Wave Accounting Review: Pros, Cons, Alternatives

Wave also integrates with its own suite of products, which include Wave Payroll, Wave Invoicing, Wave Payments, and Wave Money. As a Wave user, you also have access to Wave Advisors, an assisted bookkeeping service. For more information, check out our guide to Wave Financial software and read our Wave Payroll review and Wave Payments review. You might find the estimate feature helpful, but we recommend you check out our list of the best contractor accounting software for more comprehensive project accounting features.

  • Joining your hands with Meru Accounting can help you manage complexities, seize opportunities, and drive financial excellence into the future.
  • If you enjoy organization and numbers and have experience with bookkeeping, starting your own business offering this service might be a smart career choice.
  • Wave’s inventory management feature is very basic, so if you’re a product-based business, you should consider alternatives like QuickBooks Online or Xero.
  • Most accounting software use the double-entry system, though FreshBooks’ cheapest plan is a notable exception.
  • If you’re interested in using payroll software, you can start a free 30-day trial when you sign up for Wave.
  • As a self-employed professional, your flexibility is a huge advantage, so you need financial processes that are as flexible as you are.

Wave also doesn’t have quite as many integrations as other paid (and more popular) accounting software options. Most importantly, it doesn’t sync with any third-party payroll providers. When you reconcile your books, you’ll navigate to the “Reconciliation” tab within the Accounting menu. If you need to manually edit, add or remove any transactions, you can do so on the Reconciliation or Transactions pages. Next, you can add sales tax (if necessary), create customer profiles and customize your invoice templates.

Does Wave use double-entry or single-entry bookkeeping?

Enter some basic information about your business’s accounting software needs and we’ll send you up to five personalized quotes for absolutely free. Sage Accounting offers some of the least expensive accounting plans available and stands out for its in-depth inventory tracking. While Wave has a lot to offer when it comes to invoicing, know that it’s still slightly less automated than some competitors. This isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, but it might require a bit more bookkeeping work. Accounting software like Wave can also seamlessly connect with your bank accounts so you can automate tasks like recording transactions and generating reports.

  • Simran is very helpful and goes above and beyond to help me as I am a fairly new freelancer and user of the Wave Advisor services.
  • We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.
  • You can’t count on Wave for managing fixed assets, which isn’t surprising for a free program.
  • The fee is calculated for a calendar month of transactions, and depends on the size of your business.

Our robust small business accounting reports are easy to use and show month-to-month or year-to-year comparisons so you can easily identify cash flow trends. Transactions will appear in your books automatically, and you can say goodbye to manual receipt entry. Track your income and expenses, easily and for free, with Wave’s accounting software. Since bookkeeping is a more straightforward process than accounting, it is something that many people can (and do) opt to take care of themselves.

Compare your accounting software options

If you enjoy organization and numbers and have experience with bookkeeping, starting your own business offering this service might be a smart career choice. Keeping up with the records in your small business might be a task you are willing and able to tackle yourself. The system you choose to use doesn’t need to be complicated and the ledgers should be straightforward, especially if you have just a few or no employees. The most important parts of doing your own bookkeeping are staying organized and keeping track of the details. While they seem similar at first glance, bookkeeping and accounting are two very different mediums. Bookkeeping serves as more of a preliminary function through the straightforward recording and organizing of financial information.

Look professional with customizable invoices

Before you commit to accounting software, it’s in your best interest to shop around and compare all your options. Unlike QuickBooks and FreshBooks, Wave Accounting is completely free to use. It can allow you to manage all your accounting processes without paying a dime.

You can access personalized support through the Wave Advisor program where you can get coaching and year-round advice from a Wave expert. These support services are expensive for most small businesses, and we can’t fully recommend them to you unless you have a budget to spare. While you can track your sales tax in Wave, there’s no way to file your returns or pay your tax liability. This feature is also handy if you’re working with independent contractors and need to generate a 1099 form for tax filing. The sales and income tax features are evaluated across the other categories, so it has no separate video.

Wave Accounting Ease of Use

Yes, Wave’s accounting software does automatic double-entry bookkeeping. This accounting process generates two entries for every financial transaction. If you’re ready to take bookkeeping off your plate and delegate this task to someone else, it can be hard to know where to look. Start by reaching out to other business owners for recommendations, searching online for providers and checking out reviews on Google or Yelp.

Since Wave uses accountant-approved, real double entry accounting, your accountant will have all the information they need. You can also email exported financial statements and net income explained reports directly from Wave. Create graphs, charts, and dashboards to see at a glance where your income is coming from and which expenses are cutting into your bottom line.

Is Wave Right for You or Your Business?

With Bookkeeping, you outsource your bookkeeping to us and let the pros handle it. With Accounting Coaching, we ensure you are set up correctly and coach you on how to do it yourself. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. If you’re an existing Wave customer and have already been invited, you’ll be able to learn more and sign up within your Wave account under your Banking tab. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made when it comes to making sure my accounting is on point.