Wave vs. FreshBooks
Wave vs. FreshBooks: which is right for you?
Two popular apps, compared on what their own pages say. Checked November 4, 2026.
Wave's Starter plan is free with unlimited estimates, invoices and bills and basic accounting; Pro is $19 a month. FreshBooks has no free plan: Lite is $23 a month at the regular price, with unlimited invoices but 5 billable clients, and unlimited clients start at Premium ($70). Card fees: Wave 2.9% + 60¢ on Starter, FreshBooks from 2.9% + 30¢. Wave is US and Canada only.
Side by side
| Wave | FreshBooks | Settle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price for unlimited documents | Starter, $0: "unlimited estimates, invoices, bills". Pro is $19 a month or $190 a year | Premium, $70 a month at the regular price, for unlimited invoices and unlimited clients. Lite and Plus also have unlimited invoices but cap how many clients you can bill | Free: $0, no document limit |
| Limits on lower plans | No document limit listed | Invoices are unlimited on every plan, but Lite is capped at 5 billable clients and Plus at 50, counting active and archived clients; unlimited clients start at Premium | None on any plan. AI drafts: 3 free, then Pro |
| Free plan | Yes. Starter includes unlimited estimates, invoices and bills and basic accounting. Online payments are pay-per-use; bank imports, receipt scanning and automatic late-payment reminders are Pro | No. 30-day free trial, no card required | Yes |
| Card payment fee | 2.9% + 60¢ per Visa, Mastercard or Discover transaction and 3.4% + 60¢ for Amex on Starter. Pro drops the 60¢ on the first ten transactions each month. Bank payments 1%, $1 minimum. Wave does not permit surcharging | "Starting at 2.9% + $0.30" for cards; 1% for bank transfers (US only) | Stripe's standard 2.9% + 30¢ paid to Stripe; Settle adds nothing |
| Payouts | Wave processes the payments itself; its US terms say it "acts solely as a third party payment facilitator and processor" and may delay, cancel or reverse a payment it suspects is invalid. Its help center lists US payouts at 2 business days for cards and 2 to 7 for bank payments, which "cannot be expedited", and says online payments can be paused while account details are reviewed | FreshBooks Payments, powered by Stripe. FreshBooks' help center says a first payout waits a mandatory 7 business days, standard card payouts take 2 business days, and payouts can be paused for reviews or reserves | Paid straight to your own Stripe account. Stripe sets payout timing and runs its own risk checks; Settle never holds the money |
| Scheduling and dispatch | Not listed. "Schedule" on Wave's pages refers to recurring invoices and reminders, not jobs | Not listed on the pricing page we checked | No |
| Platforms | Web, iPhone, Android. US and Canada only | Web, iPhone, Android | iPhone only |
| Cancelling | Cancel Pro under Business settings, Manage Subscriptions; Starter stays free. Data Export emails XLS or CSV files, but invoices can't be exported in bulk. | Cancel from Billing and Upgrade on the web. Invoices, clients and expenses export as CSV; a CSV of estimates has to be requested from support. | Subscription billed by Apple; cancel in your iPhone settings in two taps |
From each company's public pages and help centers, checked November 4, 2026. Confirm on their pages before you buy.
Choose Wave if
- You want free invoicing and basic bookkeeping with no client cap.
- Your customers pay by bank transfer, which Wave lists at 1% with a $1 minimum.
Choose FreshBooks if
- You bill by the hour and want time tracking on invoices.
- You want card fees from 2.9% + 30¢ instead of Wave's 60¢ fixed fee.
- Your accountant needs their own login, which FreshBooks includes on Plus and Premium.
A third option if you work alone
Settle is made for one person with an iPhone who mostly sends estimates and invoices. It's free with no document cap, you describe the job out loud and it writes the estimate with your own prices, and payments go to your own Stripe account. It has no scheduling, dispatch or crew logins. See Settle vs. Wave and Settle vs. FreshBooks.
Questions
Which is cheaper, Wave or FreshBooks?
Wave: Starter, $0: "unlimited estimates, invoices, bills". Pro is $19 a month or $190 a year. FreshBooks: Premium, $70 a month at the regular price, for unlimited invoices and unlimited clients. Lite and Plus also have unlimited invoices but cap how many clients you can bill. The plans include different things, so compare features as well as price. Prices checked November 4, 2026.
Is Wave or FreshBooks better for a solo contractor?
On cost alone Wave wins for a solo contractor: it's free and has no client cap. FreshBooks earns its price if you track hours or want its accountant tools.
Is there an alternative to both Wave and FreshBooks?
Yes. Settle is a free iPhone app for solo contractors with no cap on estimates or invoices, and payments go to your own Stripe account. It has no scheduling, no crew logins and no Android or web app, so it only fits if you work alone on an iPhone.
Sources
- Wave pricing
- FreshBooks pricing
- Wave help: download your account data
- FreshBooks help: export your data
Working alone? Try Settle.
Free on iPhone. Unlimited estimates and invoices. 7 days of Pro to try the voice drafts, and you cancel in two taps.
Download on the App StoreiPhone, iOS 17 or later. Questions? Text Nina: (818) 945-9686