Wave — Genuinely free accounting and invoicing for freelancers and very small businesses — pay only for payments and payroll.
Verdict
Wave is the best free accounting software for freelancers and very small businesses: real double-entry accounting, unlimited invoicing, and expense tracking at no cost. You pay only for payment processing and payroll. It is light on advanced features and integrations, but for simple needs the value is unbeatable.
Real-world ratings (third-party)
The rating above is DigiJaws’s own editorial verdict. Here’s how it scores on independent review platforms, pulled directly from each platform as of 2026-08-06:
Ratings and review counts change as new reviews come in — check the linked platform for the live number. We don’t (yet) run our own on-site review collection, so we cite third-party aggregators for independent signal.
Overview
Wave offers free accounting and invoicing with unlimited invoices, income and expense tracking, and basic reports. It makes money on payment processing and its payroll add-on. A paid Pro plan adds automatic bank imports, receipt scanning, and branding removal. It is ideal for solopreneurs and micro-businesses that want legitimate bookkeeping without a subscription.
Watch: official demo
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Starter (Free) | $0 | Freelancers and micro-businesses — unlimited invoicing & accounting |
| Pro | $19/mo | Auto bank imports, receipt scanning, remove branding |
| Payments | Per-transaction fees | Accepting online card/bank payments |
| Payroll | From $40/mo + $6/employee | US/Canada payroll add-on |
Ratings
| Overall | 4 / 5 |
| Ease of use | 4.5 / 5 |
| Features | 3.8 / 5 |
| Value | 4.7 / 5 |
| Support | 3.7 / 5 |
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Genuinely free core accounting
- Unlimited invoicing
- Real double-entry bookkeeping
- Great for freelancers/micro-businesses
- Simple and easy to use
Cons
- Limited advanced features
- Few integrations
- Support is thinner on free plan
- Payroll/payments cost extra
Who it’s for
Great for: freelancers and very small businesses that want legitimate accounting for free.
Not ideal for: growing or product businesses needing depth and integrations (use QuickBooks/Xero).
Top use cases
- Free bookkeeping for freelancers
- Unlimited invoicing
- Expense and income tracking
- Accepting online payments
- Small-business payroll (add-on)
Integrations
Wave Payments, Wave Payroll, Stripe (limited), Bank connections
Alternatives
FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zoho Books
Recent developments
Wave has continued refining its Pro tier and AI-assisted bookkeeping while keeping the core accounting free.
Frequently asked questions
Does Wave have a free plan?
Yes — Wave’s core accounting and invoicing is genuinely free with unlimited invoices and expense tracking; you only pay for payment processing fees, the optional Pro plan ($19/mo), or the payroll add-on (from $40/mo + $6/employee).
Why is Wave free when most accounting software charges a subscription?
Wave makes its money on payment-processing fees and its payroll add-on rather than a core software subscription, which is why the core bookkeeping and invoicing tools have no monthly fee.
Is Wave better than QuickBooks Online?
Wave is the stronger pick for freelancers and very small businesses that want free, legitimate double-entry accounting with light needs; QuickBooks Online has far deeper features, integrations, and scalability for growing or product-based businesses — see our QuickBooks Online review for the comparison.
What is Wave’s rating on G2 and Capterra?
As of 2026-08-06, Wave holds 4.3/5 on G2 (328 reviews) and 4.4/5 on Capterra (1,727 reviews). See the ratings table above for links to the live pages.
Sources
Pricing and features were last verified June 2026 and may change. Always confirm current details on the vendor’s site.
Wave Review (2026): Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons. DigiJaws, 2026. https://digijaws.com/reviews/wave-review/