WavevsXero

Saas

Saas65

Score Comparison

Overall

Pricing

Usability

Performance

Support

Reliability

Onboarding

Mobile

Security

Integrations

WaveXero

Signals Comparison

Support

Wave

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

Xero

Customer support limited to email only(9/10)

Reliability

Wave

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

Xero

Persistent bugs and syncing errors(8/10)

Integrations

Wave

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

Xero

Essential features require paid add-ons(7/10)

Mobile

Wave

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

Xero

Mobile app has limited functionality(5/10)

Pricing

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)

Xero

Price hikes with little notice(8/10)
Early plan's 20-invoice limit is restrictive(6/10)

Usability

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)

Xero

Interface requires horizontal scrolling(5/10)
Multi-company management is painful(7/10)
Invoice view changes frustrate users(5/10)

Performance

Wave

No signals

Xero

Inventory management lacks depth(7/10)
Struggles past 100 employees(8/10)

Onboarding

Wave

No signals

Xero

Steep learning curve for beginners(6/10)

Pricing Comparison

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

Xero

Early

$20/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Invoice and bill limits make this impractical for active businesses, No payroll, No multi-currency

Only 20 invoices and 5 bills per month - most businesses need to upgrade immediately

Growing

Popular

$47/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Some reporting features still limited, Multi-currency may require higher tier

Payroll is a separate paid add-on, Advanced analytics requires third-party apps

Established

$80/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Still struggles with 100+ employees, Complex multi-entity needs workarounds

Payroll still separate, Advanced inventory requires DEAR/Cin7 integration ($100+/mo)

Feature Comparison

Feature	Wave	Xero
Core
Free invoicing Unlimited invoices on free plan
Expense tracking Manual entry on free, auto-import on Pro
Pricing
Unlimited users All plans include unlimited users - major advantage
Accounting
Bank reconciliation Connection issues frequently reported
Double-entry accounting Basic chart of accounts included
Automatic bank imports Pro plan only ($16/month)
Core Accounting
Invoicing Good templates, customizable
Support
Phone support Email only for standard plans
Customer support Paid users only, 5-7 day response times
Expenses
Receipt scanning Limited on free, blurry photo issues reported
Payroll
Built-in payroll Separate paid add-on required
Payroll processing Paid add-on with reliability issues since 2025
Inventory
Advanced inventory Basic only, need DEAR/Cin7 for robust inventory
Inventory management Not available
Payments
Online payments 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction
Usability
Multi-company login Cannot log into multiple orgs simultaneously
Projects
Project tracking No job costing or project profitability
Integrations
API access Strong API, 1000+ marketplace integrations
International
Multi-currency Basic support with conversion headaches
Accessibility
Mobile app iOS better than Android, receipt issues
Reporting
Financial reports Basic reports, limited customization

Signals Comparison

Support

Wave

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

Xero

Customer support limited to email only(9/10)

Reliability

Wave

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

Xero

Persistent bugs and syncing errors(8/10)

Integrations

Wave

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

Xero

Essential features require paid add-ons(7/10)

Mobile

Wave

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

Xero

Mobile app has limited functionality(5/10)

Pricing

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)

Xero

Price hikes with little notice(8/10)
Early plan's 20-invoice limit is restrictive(6/10)

Usability

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)

Xero

Interface requires horizontal scrolling(5/10)
Multi-company management is painful(7/10)
Invoice view changes frustrate users(5/10)

Performance

Wave

No signals

Xero

Inventory management lacks depth(7/10)
Struggles past 100 employees(8/10)

Onboarding

Wave

No signals

Xero

Steep learning curve for beginners(6/10)

Pricing Comparison

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

Xero

Early

$20/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Invoice and bill limits make this impractical for active businesses, No payroll, No multi-currency

Only 20 invoices and 5 bills per month - most businesses need to upgrade immediately

Growing

Popular

$47/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Some reporting features still limited, Multi-currency may require higher tier

Payroll is a separate paid add-on, Advanced analytics requires third-party apps

Established

$80/mo

Users: Unlimited users

Storage: N/A

Limits: Still struggles with 100+ employees, Complex multi-entity needs workarounds

Payroll still separate, Advanced inventory requires DEAR/Cin7 integration ($100+/mo)

Feature Comparison

Feature	Wave	Xero
Core
Free invoicing Unlimited invoices on free plan
Expense tracking Manual entry on free, auto-import on Pro
Pricing
Unlimited users All plans include unlimited users - major advantage
Accounting
Bank reconciliation Connection issues frequently reported
Double-entry accounting Basic chart of accounts included
Automatic bank imports Pro plan only ($16/month)
Core Accounting
Invoicing Good templates, customizable
Support
Phone support Email only for standard plans
Customer support Paid users only, 5-7 day response times
Expenses
Receipt scanning Limited on free, blurry photo issues reported
Payroll
Built-in payroll Separate paid add-on required
Payroll processing Paid add-on with reliability issues since 2025
Inventory
Advanced inventory Basic only, need DEAR/Cin7 for robust inventory
Inventory management Not available
Payments
Online payments 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction
Usability
Multi-company login Cannot log into multiple orgs simultaneously
Projects
Project tracking No job costing or project profitability
Integrations
API access Strong API, 1000+ marketplace integrations
International
Multi-currency Basic support with conversion headaches
Accessibility
Mobile app iOS better than Android, receipt issues
Reporting
Financial reports Basic reports, limited customization