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Wave Accounting

Wave Accounting

Overview

What is Wave Accounting?

Wave Accounting is a free, cloud-based accounting platform exclusively for small businesses. It supports double-entry bookkeeping and permits unlimited user access, invoicing, and expense management. Wave Accounting integrates with Wave's invoicing, receipt scanning, payment processing and payroll apps.

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Awards

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Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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What is Wave Accounting?

Wave Accounting is a free, cloud-based accounting platform exclusively for small businesses. It supports double-entry bookkeeping and permits unlimited user access, invoicing, and expense management. Wave Accounting integrates with Wave's invoicing, receipt scanning, payment processing and payroll…

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Alternatives Pricing

What is Xero?

Xero is an online accounting software product for small businesses and personal finance. Its features beyond general ledger and double-bookkeeping include quotable invoicing, bank reconciliation, purchase order and expense management, and tax management. Third party apps can extend its features…

What is QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks Online is a SaaS version of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version. Higher-priced plans include greater automation, payment management, inventory and time tracking, and analytics features.

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Product Demos

How To Use Wave Accounting App | Get a hold of your Money! | Ibukun Awosika

YouTube

Wave Accounting Demo

YouTube
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Features

Payroll Management

Provides for pay calculation and benefit plan administration, in addition to managing direct deposit, salary revisions and payroll tracking.

6.2
Avg 7.2

Customization

This addresses a company’s ability to configure the software to fit its specific use case and workflow.

8.5
Avg 7.1

Security

This component helps a company minimize the security risks by controlling access to the software and its data, and encouraging best practices among users.

6.8
Avg 7.9

Reporting & Analytics

Users can report on and analyze usage, performance, ROI, and/or other metrics of success.

6.5
Avg 7.5

General Ledger and Configurable Accounting

Financial management solution, including capabilities for general ledger and configurable accounting

7
Avg 7.3

Inventory Management

The ability to track and manage the flow of goods or materials into and out of an inventory.

8.1
Avg 6.7

Order Management

The ability to process orders, and track them from quote to cash.

7.6
Avg 7.3
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Product Details

What is Wave Accounting?

Wave Accounting is a fast growing, free, cloud-based accounting platform exclusively for small businesses (less than 9 employees) offered by Wave in Toronto. It supports double-entry bookkeeping and permits unlimited user access to always-available records and reports, as well as unlimited invoicing and expense management. Wave integrates with expense tracking software Shoeboxed. The software is mobile-accessible.

Wave Accounting integrates with Wave's invoicing, receipt scanning, payment processing and payroll apps, into one relatively comprehensive package. However, the automated payments and payroll functionality must be purchased; the payments addition bills per transaction, and the payroll feature bills by number of employees over a flat rate. To support the free platform, Wave integrates advertisements from business partners. Thus these are a necessary facet of the service.

Wave Accounting Competitors

Wave Accounting Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Wave Accounting is a free, cloud-based accounting platform exclusively for small businesses. It supports double-entry bookkeeping and permits unlimited user access, invoicing, and expense management. Wave Accounting integrates with Wave's invoicing, receipt scanning, payment processing and payroll apps.

QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, and Xero are common alternatives for Wave Accounting.

Reviewers rate Multi-currency support and Order entry and Cost of goods sold highest, with a score of 10.

The most common users of Wave Accounting are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(177)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Wave Accounting is a reliable tool for staying up to date with accounting tasks such as creating invoices, tracking payments, and managing financial obligations. Users appreciate how Wave Accounting simplifies these processes, eliminating the need for manual tracking. The software offers an intuitive interface and essential accounting features that make it a popular choice for small businesses. It has been commended for its ability to quickly generate professional estimates and invoices, as well as provide performance insights through flow graphs and profit and loss graphs. Although some users have experienced drawbacks such as limited customer support and lengthy credit card acceptance processes, overall, Wave Accounting has been highly recommended by users who find it valuable for organizing their businesses. It is particularly useful for tracking inventory purchases, sales, expenses, managing independent contractor businesses, and is considered an affordable and powerful solution by accounting professionals in service-based industries.

Comprehensive and Versatile Software: Users have found Wave Accounting to be a comprehensive and versatile solution for bookkeeping and budgeting. It has been praised for its ability to effortlessly track and categorize financial transactions, streamline invoice creation without redundant data entry, as well as generate various financial reports.

Cloud-based Accessibility: The cloud-based nature of Wave Accounting is highly appreciated by users, providing them with easy accessibility from any computer while eliminating concerns about computer glitches or server problems. This feature has been mentioned by numerous reviewers.

Powerful Invoicing Feature: Users have lauded the invoicing feature in Wave Accounting for its power and user-friendliness. They can easily create and send invoices, keep track of due dates, and mark off paid invoices. The software also provides automatic invoice numbering, facilitating quick reference to different invoices.

Horrible Reconciliation Process: Users have expressed frustration with the reconciliation process in Wave, describing it as horrible. They find it difficult to match transactions and suggest a simpler method for reconciliation.

Lack of Customer Support Options: Many users complain about the lack of customer support options in Wave. They mention the absence of phone or chat lines and express frustration with the frequent response to read documentation. Users desire more personalized assistance and quicker ways to resolve their issues.

Limited Reporting Features: Users feel that the reporting features in Wave could be more robust and flexible. They report issues with exporting general ledger items and mention the need for improvements in sorting options for reports. Some users desire preset date options for reports and request further development of this aspect in Wave.

Reviews

(1-16 of 16)
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Wave Accounting - solid bookkeeping software

Rating: 6 out of 10
July 05, 2024
DJ
Vetted Review
Verified User
Wave Accounting
5 years of experience
It is great to use for non-UK market businesses, it does all the basic features of an online bookkeeping and accounting software. It lacks however UK based required features and therefore the usability in the UK is very much restricted. It is also great that through one accountant login we have access to multiple clients without the need to access each account individually.

Wave has all you need for basic acounting

Rating: 10 out of 10
November 19, 2022
AE
Vetted Review
Verified User
Wave Accounting
4 years of experience
For all the reasons mentioned above; ave is easy and simple to use, simple GUI and feature rich with reports and other basic accounting fucntions.

Good Accounting Software for SME's

Rating: 9 out of 10
January 13, 2022
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Wave Accounting
2 years of experience
Wave [Accounting] is very simple and easy to use. Minimal training was required for all our users as the interface is very user-friendly, especially for small businesses looking to use something to track their financial data, Invoice and make payments. I loved using Wave [Accounting]. It lookes professional and [has] all the features we were looking for.

Wave accounting FRAUD and malicious practices.

Rating: 1 out of 10
November 08, 2021
TR
Vetted Review
Verified User
Wave Accounting
1 year of experience
Personal experience and the experience of so many others that have made complaints, all very similar to the BBB and other organizations.

Wave Accounting Review

Rating: 1 out of 10
August 17, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Wave Accounting
2 years of experience
It was easy to use, very basic and aesthetic with customized invoicing that included your logo. The online payments put it over the top for a FREE product.
Now, I would rather send my own invoice and get paid direct ACH [to] save both my client and I a fee.

Wave was a great option for my marketing consulting business.

Rating: 8 out of 10
May 08, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Wave Accounting
2 years of experience
The usability is a major benefit to Wave. The online user interface is easy to use and offers good customization so your accounts payable and receivable accurately represent your business finances. The tools are self explanatory and offer tool tips to make sense of anything you may not be familiar with.

Wave Accounting Software

Rating: 8 out of 10
April 29, 2021
RS
Vetted Review
Verified User
Wave Accounting
5 years of experience
It has been a strong tool and resource for me for a number of years. It has grown and evolved just like me and my business.

Avoid Waveapps if you are a non-profit

Rating: 1 out of 10
December 03, 2020
HA
Vetted Review
Verified User
Wave Accounting
1 year of experience
Reconciliation is very difficult. Must know the ins and outs of the internal working of their software. Gets worse if you add payroll or credit cards.

Simple and Straightforward Accounting Software for Entrepreneurs

Rating: 9 out of 10
March 16, 2016
MW
Vetted Review
Verified User
Wave Accounting
4 years of experience
I am a professional bookkeeper and I have no problems using Wave and all of it's features. I can see that certain individuals who have no accounting knowledge might struggle with a few different features and entries, but that is why Wave has an emphasis in connecting users to Wave Pro's who will walk them through things.
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