Wave Reviews & Product Details

I use Wave as my accounting/bookkeeping program. As a nonprofit, I was excited to learn that Wave can be used for free for basic accounting. Its interface is easy to understand from an actual accounting perspective. As someone with a background in accounting, I don't have to guess what the program is doing when I input information. I can create transactions and journal entries where I control which codes are used. We operate on a cash basis, so I can use their transactions register and journal entry register to input 90% of what I need to record from my checking accounts. I also wasn't sure how it would handle year-end, but it understands that after the end of my year to close the books and start a new P&L. Some people might not like the fact that you can still edit the prior year after the fact, but since I'm the accountant, I'm not concerned with that. I'd say it would be an 8 or 9 if they have some accounting background. It's exactly what I needed. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Creating an invoice when you're not selling a product can be a bit confusing. I've had to create invoices for grants which I've had trouble coding to the right place. I usually end up having to make a journal entry correction. It's been a while since I've had to do it, but unless you create a new item for each grant, it automatically codes it to the same account used before and you don't realize it, but it doesn't show you that it's doing that until after you've completed the invoice and then I couldn't find a way to edit the coding after the fact. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I really like that Wave's user interface is simple and easy to use, making it straightforward to find things. The customer service has been easy to use and they are easy to get a hold of. I found the features to be purposeful, useful, and offering a wide variety. Setting it up was also really easy, especially if you have your business and bank information ready. It was important for me as a small business owner to avoid combing through a poorly designed interface, and Wave helps me get things done quickly and accurately. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The invoicing was a little wonky the last time I used it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I really appreciate Wave's 'Forever Free' philosophy where the core accounting and invoicing features are genuinely free, removing the stress of a growing monthly subscription bill for a small business. The interface is non-accountant friendly, unlike heavier software, allowing me to get the job done quickly without needing to learn complex processes. The dashboard provides a clear 'birds-eye view' of cash flow and the setup is super easy—getting the first invoice sent or a bank account connected can be done in under five minutes. Wave offers smart automation with features like automatic reminders for late clients and duplicate detection in bank syncing, which helps keep the books clean without much effort. The 'forward to receipts' email feature saves a lot of manual work by automatically scanning details and adding them to expenses. I love the professional aesthetic of Wave, where even though it's free, the invoices look high-end and can be customized with my logo and brand colors, giving my small business a polished appearance. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Lack of Inventory Management: Wave is mainly for service-based businesses. If you sell physical products, you can't track inventory within Wave. You need a separate spreadsheet or app, doubling the work. Limited 'Pro' Reporting & Customization: The basic reports work for tax time but feel too rigid. You can't customize or drill down reports like you can with advanced software. You might struggle to get detailed profitability by project or location. Customer Support Accessibility: The free plan's support is limited to self-help guides or a chatbot. To talk to a human, you need to pay for add-on services like Payroll or Payments. Mobile App 'Feature Gap': While Wave's mobile app is handy for sending invoices or snapping receipts, it lacks deeper accounting tasks. You need a desktop for serious work like bank reconciliation or complex reports. Multi-Currency & International Scaling: While Wave handles multiple currencies, it can be tricky for international users. Some tax requirements aren't supported smoothly, and currency conversion fees can be a bit high. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It's easy to use, and I love that it has had a free tier for as long as it has, when many competitors are overcharging crazy monthly subscription fees. What you get for features within the app, compared to its competitors, is awesome. It has all the needs for a small business. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I am based in Canada, and have a lot of US-based clients. The inability to collect online credit card payments from US clients is a big deal breaker. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Wave makes bookkeeping and accounting easy for me as a business owner. It also allows me to include payment links in traditional PDF invoices, which makes it extra easy for clients in smaller businesses or nonprofits to pay me on time without having to initiate their own ACH transfer or write a check. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There was one feature I wanted to use in Wave that I know I could do in Xero, but I couldn't figure it out in Wave. Wave is good for general, standard functions. For more complicated processes or procedures, you might need a more advanced product. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I appreciate Wave for its ease of use and that it's not complicated, which makes it perfect for small businesses. I love that I can connect multiple accounts, and the account is inexpensive. I find uploading receipts easy as I can just forward emails to a dedicated email linked to my account. It helps me see my cash flow and makes report preparation easy. I like that it can identify duplicate transactions and has a merge option, so I can easily reconcile. The initial setup was super easy, taking less than 5 minutes to connect all my bank accounts. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I would love to see a paystubs report for business owners so I can usually show income. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I appreciate the free plan from Wave, which I've been using since I started with them almost ten years ago. I like the recurring invoicing feature and the automatic reminders for invoices, which takes a little off my mind knowing that's all being done for me. The platform's ability to handle multiple types of credit cards and ACH transactions is also something I like. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I don't like that they removed the feature to file 1099s for a small fee. Now, you have to subscribe to their payroll service for the whole year, which I don't need. This feels like a money-grabbing move, and it's a huge negative for me. Their customer service hours are also very limited compared to before, and communication about changes was poor. You can't reach a human easily, which is frustrating. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Wave is great because it let's us send invoices for free. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It would be nice if the expense monitoring was also free, but it's understandable that they make you pay for that feature. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I love how easy it is to draft and send invoices and that there are options to customize the invoice to your brand. Makes it easy to receive payments and reconcile accounts. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

How long it takes to receive payouts after invoices have been paid, sometimes up to 10 days. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like how Wave helps me contact and be seen by potential clients easily. I appreciate the facility to share my profile with a card, which makes it much simpler than writing my email on another phone. The initial setup was very easy, and we are still on Wave because we like it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I find it inconvenient that you have to click on a link to share your profile with the card. It would be better if the profile could just appear automatically on the cellphone without having to click a link. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.