Wave Accounting Platform Reviews

Pros

I tried learning QuickBooks but found it too complicated for my small service business so I switched to Wave. Back when it was free, I found it very easy to use. When I had questions, I could quickly find answers in Wave's online help. Though I am not a trained bookkeeper but this tool made me feel much more confident than QuickBooks ever did. I have stayed with it for years even after they started charging because it's been worth every penny. And yes it is still simple to use and now that I work with a part-time bookkeeper, the platform makes it really easy for us to work together.

Cons

Bank connection is not reliable which has caused some headaches. I cannot tell whether the fault lies with my bank or with the tool itself but on a few occasions the link dropped and then reconnected which created duplicate transactions that I had to remove. Fixing those duplicates was fairly easy but it was still annoying and disrupted my workflow more than I expected.

Pros

With Wave, my bank and card accounts are linked automatically so transactions are imported without any manual work which makes creating financial reports much easier. I also really like being able to see income, expenses and net profit for any time period and compare them to past months. My monthly fee is $19 and I think that's great value.

Cons

I tried to set up invoicing and payment collection through it. I was approved at first but later they took away my access because they classified my business as a travel agency. Now I have to find another tool to send invoices and accept payments which is inconvenient and disrupts my workflow.

Pros

When I first launched my business, this tool was great as it was pretty easy to set up and made billing simple to handle.

Cons

Well it was not enough for my needs because it had fewer features than QuickBooks. I also found it unmanageable and slow to search for specific invoices.

Pros

As a solo-owner LLC, I am finding this software very easy to use and the free tier gives me the best features. Also I get excellent value that helped me handle transaction-based bookkeeping.

Cons

However I ran into a major issue when it quietly removed the ability to export detailed transaction data from free accounts without telling anyone. Also the interface still looks like you can download full transaction info but that feature is now behind a paywall with no warning. This broke a key part of my bookkeeping as I need to give my CPA detailed expense info for taxes. Now the only export option is a basic summary that does not work in many cases. It feels like a shady way to push users into paying, just to get their own data back. Because of that, I cannot honestly recommend it unless you are okay with paying for access to your own information.

Pros

I use the free Wave app for bookkeeping in two small businesses and the fact that it's free is definitely what I like most. Plus the software usually works without issues. The one time I did have a problem, their customer support fixed it in a single phone call. Since then, I have not had any problems with the app.

Cons

One improvement I'd love to see is an auto-fill option. Because I regularly enter many transactions that are identical except for the date and the amount so it would save me a lot of time if the app could predict and fill in a name or transaction after recognizing the first few letters.

Pros

As a small business owner, the thing I like most is that the accounting features are completely free and are incredibly easy to use. Overall they suit my needs perfectly.

Cons

The payment processing fees are somewhat steep and support is restricted unless I subscribe to a paid plan.

Pros

There is a truly free version. Plus it let me set up bookkeeping and invoicing before I even got my first client and it was not just a trial. I mean it was a real, usable free option I could depend on while getting started.

Cons

One thing that frustrates me is that, even on the free plan I used, I could not remove the company's logo from my invoices unless I upgraded to a more expensive tier which felt unfair given I was not paying.

Pros

I like that it lets me manage multiple accounts/businesses in the free tier which is a big plus for small operations. Also it feels like good value for the money, is very user-friendly and handles payments and invoicing well.

Cons

The paid plan does not let me manage multiple accounts or businesses which is frustrating. It also feels like poor value because I have to pay a separate subscription for each account. I also miss AI-powered transaction sorting and the ability to connect directly to banks and credit cards to import transactions.

Pros

When my small business needed invoice generation and tracking payments, I found Wave to be really effective. Creating invoices is simple and I like being able to pull up a clear transaction history whenever I need to reference past activity.

Cons

Like many full-featured accounting platforms, it can feel overwhelming when I am only trying to use one part of it so clicking through multiple sections feels unnecessary. I am also often unsure what's included in the free version versus what's paid which is confusing but it does not ruin the experience for me.

Pros

For my needs it handles the fundamentals well but when I am working with a bigger team and juggling lots of specific requirements, it is probably not the right choice for us.

Cons

I have run into basic service problems such as my requests often go unanswered and some things feel strange. For instance they'll hold funds or start a review without giving any explanation.

Pros

Its biggest advantage is offering fully free access to essential tools such as unlimited accounting, invoicing and expense tracking.

Cons

The biggest drawback is the absence of strong, live customer support for people on the free plan, who mostly have to rely on the online help center and a chatbot.

Pros

Wave Accounting's automatic invoice creation and tracking are outstanding and dependable for my needs. The cash-flow visuals are potentially valuable but they really only make sense if every part of your money management is routed through the same system.

Cons

The payroll module was a mess as I found it very confusing from the start. Because of those payroll issues, I stopped using most of it and now only use it to send invoices. Expense coding never felt user friendly either as I struggled to get comfortable with how they organize things. Problems started early with setting up direct deposit as it was overly complicated and took way too long. Also its bookkeeping layout did not help. Plus it shows every possible account you could add, including a CASH ON HAND account that made no sense for my business so I don't get large cash payments in 2025. The system also acted in duplicate ways such as a payment would show as deposited in my checking account but it would still mark the invoice as unpaid. When I marked it paid manually, it then showed I'd been paid twice. That was frustrating and totally unhelpful. It took less than six weeks before I gave up on it out of frustration.

Pros

Wave's web and mobile apps are powerful and very easy to use. Using it is also simple and the workflows for quotes, invoices and payments are good too. I also really like that it accepts all major credit cards in Canada. Plus the free version already offers a lot for startups and early-stage businesses. They also have an affordable paid plan with added automation and expense tracking to help improve efficiency.

Cons

What I dislike most is that they do not use standard accounting terms in many of their reports and tools. That might make the product easier for some people but for me with my CPA background it is confusing. Plus the non-standard labels make it harder to understand the reports than it should be.

Pros

I really like Wave's customer support team as they are incredibly helpful and consistently available to respond to any questions or concerns I have.

Cons

That said I do not have much bad to say about it other than it could benefit from additional integrations.

Pros

When I started my business, I found Wave and it was great. As the interface was easy to use, payments processed smoothly and I got paid quickly. Job tracking was also simple. And for the cost, I definitely felt it gave me the best value. Plus it made running my business less stressful and saved me time.

Cons

As per my needs I eventually required a different software solution so I moved to Jobber which manages both my appointments and invoices very reliably.

Pros

this software is a user-friendly tool. Also adding clients, creating invoices and preparing estimates is pretty easy and quick. What I like most is being able to toggle payment acceptance on or off individually for each invoice and estimate.

Cons

Nothing too major but I'd like the search tool to let me find transactions by Purchase Order number or at least offer more ways to customize searches so it fits my workflow better. Right now those options feel limited.

Pros

As a freelancer and small business owner, I have found Wave to be a great free or low-cost option for sending invoices and handling basic accounting. I also like that the reports and dashboard are easy to create and really helpful for tracking cash flow. Plus the interface is clean and simple so even someone with no bookkeeping experience can start using it without feeling overwhelmed.

Cons

It is helpful when starting a small business because it covers the basics but it does not have many advanced features that other accounting tools offer. Also it is a fairly simple solution that mainly lets me track cash and expenses, send invoices and create basic reports. So if I need more detailed accounting, it might not be enough.

Pros

Absolutely nothing good to say as it has brought me nothing but headaches. I mean I have honestly never felt so let down and disgusted by any company.

Cons

I had a terrible customer support experience. They made clear mistakes that cost me money and then refused to fix them or compensate me. In my case, they submitted my quarterly state tax filing wrong which led to penalties and interest and they won't cover it. So to me this feels like a deeply unethical company that simply does not care about its customers.

Pros

I am a big fan of how user friendly this is and that it does not cost me anything for my needs. The financial reports are also simple to use and account tracking is incredibly easy too.

Cons

To date I have not noticed any drawbacks. I rely on it to monitor spending across multiple accounts and to generate profit-and-loss statements when I need them.

Pros

Well I am using it for basic bookkeeping on a tight budget and I must say it is a great accounting tool as long as you do not need a lot of customization or complex tracking. It is also simple to navigate and use.

Cons

The thing I do not like is the limited customization options as it does not let me tailor things much. When I need to file 1099s, it only supports certain states and transferring money to my bank usually takes several business days.