Wave
Wave is an accounting platform that combines bookkeeping, invoicing, online payments and payroll in one system. It is built mainly for small businesses that want clear books and simple client billing.
#37 in Business & Finance ToolsAccounting SoftwareFree plan
Who it's for
Best for
Small businesses needing bookkeeping and invoicing without a monthly fee
Start-ups and non-profits with low transaction volumes and simple reporting needs
Not for
- Businesses that need a phone line when payroll or payments break
Companies processing card payments where held funds would stall operations
Free plan$0
Pro$15.83/moBilled annually
Features
Unified accounting system
Track income and expenses, manage cash flow, and use reports to make business decisions. Accounting, invoicing, payments and payroll sit together in one unified system.
Invoices and estimates
Build professional invoices and estimates in a few clicks. The same system records the resulting income and payments.
Online payment options
Payments arrive by credit card, bank transfer or Apple Pay. Incoming payments connect directly to the accounting records.
Payroll processing
Runs payroll and the legal paperwork attached to it in the same account as the bookkeeping, keeping wages and books together.
One-to-one bookkeeping help
An in-house bookkeeping, accounting and payroll team coaches on the books or does the work directly.
What users say
Pros
- The free Starter plan handles full bookkeeping and invoicing at zero monthly subscription cost.
- A year of Wave cost less than two months of QuickBooks for the same basic accounting work.
- Invoices for a small consulting practice are quick to create and easy to track against payments.
- Connecting the bank account finished in a few minutes, where a rival setup took a couple of days.
- Bookkeeping for a small non-profit stays accurate and trouble-free across years of steady use.
Cons
- Chat and email tickets go unanswered for days or weeks, and no phone line exists.
- Incoming payments get held or a processing account disabled, leaving money stuck for weeks.
- Payroll runs withdraw money from the bank account and the wages fail to arrive for weeks.
- Payroll taxes get withdrawn without being remitted, and quarterly returns go unfiled.
- A system glitch can lock an account out for days, and help is reachable only from inside the locked account.
A selection of the review sources we used:
Summarized from public user reviews and community discussions. View details
Global Traffic Rank
Top 500k
Alternatives
Rank#37 in category#6 in category#10 in category#11 in category
Free planYesYesNoYes
ProFree bookkeeping, cheap pricing, quick invoicing, clean recordsLow cost, free plan, smooth migration, helpful phone helpGuided onboarding, quick bank setup, help videos, automationQuick HMRC filing, free with partner banks, fast phone support
Better forFree one-to-one onboarding calls during setup and deeper reporting for growing firms.Filing UK taxes directly to HMRC and getting step-by-step help over a phone helpline.