Wave is invoicing and bookkeeping software with a genuinely free Starter plan and a low cost Pro plan at $19 a month that adds bank import and automatic categorization. It is a good starting point for freelancers and very small service businesses. It is light on AI, its free plan has no bank feeds, and user reviews raise real concerns about support and payment holds.
What Wave is
Wave is web based accounting software for small businesses, made by Wave Financial Inc. Wave home ↗. It covers accounting, invoicing and estimates, online payments, receipt scanning, payroll and a mobile app for iOS and Android Wave home ↗. It also sells hands on help through Wave Advisors, its bookkeeping, accounting and payroll experts Wave home ↗.
Wave says more than 300,000 small businesses use it; another heading on the same page says 350,000 Wave home ↗.
On AI, Wave is modest. Its home page does not mention AI features Wave home ↗. The closest thing is the Pro plan's automatic merging and categorizing of imported bank transactions, plus receipt capture Wave pricing ↗. Hands on testing is in progress.
What it does well
A real free plan. Starter costs nothing and includes unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records, plus invoicing from the mobile app Wave pricing ↗. For a freelancer sending a few invoices a month, that may be all you need.
Cheap automation. Pro, at $19 a month or $190 a year, adds automatic bank import through Plaid where supported, auto merge and categorization of transactions, unlimited receipt capture and full reports Wave pricing ↗. That is less than half the list price of QuickBooks Simple Start QuickBooks pricing ↗.
Simple invoicing. You can send recurring invoices, take deposits, and let clients pay by card, bank transfer or Apple Pay Wave home ↗. Late payment reminders are automated once online payments are turned on Wave pricing ↗.
Professional branding on Pro. Pro removes Wave branding from invoice footers and adds your logo and brand colors Wave pricing ↗.
A human backup. Wave Advisors offers hands off bookkeeping starting at $149 a month, with Pro features included Wave pricing ↗.
Where it falls short
The free plan is manual. Starter does not import or categorize bank transactions, and receipt capture is a paid add on Wave pricing ↗.
Little AI. Beyond auto categorization on Pro, Wave does not describe AI features Wave pricing ↗ Wave home ↗. QuickBooks, Zoho Books and Digits all offer AI assistants or agents QuickBooks pricing ↗ Zoho Books pricing ↗ Digits pricing ↗.
Card fees add up. Starter charges 2.9 percent plus $0.60 per card payment and 3.4 percent plus $0.60 for Amex Wave pricing ↗. Pro waives the $0.60 only on the first 10 transactions a month Wave pricing ↗.
Support concerns. Wave has a 3.2 out of 5 TrustScore on Trustpilot from 552 reviews, with 48 percent one star Trustpilot ↗. The most common complaint is slow or missing support, and several reviewers report account lockouts, payment holds and frozen funds Trustpilot ↗. Wave had not replied to negative reviews Trustpilot ↗.
Limited support hours. Live chat and email support come with paid add ons, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 4:45 PM Eastern Wave pricing ↗.
Pricing and plans
Starter: free. Unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and records, limited reports, and free users for a payroll manager or tax pro Wave pricing ↗.
Pro: $19 a month or $190 a year in the US ($25 or $250 CAD), priced per business Wave pricing ↗. Adds bank auto import, auto categorization, unlimited receipts, full reports, admin, editor and viewer users, and branding control Wave pricing ↗. Wave has run intro offers, such as $9.50 a month for the first 3 months Wave pricing ↗.
Payments: 2.9 percent plus $0.60 per card on Starter, with the $0.60 waived for the first 10 card payments a month on Pro Wave pricing ↗.
Add ons: receipts for Starter users at $11 a month or $96 a year, payroll from $25 a month, and Wave Advisors from $149 a month Wave pricing ↗. Wave's page lists a second set of lower and higher figures without clear labels, so check at checkout Wave pricing ↗.
Trial: no free trial is listed; Wave suggests the free Starter plan for trying it out Wave pricing ↗.
Who should (and shouldn't) use it
- Good fit: freelancers and solo service businesses that mainly need invoicing.
- Good fit: very small businesses that want bank import and categorization for $19 a month.
- Skip it if: you want an AI assistant that answers questions about your books.
- Skip it if: you take many card payments and depend on fast access to funds.
- Skip it if: you need inventory, multi currency or project accounting.
Alternatives worth a look
- QuickBooks Online: our top pick, from $38 a month with AI categorization and AI agents QuickBooks pricing ↗.
- Zoho Books: free up to $50,000 in yearly revenue, with Standard at $15 a month billed yearly and the Zia AI assistant Zoho Books pricing ↗.
- Digits: AI first bookkeeping from $65 a month with a 30 day free trial Digits pricing ↗.
Where it appears
ComparedThe Best AI Bookkeeping Software for Small BusinessesWhat’s good
- Free plan with unlimited invoices
- Cheap Pro plan
- Optional human bookkeeper
What to know
- No bank import on free plan
- Few AI features
Key features
- Unlimited invoices, estimates and bills
- Auto import and categorization of bank transactions (Pro)
- Receipt capture with OCR (Pro or add-on)
- Automated late payment reminders (Pro)
Works with
Questions people ask
Is Wave really free?
Yes. The Starter plan is free with unlimited invoices and records. Bank import, auto categorization and receipts cost extra Wave pricing ↗.
How much does Wave Pro cost?
$19 a month or $190 a year in the US, per business Wave pricing ↗.
Does Wave use AI?
Only lightly. Pro automatically merges and categorizes imported bank transactions, but Wave does not advertise an AI assistant Wave pricing ↗ Wave home ↗.
What are Wave's credit card fees?
2.9 percent plus $0.60 per card payment and 3.4 percent plus $0.60 for Amex on Starter. Pro drops the $0.60 for the first 10 payments each month Wave pricing ↗.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. Hands on testing is in progress.
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