Wave Accounting Platform Reviews

“Easy start for small teams

Pros

Wave feels like a easy accounting tool, really easy to get started with and perfect for SMEs or small enterprises.

Cons

I have noticed it doesn't scale well, once my business data gets large, the app becomes sluggish and its performance drops noticeably.

“Super easy for daily bookkeeping

Pros

Managing all of my sales and purchases is incredibly easy with this app, I can also print pages directly from within the app which I consider a major advantage and convenience.

Cons

Honestly I don't have any complaints. I am really fond of the app, it's very user-friendly and simple to navigate.

“better than paid tools

Pros

I have been using Wave and really appreciate that it's free accounting software that's a pleasure to work with. I notice it packs many of the same capabilities you'd find in paid accounting packages and I find it easy to track both income and expenses without extra fuss.

Cons

Personally, the drawbacks I run into with Wave are clear. while its reporting tools are decent for basic needs, they don't let me build custom reports the way I want. I also miss a tagging option which would make it much easier for me to group and filter specific line items.

“Easy, free and really useful

Pros

I am finding the software really easy to use. It's free to start and when I need extra features I can pay to unlock them.

Cons

Unfortunately I am unable to use it in US territories anymore.

“Great for small businesses

Pros

For small businesses like mom-and-pop shops, I find this app extremely helpful for handling basic accounting needs.

Cons

What bothers me most about this software is that I end up paying separately for each individual feature.

“Amazing free accounting tool

Pros

This program really is totally FREE to use! No tricks, nothing hidden. I admit I was doubtful when a client mentioned they used it. Didn't want to learn another accounting package but after I signed in and saw how user-friendly and efficient everything felt, I was completely convinced! The only charges appear if you opt into their payroll I strongly recommend NOT using their payroll, it desperately needs improvement or if you use their payment processing to accept client invoice payments. Their payment processing fees are comparable to Square and Stripe and a reasonable trade-off for such a terrific application. Personally I suggest using their payments so they can keep the billing features free without monthly fees! Onboarding clients was easy, the interface stays clean and the mobile app handles basic tasks reliably which made switching painless for my small business workflow.

Cons

I have been disappointed by the reporting, it's weak. There's no way to generate a no receipts attached report for clients. The software suffers occasional glitches. we'll enter data, log out and later discover our work gone which has caused panic more than once. I am still fighting with one account in particular. If I sign in using an incognito window the missing entries sometimes reappear. Their payroll system is terrible, I wouldn't use it and cannot recommend it. We default to Square Payroll. The chart of accounts feels outdated and doesn't map to Schedule C or S-Corp tax expense lines. I need to be able to customize a chart of accounts and copy/paste that setup into other client accounts. The accountant login is handy but the client list doesn't always alphabetize properly. Ability to sort alphabetically or by priority would help. Also, uploading receipts should be much faster and simpler.

“Super easy accounting experience

Pros

I really appreciate how user-friendly the accounting and banking features are and the advisors plus customer support reply promptly and helpfully.

Cons

I find it tricky to sort and assign categories to my bank transactions accurately and consistently.

“Super easy for our team

Pros

Using this, I found it really easy and simple to navigate so our finance team didn't need any additional training.

Cons

I have noticed it can get sluggish at times and as far as I know there isn't a dedicated desktop app available.

“Smooth across all my devices

Pros

I really like how it delivers a smooth, seamless experience across my iPad, my iPhone and my laptop.

Cons

There's a tax calculation that ends up slightly incorrect though I can use a workaround to fix it, otherwise I am pleased with it.

“Easy setup and smooth editing

Pros

Getting started was easy. That said I had to spend a fair amount of time making sure cost accounts, net terms, rates and other details were entered accurately. Fortunately, correcting typos or filling in anything I missed during the initial setup was simple.

Cons

I find the mobile app less reliable than the desktop version. For tasks like checking records or the status of payments, I prefer doing it on a computer.

“Free, polished and easy to use

Pros

Because it's free to use, I really enjoy Wave Accounting and the app's clean, attractive layout makes everything simple to navigate. People have told me my invoices look very professional and I find creating invoices and keeping an eye on my finances really easy. The reconciliation tool lets me wrap up my tax return quickly and that time savings has made a huge difference in how fast I can manage my bookkeeping.

Cons

However I am frustrated that Wave no longer provides full support for UK users and I miss the functionality I used to rely on.

“Easy start for small teams

Pros

Wave feels like a easy accounting tool, really easy to get started with and perfect for SMEs or small enterprises.

Cons

I have noticed it doesn't scale well, once my business data gets large, the app becomes sluggish and its performance drops noticeably.

“Super easy for daily bookkeeping

Pros

Managing all of my sales and purchases is incredibly easy with this app, I can also print pages directly from within the app which I consider a major advantage and convenience.

Cons

Honestly I don't have any complaints. I am really fond of the app, it's very user-friendly and simple to navigate.

“better than paid tools

Pros

I have been using Wave and really appreciate that it's free accounting software that's a pleasure to work with. I notice it packs many of the same capabilities you'd find in paid accounting packages and I find it easy to track both income and expenses without extra fuss.

Cons

Personally, the drawbacks I run into with Wave are clear. while its reporting tools are decent for basic needs, they don't let me build custom reports the way I want. I also miss a tagging option which would make it much easier for me to group and filter specific line items.

“Easy, free and really useful

Pros

I am finding the software really easy to use. It's free to start and when I need extra features I can pay to unlock them.

Cons

Unfortunately I am unable to use it in US territories anymore.

“Great for small businesses

Pros

For small businesses like mom-and-pop shops, I find this app extremely helpful for handling basic accounting needs.

Cons

What bothers me most about this software is that I end up paying separately for each individual feature.

“Amazing free accounting tool

Pros

This program really is totally FREE to use! No tricks, nothing hidden. I admit I was doubtful when a client mentioned they used it. Didn't want to learn another accounting package but after I signed in and saw how user-friendly and efficient everything felt, I was completely convinced! The only charges appear if you opt into their payroll I strongly recommend NOT using their payroll, it desperately needs improvement or if you use their payment processing to accept client invoice payments. Their payment processing fees are comparable to Square and Stripe and a reasonable trade-off for such a terrific application. Personally I suggest using their payments so they can keep the billing features free without monthly fees! Onboarding clients was easy, the interface stays clean and the mobile app handles basic tasks reliably which made switching painless for my small business workflow.

Cons

I have been disappointed by the reporting, it's weak. There's no way to generate a no receipts attached report for clients. The software suffers occasional glitches. we'll enter data, log out and later discover our work gone which has caused panic more than once. I am still fighting with one account in particular. If I sign in using an incognito window the missing entries sometimes reappear. Their payroll system is terrible, I wouldn't use it and cannot recommend it. We default to Square Payroll. The chart of accounts feels outdated and doesn't map to Schedule C or S-Corp tax expense lines. I need to be able to customize a chart of accounts and copy/paste that setup into other client accounts. The accountant login is handy but the client list doesn't always alphabetize properly. Ability to sort alphabetically or by priority would help. Also, uploading receipts should be much faster and simpler.

“Great for small business accounting

Pros

From my experience this is one of the top online tools for small businesses to handle invoicing and accounting needs.

Cons

I'd like them to offer an offline client that can sync with the cloud because the service is currently entirely web-based.

“Easy setup and super convenient

Pros

The tool is pretty simple to set up, I don't need to install a computer on-site and our kiosk staff are using it to stand in for a traditional POS system.

Cons

Unfortunately, I cannot access it anymore if I am located outside the US and Canada.

“doesn't cost a single penny

Pros

What I like most about Wave Accounting is that it doesn't cost anything to use. On top of that, we've found its invoicing and online payment features to be a significant benefit for our operations.

Cons

I have noticed a handful of odd quirks in its functionality that I believe the Wave Accounting team is gradually addressing. For example, after an invoice is finalized, I cannot change its category if it was assigned incorrectly because there isn't a way to edit it once it's been approved.