Wave alternative
Looking for a Wave alternative? The honest version.
Wave is a solid free accounting tool, and if you need bookkeeping in the same place, keep it. This page is about its pricing changes, payment limits and support, and where a focused quote-to-paid workspace fits instead.
Credit where it is due
What Wave does well.
Wave gives a small business real double-entry bookkeeping, accounting reports, and invoicing for free, with an optional payroll add-on. For someone who wants their books and their invoices in one place at no cost, that is a genuinely good deal and has been for years.
Where it has changed
Three things worth knowing.
The free plan is thinner than it was
Wave introduced a paid Pro tier and moved some previously-free capability behind it, and payment-processing fees went up. The core is still free, but "free" covers less than people remember.
Payments are US and Canada only
If your clients are elsewhere, Wave's built-in payments do not help. StitchInvoice uses your own Stripe, which processes cards in roughly 46 countries and settles straight to your bank.
No approval step, and support is slow
There is no way for a client to formally approve a quote before work starts, and support is self-serve and email-based with occasional reports of payment accounts paused for review.
Side by side
What each one actually covers.
| Capability | Wave | StitchInvoice |
|---|---|---|
| Free invoicing | ||
| Full double-entry bookkeeping and accounting reports | ||
| Payroll add-on | ||
| Client e-signature on a quote or estimate | ||
| Automated before-due and overdue follow-up | Partial | |
| Per-client billing memory (PO numbers, CC rules, currency, terms) | ||
| Payments via your own Stripe, ~46 countries, no payout hold | ||
| A free plan that has not been thinned out | Partial |
Which one fits
A decision, not a pitch.
Wave still fits if you
- Need real bookkeeping and accounting reports in the tool
- Are in the US or Canada and its payments work for you
- Want free books and free invoicing in one place
StitchInvoice fits if you
- Want a quote signed off before work, not just an invoice
- Have clients outside the US and Canada
- Want follow-up handled and each client's billing rules remembered
Questions
Common questions about switching.
Is StitchInvoice an accounting tool like Wave?
No, and that is deliberate. Wave does real double-entry bookkeeping, a chart of accounts, and accounting reports. StitchInvoice does not. If you need to keep your books in the tool, Wave (or a dedicated accounting product) is the right answer.
Then what is the point of switching?
If what you actually use Wave for is: send an invoice, chase it, get paid, then a tool built around that, with a client e-signature step, automated follow-up that stops when payment lands, and per-client billing memory, does that part more thoroughly.
How is the pricing different?
StitchInvoice has a genuine $0 Starter plan with the essentials, and a flat $19/month Professional. Wave added a paid "Pro" tier and raised payment-processing fees; some features that were free moved behind Pro. If the free plan quietly shrinking is your concern, that is the difference.
What about getting paid internationally?
Wave payments are limited to the US and Canada. StitchInvoice uses your own Stripe, which supports card payments in roughly 46 countries, settling straight to your bank with no hold from us.
Can I move my Wave data over?
Your client list, yes. Export customers from Wave as a CSV and upload it to the importer; columns are read automatically with a preview before anything is created. Your ledger and transactions stay in Wave.
What do people say about Wave support?
Wave support is largely self-serve and email-based, with slower response times and occasional reports of payment accounts being paused for review. Weigh that against how much you rely on getting a person quickly.
Also comparing
Keep your books where they are. Move the invoicing.
A free plan that stays useful, a quote e-signature step, automated follow-up, and your own Stripe. Bring your client list over in one upload.