Wave Pricing (2026)
Flat-rate per business — you pay one price regardless of how many users or transactions you have, which is a deliberate differentiator from per-seat tools like QuickBooks. The value metric is essentially 'running a business,' not headcount or usage volume.
- STARTER Plan
- $0/mo
- Pro Plan Popular
- $19/mo
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STARTER Plan
- Create unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records
- Option to accept online payments 2.9% + $0.60 per credit card transaction 3.4% + $0.60 per Amex transaction
- 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 2.9% + $0** per credit card transaction 3.4% + $0** per Amex transaction
- Auto-import bank transactions***
- Auto-merge and categorize bank transactions
- Digitally capture unlimited receipts and track expenses
- Automate late payment reminders
- And more!
AI Pricing Analysis
Pricing Model
Flat-rate per business — you pay one price regardless of how many users or transactions you have, which is a deliberate differentiator from per-seat tools like QuickBooks. The value metric is essentially 'running a business,' not headcount or usage volume.
Tier Strategy
Free is built for solo freelancers or micro-businesses who just need invoicing and basic accounting. The upgrade trigger is pretty clear: you need automated bank imports, better reporting, or you want to look more professional — that's when $19/mo starts making sense.
Competitive Positioning
Wave is firmly the budget-friendly play in small business accounting — going up against QuickBooks Simple Start (~$35/mo) and FreshBooks (~$19/mo), they're competitive on price but lead with the free tier as the real hook. They're targeting bootstrapped founders and solopreneurs who flinch at $50+/mo tools.
Growth Lever
The paywall protects features like automated bank reconciliation and receipt capture, but the real expansion engine is add-ons — payroll ($40+/mo), bookkeeping services ($136+/mo), and receipts ($8/mo) can stack fast. A small business that starts free could easily land at $180+/mo once they layer in payroll and Wave Advisors.
Want the strategist's read on the live page? Read the AI teardown of Wave's pricing page →
Wave Pricing FAQ
- How much does Wave cost?
- Paid plans start at $19/mo. You can get started on the free plan before committing.
- Is there a free plan?
- Yes. The "STARTER Plan" plan is free forever, not just a trial. You get create unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records, option to accept online payments 2.9% + $0.60 per credit card transaction 3.4% + $0.60 per amex transaction, invoice on-the-go with the mobile app — plus 1 more features. It's enough to evaluate the product before upgrading.
- Can I try it before paying?
- There's no trial per se, but the free plan lets you use the product indefinitely with some limits.
- How does the pricing work?
- Flat-rate per business — you pay one price regardless of how many users or transactions you have, which is a deliberate differentiator from per-seat tools like QuickBooks. The value metric is essentially 'running a business,' not headcount or usage volume.
- Is there a discount for annual billing?
- Yes — you save up to 17% if you pay annually instead of month-to-month. They also mention: "Save $38 with annual billing."
- Which plan makes sense for me?
- Free is built for solo freelancers or micro-businesses who just need invoicing and basic accounting. The upgrade trigger is pretty clear: you need automated bank imports, better reporting, or you want to look more professional — that's when $19/mo starts making sense.
More Accounting pricing
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QuickBooks Pricing
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Xero Pricing
Online accounting for small businesses.
From $25/mo Free trial -
FreshBooks Pricing
Invoicing and accounting for freelancers.
From $23/mo Free trial -
Invoice Ninja Pricing
Open-source invoicing for freelancers.
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Karbon Pricing
Practice management for accounting firms.
From $79/mo -
Pilot Pricing
Bookkeeping and CFO services.
From $99/mo -
Puzzle Pricing
Accounting built for startups.
See pricing -
Sage Accounting Pricing
Accounting for small businesses.
See pricing
Comparing Wave to something specific? Try Wave vs QuickBooks, Wave vs Xero, or Wave vs FreshBooks.
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