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  1. Home
  2. Compare
  3. FreshBooks vs Wave

FreshBooksvsWave

Saas
vs
Saas
ScoresSignalsPricingFeatures

Score Comparison

60
Overall
50
50
Pricing
75
75
Usability
65
65
Performance
55
45
Support
25
60
Reliability
45
80
Onboarding
70
75
Mobile
50
70
Security
65
55
Integrations
45
FreshBooksWave

Signals Comparison

Pricing

FreshBooks

  • Monthly fee plus high credit card processing fees(8/10)
  • Pricing jumps significantly as client list grows(9/10)
  • User limit per plan forces expensive upgrades(7/10)
  • Add-ons and integrations significantly increase costs(7/10)

Wave

  • Free until you need useful features like auto-imports(7/10)
  • Payroll costs add up quickly with base fee plus per-employee charges(7/10)
Usability

FreshBooks

  • Limited reporting features lacking detailed insights(7/10)
  • Not robust enough for complex accounting needs(8/10)

Wave

  • Auto-categorization causes more work than it saves(7/10)
  • No project-based cost tracking or job costing(7/10)
  • Limited reporting features lacking customization(6/10)
  • Reconciliation process is difficult and time-consuming(6/10)
  • No inventory tracking or management capabilities(6/10)
Integrations

FreshBooks

  • Bank syncing and expense categorization issues(8/10)

Wave

  • Bank connections frequently break and disconnect(8/10)
  • Currency conversion headaches for international invoicing(6/10)
Support

FreshBooks

  • Accounts shut down without explanation(10/10)
  • Customer support sends pre-written template responses(7/10)

Wave

  • No customer support unless you pay for services(9/10)
  • Accounts frozen or closed without explanation(10/10)
Reliability

FreshBooks

  • Invoices sometimes go to spam folders(7/10)

Wave

  • Payroll switched to Check provider causing major issues(10/10)
  • Payments clawed back after customers already received them(9/10)
Performance

FreshBooks

  • Payment processing can be slow(6/10)

Wave

No signals

Mobile

FreshBooks

No signals

Wave

  • Receipt scanning produces blurry photos and lost data(7/10)

Pricing Comparison

FreshBooks

Lite
$19/mo

Users: 1 user (additional users $11/mo each)

Limits: Only 5 billable clients, basic reporting, no double-entry accounting

2.9% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, $11/mo per additional team member, limited to 5 clients
Plus
Popular
$33/mo

Users: 1 user (additional users $11/mo each)

Limits: 50 client limit, advanced features require higher tier

2.9% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, $11/mo per additional team member
Premium
$60/mo

Users: 1 user (additional users $11/mo each)

Limits: Still lacks inventory management, purchase orders, and advanced multi-currency

2.9% + $0.30 per credit card transaction, $11/mo per additional team member

Wave

Starter (Free)
Popular
Free

Users: Unlimited users

Limits: No automatic bank transaction imports, limited receipt scanning, no phone support, chatbot only

Automatic bank imports require Pro plan, payment processing fees apply (2.9% + $0.60 per credit card transaction)
Pro
$16/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Limits: Support response times still slow (multiple business days), no phone support

Payment processing fees still apply (2.9% + $0.60 per transaction), payroll is separate add-on
Payroll (Tax Service States)
$40/mo

Users: Base fee + $6/employee

Limits: Recent issues with Check provider transition, tax filing errors reported by users

$6 per active employee or contractor adds up quickly, base fee charged even with no payroll runs
Payroll (Self Service States)
$20/mo

Users: Base fee + $6/employee

Limits: User must file and pay taxes manually, less automation than tax-service option

$6 per active employee adds up, you handle tax filings yourself
Bookkeeping
$149/mo

Users: Dedicated bookkeeper

Limits: High cost for small businesses, may not suit businesses with simple needs

Pricing increases based on transaction volume and business complexity

Feature Comparison

FeatureFreshBooksWave
Core
Professional invoicing

Excellent templates and customization

Free invoicing

Unlimited invoices on free plan

Time tracking

Built-in and integrates with invoicing

Expense tracking

Receipt capture via mobile app

Accounting
Bank reconciliation

Connection issues reported by some users

Double-entry accounting

Plus plan and above only

Automatic bank imports

Pro plan only ($16/month)

Inventory management

Not available

Purchase orders

Not available

Expenses
Receipt scanning

Limited on free, blurry photo issues reported

Payroll
Payroll processing

Paid add-on with reliability issues since 2025

International
Multi-currency

Limited compared to competitors

Payments
Online payments

2.9% + $0.60 per transaction

Payment processing

2.9% + $0.30 per transaction

Accessibility
Mobile app

Well-designed iOS and Android apps

Client Management
Client portal

Clients can view and pay invoices

Projects
Project tracking

No job costing or project profitability

Project management

Basic project tracking available

Invoicing
Recurring invoices

Automatic recurring billing

Support
Customer support

Paid users only, 5-7 day response times

Integrations
API access

Available for custom integrations

Reporting
Financial reports

Basic reports, limited customization