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

Pick Keeper if

• Fits if you are a US freelancer or contractor who wants someone else to file
• Works for people who would rather be told what they can deduct than learn it

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you want it free, as there is no free plan and the trial needs a card
• Skip it if you track mileage, because that feature is marked coming soon
• Tight if you file in 3 or more states, since Standard covers federal plus 2 and more needs Premium
• Watch out: Bookkeeping Only is $20 a month, $240 a year, which costs more than the yearly Standard plan
• Watch out: S-Corp and partnership filing is only on the $1,199 Business plan

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

Keeper

• Bookkeeping Only does not include tax filing; the yearly Standard plan at $199 costs less than 12 months of it at $240.
• Mileage tracking and an LLC formation service are marked coming soon.
• Standard covers federal plus 2 state returns; 3 or more states, audit protection and quarterly taxes need Premium.
• S-Corp and partnership filing is only on the $1,199 Business plan.

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.

Keeper

Automatic expense tracking

Connects unlimited bank and card accounts and tracks expenses and income, with AI that finds and categorizes deductions.

Receipt scanning

Snap a receipt to add an expense or match it to a transaction, and split mixed retail orders into business and personal items.

Rules for merchants

Tell Keeper once how to treat a merchant and it applies the rule to future expenses.

Tax filing with a pro

Federal and up to 2 state returns are included on yearly plans, and a tax pro checks and signs each return.

Quarterly taxes and consultations

Premium and Business schedule estimated payments and include one-on-one consultations with a tax pro.

Business filings

The Business plan files S-Corp (Form 1120-S) and partnership (Form 1065) returns and closes the books at year end.

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.

Keeper

• Standard$199

  per year, billed yearly ($16.58 a month equivalent)

  Year-round bookkeeping plus federal and up to 2 state returns, reviewed and signed by a tax pro.

• Bookkeeping Only$20

  per month, billed monthly

  Expense tracking and deduction finding with unlimited connected accounts. Tax filing is not included.

• Premium$399

  per year, billed yearly ($33.25 a month equivalent)

  Adds audit protection, returns for 3 or more states, rentals and K-1s, quarterly taxes, tax pro consultations, amended and late returns.

• Business$1,199

  per year, billed yearly ($99.92 a month equivalent)

  Premium plus S-Corp and partnership tax filing and a year-end book review and close.

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.

Keeper

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.