Sole proprietors and very small service businesses that mainly need invoices and a simple set of books at little or no cost.
Quick overview
- Pricing
- Free; Pro $19/month or $190/year
- Plans
- US prices in USD: Starter $0 (unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and bookkeeping records; manual transaction entry; mobile invoicing). Pro $19/month billed monthly (currently $9.50/month for the first 3 months) or $190/year billed annually (automatic bank imports via Plaid, auto-categorization, unlimited receipt capture, late payment reminders, extra users with admin, editor or viewer roles). Card processing 2.9% + $0.60 (Amex 3.4% + $0.60); Pro pays no fixed $0.60 fee on the first 10 card payments each month (2.9% + $0). Receipt capture on Starter is an add-on. Payroll $40/month plus $6 per active employee and $6 per contractor paid, with tax filing in all 50 states.
- G2 rating
- 4.3 / 5.0
- Comparisons
- Featured in 5 comparisons
Key features
- Free Starter plan with unlimited invoices, estimates and bills
- Pro adds automatic bank imports, auto-categorization and unlimited receipt capture
- Online card and bank payments on invoices
- Payroll add-on with tax filing in all 50 states
- Mobile app for invoicing
Pros
- Free plan has no invoice cap
- Pro costs $19/month or $190/year
- Payroll available in the same product
Cons
- No automatic bank imports on the free plan
- No inventory or project tracking
- Support hours are limited (weekdays, Eastern time)
Wave in our comparisons
Best Accounting Software for Small Business
QuickBooks is the best accounting software for most US small businesses: it does the most, bundles payroll, payments and bill pay, and most accountants know it. Choose Xero if several people need access, Zoho Books for the best value, or Wave if you need a free start.
+2
Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026Best Invoicing Software
FreshBooks is the best invoicing software for most freelancers and small service businesses: recurring invoices, reminders, estimates, a client portal, time and expenses on every plan from $23/month. Pick Zoho Invoice if you want all of that free, or Invoice Ninja for $140 a year with unlimited clients.
+2Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026FreshBooks alternatives
Stay with FreshBooks if you have a small client list and want simple invoicing with time tracking. Switch to QuickBooks Online or Xero for full accounting, or to Wave or Zoho Books to cut costs.
+2Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026QuickBooks vs Xero
QuickBooks is better if you want payroll, payments, bill pay and inventory in one product or your accountant uses it. Xero is better on cost: unlimited users on every plan and no invoice caps from $59/month, against $85/month for three QuickBooks users.
+1Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026Xero alternatives
Stay with Xero if you want unlimited users and a strong cloud ledger. Pick QuickBooks if your accountant uses it, Zoho Books for value, or Wave if you want free invoicing.
+2Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026