GnuCash vs Wave (2026): which should you pick?

Pick GnuCash if

• Fits if you want your books kept on your own computer and not in someone's cloud
• Works for people who already know double-entry and want it free

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you want a phone or browser version, as it's desktop only
• Too light for payroll: the features page says it's handled through payables and receivables
• Watch out: SQL storage is described as experimental, with reports of data loss
• Skip it if you need paid support, as help is volunteers, mailing lists and a wiki

Pick Wave if

• Fits if you're a sole trader in the US or Canada who mostly sends invoices
• Works for owners who'd pay Wave's own bookkeepers, from $149 a month, to keep the books

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if your business is outside the US or Canada
• Skip it if you bill by the hour, as there's no time tracking, projects or inventory on the listing
• Tight if you stay free, since every bank transaction is typed in by hand and card fees are 2.9% plus $0.60
• Watch out: live chat and email support need Pro or a paid add-on, and run weekdays 9 AM to 4:45 PM Eastern only
• Pricey if you add payroll, at $40 a month in the US plus $6 per employee and per contractor paid

GnuCash

• It is desktop software for Windows, macOS and Linux; there is no browser version or hosted option.
• Storing data in SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL is described as experimental, with reports of data loss in some cases.
• The features page says payroll is handled through accounts payable and receivable, not a payroll module.
• Support comes from volunteers through mailing lists, a wiki and bug reports.

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.

GnuCash

Double-entry accounting

Every transaction debits one account and credits others by an equal amount, so the books always balance.

Checkbook-style register

Enter transactions in a familiar register with split transactions, reconciliation marks and autofill.

Small-business tools

Customer and vendor tracking, jobs, invoicing, bill payment and tax and billing terms, plus a budgeting tool.

Reports and graphs

Includes balance sheet and profit and loss reports, bar charts, pie charts and scatter plots, all customizable.

Bank statement reconciliation

Compare entered transactions against a bank statement; QIF and OFX files can be imported with duplicate matching.

Multiple currencies

Accounts can be held in different currencies, with currency movements balanced under double-entry.

Wave

Invoices and estimates

Unlimited invoices and estimates on the free plan. Pro removes Wave branding, adds reusable message templates and sends automatic late payment reminders.

Online payments

Customers pay invoices by card or bank payment once online payments are approved; deposits can be collected through estimates.

Bookkeeping and bank feeds

Unlimited bookkeeping records on every plan. Pro imports bank transactions through Plaid, then merges and categorizes them.

Receipt capture

Receipts uploaded from the mobile app, desktop or email become records by OCR. Included in Pro, or $8 a month on Starter.

Wave Payroll

Pays employees and contractors, with tax filing in all 50 US states and CRA remittances in Canada. A separate add-on.

Wave Advisors

Wave's in-house bookkeepers can keep the books for you or coach you to do them yourself, from $149 a month.

GnuCash

• Free$0

  The full program under the GNU GPL; the project accepts voluntary donations.

Wave

• Starter$0

  Unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and records. Card payments cost 2.9% plus $0.60 each, and bank transactions are not imported automatically.

• Pro$19

  per month, billed monthly

  Bank feeds with auto-categorizing, unlimited receipt capture, late payment reminders, more users and card fees of 2.9% with no fixed fee on the first 10 a month.

• Wave Advisors$149

  per month and up

  Pro features plus a dedicated bookkeeper who keeps the books and prepares monthly financial statements. Mobile receipts are not included.

GnuCash

No public discounts listed.

Wave

• Annual discount

  Save $38 with annual Pro billing

  Pro costs $190 a year when billed annually, against $228 for twelve monthly payments of $19.

• Other savings

  Half off Pro for the first 3 months

  New Pro subscribers paying monthly on Wave's website pay $9.50 a month for the first three months, saving $28.50, then the listed $19 a month.

• Other savings

  Black Friday: Wave Advisors from $134 a month

  Bookkeeping plans bought from November 2 to November 30, 2026 start at $134 a month instead of $149, with up to 25% off two-year plans and $30 to $40 off coaching sessions.