# Wave Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Wave the right Billing and Invoicing solution for you? Explore 1724 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/178021/Wave-Apps/reviews --- Wave 4.4 (1724) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/178021/Wave-Apps/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Wave Ease of use 4.5 Customer Service 4.0 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Amber M OwnerDesign, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The option to create recurring invoices has been amazing, as well as the reports I can pull at the end of each year.“ March 24, 2026 KW Kristyne W Travel AdvisorHospitality, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I tried to set up a way to send invoices and receive payments through Wave, but even after I was approved, they removed my access due to a blanket assumption around travel agencies. “ February 24, 2026 KC Kimberly C Administrative ConsultantExecutive Office, Self-employedUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “I did like that there is a free option available. If you are just starting out as a new business owner and want to get your bookkeeping and invoicing process set up before getting a client, you do have a free option that isn’t a trial.“ December 28, 2025 Edgar R EngineerAccounting, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Payment processing fees are a bit high, and customer support is limited if you don't pay for a plan.“ January 9, 2026 Ron W Property Management, Development and InvestmentReal Estate, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Love the free version but it’s super basic and limited but upgrading to paid version is very expensive when using it for more than 1 business and offers inadequate features to do the job vis-a-vis other competitors in the market. If … WAVE would add AI, connectivity to banks and credit cards, and features to operate multiple businesses in the paid subscription I’d use it.“ December 7, 2025 ml melissa l Admin siding installerConstruction, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “A major pain point for users is the lack of robust, live customer support for free users, who are generally limited to an online help center and chatbot.“ October 23, 2025 PM Pauline M Owner - ManagerHospitality, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The automation with sync banking and categorizing expenses and income is vey useful for identifying balancing books keeping your tasks on track.“ July 27, 2025 NB Nick B PresidentManagement Consulting, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Excellent for almost two years until doing my taxes this year and lost the ability to export transactions without upgrading my plan.“ February 1, 2026 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 1724 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Amanda J. Owner Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Wave Recent Changes in Experience" April 19, 2025 3.0 Pros I've used Wave for 5 years. It's very easy to use and can help process payroll, send invoices and keep track of expenses. Cons In the recent past, I've had issue with them processing tax payments on time, and their support has significantly decreased from the past. Alternatives considered [HoneyBook](https://www.capterra.com/p/162588/HoneyBook/) Reason for choosing Wave Best value for the money and easily handled payroll and tax services. Review Source PM Pauline M. Owner - Manager Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Must have for small businesses looking to grow!" July 27, 2025 5.0 Been very pleased with the services as a well rounded provider. Would recommend for any and all new businesses just starting out that need assistance with Payroll, Bookkeeping, Accounting, Invoicing. This platform has enabled me to grow my business without the huge additional costs that other providers charge for features you're not ready for. Pros Invoicing options. Ability to collect payment on invoices. Connecting banking transactions and reconciliations. For a small business having a payroll program that's affordable and manageable while they take care of remittances and off boarding. Financial tracking for profit and loss reports is extremely helpful as well. Open chat system with questions and answers; If answers aren't readily available, the support team follows up with an email to assist. The automation with sync banking and categorizing expenses and income is vey useful for identifying balancing books keeping your tasks on track. Cons Not sure if it's been updated or integrated as of yet; the ability to have a schedule and dispatch for jobs related to the invoices. Alternatives considered [Jobber](https://www.capterra.com/p/127994/Jobber/)[Connecteam](https://www.capterra.com/p/153140/Connecteam/) Reason for choosing Wave Wave has a stand alone product that has Payroll built into the platform that doesn't out source to other providers. The other two companies do in fact want integrations into Quick books online or ADP and pay for additional features. Review Source Tim O. Partner Retail Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Wave is free but has limited customer support " March 6, 2026 2.0 If you want a free payroll and accounting provider, Wave fits the bill. If problems arise, you might be on your own and dealing with the consequences for months. Pros The starter edition is free which is awesome, you are able to process payroll, invoice clients and perform monthly accounting at no cost. There is a small fee for accepting credit card payments which is standard amongst other payment providers. Cons Customer support is non existent. Never thought this was a concern until Wave switched payroll processors and caused the system to crash. Wave went silent for weeks, only resolve was to email the company and those went unanswered. Had to turn to Redditt for workarounds, worst part was Wave never took responsibility for their mistake, switched to another provider which I pay for but willing to do so after my experience with Wave. Review Source KW Kristyne W. Travel Advisor Hospitality Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Meets most of my needs!" February 24, 2026 4.0 Pros Wave automatically imports my transactions from my financial accounts (bank accounts, credit card, etc.) to streamline my financial reporting. I love that I can see how much income, expenses, and profit I made in each period and compare it prior periods. My monthly subscription is $19, which feels like a great value. Cons I tried to set up a way to send invoices and receive payments through Wave, but even after I was approved, they removed my access due to a blanket assumption around travel agencies. I now need to use an alternative solution for invoicing and collecting payments. Alternatives considered [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) Reason for choosing Wave I chose Wave primarily for the easy integration with my financial accounts and lower cost compared to other services Review Source AC Aaron C. Founder and CEO Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best free invoicing and financial management platform in Canada" October 20, 2025 4.0 Pros Wave has very solid web and app platforms. It's easy to navigate and makes the quoting, invoicing, and payment processes very streamlined -- while accepting payments from all major credit cards in Canada. The free version is already very useful for businesses just starting out, or those that are still in the early growth phase, but they also have an affordable paid version that adds a suite of automations and expense / receipt management functions to further boost productivity. Cons The main thing I don't like about Wave is that they don't use standardized "GAAP terminology" for some of their financial management and reporting features. While this may make it more accessible to a certain user base, it actually makes it a bit confusing for me (who has a bit of formal CPA / accounting training). Alternatives considered [BILL Accounts Payable & Receivable](https://www.capterra.com/p/166559/BILL/)[FreshBooks](https://www.capterra.com/p/142390/FreshBooks/)[QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) Reason for choosing Wave Wave has a much cleaner, more modern interface that doesn't feel overly crowded or cluttered for a small / growing business. It's much easier to navigate vs platforms like Quickbooks. Review Source Ron W. Property Management, Development and Investment Real Estate Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Love Hate Relationship" December 7, 2025 3.0 Love the UI and wanted it to be a viable alternative to the other players in the bookkeeping/accounting market but it fell far short and failed in it’s current itteration. Love the free version but it’s super basic and limited but upgrading to paid version is very expensive when using it for more than 1 business and offers inadequate features to do the job vis-a-vis other competitors in the market. If … WAVE would add AI, connectivity to banks and credit cards, and features to operate multiple businesses in the paid subscription I’d use it. As my daily driver vs the competitors. Pros Ability to have multiple accounts/businesses (free version only) Value for the money Very user friendly Payments and invoicing features Cons Inability to have multiple accounts/businesses in paid version Poor Value for the money with paid version because each account requires additional pay subscription Lack of AI Categorization vs competitors Lack of connectivity ability to import Banks & Credit Cards transctions Switched from [Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/) Better UI, ease of use, invoicing and payment capability Review Source WEU William E U. Owner Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Wave Accounting App." January 28, 2026 5.0 I've been using WaveApps for several years now and have been very satisfied with the ease and accuracy of the site. I would recommend it to any small business as an excellent and cost-effective accounting site. It has many features that I don't take advantage of, but likely would if I had a larger business. I gave it 5 stars and would definitely recommend it. Pros I use the free Wave App. I bookkeep for two small businesses and the fact that is free is my favorite feature. I have generally had no issues with the program and when I did have one (the only one), the company support was able to resolve the issue for me in only one call and I've never had an issue again. Cons One feature that I would appreciate would be to have an auto-fill feature. For example, I have many entries that are identical except for the date and amount. It would be helpful if it could auto-fill a name or entry after it recognizes the first few letters. Switched from [QuickBooks Desktop](https://www.capterra.com/p/212058/QuickBooks-Desktop-Pro/) To save money, Waveapps was free, Intuit priced themselves out. It was a good service, but our needs were minimal and WaveApps met our needs ...and free Review Source VR Verified Reviewer owner and principal linguist Translation and Localization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "For a free version, it sure dots the i's and crosses the t's!" February 23, 2025 5.0 I've been a Wave customer for some years now. Although I've tried a couple of accounting systems simultaneously with using Wave, I always end up coming back to Wave. Pros Its free version comes with everything I need in order to keep accurate and up-to-date accounting books. It even lets me do foreign currency invoices, something that I don't find in other free accounting systems. Cons I can't really say; I think that this free version is quite generous in its offerings. I sure hope that Wave will keep it! Alternatives considered [Zoho Desk](https://www.capterra.com/p/169505/Zoho-Desk/)[QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) Reason for choosing Wave Wave's free version is just what I need. Switched from [Zoho Desk](https://www.capterra.com/p/169505/Zoho-Desk/)[QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) The Zoho free version didn't fill my needs. Although I liked QuickBooks, the price was too much for what I needed. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Owner Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Wave really is the way to go!" January 2, 2025 5.0 Once of the easiest programs, I honestly can't find anything to 'complain' about. Supper effective, easy, and the right features for a small business. Pros \-Very affordable for a single owner small business -EASY to use -Makes accounting anxiety free -You can hire professional bookkeeper if needed -Can add your accountant to the account with ease -Can invoice and track customer payments Cons \-Would love more categories for expenses Alternatives considered [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/)[Xero](https://www.capterra.com/p/120109/Xero/) Reason for choosing Wave I chose Wave for the ease of use, overall cost, and it's webbased. Switched from [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/)[Xero](https://www.capterra.com/p/120109/Xero/) Xero was increasing their fees and Quickbooks was too costly Review Source Erik S. CEO Logistics and Supply Chain Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Wave Review." January 11, 2025 4.0 The system is great cost effective not the easiest to use but great system overall. Pros The features in the platform are great. Simple to use not user friendly but easy to use. Cons Their platform doesn't integrate with other systems in the transportation industry. Alternatives considered [FreshBooks](https://www.capterra.com/p/142390/FreshBooks/)[TruckingOffice](https://www.capterra.com/p/122284/TruckingOffice/)[QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) Reason for choosing Wave There system do not integrate with transportations systems. Review Source AG Ana G. CEO Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great for small business bookkeeping" January 22, 2025 4.0 Wave is more useful for my bookkeeping than actually collecting payments - I would probably use the payroll option via wave is I ever need it again, just to keep things streamlined Pros I like how simple Wave is for reconciling all my business expenses and auto-categorizing, based on previous years. Invoicing is also fairly straightfoward. Cons Invoicing is great for one off invoices, but doesn't integrate with other apps and more automated checkout systems. It can become cumbersome to manage service inventory, having to create new 'products' for each custom service to then sift through. Alternatives considered [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/)[Zoho Expense](https://www.capterra.com/p/142384/Zoho-Expense/) Reason for choosing Wave Wave is free and VERY easy to setup and deploy. I don't have to be an accountant to be able to reconcile my own expenses as a small business owner. Review Source PP Perla P. CEO Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best software" February 17, 2025 5.0 I have had nothing but good experiences with Wave. Pros I like how easy it is to use and be able to have everything you need in one place Cons I have yet to find anything that i don't like yet Switched from [Square Point of Sale](https://www.capterra.com/p/275802/Square-Point-of-Sale/) more flexibility and easier to use. Also it was better for the money Review Source NB Nick B. President Management Consulting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Wave quietly removed transaction export from free accounts. Dealbreaker" February 1, 2026 2.0 Excellent for almost two years until doing my taxes this year and lost the ability to export transactions without upgrading my plan. I suggested them to many people, but now have to share the bad news with everyone on the free plan. Pros Ease to use software with reasonable functionality at the free tier for a single person LLC. Great value which helped manage based transactions. Cons Wave removed transaction level CSV export from free accounts and did not disclose the change. The UI still implies export should exist, but it’s now paywalled without warning. This breaks a core bookkeeping workflow: providing detailed expense records to a CPA for tax filing. The only export remaining is a summarized P&L, which is not a substitute for transaction detail in many cases. This feels like a dark pattern upsell rather than a product improvement. I wouldn’t recommend Wave anymore unless you’re prepared to pay just to retrieve your own data. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Accounting clerk Furniture Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Wave - where accounting flows as smooth as waves." July 30, 2025 4.0 My overall experience with wave is very good as it is very user friendly and very easy to learn it's functions. The design and graphics are very attractive which provides polished outputs be it invoicing or reporting. Pros The best part about wave is that it is very budget friendly and the user interface is very easy to use and navigate. Cons Customer support is terrible especially if you're a free user which does not serve the purpose of a complete software package. Inventory management is poor which makes reporting difficult. Review Source KM Kortnee M. Chief Executive Officer Executive Office Used the software for: 2+ years ### "It’s like Quickbooks but free " July 21, 2025 5.0 My overall experience with Wave has been pretty awesome. I’ve been able to reconcile accounts, categorize transactions, and more — for free. Pros I love that this software provides a comprehensive suite of accounting tools at little to no cost. It also allows you to manage personal and business accounts. Cons I most disliked the limited functionality when it comes to uploading bank statements. Some banks don't provide the formatting that Wave requires which is limiting for accounts with many transactions. Review Source JM Jenna M. Operations Design Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Good! Would reccomend. " March 16, 2026 5.0 I like this for simple and strightforward invoicing. I htink its great for small businesses and people starting out. Pros Easy to use and pretty conperhensive for invoicing and tracking. Easy to use for beginers. I would recommend. Cons Never hurts to have more features. Custom fees ect and more tracking would be great. Also an end date to invoicce reminders. Review Source RP Ryan P. Graphic Designer Design Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Easy to use and helpful in accounting" March 8, 2026 5.0 Overall, I found it very helpful. Wave has a clean, beginner-friendly interface. Even if you don’t have an accounting background, it’s relatively easy to connect bank accounts, categorize expenses, and generate reports. Pros One of the biggest advantages of Wave is that the core accounting features are free. For freelancers, photographers, and small service businesses, it allows you to track income, expenses, and basic financial reports without paying for a subscription. Cons Wave lacks some features found in more robust platforms like inventory management, detailed project costing, or advanced automation workflows. Review Source Marcin W. CEO Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fatal UX fail on onboarding!" January 27, 2026 1.0 Pros I'm a long-term premium customer. By accident, I used another Google email to log in. Now, I'm stuck at https://next.waveapps.com/onboarding and can't exit. It's a fatal UX fail. Review Source AG Annie G. Sr. Accountant Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Perfect for freelancers or small businesses" October 2, 2025 5.0 Pros Wave is great for freelancers and small business looking for a free or low cost option for submitting invoices and access to accounting tools. The reporting and dashboard functionality is easy to generate and great to track cash flow. The UI is also very easy and simple to use for someone who doesn't have any experience using an accounting tool. Cons Wave is mostly good if you are starting out in your small business as there are limited features compared to other accounting tools. It is a pretty basic tool and only offers simple things like tracking cash, expenses, submitting invoices and generating simple reports. Review Source GY Graham Y. Owner Operator Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Great software. Easy to use. " October 15, 2025 5.0 Wave was incredible. Used it for my first few months in business. The value you get for the little you pay is incredible and I will always recommend it to new business owners. Pros When I was just launching my business, I discovered wave. It was amazing when I was first starting out. The ease of use was pretty incredible. The payment system was great and I received my money fast. It was easy to track my jobs. For the price of Wave it was definitely a good value for my money. Cons I would’ve needed another software system. I switched to Jobber and it handles my appointments as well as my invoices. Review Source JM Jolly M. Data Associate Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Improved visibility, control and efficiency." December 2, 2024 4.0 Working smarter for quick and easy results with predictive analytics and insights. Pros Wave has the visibility and control needed across accounts payable, global payments, procurement and employee expenses to run business more efficiently and drive growth. It's users friendliness has been enhanced by the power of AI. Cons Personal designing of the dashboard is not desirable. It is also disappointing that some banks are not fully implementable on the software. Review Source JO John O. Finance Officer Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Wave: Robustious AP, AR & GL Automation GURU" January 28, 2025 5.0 Pros With Wave, I am able to automate complex accounting tasks such as billing and invoicing. Cons I do not experience challenges with Wave when running accounting projects. Review Source MHE Michael Herbert E. Furniture Salesperson Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Manage your finances " March 10, 2025 3.0 I have a very simple and easy process that I apply to my money control which on the whole has really helped me a lot Pros It is like a piece of cake, the creation of invoices is very fast and the bank sync functionality works well to connect automatically from my bank account to the application which in turn better helps me to manage my money properly Cons Why I am struggling to understand is that the interface is not as intuitive as I would like it to be Review Source AM Ashley M. Admin and Community Events Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy to Use! " March 25, 2025 5.0 Super simple to understand and easy to get started. Pros Wave is easy to use for invoicing. i like that I can update/change invoices as needed. Collecting payment from clients is easy as well, and they accept all major credit cards. Cons Everything was pretty good, the only thing that I would change is switch back to the old format of being able to easily copy the share link without having to click into two menus Review Source EM Eric M. Advisor and CCO Financial Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Wave Software " April 16, 2025 5.0 Overall good, it sufficient for a small business and has the essentials like balance sheet and P&L Pros I liked that the price point was much more competitive than say quickbooks. Cons It took a little while for them to get up to speed on all connections to bank accounts. Amex checking took multiple months to compile right Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.