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Compare FreshBooks and Wave 
Featured Products
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (86.7% of reviews)
Small-Business (95.3% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $6.30 Per Month
$20-$35 per month
FreshBooks
Star Rating
(950)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (86.7% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $6.30 Per Month
Free Trial is available
Browse all 4 pricing plansWave
Star Rating
(308)4.3 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (95.3% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$20-$35 per month
Browse all 3 pricing plansSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- G2 reviewers report that FreshBooks excels in user satisfaction, boasting a significantly higher overall score compared to Wave. Users appreciate its easy invoicing and the ability to manage time, projects, and expenses efficiently, making it a favorite for small businesses.
- According to verified reviews, FreshBooks offers a more intuitive onboarding experience, with users highlighting the simple sign-up process and the dashboard that summarizes client statuses and pending payments, which enhances daily usability.
- Users say that Wave is a solid choice for freelancers and small businesses looking for a free option, noting its automatic transaction downloading feature that saves time. However, it lacks the same level of support and advanced features that FreshBooks provides.
- Reviewers mention that FreshBooks shines in customer support, receiving high praise for its responsiveness and helpfulness, which contrasts with Wave's lower support ratings. This aspect is crucial for users who may need assistance navigating accounting tasks.
- G2 reviewers highlight that while Wave is easy to navigate and can be used with minimal guidance, FreshBooks offers a more comprehensive set of features, such as invoice customization and recurring billing, which are essential for businesses with more complex needs.
- According to recent user feedback, FreshBooks' performance and reliability are consistently rated higher, with users enjoying its cloud integration and overall ease of use, making it a more dependable choice for managing finances compared to Wave.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
FreshBooks
Lite
Starting at $6.30
Per Month
For professionals with basic needs
- Send unlimited invoices to up to 5 clients
- Track unlimited expenses
- Send unlimited estimates
Wave
Pay your staff
$20-$35
per month
$20/month base fee in Canada + 44 states
$35/month base fee in California, Florida, New York, Texas, Illinois & Washington
$4 additional per employee added
- Includes direct deposit.
- Employee portal to check pay stubs and history.
- Perfect for salaried and hourly workers, full-time or part-time.
Free Trial
FreshBooks
Free Trial is available
Wave
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.8
761
8.6
249
Ease of Use
9.1
852
8.9
251
Ease of Setup
9.2
462
8.8
121
Ease of Admin
9.2
335
8.7
112
Quality of Support
9.2
710
7.6
165
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
9.2
330
8.5
104
Product Direction (% positive)
8.7
758
8.0
240
Features by Category
Expense Reports
8.6
106
Not enough data
8.0
100
Not enough data
7.6
99
Not enough data
8.1
98
Not enough data
7.1
80
Not enough data
7.2
87
Not enough data
7.9
89
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Expense Management
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Travel Management
6.8
79
Not enough data
6.5
76
Not enough data
6.1
71
Not enough data
6.5
72
Not enough data
Client Invoicing
9.0
135
Not enough data
8.5
118
Not enough data
8.2
124
Not enough data
Mobile
8.2
84
Not enough data
6.9
81
Not enough data
5.6
73
Not enough data
Platform
6.2
63
Not enough data
6.3
66
Not enough data
Administration
7.0
63
Not enough data
Administration
7.2
105
Not enough data
7.8
106
Not enough data
7.6
113
Not enough data
7.2
103
Not enough data
7.9
111
Not enough data
Platform
8.3
127
Not enough data
7.2
97
Not enough data
7.0
94
Not enough data
9.0
126
Not enough data
8.3
115
Not enough data
7.0
99
Not enough data
General Ledger
8.1
233
|
Verified
7.9
54
|
Verified
7.8
228
|
Verified
7.8
45
|
Verified
8.1
224
|
Verified
7.5
44
|
Verified
Accounts Receivable
8.7
398
|
Verified
8.5
72
8.5
307
|
Verified
8.1
53
|
Verified
8.2
274
|
Verified
8.0
47
|
Verified
Accounts Payable
8.2
271
|
Verified
7.8
36
8.7
326
|
Verified
8.1
51
|
Verified
7.6
142
7.2
32
|
Verified
Other Functionality
7.1
125
6.8
27
|
Verified
Feature Not Available
7.0
29
|
Verified
7.5
156
|
Verified
6.8
28
7.0
128
6.9
31
|
Verified
7.2
132
7.1
32
|
Verified
7.5
143
7.6
44
|
Verified
7.6
154
6.7
27
|
Verified
8.6
314
|
Verified
6.7
26
|
Verified
Reporting & Analytics
8.7
361
|
Verified
8.3
72
|
Verified
8.1
200
7.9
59
|
Verified
7.6
191
|
Verified
7.5
40
|
Verified
8.8
386
|
Verified
8.5
70
|
Verified
Platform
7.9
164
7.3
58
|
Verified
7.6
150
7.3
40
|
Verified
8.4
287
|
Verified
7.8
54
|
Verified
7.4
137
7.3
28
|
Verified
9.1
379
|
Verified
8.2
64
|
Verified
8.3
153
7.9
53
|
Verified
Integration
8.2
270
|
Verified
7.8
49
|
Verified
8.0
194
|
Verified
7.2
31
7.6
216
6.6
31
|
Verified
Cash Flow
8.3
201
|
Verified
7.9
32
|
Verified
8.8
288
|
Verified
8.3
35
|
Verified
8.4
244
|
Verified
7.6
28
|
Verified
Budgeting & Forecasting
7.6
191
|
Verified
7.5
40
|
Verified
8.1
165
|
Verified
7.0
23
|
Verified
7.6
136
|
Verified
6.6
17
|
Verified
8.2
203
|
Verified
7.2
27
|
Verified
Revenue
8.4
227
|
Verified
7.9
28
|
Verified
7.8
169
|
Verified
7.5
23
|
Verified
8.0
163
7.2
21
Payroll
7.8
112
|
Verified
6.7
20
|
Verified
7.4
105
|
Verified
6.8
17
7.7
114
|
Verified
6.6
20
|
Verified
8.2
124
|
Verified
7.7
25
|
Verified
AI
7.6
38
5.5
7
7.5
35
6.5
8
7.8
35
6.7
9
7.5
36
4.5
7
7.4
35
6.7
8
7.0
38
5.6
8
7.3
45
7.6
9
7.6
39
6.7
8
7.0
42
6.0
7
7.4
37
5.7
7
Mobile Applications - Accounting
9.1
11
6.5
8
8.9
11
7.5
8
8.7
10
6.7
7
7.8
10
3.0
5
8.5
12
6.2
7
8.3
12
7.7
8
Agentic AI - Accounting
Not enough data
Not enough data
Employee Self Service
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Administration
8.6
15
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
9.3
16
Not enough data
8.3
11
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
7.6
14
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Taxes
8.0
17
Not enough data
7.7
14
Not enough data
7.9
14
Not enough data
Integration
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
7.9
13
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Platform
8.1
14
Not enough data
8.7
15
Not enough data
8.7
13
Not enough data
8.6
14
Not enough data
Payment Processing
8.3
80
Not enough data
8.5
87
Not enough data
8.2
79
Not enough data
7.3
67
Not enough data
Administration
8.3
84
Not enough data
6.8
68
Not enough data
6.6
84
Not enough data
7.0
64
Not enough data
7.1
66
Not enough data
6.8
67
Not enough data
7.0
67
Not enough data
Payment Options
7.3
64
Not enough data
8.4
75
Not enough data
Security
7.4
62
Not enough data
Platform
7.6
67
Not enough data
7.1
64
Not enough data
Bill Generation
8.4
143
7.9
36
8.6
146
8.3
40
8.3
134
8.0
35
Bill Processing
7.6
128
7.6
28
7.8
124
7.6
26
8.3
127
8.2
38
Integration
7.9
131
7.9
37
8.4
133
8.0
33
7.1
102
6.8
19
Agentic AI - Billing
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Accounting & Finance
Not enough data
Not enough data
Time Tracking
8.8
71
Not enough data
8.9
76
Not enough data
8.9
77
Not enough data
Client Invoicing
9.0
135
Not enough data
8.5
118
Not enough data
8.2
124
Not enough data
Mobile Time Tracking
8.6
76
Not enough data
Administration
7.2
105
Not enough data
7.8
106
Not enough data
7.6
113
Not enough data
7.2
103
Not enough data
7.9
111
Not enough data
Platform
8.3
127
Not enough data
7.2
97
Not enough data
7.0
94
Not enough data
9.0
126
Not enough data
8.3
115
Not enough data
7.0
99
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
FreshBooks and Wave are categorized as Billing and Accounting
Unique Categories
Wave has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
FreshBooks
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Wave
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Marketing and Advertising
17.1%
Information Technology and Services
6.5%
Graphic Design
4.7%
Accounting
4.5%
Consulting
4.0%
Other
63.2%
Marketing and Advertising
16.1%
Information Technology and Services
6.0%
Accounting
5.4%
Design
4.7%
Computer Software
3.4%
Other
64.4%
Discussions
Does FreshBooks support recurring billing?
3 Comments
PM
I'm a long-time user, and yes. Freshbooks does recurring billing flawlessly. Your client can also have their credit card information stored so they don't...Read more
How do you like using Freshbooks
2 Comments
ZB
Hi Rodney,
We have used Freshbooks since 2013, and are in no way affiliated with them.
For the most part, our experience overall has been positive,...Read more
What is the best way to manage deposits against future work as a consultant?
2 Comments
DL
Hi Mark,
You most likely would benefit from the retainer feature in FB which allows you to track time against a retainer payment....Read more
What is Wave Software?
2 Comments
MM
Wave software is an easy to use Payroll and Accounting software. You can create invoices, send billings, track expenses, and all normal transactions...Read more
Is wave a good accounting software?
2 Comments
MM
Yeah. It has most of the features required by a small business. You can request the team if you need anything in particular Read more
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