Ready To Leave Wave? Here Are The Best Wave Alternatives

Best for small to medium-sized businesses in need of full-featured, scalable accounting software with ample features and built-in lending.

QuickBooks Online is one of the biggest names in accounting — and for good reason. The software has an incredible number of features, strong accounting, good payroll and tax support, and tons of integrations. It's no wonder, then, that QuickBooks Online is the top alternative for Wave. QBO also offers business funding with its built-in financing option, QuickBooks Capital, a service that Wave no longer provides.

QuickBooks Online is ideal for small businesses looking for comprehensive accounting software and is a great option for businesses that have outgrown Wave or need a project management feature.

QuickBooks Online Pricing

QuickBooks offers three pricing plans ranging from $30-$90/month and a fourth larger plan called QuickBooks Online Advanced, which costs $200/month. The larger the plan, the more features and number of users you are allowed. Payments are made monthly, and no annual contracts are required. Payroll costs an additional $45-$125/month plus $6-$10/month per employee.

QuickBooks Online Features

QuickBooks Online offers an incredible number of features. Some of the advanced features are restricted to the more expensive version of the software. Here are some of QuickBooks Online's features:

• Invoicing
• Estimates
• Contact management
• Expense tracking
• Bank reconciliation
• Accounts payable
• Chart of accounts
• Inventory
• Time tracking
• Project management
• Over 80 reports
• Budgeting
• Tax support

How QuickBooks Online Compares To Wave

QuickBooks Online and Wave have similar offerings. Both provide invoicing, contact management, expense tracking, and accounts payable. However, QuickBooks Online offers better invoice templates and automations, more reports, more developed time tracking, inventory features, a project management feature, and even lending services. QuickBooks Online also has far more integrations than Wave.

The only things Wave has that QuickBooks doesn't are a free pricing plan and a lightweight eCommerce tool called Checkouts. Granted, Wave is also a lot easier to use than QuickBooks Online.

QBO is a great choice for business owners who were drawn to Wave for its invoicing but want more features and additional users without sacrificing ease of use. While it's more expensive than Wave's $0/month, your money goes a long way in terms of features. For our full comparison guide, check out Wave vs. QuickBooks Online.

Best for small businesses willing to pay a premium for excellent mobile apps and customer support.

FreshBooks has been a long-time favorite of small businesses, and with the recent addition of double-entry accounting, this cloud-based software is finally a full-fledged accounting solution. The software is easy to use, boasts incredible customer support, and has strong mobile apps.

FreshBooks is ideal for small businesses that don't want or need the complexity of QuickBooks and are looking for an easy-to-use basic accounting solution.

FreshBooks Pricing

FreshBooks offers three pricing plans ranging from $15-$50/month. The larger the plan, the more features you have access to; the smallest plan lacks double-entry accounting, so only the two more expensive plans work as a complete accounting solution. Payments are made monthly, and additional users cost $10/month.

FreshBooks Features

FreshBooks' features aren't as numerous or developed as other options (such as QuickBooks Online or Zoho Books), but the software still has a lot to offer, including an incredibly well-developed proposals feature. Here are some of the features you can expect with FreshBooks:

• Invoicing
• Estimates
• Proposals
• Contact management
• Expense tracking
• Charts of accounts
• Items
• Time tracking
• Project management
• Reports

How FreshBooks Compares To Wave

FreshBooks and Wave both offer easy-to-use software with professional invoices and good expense tracking. They each offer contact management, strong client portals, and time tracking as well.

There are a few places where FreshBooks outshines Wave. FreshBooks has more robust mobile apps, far better customer support, and 200+ integrations as opposed to Wave's four. FreshBooks also offers project management and the option to add more users. Of course, you're paying for these at a premium instead of Wave's free monthly cost.

If you were drawn to Wave's ease of use and invoicing, FreshBooks matches those features and adds far better customer support and mobile apps, which may make up for the more expensive cost.

Best for small businesses looking for affordable, full-featured accounting software with great mobile apps and international invoicing.

Zoho Books is the silent underdog of the accounting world. While not as well-known as QuickBooks or Xero, the software offers almost all the same features at a much more affordable cost. Add strong mobile apps, excellent customer service, and some of the best invoicing on the market, and Zoho Books becomes a great contender for businesses looking for a Wave alternative.

Zoho Books is ideal for small businesses needing affordable accounting software with strong accounting and a good selection of features. The software is also great for international invoicing.

Zoho Books Pricing

Zoho Books offers six affordable pricing plans ranging from $0-$275/month. The larger the plan, the more invoices, features, and user seats you have access to. Payments are made monthly, although there is a discount for purchasing an annual subscription.

Zoho Books Features

Zoho Books' feature set gives programs such as QuickBooks Online and Xero a run for their money. The software also offers the best invoicing capabilities on the market and many time-saving automations. Here are the features you can expect with Zoho Books:

• Invoicing
• Estimates
• Contact management
• Expense tracking
• Bank reconciliation
• Chart of accounts
• Accounts payable
• Inventory
• Time tracking
• Project management
• Reports
• Tax support
• Send invoices in multiple languages

How Zoho Books Compares To Wave

Zoho Books and Wave have many similarities when it comes to invoicing, expense tracking, contact management, and ease of use. Both programs are well-loved by users and receive positive customer reviews.

However, Zoho Books offers more features, stronger mobile apps, and better customer support. Zoho Books has unbeatable invoicing with 16 templates to choose from, numerous customizations, auto-scheduling for invoices, and can even send invoices in multiple languages. The software also offers better time tracking, inventory, and a project management feature.

The only drawback of Zoho Books is that its payroll options are very limited. If you need payroll, you can integrate Zoho Books with Zoho Payroll or use the SurePayroll integration, but both options require paying for an additional service.

Zoho Books could be a worthy Wave alternative if you're looking for more features without the high cost of QBO so long as you don't need payroll.

Best for freelancers and independent contractors who need to manage their expenses, deductions, and self-employment taxes.

When it comes to managing their businesses, and especially their taxes, freelancers have a particular set of needs. QuickBooks Self-Employed was designed to address those needs by providing expense tracking, tax support, deduction tracking, and even a direct Turbo Tax integration for filing taxes online through QBSE.

While QuickBooks Self-Employed isn't accounting software, this easy-to-use tax software is a great option for freelancers and independent contractors in need of affordable bookkeeping and tax support.

QuickBooks Self-Employed Pricing

QuickBooks offers three different pricing plans ranging from $20-$40/month. The main difference between the plans is that the second tier gives you access to Turbo Tax, and the third tier includes live tax support from a CPA.

QuickBooks Self-Employed Features

QuickBooks Self-Employed's features are geared directly toward freelancers and address common self-employment issues, such as managing expenses, tracking deductions, and handling estimated quarterly taxes. Here are the features QuickBooks Self-Employed offers:

• Invoicing
• Estimates
• Client portal
• Expense tracking
• Track deductions
• Fixed asset depreciation
• Reports
• Tax checklist
• Tax support

How QuickBooks Self-Employed Compares To Wave

QuickBooks Self-Employed and Wave are a bit tricky to compare because they are completely different programs for different audiences. Wave is an accounting program designed for small businesses. QuickBooks Self-Employed is tax software with some bookkeeping and accounting features tossed in.

While Wave is a great free app for small businesses, freelancers have their own unique business and accounting needs. QuickBooks Self-Employed offers invoicing, estimates, and expense tracking like Wave, but it adds key features, such as tax deductions, self-employment tax calculations, and the ability to track deductions.

If you were drawn to Wave because of its price, QuickBooks Self-Employed and its features are designed specifically for you at a small monthly cost. The software is a great choice for freelancers needing extra help managing their business and staying tax compliant without spending tons of money or hours to do so.

Best for small businesses looking for free invoicing software with ample automations and light eCommerce tools.

Invoice Ninja is an easy-to-use invoicing solution with advanced invoicing features, over 40 payment gateway integrations, and good customer service. The software was founded as recently as 2014 but is already making an impact with its impressive feature set and free pricing plan.

Invoice Ninja is ideal for small businesses that need invoicing and basic financial management but aren't quite ready for a full-on accounting program such as Wave.

Invoice Ninja Pricing

Invoice Ninja offers free, open-source invoicing software for users who want to download and self-host the program.

For users looking for cloud-based software, Invoice Ninja offers one free plan and two paid plans starting at $10 and $14/month. The free plan features unlimited invoices for up to 100 clients. The paid plans add more clients, advanced features, and multiple users. Payments are made monthly, although there is a discount for purchasing an annual subscription.

Invoice Ninja Features

For invoicing software, Invoice Ninja offers a surprising number of features and plenty of business automations. Some of the advanced features are restricted to the more expensive version of the software. Here are some of the most notable features:

• Invoicing
• Estimates
• Contact management
• Expense tracking
• Items
• Project management
• Reports
• Listening commands
• eCommerce buttons

How Invoice Ninja Compares To Wave

Since Invoice Ninja is solely invoicing software, Wave has Invoice Ninja beat on the accounting front. Invoice Ninja is not accounting software, as it does not offer double-entry accounting, accounting reports, journal entries, or bank reconciliation.

However, Invoice Ninja has Wave beat in terms of invoicing. Invoice Ninja offers more invoice templates that are highly customizable. Invoice Ninja also provides a basic project management feature, which Wave lacks. Additionally, Invoice Ninja has more payment processing options, better customer service, and a cool listening commands feature.

Both programs support expense tracking, client portals, items, and a similar number of reports. Invoice Ninja is also the only other software to offer an eCommerce feature similar to Wave's Checkouts. Wave, however, has InvoiceNinja's free plan beat as Wave doesn't put any limit on invoices.

Invoice Ninja copies one of the most appealing aspects of Wave — the free plan — and gives users a strong invoicing solution, making it ideal for a small business looking for basic, affordable invoicing software.