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9.6

Spot Score

Wave - Accounting Software

Wave

Streamline your finances, save money with Wave.

3.6

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With Wave, small businesses have access to professional accounting services without any cost. It offers Invoicing, Accounting, and Receipt scanning for free, while its affordable packages provide additional features such as Payments and Payroll. This online software is a cost-effective solution that can help small businesses save money on their accounting tasks. It's the perfect choice for any company looking for an online accounting solution, allowing them to efficiently manage their accounts and resources. Wave is the most affordable accounting software that offers quality services to its clients and is a great option for small scale businesses.

Customer Type

  • Freelancers

  • Small Business

Platform Type

  • SaaS/Web/Cloud

  • Mobile - Android

  • Mobile - iOS

Wave software demo

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Wave was reviewed internally using user feedback, in-house testing, and market research to assess its performance, reliability, and user experience. Learn how we review products and our evaluation process.

Wave is best suited for

  • employee count

    Employee count: 50 to 500 employees

  • industries

    Industries: Martech, Fintech, SaaS, and Consulting

  • Job titles

    Job Titles: Sales Managers, Account Executives, Business Development Representatives, and CRM Administrators

Benefits of using Wave

  • Streamlined Operations: Wave simplifies your workflow by integrating multiple financial functions into one platform. You’ll find that managing invoices, payments, and accounting has never been easier, allowing your team to focus on what really matters—growing the business.

  • User-Friendly Interface: Designed with both managers and their teams in mind, Wave features an intuitive interface. Even those who aren’t tech-savvy can navigate through its functionalities effortlessly, enhancing productivity across your organization.

  • Cost-Effective Solution: With Wave being free for core services, you can significantly reduce overhead costs while still enjoying robust financial management tools. This makes it an ideal choice for startups and small businesses looking to maximize their budget without sacrificing quality.

Explanation of Wave Key Features

  • ### Product Name

    Wave

  • Wave's Tax Management feature simplifies the complexities of tax compliance by automating the calculation of sales tax for transactions based on your location and applicable regulations. This feature ensures that your business remains compliant with local, state, and federal tax laws, significantly reducing the risk of costly penalties due to miscalculations. By streamlining tax reporting and documentation, it saves time and minimizes errors, allowing you to focus on growing your business.

    #### Spend Management

  • The Spend Management feature in Wave provides businesses with a comprehensive overview of their expenses, enabling better control over spending. With real-time tracking of expenditures categorized by project or department, managers can identify spending patterns and areas for cost reduction. This visibility into financial data helps businesses make informed decisions, optimize budgets, and improve overall financial health.

    #### Revenue Recognition

  • Wave’s Revenue Recognition feature addresses the challenge of accurately recognizing revenue in accordance with accounting standards such as ASC 606. It automates the process of tracking when revenue is earned based on delivery of goods or services, helping businesses maintain compliance and improve financial reporting accuracy. By ensuring that revenue is recognized at the correct time, this feature enhances transparency and assists in forecasting cash flows more effectively.

    #### Purchasing

  • The Purchasing feature allows businesses to streamline their procurement process by managing purchase orders and vendor relationships efficiently. Users can create and track purchase orders directly within Wave, ensuring that orders are fulfilled accurately and on time. This reduces errors associated with manual processes, improves supplier communication, and ultimately leads to better inventory management and cost savings.

    #### Project Accounting

  • With the Project Accounting feature, Wave enables businesses to track financial performance on a project-by-project basis. This includes monitoring budgets, expenses, and revenues linked to specific projects. By providing detailed insights into each project's profitability, this feature helps managers make informed decisions regarding resource allocation and project viability, driving improved outcomes for future initiatives.

    #### Payroll

  • Wave's Payroll feature simplifies the payroll process by automating calculations for wages, taxes, and deductions. It ensures employees are paid accurately and on time while remaining compliant with labor regulations. By reducing administrative burden and minimizing errors in payroll processing, this feature allows HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than manual tasks.

    #### Multi-Currency

  • The Multi-Currency feature empowers businesses engaged in international trade by allowing transactions in multiple currencies. It automatically converts foreign currencies based on current exchange rates, ensuring accurate financial reporting regardless of where your transactions occur. This capability enhances global operations by providing clarity on costs and revenues in different currencies while mitigating risks associated with currency fluctuations.

    #### General Ledger

  • Wave's General Ledger serves as the backbone of your financial management system by consolidating all financial transactions into one central location. This comprehensive view facilitates accurate reporting and analysis of financial data across all business operations. By enabling seamless tracking of income and expenses, this feature enhances decision-making processes and supports overall financial health.

    #### Fixed Asset Management

  • The Fixed Asset Management feature allows businesses to efficiently manage their long-term assets throughout their lifecycle—from acquisition to disposal. It tracks depreciation, asset value changes, and maintenance schedules to provide an accurate picture of asset performance. This ensures compliance with accounting standards while optimizing asset utilization and planning for future investments.

    #### Expense Tracking

  • Wave’s Expense Tracking feature enables users to record and categorize expenses quickly using mobile devices or desktop applications. By capturing receipts digitally and linking them to specific categories or projects, businesses can maintain accurate expense records effortlessly. This not only simplifies reimbursement processes but also provides valuable insights into spending habits that can inform budgeting strategies.

    #### CPA Firms

  • The CPA Firms feature facilitates collaboration between businesses and their accounting firms by allowing secure access to financial data in real-time. This streamlined communication enables accountants to provide timely advice based on current financial conditions without delays caused by data requests. As a result, businesses benefit from enhanced financial oversight while reducing the time spent managing external relationships.

    #### Collections

  • The Collections feature helps manage accounts receivable effectively by automating follow-ups on outstanding invoices. With customizable reminders for overdue payments sent directly to clients, this tool increases the likelihood of timely collections. By improving cash flow management through proactive collection efforts, businesses can minimize days sales outstanding (DSO) and enhance overall liquidity.

    #### Cash Management

  • Wave’s Cash Management feature offers real-time insights into

Wave Pricing

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Free Trial

  • Not available

Wave Pricing

  • Offers free forever plan

Pricing Model

  • Freemium

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Screenshots of the Wave Pricing Page

Disclaimer: Pricing information for Wave is provided by the software vendor or sourced from publicly accessible materials. Final cost negotiations and purchasing must be handled directly with the seller. For the latest information on pricing, visit website. Pricing information was last updated on .

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Why users might consider alternative to Wave?

  • Users may seek alternatives to Wave if they require more advanced features, such as detailed reporting or extensive integrations, that Wave does not fully support for their specific business needs.

  • Businesses with larger teams might look for alternatives offering better collaboration tools and user management capabilities to streamline workflows and enhance communication among team members.

  • Companies operating in industries with unique accounting requirements may find Wave's standard offerings insufficient, prompting them to explore solutions tailored to meet specialized compliance and reporting standards.

  • Users who prioritize customer support might consider alternatives that provide dedicated account management or more robust help resources, ensuring quicker resolutions to issues they encounter while using the software.

  • Cost-sensitive businesses might explore alternatives that offer more flexible pricing plans or tiered options, allowing them to select a solution that aligns better with their budget constraints and growth projections.

Wave Reviews & Ratings

3.6

Very Good

Based on 423 reviews

Rating Distribution

Excellent

(215)

Very Good

(62)

Good

(23)

Poor

(6)

Terible

(117)

Expert's Review

Wave Accounting presents itself as a convenient and accessible financial management tool, particularly for freelancers and small businesses. Its user-friendly interface and free basic accounting features appeal to those seeking a cost-effective solution. Many users applaud its straightforward invoicing capabilities, seamless bank transaction imports, and ...Read more

Wave pros and cons

  • Provides free accounting tools and features, making it an accessible option for small businesses and freelancers with tight budgets.

  • Easy to use, intuitive interface that simplifies invoicing, expense tracking, and recurring billing for users without an accounting background.

  • Automates key accounting tasks such as bank reconciliations, recurring invoices, and transaction categorization, saving time and effort.

  • Allows seamless integration with bank accounts and imports transactions efficiently, streamlining financial tracking.

  • Poor customer service with slow response times, limited availability, and insufficient support, especially for non-paying users.

  • Issues with payment processing, such as funds being withheld, accounts being frozen, or payouts being delayed without clear explanations.

User Review

RK

Randy k

04/29/24

1 out of 5

worst payment service provider and accounting software

been waveapp accounting software client for 10 + years, recently on april 19 i logged in and saw message to test payments service provided by them and ...

Read more

C

Cheryl

03/19/24

1 out of 5

SCAM ARISTS-STAY AWAY

I entered my private information on their site including social security number to generate pay stub. I cannot access my account now. This is a SCAM . ...

Read more

A

ajr

03/18/24

1 out of 5

It's free so it gets one stars

It's free so it gets one stars, but it lacks in even the most basic accounting functions. Reconciling accounts doesn't work correctly, ...

Read more

MB

Mark B

02/22/24

5 out of 5

"Easy to use and automates most processes"

What do you like best about Wave? I love the way that Wave imports transactions from my business bank accounts and remembers what I categorize them ...

Read more

Wave Customers

Cody Duncan Photography-logo

Cody Duncan Photography

Courtright-logo

Courtright

Orhtris-logo

Orhtris

Wave Support

Customer Service

Business Hours

Online

Location

Ontario, Canada

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

Wave is a Accounting Software. Wave offers Tax Management, Spend Management, Revenue Recognition, Purchasing, Project Accounting and many more functionalities.

Some top alternatives to Wave includes Quickbooks, Xero, Freshbooks, Sage Accounting (Sage One) and WavePayroll.

Yes, Wave provides API.

Yes, Wave provides a mobile app.

Wave is located in Ontario, Canada

Wave offers Freemium pricing model

We don't have information regarding integrations of the Wave as of now.

The starting price is not disclosed by Wave. You can visit Wave pricing page to get the latest pricing.

This software is researched and edited by

Rajat Gupta is the founder of Spotsaas, where he reviews and compares software tools that help businesses work smarter. Over the past two years, he has analyzed thousands of products across CRM, HR, AI, and finance — combining real-world research with a strong foundation in commerce and the CFA program. He's especially curious about AI, automation, and the future of work tech. Outside of SpotSaaS, you'll find him on a badminton court or tracking the stock market.