Alternatives to Wave
Free accounting for micro-businesses
Wave ranks #10 of 10 in Accounting software, with an Alt Score of 73. It is proprietary, freemium from $19/month and available on Web, iOS and Android. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Wave is built for freelancers, contractors, consultants, and small business owners who manage their own bookkeeping without an in-house accountant.
A free double-entry accounting system with income/expense tracking, bank connections, and financial reporting, plus unlimited invoicing and estimates. Paid add-ons layer on online payment processing (credit card, bank transfer, Apple Pay) and payroll with tax filing. Optional Wave Advisors offer human bookkeeping and payroll coaching.
You sign up and use the web (or mobile) app to connect bank accounts, categorize transactions, and create/send invoices to customers, who can pay online through Wave Payments. Payroll runs on a recurring cycle for employees or contractors, with Wave handling tax calculations.
Why people leave Wave
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Accounting software checklist (14 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Accounting software checklist | Wave | Odoo | ERPNext | FreeAgent | FreshBooks | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Invoicing | ||||||
| Bank feeds | ||||||
| Expense tracking | ||||||
| Multi-currency | ||||||
| Tax reports (VAT) | ||||||
| Payroll available | ||||||
| Inventory | ||||||
| Self-hostable | ||||||
| Accountant access | ||||||
| API |
Every fact and feature listed for Wave is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Starts at $19/month verified 2026-07-11
Monthly: $19 USD or $25 CAD per month (billed monthly)
https://www.waveapps.com/pro -
License Proprietary verified 2026-07-11
Copyright © 2010-2026 Wave Financial Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.waveapps.com/legal/terms-of-use -
Pricing model Freemium verified 2026-07-11
Create unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records
https://www.waveapps.com/pricing -
Platforms Web, iOS, Android verified 2026-07-11
Access Wave's mobile app on iOS and Android
https://www.waveapps.com/wave-app -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
Monthly: $19 USD or $25 CAD per month (billed monthly)
https://www.waveapps.com/pro -
Invoicing Yes verified 2026-07-11
Create and send professional invoices to your customers in seconds.
https://www.waveapps.com/invoicing -
Bank feeds Partial verified 2026-07-11
Connect your bank accounts in seconds with the Pro Plan. Transactions will appear in your bookkeeping automatically.
https://www.waveapps.com/accounting -
Expense tracking Yes verified 2026-07-11
Track income and expenses for more accurate books
https://www.waveapps.com/accounting -
Multi-currency Yes verified 2026-07-11
Invoice in any currency
https://www.waveapps.com/wave-app -
Tax reports (VAT) Yes verified 2026-07-11
Automatic sales tax calculations
https://www.waveapps.com/wave-app -
Payroll available Partial verified 2026-07-11
Available in all provinces and territories, except Quebec.
https://www.waveapps.com/payroll -
Self-hostable No verified 2026-07-11
Copyright © 2010-2026 Wave Financial Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.waveapps.com/legal/terms-of-use -
Accountant access Yes verified 2026-07-11
You can grant access to a trusted individual—an accountant, bookkeeper, tax preparer, or business partner
https://www.waveapps.com/accounting -
API Yes verified 2026-07-11
The APIs are currently provided for free, but we reserve the right to charge for the APIs in the future.
https://www.waveapps.com/legal/terms-of-service-api-by-wave
FAQ
Yes. Zoho Books has a free tier or is fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Odoo, ERPNext and Invoice Ninja — every license claim links its source.