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FreshBooks and Wave

The same fields for both, from each vendor's own pages and the SEC, read on the dates shown. This table does not say which to choose: that depends on your requirements, and the guide's checklist is how to test them.

Published 29 October 2026; vendor pages read 29 October 2026.

FieldFreshBooksWave
Described as (our words)Invoicing and accounting software aimed at freelancers and small businesses. Team members, advanced payments and payroll are listed as paid add-ons.Accounting, invoicing and payments software for very small businesses, with a free starter plan. Card payments are charged per transaction.
In its own wordsYour everyday small business software (freshbooks.com, read 29 October 2026)Create beautiful invoices, accept online payments, and make accounting easy (waveapps.com, read 29 October 2026)
Lists on its siteNo module list taken from the pages we read.No module list taken from the pages we read.
PricingThe pricing page states Team Members ($11/mo per user) (freshbooks.com pricing, read 29 October 2026)The pricing page states per credit card transaction (waveapps.com pricing, read 29 October 2026)
Integrations it namesNo integrations taken from the pages we read.Amazon; Etsy; Google Sheets; Capsule CRM; Driversnote; Make.com (waveapps.com integrations)
Public companyNo company named “FreshBooks” in the SEC's list of companies with tickers, read 29 October 2026. A listing elsewhere, or a parent company, is not checked here.No company named “Wave” in the SEC's list of companies with tickers, read 29 October 2026. A listing elsewhere, or a parent company, is not checked here.
Guides it appears inSmall business accountingSmall business accounting

Ask both of them

From the Small business accounting guide. Put the same questions to each vendor and compare the answers against your checklist.

  • Show me a bank feed for my bank, and what happens when a transaction is duplicated.
  • How does my accountant get access, and what can they change without my approval?
  • Show me the audit trail for one edited invoice.
  • What is in the export when I cancel, and does it include attachments?
  • What does my plan cost after the introductory period, and what is the price if I add two users?
  • Which payroll and payments providers connect, and who supports the connection when it breaks?

Sources

  1. FreshBooks. freshbooks.com/, read 29 October 2026.
  2. FreshBooks. freshbooks.com/pricing, read 29 October 2026.
  3. SEC EDGAR. sec.gov/files/company_tickers.json, read 29 October 2026.
  4. Wave. waveapps.com/, read 29 October 2026.
  5. Wave. waveapps.com/pricing, read 29 October 2026.
  6. Wave. waveapps.com/integrations, read 29 October 2026.