Wave is a accounting & finance tool for Freelancers and Small businesses, offered as freemium ($19/mo). Founded in Canada in 2010.
About Wave
Wave is a small-business financial software company from Toronto that offers free invoicing and accounting, mainly for freelancers, sole proprietors and very small businesses in the United States and Canada. It was acquired by H&R Block in 2019 and makes money from payment processing, payroll and its paid Pro plan rather than charging for basic bookkeeping.
The free Starter plan includes unlimited invoices and estimates, double-entry accounting, connected bank accounts, income and expense tracking and standard reports such as profit and loss, balance sheet and sales tax. Pro adds automatic import and categorisation of bank transactions, receipt capture and automated payment reminders. Online card and bank payments on invoices are charged per transaction, and Wave Payroll is an add-on with automated tax filing in supported US states, priced per month plus a fee per employee. Most features are designed around US and Canadian banks, taxes and payment rails.
Wave fits North American freelancers and micro-businesses that want simple, free books and professional invoices. Outside the US and Canada, payments, payroll and bank connections are largely unavailable, integrations are few, inventory and multi-user workflows are basic, and fast support is a paid feature. QuickBooks Online and Xero are the standard upgrades as a business grows, FreshBooks is stronger for service-based invoicing, and Zoho Books is a good-value option with wider international support.
Key features of Wave
- Free invoicing and estimates
- Double-entry accounting and reports
- Bank connections and transaction import
- Receipt capture (Pro)
- Card and bank payments
- Payroll add-on in US and Canada
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free core accounting
- Simple and approachable
- Good for solo founders
- Payments built in
Cons
- US and Canada focus
- Limited features and integrations
- Support mostly paid
- Not suited to growing teams
Wave pricing
Wave uses a freemium model.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $0 | Unlimited invoices, estimates, bookkeeping |
| Pro | $19 / mo | $190/yr billed annually; auto-import bank transactions |
| Payments | 2.9% + $0.60 / per card | Per card transaction on Starter; 3.4% + $0.60 Amex |
| Wave Advisors | from $149 / mo | Dedicated bookkeeper, includes Pro features |
Source: www.waveapps.com · checked on Oct 20, 2026
How Wave compares in Accounting & finance
- Rank by votes
- #1 / 22
- Starting price
- $19
- Free alternatives
- 0
0 votes from members
3% below the category median ($20/mo)
Free or open-source tools in Accounting & finance
Wave ranks #1 of 22 accounting & finance tools by community votes and is priced in line with the category.
Common use cases
- 1Freelancer invoicing a few clients
- 2Side business keeping basic books
- 3Small shop reconciling bank transactions
- 4Solo consultant preparing tax reports
Best for
North American freelancers and micro-businesses on a tight budget.
Not ideal for
Growing companies or businesses outside the US and Canada.
Integrations
- Stripe-powered payments
- Bank connections (US/CA)
- Zapier
- Etsy (via apps)
- PayPal
Our take
Wave is the best free accounting tool for very small US and Canadian businesses. Upgrade when you need integrations or a team.
FAQ
- What is Wave?
- Wave is a Accounting & finance tool: Free accounting and invoicing for freelancers.
- How much does Wave cost?
- Wave uses a Freemium model; paid plans start at $19 per month.
- What does Wave integrate with?
- Wave integrates with Stripe-powered payments, Bank connections (US/CA), Zapier, Etsy (via apps), PayPal and more.
- Which platforms does Wave support?
- Wave is available on web, ios, android.
- Who is Wave for?
- North American freelancers and micro-businesses on a tight budget.
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