Comparison · Prices checked October 2026

FreshBooks vs Wave: which one fits

Both handle invoicing and bookkeeping for small businesses; Wave's Starter plan is free, while FreshBooks starts paid and limits Lite to 5 billable clients.

IN SHORT

Both handle invoicing and bookkeeping for small businesses; Wave's Starter plan is free, while FreshBooks starts paid and limits Lite to 5 billable clients. FreshBooks Lite starts at $23/month (before any intro discount); Wave Pro starts at $19/month billed monthly, $190/year billed annually. If neither fits, SoloWOS Invoicing lets you send invoices clients pay by card, with 50 invoices a month on Solo and 12 other tools for $15/month.

Prices and limits as of October 26, 2026.

FreshBooks vs Wave at a glance

FreshBooks compared with Wave
Compared	FreshBooks	Wave
Cheapest paid plan	$23/month (before any intro discount) (Lite)	$19/month billed monthly, $190/year billed annually (Pro)
Free plan	No free plan, only a free trial	Yes: Starter, with invoicing, estimates and bookkeeping
Plan limits	5 billable clients · 1 user	Priced per business, not per user · Adds bank transaction imports and receipt capture
Free plan	No, free trial only	Starter: unlimited invoices and estimates; card payments cost 2.9% + $0.60
Cheapest paid plan	Lite: 5 billable clients	Pro: per business, adds bank imports
Recurring invoices	Yes	Yes

Sources: FreshBooks pricing (checked October 16, 2026) and Wave pricing (checked October 19, 2026). Prices change and can vary by region, so check their pages for current plans.

Which one to pick

Pick FreshBooks if

Your accountant works in FreshBooks.
You want time tracking and accounting in the same app.

FreshBooks vs SoloWOS

Pick Wave if

You want free invoicing and bookkeeping.
You pay per business, not per user, as you add people.

Wave vs SoloWOS

Or use SoloWOS Invoicing if

You want invoices paid by card into your own Stripe account, created from proposals and tracked hours.
Your bookkeeping lives with your accountant and you need the client side, not the ledger.

See Invoicing

FreshBooks vs Wave questions

Is FreshBooks or Wave cheaper?

FreshBooks's cheapest paid plan started at $23/month (before any intro discount) (Lite), and Wave's at $19/month billed monthly, $190/year billed annually (Pro), when we checked in October 2026. Free plans: FreshBooks: No free plan, only a free trial. Wave: Yes: Starter, with invoicing, estimates and bookkeeping.

What's the main difference between FreshBooks and Wave?

Both handle invoicing and bookkeeping for small businesses; Wave's Starter plan is free, while FreshBooks starts paid and limits Lite to 5 billable clients.

Is there a cheaper option than FreshBooks and Wave?

If you need this together with proposals, invoices and scheduling, SoloWOS includes Invoicing with 50 invoices a month on the Solo plan, plus 12 other tools, for $15/month. It does less than either app in some areas, so read the lists above first.

FreshBooks and Wave are trademarks of their owners. SoloWOS is not affiliated with or endorsed by either. Comparisons are based on their public pages as of the dates above.

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