Wave Bookkeeping Software: Features, Benefits & Review 2025

It’s perfect for busy entrepreneurs who’d rather focus on their work than wrestle with software. Your data is backed up and secure, so you can relax knowing your financial records won’t disappear like socks in a dryer. No software to install, no files to lose when your computer decides to crash.

• This will help you understand how the invoicing system works, from creation to payment tracking.
• Wave is a strong fit for freelancers and small business owners who want reliable accounting software without paying subscription fees.
• I am an ambassador of you guys – I always share your platform to my clients – be it business people or general people – I love your work and I am very very very glad that I came across Wave!

Import, categorize, and reconcile your transactions and stay organized, painlessly.

Wave Advisors are trained in-house professionals in bookkeeping, accounting and Wave features. Xero is responsive and intuitive, with core accounting features in billing, invoicing, purchasing, and expense tracking. Users will not need an accounting background to learn Wave, which features in-app contextual guidance to explain common financial processes.

This is where your connected bank feeds come in. Wave automatically saves customer and vendor info as you create invoices and bills. Instead of typing items every time, set up a catalog for recurring products or services. If you send quotes before starting work, Wave lets you create estimates that can later convert into invoices. Let’s say you’re a freelance designer billing a client intuit small business payroll for a completed project.

Imagine an Indian founder launching a Shopify store in the U.S. and using Wave to automate invoicing, track expenses, and generate monthly reports. This is also the time to check compliance, which confirms that all your business expenses are legitimate and properly documented. Here’s a simple 4-week plan to help you build strong bookkeeping habits and take full control of your business finances. This can make DIY bookkeeping easy, but if your business grows or your finances get complex, bring in an expert.

• Meru Accounting has certified accountants who help companies manage their books, stay organized, and keep their finances accurate and up to date.
• 80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
• We’ll cover setup and onboarding, daily workflows, troubleshooting & best practices, and a weekly plan to help you build bookkeeping habits with Wave.

Balance Sheet: Think of it as a snapshot of what your business owns and owes.

Your Profit & Loss or Balance Sheet reports seem off, usually because of uncategorized or deleted transactions. Once from a bank feed and once entered manually. Here’s how you can troubleshoot the most common problems beginners face,  and where to get help if you’re stuck. Even though Wave is designed to be simple, you may run into small issues while syncing data or reconciling accounts. Wave’s Reports tab gives you a clear picture of your business performance.

Invoices: Creating, Sending & Automating Payments

In Wave, you can create and send professional invoices within minutes. Invoices are at the heart of getting paid. Spend a few minutes clicking around to see where features live. After logging in, head to the Settings tab to customize your business profile. It won’t solve all your problems or walk your dogs, but it’ll make your financial life a whole lot easier.

Automate Recurring Entries & Transaction Rules

With Bookkeeping, you outsource your bookkeeping to us and let the pros handle it. “Very easy so far. I like that I don’t have to do it myself and worry about whether everything balances, etc.” Most of my clients pay with credit cards using the secure link on the invoice.

Products & Services Catalog: Speed Up Your Workflows

Wave’s smart dashboard organizes your income, expenses, payments, and invoices. New design is …very good… As a accounting professional… Some features still missing… But new start is very good… Additionally, it’s limited in integrations, so it does not provide the scalability for more popular financial software like QuickBooks. Wave is a top pick for the accounting and information technology industries, and it’s one of the lower-priced options for its capabilities.

The payment usually posts to your account in one to two business days. Wave’s expense-tracking tools make it easy to stay organized without feeling bogged down in bookkeeping. Wave’s invoicing feature is simple what is accumulated depreciation but effective for freelancers and solo business owners.

While Wave’s payment and payroll features are region-specific, the core accounting tools, like invoicing, expense tracking, and reporting, work in most countries. Start by creating your Wave account, setting your currency and tax preferences, and connecting your bank or credit card. Wave allows you to accept payments directly through your invoices, so clients can pay via credit card or bank transfer without leaving the invoice email. According to Intuit, 21% of small business owners say bookkeeping and accounting are among the most stressful parts of running their business. Wave’s core features—accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning—are free.

Yes, you can easily invite your accountant or bookkeeper to collaborate on your account. Both plans come with the ability to run payroll or hire a bookkeeper. However, I do not like that users of the free plan do not have access to chat or email support.

Wave vs QuickBooks

Drag-and-drop editing makes it easy to customize! You can also get it as a mobile app to take pictures of receipts and upload them, send reminders for invoices you have out. I am an ambassador of you guys – I always share your platform to my clients – be it business people or general people – I love your work and discounted payback period I am very very very glad that I came across Wave!

Should you need to upgrade to a more advanced solution, Wave makes it easy to migrate your data into another system. Overall, Wave is a smart, inexpensive choice for new companies that plan to stay relatively small. For both packages, there is an additional $6 fee per active employee or independent contractor paid. Additionally, it charges 1% per transaction ($1 min fee) for bank transactions. Wave charges 2.9% + $0.60 per credit card transaction and 3.4% + $0.60 per AMEX transaction. Wave allows you to track multiple businesses, while QuickBooks charges you for an additional subscription.

It’s a free, beginner-friendly accounting tool built for people who aren’t accountants, by only giving you the essentials. You might even have time to enjoy that coffee while it’s still hot. So, if you’re like Noah, staring at a pile of receipts and dreading tax season, give Wave a shot. The free plan is a steal, the interface is a breeze, and the time it saves is worth more than gold (or at least a really good latte). If you’re running a multinational corporation with a team of accountants, you’ll probably need something heavier, like QuickBooks or Xero.

We recommend Wave for small businesses, freelancers, and startups with less than ten employees. This change sparked frustration among some users, especially as features like automatic transaction imports were placed behind a paywall. This platform also provides customers with basic financial reporting and automated payment reminders. Form Your Construction Business with doola today. Join millions of self-starters in getting business resources, tips, and inspiring stories in your inbox. We form your U.S. business in any of the 50 states and ensure it stays 100% compliant.

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Learn more about changing subscription periods and plan types in our Help Center. Wave’s tools are web-based, so you just need an Internet connection and browser—no installation is necessary for our online software! Plus, our features are designed to work together, meaning less to worry about. Our invoicing process would be lost without it! “Wave makes your life a whole lot easier and takes that worry off you. I’ve tried Quickbooks—it’s a bit more complicated and technical, and takes more time to set up.”