Wave

4.4 (1,680)
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Accounting, invoicing, and payroll management platform

Overall rating

4.4 /5
(1,680)
Value for Money
4.6/5
Features
4.2/5
Ease of Use
4.5/5
Customer Support
4.0/5

88%
recommended this app
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1680 Reviews

Amanda
Amanda
Overall rating
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

Wave - Accounting Software

Reviewed on 20/09/2024

I've used Wave for nearly five years now. It's simple to use, and the cost is pretty low compared...

I've used Wave for nearly five years now. It's simple to use, and the cost is pretty low compared to some of the other options out there. I have had a few technology hiccups from time to time that have created some extra work and had me exploring other options, but each time it was eventually resolved, and I am still with them.

Pros

Wave is pretty easy to use, and if you can't figure it out on your own, the help documents are pretty easy to follow and guide you to the right spot.

Cons

It's invoicing only so it's not as robust as some competitor products that also include documents for proposals and such.

Alternatives Considered

HoneyBook, FreshBooks and QuickBooks Enterprise

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Wave had the easiest to use interface and the options that were on the "had to have" list at the lowest rate. I really liked HoneyBook and FreshBooks, but their cheapest plans were much more expensive than Wave.
Noureddine
Overall rating
  • Industry: Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

perfect app

Reviewed on 08/12/2024

I used it for more than 5 years and it help me a lot for my daily tasks as invoice customers ,...

I used it for more than 5 years and it help me a lot for my daily tasks as invoice customers , purchase in and accounting accounting tax statement

Pros

it's perefect app it help for accounting management, invoices and tax statement

Cons

for the option pay roll it's not available in Quebec

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

it's easy to use and has all what I need and it help me in manage my work
Tracey
Overall rating
  • Industry: Accounting
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Best free bookkeeping software

Reviewed on 23/01/2025

I do bookkeeping services and this product works well with categorizing income and expenses to...

I do bookkeeping services and this product works well with categorizing income and expenses to generate financials.

Pros

This is the best free accounting software I've used.

Cons

Non that I could find on the free version

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

price was better than quickbooks was onliine
RODERICK
Overall rating
  • Industry: Entertainment
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 5.0 /10

Nice Intro but not really a free resource

Reviewed on 25/02/2025

I wanted to do some light accounting and reconciliation but the free services do not allow for...

I wanted to do some light accounting and reconciliation but the free services do not allow for that. you must pay in order to utilize this portion. no different than Quickbooks.

Pros

Offer a variety of services for small business people

Cons

The free service offer is the most basic service which is invoice creation

Zeah
Overall rating
  • Industry: Accounting
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Wave-Great Free Resource

Reviewed on 16/12/2024

Overall, it is a good experience and gives small businesses who are just getting started, a way to...

Overall, it is a good experience and gives small businesses who are just getting started, a way to organize their books and access reporting without a higher monthly software price point.

Pros

Wave is a great software that is free to most users as a way to pull their accounting records together. Clients that I have that use it, think it works great for it being free.

Cons

I do think overall it is a little less intuitive for someone who doesn't have an accounting background. The transaction screen and recording process with it listing everything in the main screen, is sometimes hard to track, especially if all the accounts are selected. Great for basic bookkeeping, but more complicated businesses with more transactions & accounts, I would recommend a more sophisticated software.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Cost of monthly subscription relative to the product features offered
Drew
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Great CHEAP solution for a tiny-small business

Reviewed on 03/01/2025

It's been a great experience so far. We had a simple setup, it's easy to use. We've had no issues.

It's been a great experience so far. We had a simple setup, it's easy to use. We've had no issues.

Pros

The ease of use for creating invoices and estimates. The ability to send invoices, reminders, statements right from the app. Their customer database is very simple. Vast assortment of software needed to run your business.

Cons

Haven't really experienced any cons thus far. Have been using Wave for approximately 3 and a half years.

Ben
Overall rating
  • Industry: Automotive
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Good platform overall, but make sure you read the Ts & Cs before signing up a new business

Reviewed on 17/03/2025

Pros

Easy to use payment platform at a good price

Cons

Tough eligibility criteria and hard to reach customer service

Dana
Overall rating
  • Industry: Design
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Good Choice For Startups

Reviewed on 20/02/2025

A good app for startups looking to reconcile their finances

A good app for startups looking to reconcile their finances

Pros

Ease of setup and mobile app availability

Cons

Features on the free plan are extremely limited

Kimb
Overall rating
  • Industry: Design
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

Free Accounting

Reviewed on 09/03/2025

I think it is a refined choice for money management at no charge

I think it is a refined choice for money management at no charge

Pros

It is free and very simple to use. I can easily create invoices and keep my finance in check

Cons

The point I could make is that there may be features missing these improvements

Austen
Overall rating
  • Industry: Accounting
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 1-5 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Good for small business owners on a budget

Reviewed on 12/02/2025

Good for the small business owner looking for a cheap simple option

Good for the small business owner looking for a cheap simple option

Pros

Very simple and easy to use for small businesses

Cons

There aren't many integrations or big features

Josh
Overall rating
  • Industry: Sporting Goods
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Not paying for more than I need!

Reviewed on 02/08/2024

Overall I’m extremely satisfied. I don’t feel like I’m forced to pay for things that I really don’t...

Overall I’m extremely satisfied. I don’t feel like I’m forced to pay for things that I really don’t need. The basics are free and the add-ons are reasonably priced

Pros

It’s simple and straightforward. It’s got a clean sleek look and it’s very affordable.

Cons

I wish I could view my transactions within the app instead of just online.

Alternatives Considered

Sage Accounting, Square Payroll and Microsoft Excel

Reasons for Choosing Wave

Cost is the main reason I was looking for an alternative, but other than a much more affordable price, the simplicity and sleekness of wave played a huge part in earning my business.

Reasons for Switching to Wave

The simplicity and sleekness of wave played a huge part in earning my business over the others.
Reece
Reece
Overall rating
  • Industry: Nonprofit Organization Management
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Wave - Perfect for New Businesses

Reviewed on 10/09/2024

Wave has been wonderful, I use it to manage my accounting, and also invoice. I imagine that in the...

Wave has been wonderful, I use it to manage my accounting, and also invoice. I imagine that in the future I would use it for payroll as well. All of this is done with no monthly charge, and a very fair charge for ACH payments on my invoices.

Pros

It can do pretty much anything that QuickBooks can do, but it can be used for free! This was perfect for when I was setting up the back-end of my entrepreneurial business.

Cons

It required a bit of learning to use, I was used to QuickBooks, and some of the language, UI, and functions look or work differently. After this initial period it has become perfectly simple and useful.

Ashley
Overall rating
  • Industry: Automotive
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

Accounting without a Cost

Reviewed on 21/02/2024

I loved this software/app so much that I actually decided to open a personal account and use it for...

I loved this software/app so much that I actually decided to open a personal account and use it for mine and my husbands personal finances! I had been using the good ole trusty excel for this. But this makes everything so much nicer. It imports all my husbands charges and then I can code them and see just where our money is going.

Not to mention, it has help the business I work for be more successful in bringing in a bigger profit!

If you are trying to decided between software's and don't know where to start, try Wave for your business accounting needs.

Pros

The first greatest thing about Wave is that is FREE!!! If you are just starting out, or a small business where overhead and expense need to be kept to a minimum, I recommend this app. It has all basic functions you need like, quotes, invoicing, statements, entering bills, receipts, reconciling bank statements, etc. All of these services including reporting are included in the free software! It has payroll functions for an additional charge, which we have opted out of for the time being. You can even link your bank account to it and it will import all the your debits and credits for reconciling.

Also, this software is super user friendly and you do not need to be a tech expert to understand it. It will set you up with preloaded items it thinks you need for your business and then you can change them or delete them. You can also add new ones super easy while doing this or after the fact. I really love that its cloud base and can be accessed anywhere. This makes it key for me when traveling for work.

Cons

Honestly Wave is pretty awesome that it was hard to find cons with it. The only drawback for me is the reporting. I wish I was able to customize them and select certain data to analyze. The reports are basic and standard, they just don't quite cover what I am looking for in my reporting.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Enterprise

Reasons for Switching to Wave

I choose Wave due to pricing, that its also stored on the cloud so it can be accessed anywhere at anytime. Also the setup was super easy and done in a day.
Clyde
Overall rating
  • Industry: Nonprofit Organization Management
  • Company size: 51–200 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

The Best Cost Efficient Accounting Software

Reviewed on 28/12/2023

It was an excellent experience in all aspects, particularly when it came to creating the relevant...

It was an excellent experience in all aspects, particularly when it came to creating the relevant financial reports

Pros

The software was a savior for our organization, as we needed something easy to understand, practical, and to be able to access and management from an online system. Wave accounting was above and beyond the best accounting software we had used to date. My absolute favorite accounting software!

Cons

Setting up the account initially was a challenging process, as the navigation was a bit difficult.

Chantel
Overall rating
  • Industry: Health, Wellness & Fitness
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Bookkeeping made simple

Reviewed on 01/04/2024

My accountant recommended Wave as an upgrade from using Excel to document my income/expenses and it...

My accountant recommended Wave as an upgrade from using Excel to document my income/expenses and it has made my life so much easier, my accounting/bookkeeping takes half the time and my reports are ready in an instant. It has been easy to help me keep track of any expenses I may have missed throughout the year as well.

Pros

Wave is so user friendly, it's made all my bookkeeping seamless.

Cons

If I had to choose it would be simpler invoicing/receipt creation.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Online

Reasons for Choosing Wave

My accountant recommended it and i was looking for something simpler.

Switched From

Microsoft Excel

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Wave was free and made sense as I'm a solo entrepreneur with minimal expenses
hannah
Overall rating
  • Industry: Hospitality
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Monthly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

better than quickbooks in my opinion

Reviewed on 08/10/2024

quickbooks was confusing to me. i happened to find wave just browsing the internet and it seemed a...

quickbooks was confusing to me. i happened to find wave just browsing the internet and it seemed a lot easier to me.

Pros

simple interface. very easy for a beginner.

Cons

no complaints really. i only use it for my commercial accounts so it's pretty simple for me.

Alternatives Considered

FreshBooks

Reasons for Choosing Wave

quickbooks was too confusing for me. it was probably my fault though. i'm not an expert in accounting nor do i want to be. i'm just a small business owner learning as she goes and just hired a bookeeper finally after being in business for 6 years.

Switched From

QuickBooks Solopreneur

Reasons for Switching to Wave

at the time, wave was free and i liked the look and flow of the interface.
DAYNA
Overall rating
  • Industry: Consumer Goods
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Excellent Free Software for Small Businesses

Reviewed on 10/04/2024

Extremely easy to use and a perfect first software for service based businesses that don't want to...

Extremely easy to use and a perfect first software for service based businesses that don't want to pay for Quickbooks yet.

Pros

- Free
- Cloud based
- Easily customizable/brandable invoicing and reports

Cons

It does not do costing per order or inventory management as far as I'm aware.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Solopreneur

Reasons for Switching to Wave

Cost is free with Wave and did not need to track inventory.
Serene
Overall rating
  • Industry: Retail
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

What I am Experiencing with Wave

Reviewed on 14/09/2024

Pros

Wave automates over 86% of manual repetitive accounting tasks such as invoicing and billing.

Cons

I slightly dislike that Wave lack capabilities for global enterprise organizations but it has a robust backend integration capability.

Donald
Overall rating
  • Industry: Construction
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Online Invoicing Program

Reviewed on 14/07/2024

Invoice creation and processing requires zero manual processes with Wave.

Invoice creation and processing requires zero manual processes with Wave.

Pros

Wave has robust features that enables me to eradicate manual processes during data entry in various aspects such as bank reconciliation, AP and AR.

Cons

I have never come across any error on the pro plan.

Bill
Overall rating
  • Industry: Computer Software
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Amazing Cloud Accounting Product for SMBs

Reviewed on 26/11/2024

very positive overall and have been using it for years.

very positive overall and have been using it for years.

Pros

Love the fact that you can do payroll, invoicing, payment by credit card and taxes all in 1 solution for small business

Cons

Probably the payroll fee each month that I have to pay. Some providers are free and for small business every single $ counts.

Michael
Michael
Overall rating
  • Industry: Retail
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Wave Review

Reviewed on 29/03/2024

Excellent. It makes a massive difference to our business and keeps track of our progress.

Excellent. It makes a massive difference to our business and keeps track of our progress.

Pros

It's the best accounting system I have ever used before. Very effective and user friendly and I would recommend it to any business.

Cons

It's taken long to have a great app for it and also they've restricted new accounts to North America which is a drag.

Verified Reviewer
Overall rating
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Weekly for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Easy free invoice automation

Reviewed on 20/12/2024

Pros

Generous free starter plan with everything needed for a startup. Invoice automation and automated followups to get invoices paid. All super easy to set up.

Cons

There are a few accounting limitations that were only available on paid plans but I guess at that points it'd be worth upgrading.

Kevin
Overall rating
  • Industry: Marketing & Advertising
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Weekly for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

Our business runs on Wave

Reviewed on 08/05/2024

Pros

Free to use most features.
Professional looking branded invoices.

Cons

Lack of support on the free tier.
confusing to set up for non accountants.

Elvis
Overall rating
  • Industry: Accounting
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 6-12 months
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 8.0 /10

An efficient and must have software

Reviewed on 30/11/2024

Overall, wave is not as feature rich as some premium software but it does the job well for basic...

Overall, wave is not as feature rich as some premium software but it does the job well for basic accounting needs.

Pros

Wave has a user friendly interface and intuitive design. The software is also easy to navigate, making accounting tasks like invoicing, tracking expenses, and managing payments relatively simple.

Cons

Wave has limited customer support options. While the platform offers extensive help documentation, I found that getting direct support through chat or phone was not always fast or readily available.

Joseph
Overall rating
  • Industry: Civic & Social Organization
  • Company size: 11–50 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

The Progressive Finance Managing Platform

Reviewed on 12/03/2024

The program creates a robust accounting solution, where ever transaction is fully screened and...

The program creates a robust accounting solution, where ever transaction is fully screened and proper follow up done.

Pros

The management of all general ledgers is something the software is well controlled.
There is the transaction recording, where proper accounting is done and budgeting enhanced.

Cons

The capital budgeting details are not well elaborated, and this calls for more involvement with the vendor.