their prices. Thankfully wave was not the only company that we used. I will describe our experience in the next question.

Melanie
  • Industry: Fund-Raising
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 2/12/2024

So happy with the free version!

So happy with a free software that actually takes care of my needs.

Pros

I use the free version and am completely happy with it! I am not an accountant, so my learning curve was big, but that was more for the accounting side and not the software side.

Cons

It freezes up sometimes when I try to open too many windows.

Kevin
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
4
Functionality
3
Ease of Use
3
Customer Support
3

3
Reviewed on 8/5/2024

Our business runs on Wave

Pros

Free to use most features.
Professional looking branded invoices.

Cons

Lack of support on the free tier.
confusing to set up for non accountants.

Elvis
  • Industry: Accounting
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 6-12 months
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
4
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
4

4
Reviewed on 30/11/2024

An efficient and must have software

Overall, wave is not as feature rich as some premium software but it does the job well for basic accounting needs.

Pros

Wave has a user friendly interface and intuitive design. The software is also easy to navigate, making accounting tasks like invoicing, tracking expenses, and managing payments relatively simple.

Cons

Wave has limited customer support options. While the platform offers extensive help documentation, I found that getting direct support through chat or phone was not always fast or readily available.

Agasti
  • Industry: Real Estate
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
0
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
0

5
Reviewed on 3/7/2024

Efficient real estate accounting solutions

Pros

We no longer care about getting reports on the financial performance of our company since the deployment of this solution. It's easy to use and report generation feature are responsive.

Cons

Its a tool that meets the requirements, we have never regretted.

Allison
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
4
Customer Support
5

4
Reviewed on 23/10/2024

Great for personal and small business!

Pros

I like that there's a pretty robust free version and I can use it for both personal and business use. I can also link multiple business Wave accounts under a single login.

Cons

I sometimes have trouble reconciling credit card payments within the app.

Perry
  • Industry: Real Estate
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
4

5
Reviewed on 30/10/2024

Great option for free bookkeeping software

Wave provides fantastic value given its price point.

Pros

Wave has a free, entry-level accounting software option that makes it a no-brainer for new small business. I'm able to use their free tier to reconcile my accounts, automatically import transactions, send professional invoices, and produce financial reports without increasing my overhead. The value provided by Wave given the $0 price tag is huge.

Cons

I have encountered two notable bugs within their software. First, despite efforts to fix it, the Sales Discount account is backwards (it records as a revenue account rather than a contra-revenue account). Second, I've encountered a rounding error within bills that has resulted in my Accounts Payable account being a few cents off even after all bills are paid. There are workarounds that I use weekly to overcome these errors, but Wave has not fixed the errors nor published a timeline for their resolution for months. Finally, most accountants and bookkeepers use QuickBooks and aren't familiar with Wave, so I don't recommend Wave for anyone with an outsourced bookkeeper or complicated tax situation.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Wave allowed us to get started for free, and we never looked back.
Serene
  • Industry: Retail
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
4
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 14/9/2024

What I am Experiencing with Wave

Pros

Wave automates over 86% of manual repetitive accounting tasks such as invoicing and billing.

Cons

I slightly dislike that Wave lack capabilities for global enterprise organizations but it has a robust backend integration capability.

Donald
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 14/7/2024

Online Invoicing Program

Invoice creation and processing requires zero manual processes with Wave.

Pros

Wave has robust features that enables me to eradicate manual processes during data entry in various aspects such as bank reconciliation, AP and AR.

Cons

I have never come across any error on the pro plan.

Rachid
Rachid
  • Industry: Banking
  • Company size: 5,001–10,000 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 18/12/2024

Wave Review

Wave is a program that is intended and implemented for helping businesses streamline processes.

Pros

Bank account management : with Wave you can manage all your bank account.

Cons

The program helps you through all its indicators to make business decisions.

Marcus
  • Industry: Internet
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 28/12/2024

Great experience with great features - for free

My overall experience with Wave has been very positive. Everything works seamlessly, from invoicing to expense tracking, and the interface is intuitive and user-friendly. It’s a reliable platform that makes managing finances straightforward and stress-free.

The only small inconvenience is that the business selection doesn’t stay permanent. After logging in, I have to manually switch to the correct business every time, which adds an unnecessary step to the process.

Aside from this, Wave has been an excellent tool for managing my business finances.

Pros

One of Wave’s standout advantages is that its core accounting features are entirely free. For small business owners, freelancers, or entrepreneurs, this means you can manage your accounting, invoicing, and expense tracking without a subscription fee. Unlike many competitors, Wave offers a robust and user-friendly platform at no cost, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious users who need reliable financial tools without hidden expenses.

Cons

Actually not much comes into my mind.

They changed their free basic plan that you cannot send emails now - invoices or reminders. But that seems totally fair.

Daniel
  • Industry: Accounting
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
3
Ease of Use
4
Customer Support
3

3
Reviewed on 14/10/2024

Good software for basic use, great for personal accounts.

It was great solution for small business in the UK market, however with the introduction of MTD in the UK, Wave has decided to stop developing the product for the UK market within MTD.

Pros

I liked that it was an online free solution for the UK customers.

Cons

The reporting side is very limited, only basic reports are available.

Alternatives Considered

FreshBooks and FreeAgent

Reasons for Choosing Wave

We needed an online solution for the clients that we would be able to monitor on an ongoing regular basis.

Switched From

Microsoft Excel

Reasons for Switching to Wave

It was free software that our clients were comfortable to use.
Noureddine
  • Industry: Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
4
Functionality
4
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
4

4
Reviewed on 8/12/2024

perfect app

I used it for more than 5 years and it help me a lot for my daily tasks as invoice customers , purchase in and accounting accounting tax statement

Pros

it's perefect app it help for accounting management, invoices and tax statement

Cons

for the option pay roll it's not available in Quebec

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

it's easy to use and has all what I need and it help me in manage my work
Amanda
Amanda
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 20/9/2024

Wave - Accounting Software

I've used Wave for nearly five years now. It's simple to use, and the cost is pretty low compared to some of the other options out there. I have had a few technology hiccups from time to time that have created some extra work and had me exploring other options, but each time it was eventually resolved, and I am still with them.

Pros

Wave is pretty easy to use, and if you can't figure it out on your own, the help documents are pretty easy to follow and guide you to the right spot.

Cons

It's invoicing only so it's not as robust as some competitor products that also include documents for proposals and such.

Alternatives Considered

HoneyBook, FreshBooks and QuickBooks Enterprise

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Wave had the easiest to use interface and the options that were on the "had to have" list at the lowest rate. I really liked HoneyBook and FreshBooks, but their cheapest plans were much more expensive than Wave.
Obi
  • Industry: Arts & Crafts
  • Company size: 51–200 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
4
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

4
Reviewed on 2/9/2024

How I Pave Accounting Way with Wave

Pros

I use Wave as QB alternative on my end. I like that it automates repetitive accounting tasks such as AP, GL, financial management and payment matching.

Cons

However, Wave lack offline access and accounting capabilities for global enterprises.

Reece
Reece
  • Industry: Nonprofit Organisation Management
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 10/9/2024

Wave - Perfect for New Businesses

Wave has been wonderful, I use it to manage my accounting, and also invoice. I imagine that in the future I would use it for payroll as well. All of this is done with no monthly charge, and a very fair charge for ACH payments on my invoices.

Pros

It can do pretty much anything that QuickBooks can do, but it can be used for free! This was perfect for when I was setting up the back-end of my entrepreneurial business.

Cons

It required a bit of learning to use, I was used to QuickBooks, and some of the language, UI, and functions look or work differently. After this initial period it has become perfectly simple and useful.

Heather
  • Industry: Mental Health Care
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 30/8/2024

Great accounting & invoicing tools for small businesses

positive! I've been using them for 5 years and have needed to reach out for personal help a couple of times. They are attentive and thorough even if you have to wait a little bit. The chat function is pretty thorough & helpful too.

Pros

User friendly, pretty easy to figure out how to do things, simple interface, the free plan offers a lot of tools

Cons

The process for automatically categorizing payments and income doesn't work as smoothly as it could. Their AI tool is alright but makes mistakes. When you use their native Checkouts tool for collecting payments, they are categorized in a way that you cannot fully edit.

Alternatives Considered

Quicken and FreshBooks

Reasons for Choosing Wave

It was too cumbersome and time consuming to manage my own spreadsheet

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Price and ease of onboarding quickly with integrations
Andrea
  • Industry: Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 11/11/2024

Wave is Amazing!!

Great experience overall and I have been using this software since 2020.

Pros

Wave is easy to use and a huge time saver when it comes to tracking expenses and doing reports. Best thing about it is that it is free for the starter edition.

Cons

You can’t send an estimate directly through Wave without the paid plan but it is a small issue.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Cost was an important factor along with was of use.
John
  • Industry: Nonprofit Organisation Management
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 28/1/2025

Wave: Robustious AP, AR & GL Automation GURU

Pros

With Wave, I am able to automate complex accounting tasks such as billing and invoicing.

Cons

I do not experience challenges with Wave when running accounting projects.

Ashley
  • Industry: Automotive
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
0

4
Reviewed on 21/2/2024

Accounting without a Cost

I loved this software/app so much that I actually decided to open a personal account and use it for mine and my husbands personal finances! I had been using the good ole trusty excel for this. But this makes everything so much nicer. It imports all my husbands charges and then I can code them and see just where our money is going.

Not to mention, it has help the business I work for be more successful in bringing in a bigger profit!

If you are trying to decided between software's and don't know where to start, try Wave for your business accounting needs.

Pros

The first greatest thing about Wave is that is FREE!!! If you are just starting out, or a small business where overhead and expense need to be kept to a minimum, I recommend this app. It has all basic functions you need like, quotes, invoicing, statements, entering bills, receipts, reconciling bank statements, etc. All of these services including reporting are included in the free software! It has payroll functions for an additional charge, which we have opted out of for the time being. You can even link your bank account to it and it will import all the your debits and credits for reconciling.

Also, this software is super user friendly and you do not need to be a tech expert to understand it. It will set you up with preloaded items it thinks you need for your business and then you can change them or delete them. You can also add new ones super easy while doing this or after the fact. I really love that its cloud base and can be accessed anywhere. This makes it key for me when traveling for work.

Cons

Honestly Wave is pretty awesome that it was hard to find cons with it. The only drawback for me is the reporting. I wish I was able to customize them and select certain data to analyze. The reports are basic and standard, they just don't quite cover what I am looking for in my reporting.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Enterprise

Reasons for Switching to Wave

I choose Wave due to pricing, that its also stored on the cloud so it can be accessed anywhere at anytime. Also the setup was super easy and done in a day.
Bryan
  • Industry: Professional Training & Coaching
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Monthly for 1+ year
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 6/9/2024

One of the best SMB accounting tools out there

I'm not an accountant by any means, but I know most failed businesses fail because of poor accounting practices; Wave made it easy for me to track due invoices as well as my costs to make sure I kept running in the black and made me look super professional.

Pros

As a SMB or sole-consultant Wave takes all the annoyances of invoicing and tracking payments in/out super simple.

Cons

I've honestly not run into an Cons while using Wave (formerly "Wave Accounting).

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Wave gave me more tools to manage the business aspect and making sure all my branding is consistent and a fraction of the cost.
Chantel
  • Industry: Health, Wellness & Fitness
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 1/4/2024

Bookkeeping made simple

My accountant recommended Wave as an upgrade from using Excel to document my income/expenses and it has made my life so much easier, my accounting/bookkeeping takes half the time and my reports are ready in an instant. It has been easy to help me keep track of any expenses I may have missed throughout the year as well.

Pros

Wave is so user friendly, it's made all my bookkeeping seamless.

Cons

If I had to choose it would be simpler invoicing/receipt creation.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Choosing Wave

My accountant recommended it and i was looking for something simpler.

Switched From

Microsoft Excel

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Wave was free and made sense as I'm a solo entrepreneur with minimal expenses
Angela
  • Industry: Arts & Crafts
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 2/7/2024

Love the Starter Version of Wave

I've used Wave for quite a while now & Love it. I will eventually move up to one of the paid subscriptions as this program has enabled me to be more professional with invoicing.

Pros

Having a free version for small business owners is truly amazing. The fact that it works so well and is very easy to setup & use is a blessing

Cons

I realize every business needs to make money - the latest update which now makes you download the invoice to send as opposed to being able to send from within Wave is nothing more than a small extra step.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

The fact that I could use a Full-Featured product for free was a huge deciding factor as a small business owner
hannah
  • Industry: Hospitality
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 8/10/2024

better than quickbooks in my opinion

quickbooks was confusing to me. i happened to find wave just browsing the internet and it seemed a lot easier to me.

Pros

simple interface. very easy for a beginner.

Cons

no complaints really. i only use it for my commercial accounts so it's pretty simple for me.

Alternatives Considered

FreshBooks

Reasons for Choosing Wave

quickbooks was too confusing for me. it was probably my fault though. i'm not an expert in accounting nor do i want to be. i'm just a small business owner learning as she goes and just hired a bookeeper finally after being in business for 6 years.

Switched From

QuickBooks Solopreneur

Reasons for Switching to Wave

at the time, wave was free and i liked the look and flow of the interface.
Hylda
  • Industry: Financial Services
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
4
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
4

4
Reviewed on 15/11/2024

Wave works well for the Sole Proprietor

Overall, my experience has been mostly positive.

Pros

As a sole proprietor, I do like that it has a free option to keep my overhead costs manageable.

Cons

There are some reports that are a bit more challenging to put together

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

I chose Wave to keep my overhead costs down.
Fu-Chieh
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
0
Functionality
4
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
0

5
Reviewed on 25/11/2024

A Great Companion for Your Small Business

As a freelancer, I rely on Wave to send invoices, track payment statuses, and keep all my earnings organized for tax season. It provides everything I need in one place. Even though I only tap into a fraction of Wave's capabilities, I can only imagine the full potential of the platform, especially in its paid version. I wholeheartedly recommend Wave to anyone looking for an efficient solution!

Pros

The user-friendly interface of Wave is incredibly intuitive, making it easy for me to accomplish the tasks I need without any confusion. I particularly appreciate the extensive customization options available for documents like invoices, allowing them to appear both professional and personalized.

Cons

Although the customization features are impressive, there are still a few areas that could use some refinement. However, the overall quality of Wave is so high that it's challenging to pinpoint any significant drawbacks.

Clyde
  • Industry: Nonprofit Organisation Management
  • Company size: 51–200 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 28/12/2023

The Best Cost Efficient Accounting Software

It was an excellent experience in all aspects, particularly when it came to creating the relevant financial reports

Pros

The software was a savior for our organization, as we needed something easy to understand, practical, and to be able to access and management from an online system. Wave accounting was above and beyond the best accounting software we had used to date. My absolute favorite accounting software!

Cons

Setting up the account initially was a challenging process, as the navigation was a bit difficult.

Theresa
  • Industry: Consumer Services
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 1-5 months
  • Review Source
Value for Money
3
Functionality
4
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
2

3
Reviewed on 12/7/2024

Disappointed

I am disappointed in that I was hoping for an accounting software AND a payment solution all in one. I am unfortunately now looking for a new payment solution. Support just provided scripted responses. They don't seem to care to escalate anything on your behalf. Receiving your money in a timely manner as a small business means everything!

Pros

I like the ease of use. Very user friendly. I moved from QB Pro to Wave because of the extreme increase in pricing QB imposed.

Cons

You can't convert a percentage of an estimate to an invoice (industry norm). You must wait 7 BUSINESS DAYS to receive a bank (ACH) payment. Every single ACH payment I have received from my clients has taken EXACTLY 7 business days while their website states it takes 2-7 business days. Not truthful at all. They also charge 1% with NO cap - and they still hold onto your money! Unbelievable!

Carlos
  • Industry: Telecommunications
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 18/1/2024

Ride the Wave of simplicity for Small Business Accounting

Wave account was my only choice when I realized how simple it was to do everything from my phone or tablet. No need to log into laptop or computer

Pros

Love how simple it is to setup and manage from anywhere, especially my phone

Cons

They recently shuttered their banking option, just when I was getting used to it

Alternatives Considered

HoneyBook and Xero

Reasons for Switching to Wave

The most robust system for staying mobile
Mary
  • Industry: E-Learning
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source
Value for Money
5
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
5

5
Reviewed on 28/8/2024

One Stop Money Management Platform

My overall experience has been outstanding. The business has used Wave for nearly 6 years.

Pros

I like the ease of use and the ability to create both individual invoices and recurring invoices. I also like the ability to take a range of payments from card to direct deposit (ACH). Finally, the ease of managing transactions makes my life easier as a small business owner.

Cons

The recent price increase, while understandable, is never fun.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

I liked the interface, the ease of use, and the great support.
Lucas Rafael
  • Industry: Accounting
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source
Value for Money
2
Functionality
5
Ease of Use
5
Customer Support
1

3
Reviewed on 6/2/2025

Payouts on hold. Terrible support.

Maybe you should try Quickbooks instead.

Pros

App is great for basic accounting and bookkeeping.

Cons

Terrible support. We use their invoicing system and our payouts are on hold for weeks and all we here is we must wait. We already provided all documents of identification etc, but no solution was given

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online and Xero

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Worked with in a previous company. Already used to it.
1,663 reviews

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