Wave Starter includes unlimited invoicing at no subscription charge; online payment fees still apply. Pro costs US$19 monthly or US$190 yearly and adds bank import, receipt capture and collaborator access. Decide whether those features justify the cost using the time you actually save and your eligible payment-fee reduction. Time spent reconciling by hand is a baseline, not proof that Pro will eliminate it.
Original research dated September 21, 2026; text revised September 21, 2026. Claim-specific rechecks are identified in Sources and method. This article contains no affiliate links.
Who this is for
You invoice clients with Wave’s free plan and are wondering whether the paid tier is worth it, or whether you should move to a different tool entirely.
What each plan includes
| What changes | Starter | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $19 USD a month or $190 a year; $25 CAD monthly or $250 a year |
| Invoices, estimates, bills | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Bank transactions | Entered manually | “auto-import bank transactions” and “auto-merge and categorize bank transactions” |
| Receipt capture | Optional paid add-on | Unlimited |
| Late-payment reminders | Automatic with online payments; otherwise manual | Automated |
| Invoice branding | Standard | Branded invoices |
| Extra users | Not listed | Admin, editor and viewer collaborators, including accountants |
| Card processing | US cards: 2.9% + $0.60; Amex 3.4% + $0.60 | US cards: same percentage, $0 fixed fee on the first 10 eligible transactions each month |
Source: Wave pricing. The page also lists Wave Advisors, a bookkeeping service starting at $149 to $199 a month, which is a different kind of purchase.
The fee detail worth doing the arithmetic on
For the US card rates above, waiving the 60-cent fixed fee on ten eligible transactions saves US$6. That covers part of the US$19 monthly subscription; it does not establish total payback. Fewer eligible payments mean a smaller saving. Check your country, card mix and payment method rather than applying this example to bank transfers or Canadian processing.
The real question: how do you reconcile now?
- Count the minutes. How long did you spend last month entering or importing bank transactions and matching them to invoices?
- Add receipt handling. Photographing, filing and typing in receipts counts here.
- Check reminders already available. Starter offers them with online payments; count only work an upgrade would actually remove.
- Estimate the net change. Value only time actually saved after setup and review, add eligible fee savings, and compare with the subscription and any additional costs.
Transaction count is one input, but complexity matters too. Review a representative month of imports, matching and corrections; there is no measured twenty- or fifty-transaction upgrade threshold in this article.
When to stay on Starter
- You invoice a few clients, mostly by bank transfer.
- Your bank statement is short enough to read line by line.
- You keep receipts in a folder and your accountant is fine with that.
- Your invoice design does not need to carry branding beyond your name and logo.
When Wave is the wrong tool entirely
- You need features Wave does not cover for your country. Wave supports businesses in the US and Canada, excluding US territories. Businesses elsewhere should choose a supported alternative; within supported countries, check your bank and payment eligibility.
- Your accountant needs workflows or reports Wave cannot provide. Pro does allow accountant collaborators; check their requirements before switching. Our FreshBooks vs QuickBooks Online comparison covers that step up.
- You want a free invoicing tool without the accounting layer. Our Wave vs Zoho Invoice comparison covers the direct alternative.
- Payments are the bottleneck, not the books. Our Stripe Payment Links vs invoicing guide covers getting paid faster.
Before you upgrade
- Check that your bank is supported for automatic import in your country.
- Export your existing data as a baseline.
- Start monthly rather than annual; the annual price is listed at $190 USD, which only saves money if you stay.
- If an introductory offer is available when you subscribe, record its eligibility, billing duration and renewal rate. Future October availability is not established here.
- Re-check your card fee assumptions against last month’s actual transaction count.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wave still free?
The pricing page lists a Starter plan at $0 with unlimited invoices, estimates and bills. Payment processing fees apply when you take online payments.
What does Pro cost annually?
The page shows $190 USD a year or $250 CAD, against $19 and $25 monthly.
Does Starter include bank connections?
Automatic bank import and categorization are listed under Pro.
Is Wave available in my country?
Wave is available for businesses in the United States and Canada; US territories are not supported. It is not a new-account option for a business in the UK or Australia. See Wave’s official availability guidance, checked September 21, 2026. Bank and payment eligibility still need checking for your account.
Sources and method
Original research: September 21, 2026. Text revision: September 21, 2026. For this revision, Wave pricing was rechecked for reminder eligibility, collaborator access, regular rates and the US card-fee distinction. Sources used across the original research and this revision: the Wave pricing page linked above. The comparison uses regular subscription rates and distinguishes US card-fee examples from CAD subscription prices. Reconciliation steps are editorial suggestions; the supported countries were confirmed in the official help page linked above; check individual bank and payment eligibility for your own account. No future promotional availability is asserted. Nothing here is accounting or tax advice.
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