--- title: "Wave Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Wave the right Billing and Invoicing solution for you? Explore 1729 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/178021/Wave-Apps/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- Wave 4.4 (1729) [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 August 26th, 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 ek emir k PrincipalEnvironmental Services, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “My customer paid through Wave by ACH/bank payment, and the funds were withdrawn from the customer, but Wave did not release the payment to my business account.“ June 25, 2026 Ron W Property Management, Development and InvestmentReal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 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 CV Criselen V OwnerApparel & Fashion, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It lets me save customer info and items with their price so that I can easily add it when making a new invoice.“ August 30, 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 CB Craig B OwnerAccounting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Uptime and use are great - I have a few low volume clients and non-profits that cannot afford the other packages - now they are charging for services that were included in the free package - not cool!“ May 7, 2026 KS Kathryn S Coach and ConsultantProfessional Training & Coaching, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Wave's integration with my bank has not always worked effectively, and that has caused some problems.“ February 25, 2026 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 1729 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 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 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 NC Nilsa C. Music Therapist, Owner Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Excellent for small business owners! " May 24, 2026 5.0 Overall, I have nothing but positive feedback and have recommended the software to some of my small biz owner friends. Pros What I like most about wave is how it's helped me organize my sole-proprietor finances without costing me anything. I did try the receipt scanning feature which is less than$10 a month, and enjoyed it, but don't need it at the moment. The invoices are super professional and at the end of the month I download the data and categorize it as needed. I like how I can ask to consult a bookkeeper at any given time! Cons What I like least is that I can't select multiple invoices to mark as paid or duplicate at once. This slows me down when I'm invoicing or reconciling accounts. Switched from [QuickBooks Solopreneur](https://www.capterra.com/p/212141/QuickBooks-Self-Employed/) It was too expensive for my practice needs. 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. Review Source JL Joseph L. Principal Public Relations and Communications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "An excellent resource for you and your accountant " April 28, 2026 5.0 Excellent in every way as I have used it for now 3 tax years without complaint from either myself or my accountant who works with what I send over in Wave. Pros Easy to input information and create my own financial Reports, and my accountant has no issues with importing my entries over for his own purposes to prepare my company’s yearly Return Cons Candidly, there is nothing to complain about. Regardless of your level of sophistication, you will find a benefit in using it. Switched from [QuickBooks Enterprise](https://www.capterra.com/p/174984/QuickBooks-Enterprise/) Cost comparison verses competitors made this the best choice 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 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 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 KC Kimberly C. Administrative Consultant Executive Office Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Affordable Invoicing Option" December 28, 2025 3.0 Pros 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. Cons Even though the version I had was free, I didn’t like that I couldn’t take off their logo on my invoices without paying for a higher tier plan. Alternatives considered [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/) Reason for choosing Wave It was the only option ai could afford before I had my first client. Review Source JH Junaid H. CEO Furniture Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Deliverd Wave Review" March 24, 2025 5.0 Its an awesome software to automate workflow processes and reduce manual work. Very easy to use app. Pros Seamless job scheduling, invoicing, and payment methods. It can track expenses as well. Cons It is not adaptable with other apps to automate processes. And doesnt have great job time-tracking features. Switched from [Fieldd](https://www.capterra.com/p/203654/Fieldd/) We wanted to try a cheaper option. But we ended up going back to Fieldd as it had real-time driver GPS tracking, which was essential for us. 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 LRM Lucas Rafael M. CEO Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Payouts on hold. Terrible support." February 6, 2025 3.0 Maybe you should try Quickbooks instead. Pros App is great for basic accounting and bookkeeping. Cons Terrible support. We use their invoicing system and our payouts are on hold for weeks and all we here is we must wait. We already provided all documents of identification etc, but no solution was given Alternatives considered [QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/)[Xero](https://www.capterra.com/p/120109/Xero/) Reason for choosing Wave Worked with in a previous company. Already used to it. Review Source CW Chris W. Web Supervisor Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Wave provides agencies a clear and seamless payment processing interface." July 11, 2025 5.0 Wave is a key part of our workflow. We use the software to manage payments, send invoices, and review departmental goals. All of the information is clearly laid out and easy to understand Pros Wave provides simple and seamless invoice building and sending! Being able to store commonly used line items is a boon for our agency. Cons Wave's systems are only as good as your internal data management/accounting. Our team has struggled in onboarding new clients or contractors at times where our SOPs were not clear enough to have uniform data entry across invoicing. Review Source NK Naveed K. Managing Principal Management Consulting Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Lot of Promise, Failure to Execute" October 21, 2025 2.0 Wave was ridiculously cumbersome. Payroll was a problem. Accounting was a problem. Expense tracking was unnecessarily complex. I do like the invoice generation, but that is it. I wouldn't suggest this product. Pros The automatic invoice generation and tracking was good. The cash flow graphics could be helpful if all of your finances are tied to the same system. Cons The payroll feature itself was really confusing. I left Wave because of the payroll feature, and I maintain it simply for invoice generation. I didn't find their expense coding process to be very user friendly. The difficulty began very early when the direct deposit process was entirely too cumbersome and took an extremely amount of time. The Wave bookkeeping method was not intuitive - listing out every possible account you can possibly add as well as CASH ON HAND - an account that is a default and has no real application. Nobody is paying me cash for five figure services in 2025. Furthermore, the whole system was duplicative. A payment is registering as paid because it's tied to my checking account, but then is pinging me saying this invoice is not paid, so I mark it as paid, and then WAVE tells me I've been paid twice. Duplicative and unhelpful. It didn't take more than six weeks for me to leave this product screaming. 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 CV Criselen V. Owner Apparel & Fashion Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Practical and easy to understand" August 30, 2025 4.0 I use it for pretty basic invoices since I have a small business and its just what I need. There is a premium option but for what I need it, its enough Pros It lets me save customer info and items with their price so that I can easily add it when making a new invoice. Cons Before it would let you send a reminder of an invoice from wave itself but now it sends it as a link from your email 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 SK Sheila K. Admin Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Wave Review" May 20, 2026 5.0 My overall experience with wave was very good it also produced very nice invoices. The free tools that wave offers is also a very good Plus. Pros What I liked about wave the most would be the pricing, it seemed I could easily figure things out. Also was easily able to connect the bank to the software. Cons What I like the least about the wave software was it wasn't very good for what I needed it for as far as inventory tracking would go. Review Source �J 💥Tanisha J. Small Business Cash Flow Strategist Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy to use, great accounting software" September 4, 2025 4.0 I like it. It's easy to use, and saves me a lot of time when it comes to accounting for my business. It's user friendly and easy to follow. Pros It's a great accounting system for those on a low cost budget who don't have many needs for customization or high level tracking. It's easy to use as well. Cons It's not very customizable. If filing 1099s, it only will do specific States. It takes a few business days to receive payment in your bank account. Review Source GS Guerline S. Payroll Office Manager Telecommunications Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The easiest transaction software" August 14, 2025 5.0 Pros Wave is free, simple, and ideal for small businesses. It makes it easy to manage invoices, payments, and reports without hassle. Cons The tool quickly reaches its limits for more advanced accounting. Some features are restricted to North American users. 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 MH Marcus H. CEO Internet Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great experience with great features - for free" December 28, 2024 5.0 My overall experience with Wave has been very positive. Everything works seamlessly, from invoicing to expense tracking, and the interface is intuitive and user-friendly. It’s a reliable platform that makes managing finances straightforward and stress-free. The only small inconvenience is that the business selection doesn’t stay permanent. After logging in, I have to manually switch to the correct business every time, which adds an unnecessary step to the process. Aside from this, Wave has been an excellent tool for managing my business finances. Pros One of Wave’s standout advantages is that its core accounting features are entirely free. For small business owners, freelancers, or entrepreneurs, this means you can manage your accounting, invoicing, and expense tracking without a subscription fee. Unlike many competitors, Wave offers a robust and user-friendly platform at no cost, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious users who need reliable financial tools without hidden expenses. Cons Actually not much comes into my mind. They changed their free basic plan that you cannot send emails now - invoices or reminders. But that seems totally fair. 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.