Software comparison
FreshBooks vs Wave
Compare FreshBooks and Wave for freelancers and small service businesses, with emphasis on invoicing, bookkeeping, client workflows and cost.
Independent research · Verify current pricing with each provider
Pricing reality
Pricing, limits and included features can change. Check the providers' current plans before making a decision.
At a glance
Which one fits?
Best for: Service businesses needing client and billing workflows
Free: 30-day free trial; standard US list prices shown are $23/month for Lite (5 billable clients), $43 for Plus (50 clients) and $70 for Premium (unlimited clients), before temporary offers.
Best for: Businesses in supported markets wanting simple bookkeeping
Free: Wave Starter is free and includes basic accounting and invoicing; online payment processing, automatic receipt scanning and payroll may cost extra.
Detailed review
What to know before you choose.
FreshBooks
Best for Service businesses needing client and billing workflows
Free plan and limits
30-day free trial; standard US list prices shown are $23/month for Lite (5 billable clients), $43 for Plus (50 clients) and $70 for Premium (unlimited clients), before temporary offers.
The Trade-off
The client cap is a major decision point: Lite can fit a small client roster, but a growing freelancer may need Plus or Premium. Add-ons such as extra team members and advanced payments can raise the total.
Wave
Best for Businesses in supported markets wanting simple bookkeeping
Free plan and limits
Wave Starter is free and includes basic accounting and invoicing; online payment processing, automatic receipt scanning and payroll may cost extra.
The Trade-off
Wave can keep subscription costs down in supported markets, but compare transaction fees and paid add-ons with FreshBooks’ subscription and client limits.
StackPick invoicing workflow
Compare the full cost of getting paid.
Create the same quote and invoice in both tools, send it to a test client, record a partial payment and mark the balance overdue. Compare how much effort the workflow takes, which reminders and client features are included, and what payment processing costs would apply in your country. A low monthly price is not the same as a low total cost.
Invoice-to-payment
Check estimates, recurring invoices, partial payments and overdue reminders.
Fees and availability
Confirm payment methods, transaction fees and country support directly with each provider.
Time saved
Include time tracking and client follow-up only if they matter to your actual work.
Compare the limits that affect your real bill
FreshBooks’ US pricing page lists standard monthly prices of $23 for Lite (5 billable clients), $43 for Plus (50 clients) and $70 for Premium (unlimited clients); promotions can temporarily reduce the displayed price. FreshBooks offers a 30-day trial. Wave Starter has no monthly subscription fee, while online payment processing and selected features are paid. Wave’s published Starter card rate for Visa, Mastercard and Discover is 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction. Confirm current rates, supported countries and your likely client count before choosing. This is a desk-based comparison, not a hands-on test.
Turn the limits into a monthly budget
Using the listed FreshBooks US monthly prices, a business with five billable clients may fit Lite at $23/month; a sixth client exceeds Lite's stated five-client limit, so compare the $43 Plus plan rather than assuming the same price continues. At 51 billable clients, Plus's 50-client limit becomes the next decision point against Premium at $70/month. These are standard list prices, not a guarantee of the checkout price.
| Example workload | FreshBooks checkpoint | Wave checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| 5 billable clients | Lite is listed at $23/month before temporary offers and add-ons. | No Starter subscription fee; check payment processing and feature add-ons. |
| 6–50 billable clients | Plus is listed at $43/month; check the feature mix too. | Estimate fees from actual payment methods and monthly collected volume. |
| 51+ billable clients | Premium is listed at $70/month for unlimited clients. | Confirm whether Starter and paid add-ons support the full workflow you need. |
For a simple illustration of Wave's published 2.9% + $0.60 card rate, a $100 card payment would incur $3.50 in processing fees and a $500 payment would incur $15.10. These examples exclude any other fees and only apply where that published rate and payment method are available; check the current fee schedule for the account's country.
Official sources checked
StackPick verdict
The bottom line.
Wave is worth checking first if it is available in your country and your workflow is mostly straightforward invoicing. FreshBooks is worth paying for when time tracking, estimates and client-facing workflows save enough effort to offset the subscription. Compare payment fees as well as monthly price.
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