Wave
Wave gives small business owners one place to handle invoicing, accounting, and payments without paying for software they don't need.
Overview
Wave serves over 350,000 small businesses with tools built specifically for owners, not accountants. The free Starter plan lets you create unlimited invoices, estimates, and bookkeeping records, and manage cash flow from one dashboard. The Pro plan, at $19 per month, adds automatic bank transaction imports, auto-categorization, late payment reminders, and lower payment processing fees. Customers who accept online payments through Wave get paid three times faster than those collecting cash or checks. Wave runs entirely in a browser with no software to install, and a mobile app handles invoicing on the go. If you need more help, Wave Advisors can handle your bookkeeping for you starting at $199 per month. Payroll runs as an add-on starting at $25 per month. Support is available through live chat and email Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4:45 PM Eastern.
Features
- Free plan includes unlimited invoices, estimates, bills, and bookkeeping records
- Pro plan auto-imports and categorizes bank transactions via Plaid
- Automated late payment reminders deploy at 3, 7, and 14 days past due
- Customers can pay by credit card, bank transfer, or Apple Pay directly through invoices
- Wave Advisors provide dedicated bookkeeping and monthly financial statements starting at $199 per month
Best for
Wave works best for freelancers, solopreneurs, contractors, and consultants who need professional invoicing and basic bookkeeping without a steep learning curve or a large monthly software bill. It fits owners who want to start free and scale up only when they need more automation.
Why this SMB score
Wave earns a strong score because the free plan is genuinely useful, the Pro plan pricing is competitive, and the feature set covers the core needs of most small business owners, though the payment approval requirement and limited support hours hold it back from a perfect mark.