Wave Accounting Platform Reviews

“Super easy and efficient”

Pros

I am really impressed by how simple and user-friendly the interface is making it a breeze to move around. I can monitor clients who haven't paid and send them reminders straight from the platform. Overall it's helped me handle payments more efficiently and speed up when I receive my income.

Cons

I wish certain tools that exist on the desktop app were also in the mobile app for example, customer statements. It would be great to have parity between platforms so I don't have to switch to my computer to access those important features.

“Love wave for payments”

Pros

I have been relying on Wave to handle my invoicing, manage recurring subscriptions, process credit cards and act as the payment portal for my products sold online.

Cons

It doesn't support buy-now-pay-later choices like many other payment platforms and when an invoice becomes overdue I have to manually send a reminder after a certain period of time which is inconvenient for me.

“Easy, free and worth it”

Pros

The interface is so simple that I really like using this software. Even though I pay for QuickBooks, my Wave account gets used more because it's much easier to navigate than QuickBooks. I also appreciate that it's free. As a small-business owner, every dollar saved matters indeed.

Cons

I wish the app offered more customer support options and availability. Paying for help feels excessive just for a single phone call in my case.

“Great free accounting pick”

Pros

For small business owners like me, Wave Accounting has been a great pick because it's free, easy and covers most accounting basics. Its zero-cost model is a huge benefit when I am trying to keep expenses down. The interface is simple enough that I didn't need formal accounting training to get started, it's user-friendly and makes everyday financial tasks feel manageable. It also bundles the core features I rely on. invoicing, payroll, expense and income tracking and clear financial reports. Since it's cloud-based I can access my accounts from anywhere with an internet connection which I often do when I am away from the office. I also like that it integrates with a number of third-party tools like PayPal, Shoeboxed and Etsy which helps reduce manual work. All in all, I feel Wave is a great, no-cost option for small businesses that want an easy and fairly comprehensive accounting tool.

Cons

That said I have run into a few limitations that could be problematic depending on your needs. Support is mostly handled via email so when I need immediate help I sometimes feel stuck waiting for a response. Payroll features are handy but they only work in certain regions which is a drawback if you have staff spread across multiple locations. I have also wished for more customization on invoices and quotes, the templates feel pretty basic if you want a more polished, branded look. Another annoyance is the lack of automatic bank reconciliation which becomes tedious when you're dealing with lots of transactions. Finally, the presence of ads inside the software can be distracting while I am working. In short, while I appreciate that Wave is free and easy to use, those limitations mean it might not suit every business.

“Simple, fast and accurate”

Pros

To me, all the features are easy, simple, fast and accurate.

Cons

I have to say I am satisfied with this software overall.

“Great free accounting for small business”

Pros

Wave Accounting's basic features are free and it's really easy thanks to a clean, simple interface. The double-entry bookkeeping feels reliable and it keeps track of my income and expenses without much fuss. It also connects with other services for payroll, invoicing and payments which makes my workflow smoother. From within the app I can pull together financial reports that help me make better decisions. On top of that, it handles transactions in multiple currencies and keeps my financial records and customer details stored securely. When I am away from my desk I can manage my finances on the go using the mobile app which I appreciate.

Cons

I have run into a number of limitations using Wave Accounting. For starters the more advanced capabilities aren't free, I have to pay to unlock them. Support is limited to email only which gets frustrating when I need help right away. Also, I have noticed that transaction processing sometimes takes longer than I expect compared with other online accounting tools I have used. The software doesn't provide a multi-currency chart of accounts which is a real pain if I need to manage books across different currencies. Automatic bank syncing can be unreliable for certain transaction types and that has caused mistakes in my accounts. If my team includes employees in several states or provinces, the payroll features feel restricted. Project management is another area where the functionality is thin, tracking projects closely becomes difficult. Even with all these issues, I still see Wave Accounting as a practical, budget-friendly online accounting option for small businesses like mine.

“Simple and easy accounting”

Pros

Simple and easy, it handles what's necessary without offering a maze of advanced features. That suits me perfectly because I don't require heavy-duty tools. I am genuinely happy with a clean, uncomplicated accounting app that's very easy to learn and use.

Cons

I'd have liked expenses labeled bills within Wave to let me record the payment at the same moment I enter the expense into the system.

“Great value for small businesses”

Pros

It is an excellent online accounting platform for small businesses. It's easy to use and packed with a range of features that help me keep my finances organized and efficient. One of the things I love most is that it's free, that alone makes it a no-brainer for small operations that want professional accounting tools without the hefty price tag. Because it's web-based, I can log in from anywhere at any time which is super convenient when I am out meeting clients or working remotely. I also appreciate how well Wave connects with services like PayPal and Stripe so handling payments and transactions doesn't feel like a chore. The platform provides a variety of financial reports that give me a clear picture of my businesss health and help me make smarter decisions. All in all, I think Wave Accounting is a solid, reliable and affordable choice for small business owners looking for an online accounting solution. It gives me the features I need to manage finances effectively and support better business decisions.

Cons

As a small business owner, I have used Wave Accounting and can confirm it's a widely used online accounting solution for freelancers and small companies. It includes core tools like invoicing, bookkeeping, expense tracking and payment management, all aimed at helping people keep their finances in order. That said there are a few downsides I have noticed that might matter depending on your situation. First, while Wave covers many basics really well, it doesn't always have the advanced capabilities that mid-size or larger firms often need so growth-focused businesses might find it limited. The interface can also be a little confusing at the start, I had to spend some time getting familiar with where things live and how workflows go. Another annoyance is support, Wave doesn't provide phone support so if you prefer talking to someone on the line, you'll be relying on email or in-app help instead. Overall I still think Wave Accounting can be a solid, budget-friendly choice for freelancers and very small businesses that want easy accounting tools. Just be sure to weigh these potential limitations against your needs before committing.

“Great invoicing experience”

Pros

the biggest appeal of this app is its invoicing, it handles that really well. I get attractive, customizable invoices that support online payments and e-mail reminders.

Cons

I find the dashboard panels sluggish to move through, often taking a long time to load. As long as I can tolerate 20+ second waits on a screen, it functions adequately.

“Great free invoicing tool”

Pros

Being a solopreneur like me, I appreciate a easy, free choice that works well when all I need is to send invoices to clients. It even has a recurring invoices feature, I can set them to go out every month for example and add a personalised message. I really like the level of invoice customisation available. so many competitors lock that behind paid plans but this gives me flexibility for free!

Cons

I have noticed it sends a reminder the DAY AFTER an invoice has expired. I'd prefer that reminder to be sent on the actual due date so a client has immediate time to look into it if they've simply forgotten. I also couldn't find any option to automate the logging a payment process, I have seen other software connect to a business bank and automatically mark an invoice as 'paid' when the client uses the exact reference number.

“Professional and polished billing”

Pros

My clients get a very professional feel and I make sure they have the documentation they need with invoicing and payments through Wave rather than using payment apps like Venmo or Cash App.

Cons

Processing is slow but I feel it actually contributes to that authentic corporate vibe.

“Getting paid fast is amazing”

Pros

I get payments promptly sometimes before they fully clear into my account and that quick access to cash is extremely important to our operations.

Cons

A few dropdown menus appear below my screen so I have to minimize the window to view them.

“Great for businesses of any size”

Pros

I find that this software is easy to use and suitable for businesses of all sizes especially small, medium and large companies.

Cons

My experience is that the software is quite limited when it comes to language options which can be frustrating.

“Free and professional invoicing”

Pros

The price was unbeatable, it's free! I relied on the no-cost plan to send invoices to my clients and I found the interface easy while invoices presented a polished, professional appearance to recipients.

Cons

However it missed a few features my business needed. For example, I wasn't able to record customer overpayments as account credits that could be applied to future bills. Also, whenever I issued a new invoice there was no way for my clients to view any previous invoices or see if they had an outstanding balance which created confusion.

“Smooth and easy accounting”

Pros

This software runs very smoothly and the billing and accounting components have been particularly favorable for my needs.

Cons

Using it, I found the program very simple to learn and I can complete basic accounting tasks with ease.

“Super easy and awesome”

Pros

Setting it up and getting started was a breeze, it links to my bank and makes reconciling easy.

Cons

Honestly I don't really have any complaints, the only thing I haven't worked out yet is how to record an expense so it lines up with the bank feed, apart from that, I think it's fantastic.

“Great free accounting tools”

Pros

One thing I really appreciate is the set of free tools that come with the no-cost account.

Cons

Honestly I cannot think of anything I dislike about it.

“Broken categorization and account mix-ups”

Pros

I used to have it automatically detect and categorize recurring payments, reliably assigning them to the right category. That's no longer happening, even though the charges came from the same payee with the same amount month after month!

Cons

This year it began lumping my personal and business accounts together for no reason and I am left having to untangle transactions that were previously separate.

“Easy and reliable for business”

Pros

As a small business owner, I find this software really great for companies, it's simple to navigate and launches very fast.

Cons

I do wish the customer support that accompanies the product were a bit better and more responsive.

“Complete waste of time”

Pros

I have nothing good to say, I avoid Wave especially if you live in a state they don't fully support. I found they only back a small set of states.

Cons

Customer service was awful and the product features weren't clearly explained before we bought. We had to learn the hard way that our state wasn't supported after we'd already paid and completed setup. When we called for help the support team was totally unhelpful, none of our problems got fixed so we had to abandon everything and start fresh with a completely different company.