Wave alternatives: what it costs to switch
For 15 users on annual billing, Wave Pro comes to $190 a year. The cheapest published alternative that fits is Xero Simple at $120 (−$70 a year). Lower list price is not the same as an equal product: compare features first.
Prices checked 2026-11-10. Source: waveapps.com/pricing.
Now: Wave Pro ≈ $190 a year for 15 users. Cheapest plan of each alternative that fits; check feature parity before deciding.
| Alternative | Cheapest plan that fits | Per year | vs now | Days (range) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xero | Simple | $120 | −$70 | not scored | |
| FreshBooks | Lite | $276 | +$86 | not scored | |
| Zoho Books | Ultimate | $2,880 | +$2,690 | not scored | |
| QuickBooks Online | Advanced | $4,080 | +$3,890 | not scored |
Xero Cloud ledger with a free QuickBooks conversion for eligible new customers.
Simple: flat $10 × 12 months = $120
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: xero.com/us/pricing-plans · checked 2026-11-10 · Xero alternatives
FreshBooks Invoicing-first accounting for service businesses.
Lite: flat $23 × 12 months = $276
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: freshbooks.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · FreshBooks alternatives
Zoho Books Plan-tier accounting with included users and a free plan.
Ultimate: flat $240 × 12 months = $2,880
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: zoho.com/us/books/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · Zoho Books alternatives
QuickBooks Online The default small-business ledger in the US; four plans with user limits.
Advanced: flat $340 × 12 months = $4,080
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · QuickBooks Online alternatives
Wave plans and what they cost
| Plan | Per seat / mo (annual) | Monthly billing | 5 seats / yr | 15 seats / yr | 50 seats / yr | SSO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free | not recorded | $0 | $0 | $0 | not on pricing page |
| Pro | $15.83 flat | not recorded | $190 | $190 | $190 | not on pricing page |
Seat columns use the annual-billing price; "—" means the plan's recorded seat limit is lower than that count.
Check before you leave Wave
- Pricing page: Pro is $190 a year (about $15.83 a month). Card payments on Starter cost 2.9% + $0.60. Wave says it offers onboarding when switching from FreshBooks and similar tools.
Questions
How much does Wave cost?
Wave lists Starter at $0 per month, Pro at $15.83 per month on www.waveapps.com/pricing (checked 2026-11-10).
What are the cheapest Wave alternatives?
Xero Simple ($120 a year for 15 users); FreshBooks Lite ($276 a year for 15 users); Zoho Books Ultimate ($2,880 a year for 15 users).
How long does it take to switch from Wave?
We have not scored a documented move away from this tool yet; each vendor's export and import docs decide the effort.
Sponsored station: none yet. Advertise on this page (waitlist). We do not sell any product that competes with these tools.