Alternatives · Accounting
Wave alternatives
Wave compared with 12 alternatives: QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, Xero, Akaunting and 7 more.
Wave has a free plan. Paid plans start at $19 per month, billed monthly. 6 of the 12 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 6 more offer a free trial.
12 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 17, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaveThis tool | Free plan · from $19/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| QuickBooks Online | Free plan · from $38/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| FreshBooks | Free trial · from $23/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Zoho Books | Free plan · from $15/mo | Yes | Web, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Xero | Free trial · from $27/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Akaunting | Free plan · from $72/yr | Yes | Web |
| Found | Free plan · from $35/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Kashoo | Free trial · from $30/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Manager.io | Free plan · from $59/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Moxie | Free trial · from $10/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Patriot Accounting | Free trial · from $20/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Plutio | Free trial · from $15.83/mo | Trial only | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Square Invoices | Free plan · from $49/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
Price against what you get
Wave starts at $19 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 12 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Zoho Books and Plutio.
QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Xero, Found and Square Invoices score higher without starting lower. Akaunting, Moxie and Patriot Accounting start lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Wave
- Free plan · from $38/mo
QuickBooks Online
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced
- QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly. Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
Suits: US small businesses that want their accountant working in the same books
- Free trial · from $23/mo
FreshBooks
Invoicing and accounting for freelancers and service businesses
- FreshBooks starts at $23 per month, billed monthly. Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Wave has a free plan. FreshBooks does not, though it has a free trial.
- FreshBooks also covers time tracking.
Suits: Freelancers and consultants who bill a handful of clients for their time
- Free plan · from $15/mo
Zoho Books
Online accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers
- Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually. Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
- Wave also covers payroll.
Suits: Very small businesses that want a free plan with real double-entry books
- Free trial · from $27/mo
Xero
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users
- Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly. Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Wave has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.
Suits: Small businesses that want every staff member and adviser in the books at no extra cost
- Free plan · from $72/yr
Akaunting
Open-source accounting you can host yourself or use in the cloud
- Akaunting starts at $72 per year, self-hosted. Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Only Wave lists iOS and Android apps.
- Akaunting is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Wave also covers payroll.
Suits: Businesses that want to own and host their accounting data
- Free plan · from $35/mo
Found
Business bank account with bookkeeping and tax tools built in
- Found starts at $35 per month, billed monthly. Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Wave also covers payroll.
Suits: US sole proprietors who want banking and books in one app
- Free trial · from $30/mo
Kashoo
One-plan online accounting with unlimited users and bank feeds
- Kashoo starts at $30 per business / month, billed monthly. Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Wave has a free plan. Kashoo does not, though it has a free trial.
- Wave also covers payroll.
Suits: Sole proprietors who want one flat price with every feature included
- Free plan · from $59/mo
Manager.io
Free offline accounting for Windows, Mac and Linux, with a paid cloud
- Manager.io starts at $59 per month, billed monthly. Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Only Manager.io lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Wave lists iOS and Android apps.
- Manager.io is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Wave also covers payroll.
Suits: Sole traders who want full double-entry books without a subscription
- Free trial · from $10/mo
Moxie
Freelance business app: clients, projects, invoices and basic books
- Moxie starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly). Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Wave has a free plan. Moxie does not, though it has a free trial.
- Moxie also covers booking links, sales pipeline, time tracking and forms.
- Wave also covers reports, bookkeeping and payroll.
Suits: Solo freelancers who want clients, projects and invoices in one app
- Free trial · from $20/mo
Patriot Accounting
Low-cost US small business accounting that pairs with Patriot Payroll
- Patriot Accounting starts at $20 per month, billed monthly, after $10 a month for the first 3 months. Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Wave has a free plan. Patriot Accounting does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Wave lists iOS and Android apps.
Suits: US small businesses that want low-cost books with phone support
- Free trial · from $15.83/mo
Plutio
All-in-one freelance app: projects, proposals, contracts and invoices
- Plutio starts at $15.83 per month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly). Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Wave has a free plan. Plutio does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Plutio lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Plutio also covers booking links, kanban boards, time tracking and forms.
- Wave also covers reports, bookkeeping, expense tracking and payroll.
Suits: Freelancers who want proposals, contracts, projects and invoices in one place
- Free plan · from $49/mo
Square Invoices
Free invoicing, estimates and contracts inside Square's payment plans
- Square Invoices starts at $49 per location / month, billed monthly. Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly.
- Wave also covers bookkeeping, expense tracking and payroll.
Suits: Service businesses that want to send invoices without a monthly fee
Limits worth knowing in Wave
- Wave describes itself as serving businesses in the US and Canada, and its pricing page shows prices only in US and Canadian dollars.
- Payroll costs $40 a month in the US plus $6 per active employee and $6 per contractor paid (Canada: $25 CAD base).
- Bank feeds, automatic reminders and most third-party integrations need Pro; Starter has no bank import.
- Live chat and email support come only with Pro or a paid add-on, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 4:45 PM Eastern.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Wave?
The alternatives to Wave in this directory are QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, Xero, Akaunting, Found, Kashoo, Manager.io, Moxie, Patriot Accounting, Plutio and Square Invoices. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Wave.
Is there a free alternative to Wave?
Yes. QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books, Akaunting, Found, Manager.io and Square Invoices have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Wave alternatives work on Windows?
The Wave listing does not include a Windows app. Zoho Books, Manager.io and Plutio list one.
Which Wave alternatives work on macOS?
The Wave listing does not include a macOS app. Manager.io and Plutio list one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Wave?
Akaunting is described as open source on its own site.
When were these prices checked?
Every listing on this page was checked on Oct 17, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.