Wave vs Xero Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
STARTER Plan
- Create unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records
- Option to accept online payments
- Invoice on-the-go with the mobile app
- Manage cash flow and customers in one dashboard
Pro Plan
Popular- Option to accept online payments at a discounted rate
- Auto-import bank transactions
- Auto-merge and categorize bank transactions
- Digitally capture unlimited receipts and track expenses
- Automate late payment reminders
Early
- Send quotes and 20 invoices†
- Accept online invoice payments^
- 5 bills
- Reconcile bank transactions
- Smart Document Capture
- View real-time reports
- W-9 + 1099 management
- Sales tax
- Visualize performance with basic graphs
- 30 day cash flow forecast
- Make online bill payments (Domestic - Free ACH)
- Make online bill payments (Cross Border)
Growing
- Send invoices and quotes
- Automate bill entry and track bills
- Auto-reconcile bank transactions
- Visualize performance with graphs
- 60 day cash flow forecast
- Customize performance dashboards
- Tailored financial health scorecards
Established
Popular- 180 day cash flow forecast
- Analyze KPIs and ratios
- Use multiple currencies
- Track time and costs for projects
- Employee expense and mileage claims
- Benchmark against the industry
- Make online bill payments (International)
Wave vs Xero FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- Wave starts lower at $19/mo, compared to $25/mo for Xero.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Wave has a free plan. Xero doesn't — you'll need to pay from day one.
- How do they charge?
- Both use a flat-rate model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Wave: This is a budget play through and through, undercutting QuickBooks and Xero by a wide margin — those run $30-90+/mo before add-ons. Wave's betting that freelancers and micro-businesses will trade some polish and depth for a near-free (or literally free) tool, then get sticky enough to pay $19 once cash flow allows. Xero: Xero sits mid-pack against QuickBooks and FreshBooks — not the budget option, not the enterprise play, just a straightforward all-in-one for small business owners who want unlimited users without per-seat penalties. That no-free-trial, no-freemium stance is a bet that the 90%-off intro offer converts better than a trial funnel.
Still deciding? See the best Wave alternatives or the best Xero alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
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