What Wave is
Wave is made by Wave Financial. It sits in our Accounting & invoicing category, alongside the other options listed at the end of this page.
Best suited to: Solo owners and micro businesses that want simple books at the lowest cost.
What it does
- Invoicing and receipts
- Basic bookkeeping and reports
- Online card and bank payments (paid)
- Payroll in supported US states (paid)
Which business sizes it fits
How Wave lines up with the four business sizes we use across USA24.
Solo
Good fit
Freelancers and one-person businesses
Main Street
Good fit
2–20 employees
Growth
Less typical
20–200 employees
Global
Less typical
Teams across borders
What to check before you buy
Questions to answer, ideally during a free trial or a demo, before you commit:
- Which features are free and which are paid.
- Payroll availability in your state.
- Whether it will keep up as you grow.
- Support options.
- US tax and compliance. Software doesn't replace professional advice on payroll, sales tax or industry rules.
- Getting your data out. Ask how you would export your data if you ever switch.
Pricing
Wave pricing depends on the plan, number of users and add-ons, and vendors change it often. We don't list prices on overview pages; check the current plans on the official Wave website. Our full review will break down the real cost.
Other options in Accounting & invoicing
Next step
Shortlist it, then test it on real work.
Read our five-step guide to choosing business software, then run Wave through one real week of your work before you decide.