Accounting Software · Invoicing Software
Wave review
Free-to-start bookkeeping and invoicing for tiny businesses that makes money on payments and a $19 Pro tier.
Wave at a glance
- Category
- Accounting Software, Invoicing Software
- Starting price
- $0 (Starter); Pro $19/month
- Pricing model
- free tier plus flat Pro plan and payment fees
- Public pricing
- Yes
- Free plan
- Yes
- Contract
- monthly or annual
- G2 rating
- 4.3 (327 reviews)
- Founded
- 2009
- Headquarters
- Toronto, Canada
- Employees
- 370 (Jan 2023, per Wikipedia)
- Funding or owner
- Acquired by H&R Block
Who Wave is for
Choose Wave if
- Freelancers and micro businesses wanting free bookkeeping.
- Service businesses collecting card payments through invoices.
Look elsewhere if
- Teams wanting a wide app ecosystem or inventory.
- Buyers needing fast support (slow support is the main G2 complaint)
Wave pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $0 | Card processing 2.9% + $0.60 (Amex 3.4% + $0.60) | |
| Pro | $19/month or $190/year | 2.9% + $0 for first 10 transactions per month, then 2.9% + $0.60 | |
| Wave Advisors | from $149 or $199/month | Dedicated bookkeeper |
Payroll from $25 or $40/month. Receipt capture $11 or $8/month. Page lists no numeric user limit.
What Wave really costs
- Billing
- Monthly and annual.
- Annual discount
- About 17% ($190 per year vs $228 monthly, computed)
- 20 users per year
- Pro $190 per year flat; page lists no user cap, so 20-user fit unconfirmed.
- Add-ons
- Payroll from $25 or $40/month; Receipt capture $11 or $8/month; Wave Advisors from $149/month.
- Recent price change
- Pro tier introduced (Wikipedia: two tiers as of June 10, 2024)
Wave features by buying criteria
| Criterion | What we found |
|---|---|
| Invoicing and billing | Invoicing on both tiers; online payments are paid by transaction. |
| Bank feeds and reconciliation | Automatic bank imports on Pro per Gappsy; not verified on vendor page. |
| Expense and bill management | Receipt capture add-on $11 or $8/month. |
| Payroll and sales tax support | Payroll add-on from $25 or $40/month. |
| Accountant access and integrations | Block Advisors tax pros can be added free on Starter. |
| Pricing model | Free Starter, $19 Pro, per-transaction payment fees. |
| Target company size | Solo and micro businesses. |
| Online payment acceptance | 2.9% + $0.60 per card on Starter. |
| Accounting integration | Native accounting. |
What reviewers say about Wave
Praised for
- Free core bookkeeping.
- Simple interface.
Common complaints
- Slow customer support.
- Payment fees replace subscription revenue.
- Limited depth for growing firms.
Themes paraphrased from public reviews on G2 and similar sites, not quotes.
What most Wave reviews leave out
- Owned by H&R Block, which reports Wave Pro tier momentum in fiscal 2026.
- Starter is free but card payments cost 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction.
- Pro roles (admin, editor, viewer) imply multi-user, but the page gives no numeric user limit.
- Wave Advisors adds a dedicated bookkeeper from $149/month.
- A $9.50/month Pro promo ran Dec 2025 to Jan 2026.
Wave alternatives
QuickBooks OnlineSmall businesses that work with an outside accountant who already uses QuickBooks.$38/month (Simple Start, 1 user)
XeroTeams that need unlimited users without per-seat cost.$27/month (Early)
FreshBooksFreelancers and service businesses billing a limited number of clients.$23/month (Lite, 5 billable clients)
Zoho BooksSmall firms already on Zoho CRM or other Zoho apps.$15/month billed annually ($20 monthly) for Standard; Free plan available
Invoice NinjaFreelancers and small firms comfortable self hosting to avoid per seat fees.Free (5 clients); Pro $140/year
Bill.comFinance teams that run both bill pay and invoicing in one tool with approval chains.$49 per user per month (Essentials)
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Wave's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.