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Wave vs FreshBooks
Both sit in accounting & finance. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: Wave starts $4 a month cheaper than FreshBooks ($19 against $23, 17% less) on its Pro tier. Both figures were read from the vendors' own pricing pages on the dates shown below.
Wave
waveapps.com
Genuinely free bookkeeping and unlimited invoicing for small businesses, monetised through payments and payroll.
Free planAccounting & Finance
Visit WaveFreshBooks
freshbooks.com
Built around invoices, estimates, time tracking and expenses for service businesses, with accounting features layered on.
Accounting & Finance
Visit FreshBooks| Wave | FreshBooks | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $19/mo | $23/mo |
| Entry plan | Pro | Lite |
| Paid annually | — | — |
| Price checked | 21 Sept 2026 | 21 Sept 2026 |
| Pricing model | Free plan | Free trial |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Category | Accounting & Finance | Accounting & Finance |
| Around since | 2010 | 2003 |
Every price here was read from the vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 21 Sept 2026. Entry tier only — vendors change pricing without notice.
Wave vs FreshBooks, answered
- Is Wave cheaper than FreshBooks?
- Yes. Wave starts at $19 a month against FreshBooks's $23, 17% less.
- Do Wave or FreshBooks have a free plan?
- Wave publishes an ongoing free plan; FreshBooks does not.
- What is the difference between Wave and FreshBooks?
- Wave: Genuinely free bookkeeping and unlimited invoicing for small businesses, monetised through payments and payroll. FreshBooks: Built around invoices, estimates, time tracking and expenses for service businesses, with accounting features layered on.
