Wave

What Wave is

A financial workbench for very small businesses. Invoicing, quotes, bookkeeping, bank imports and expense tracking run in one free system, with paid payment processing as the revenue model.

Payments connect into the ledger, so a client paying an invoice updates the books without duplicate entry, and overdue reminders keep cash flow moving.

What you can do with it

• Create and send professional invoices and estimates
• Accept card and bank payments, including Apple Pay
• Import bank transactions with automatic categorization
• Capture receipts and track expenses
• Send overdue payment reminders
• Add payroll through the paid Wave Payroll product

Who it is for

• Freelancers and sole proprietors
• Small service businesses with simple transaction structures
• Businesses transitioning from spreadsheets to real bookkeeping
• Teams that want basics without accounting software costs

What to watch out for

• Payment processing fees apply per transaction; factor them into pricing
• Bookkeeping depth is limited for complex inventory or multi-entity needs
• Payroll coverage varies by country and state
• Support on the free tier is limited; complex issues may need an accountant