8.8/10
Wave review (2026)
Free invoicing and bookkeeping, with a $19 Pro upgrade
Billing & invoicingAccounting
Sub-scores · weight7.5/10Weighted average of our research scores. Paid placement never changes a score. How we rankBest for Solo owners and micro businessesResearched (not tested)
Visit Wave (opens vendor site)Testing scheduled · not yet tested
- Pricing from
- Free plan · paid from $19/mo (Pro)
- Free plan
- Yes — Starter, unlimited invoices and estimates
- Free trial
- No data
- Deployment
- Cloud · iOS · Android
- India GST invoice
- — (not covered by our India research)
- Price verified
- Price verified 20 Oct 2026 from vendor pricing page
Our verdict
Researched (not tested). Wave scores 7.5/10 on our billing list and 7.4/10 on our accounting list. The Starter plan is $0 with unlimited invoices, estimates and bills, and Pro is $19/mo or $190/yr, adding automatic reminders, recurring billing and bank auto-import via Plaid. Invoices accept card, ACH bank payment and Apple Pay, and you can invoice from iOS and Android apps. Card processing is 2.9% + $0.60, with Pro reducing fees on the first 10 transactions a month.
Support pulls the billing score down to 1.0/10. The billing research ties live chat and email to add-ons, while the accounting research credits them to Pro; hours are Mon–Fri 9 AM–4:45 PM ET either way. Time tracking, a client portal and multi-currency are not listed, nor are projects, budgets or 1099 filing. The free plan needs manual transaction entry. Wave suits solo owners and micro businesses in the US and Canada who mainly invoice.
This verdict is desk research from the vendor's public pages, verified 20 Oct 2026. Hands-on testing is scheduled.
Who it's for
US and Canadian small businesses that want free invoices and estimates with optional paid automation.
Who shouldn't buy
Businesses that need time tracking, a client portal or multi-currency invoices.
Our screenshots
Product screenshot · 16:10 / taken during testing
Product screenshot · 16:10 / taken during testing
Screenshots are added after hands-on testing. Testing scheduled · not yet tested.
Scores
7.5/10 (US list)
6.2×0.30 + 10.0×0.20 + 10.0×0.20 + 1.0×0.15 + 10.0×0.15 = 7.51 → 7.5
Research rubric v1.0: Features 30% · Ease of use 20% · Value for money 20% · Support 15% · Fit 15%. Paid placement never changes a score.
- Features
- 7.5 of 12 checklist items on Pro (full = 1, partial = 0.5). Expense records via bookkeeping only (partial); reporting, late fees, portal, multi-currency not stated on invoicing or pricing pages.
- Ease of use
- Self-serve +3; free plan +2; iOS + Android +2; drag-and-drop templates +2; Help Center +1 = 10.
- Value for money
- $19 vs median $44.50 (≤0.5×) → 10; usable free plan +1, capped at 10.
- Support
- Chat/email listed with optional add-ons, not credited to Pro; status page +1 = 1.
- Fit
- ≤10 users +3; monthly billing +2; no seat minimum +2; public pricing +2; no implementation fee +1 = 10.
Scores on our other lists
- 7.4/10 in Best Accounting Software for Startups & Small Business (2026) · features 3.8 · ease 8.0 · value 10.0 · support 8.0 · fit 10.0 3.8×0.30 + 8.0×0.20 + 10.0×0.20 + 8.0×0.15 + 10.0×0.15 = 7.440 → 7.4
Pricing
Plans
| Plan | Price | Billing | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $0/mo | free | Unlimited invoices, estimates, bills; card fee 2.9% + $0.60 |
| Pro | $19/mo | monthly ($190/year annually) | Auto reminders, recurring billing, reduced fees on first 10 transactions/month |
Price verified 20 Oct 2026 from vendor pricing page
Prices exclude tax. A $9.50 promo listed for Dec 2025–Jan 2026 appears expired. Receipts add-on extra.
Features
- Custom invoice templates/branding Included
- Recurring invoices Included
- Estimates/quotes to invoice Included
- Online card payments Included
- ACH/bank transfer payments Included
- Automated payment reminders Included
- Late fees Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
- Client portal Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
- Time & expense billing Partial / add-on
- Multi-currency invoicing Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
- Invoice/AR reporting Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
- iOS + Android apps Included
- Bank feeds (auto-import) Included
- Bank reconciliation Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
- Invoicing with online payments Included
- Bills / accounts payable Included
- Receipt capture & expense tracking Partial / add-on
- Multi-currency Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
- Sales tax tracking Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
- Core financial statements (P&L, balance sheet) Included
- Double-entry / accrual ledger Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
- Budgets, cash-flow or runway forecasting Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
- Class, department or project tracking Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
- 1099 contractor support Not listed on the vendor's pricing page
Pros and cons
Pros
- Pro: Starter plan is $0 with unlimited invoices and estimates
- Pro: Pro is $19/month or $190/year
- Pro: Card, ACH bank payment and Apple Pay on invoices
- Pro: Invoice from iOS and Android apps
Cons
- Con: Recurring invoices and auto reminders need Pro or online payments
- Con: Live chat and email support tied to add-ons, Mon–Fri 9–4:45 ET
- Con: No time tracking or multi-currency listed
Who shouldn't buy: Businesses that need time tracking, a client portal or multi-currency invoices.
Integrations
Plaid
Company facts
- Founded
- 2010 (operating since)
- HQ
- Canada (city not stated)
- Funding stage
- No data
- Employees
- No data
- India entity
- No data
Alternatives
7.8/10
7.2/10
7.1/10
Lists featuring this tool
Questions about this tool
Is Wave free?
Wave's Starter plan is $0 with unlimited invoices, estimates and bills, but it needs manual transaction entry. Pro is $19/mo or $190/yr and adds bank auto-import via Plaid, automatic reminders and recurring billing. Card processing costs 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction on Starter. Prices exclude tax and were verified 20 Oct 2026 on the vendor's pricing page.
What does Wave Pro add over the free plan?
Pro adds bank auto-import via Plaid, automatic payment reminders, recurring billing and reduced card fees on the first 10 transactions a month (2.9% + $0). It costs $19/mo or $190/yr. Payroll is a separate add-on from $40/mo on Pro, and a receipts add-on costs extra. Wave Advisors bookkeeping starts at $149/mo.
Who should not use Wave?
Wave is a weak fit if you need time tracking, a client portal or multi-currency invoices, since none are listed on its invoicing or pricing pages. Teams that need project tracking, budgets or 1099 filing should also look elsewhere. Our research shows it suits solo owners and micro businesses in the US and Canada that mainly invoice clients.
What support does Wave offer?
Wave lists a Help Center and a status page. Live chat and email run Mon–Fri 9 AM–4:45 PM ET; the billing pages tie them to add-ons, while the accounting pages credit them to Pro. That difference is why support scores 1.0/10 on our billing list and 8.0/10 on our accounting list. Confirm what your plan includes with the vendor.
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Last verified 20 Oct 2026 · Change history (1) · First published