---
title: "Wave Pricing, Features & Alternatives (2026)"
description: "Wave (Accounting & Finance): Free tier. Plans, pros & cons, and Wave alternatives compared for startups in 2026."
source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/wave
retrieved: 2026-11-13
---

![Wave logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/logos/wave.png)

[Accounting & Finance](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/finance)Free tier

# Wave: Pricing, Features & Alternatives

Wave gives away unlimited invoices, estimates and double-entry bookkeeping on its Starter plan and earns on payment processing instead. The $19 Pro plan adds automatic bank imports, receipt capture, late-payment reminders and multi-user access. For a solo business that mostly needs to invoice and hand a clean ledger to an accountant, it is hard to beat on price.

Who it’s for: Freelancers and very small businesses in the US and Canada who want free invoicing and bookkeeping and pay mainly when clients pay online.

Category

Accounting & Finance

Pricing

Free tier available

Free tier

Yes

Best for

Accounting & Finance: free invoicing, freelancers, bookkeeping

## Wave at a Glance

What it is

Invoicing and bookkeeping software

Free access

Free Starter plan, unlimited invoices

How you pay

Free or $19 a month; card fees per payment

Users

Extra users on Pro

Payments

Cards 2.9% + $0.60

Checked November 2026 against [Wave pricing](https://www.waveapps.com/pricing).

[Visit Wave official site](https://www.waveapps.com/)

## Wave Pricing Plans (2026)

| Plan       | Price       | Highlights                                                                  |
| ---------- | ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Starter    | $0          | Unlimited invoices and estimates · Double-entry bookkeeping · Mobile app    |
| ProPopular | $19 / month | Automatic bank imports · Unlimited receipt capture · Late payment reminders |

Pricing summary: Free · paid from $19/mo. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.

## Key Wave Features

* ✓Starter: free, unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and bookkeeping records
* ✓Pro: $19 a month or $190 a year, bank imports, receipt capture and late reminders
* ✓Card payments: 2.9% + $0.60 (Amex 3.4% + $0.60)
* ✓Pro waives the $0.60 on your first 10 card payments each month
* ✓Payroll is an add-on from $25 a month
* ✓Prices shown in USD and CAD

### ✓ Pros

* +Genuinely free core product
* +Proper double-entry ledger
* +Clean invoicing
* +No per-seat pricing

### ✗ Cons

* −US and Canada focused
* −Payment processing fees are the real cost
* −Thin inventory and project features

## Best Wave Alternatives

[Compare all ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/wave)

[![Zoho Books logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/logos/zoho-books.ico)Zoho BooksFree · paid from $20/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/zoho-books)[![QuickBooks logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/logos/quickbooks.png)QuickBooksFrom $30/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/quickbooks)[![Xero logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/logos/xero.svg)XeroFrom $25/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/xero)[![FreshBooks logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/logos/freshbooks.svg)FreshBooksFrom $10/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/freshbooks)

## Wave Compared

[Wave vs Melio](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/melio-vs-wave)[Wave vs BILL](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/bill-com-vs-wave)[Wave vs QuickBooks](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/quickbooks-vs-wave)[Wave vs Zoho Books](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/wave-vs-zoho-books)[Wave vs Xero](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/wave-vs-xero)[Wave vs FreshBooks](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/freshbooks-vs-wave)

## Wave FAQ

What is Wave used for?⌄

Wave is a accounting & finance tool. Free invoicing and bookkeeping for freelancers and very small businesses: Wave makes its money on payments, not software.

Is Wave free?⌄

Yes. Wave has a free tier you can start with, and paid plans for more usage and features.

How much does Wave cost?⌄

Wave offers a free tier, with paid plans starting at $19/month.

What are the best Wave alternatives?⌄

Popular Wave alternatives include Zoho Books, QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks. Compare pricing and features on our Wave alternatives page.

## Not sure if Wave fits your stack?

Get a free, AI-powered tech stack tailored to your budget, app type, and team size, including the best accounting & finance pick for you.

[Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/)
