Wave vs. Sage

Wave is an affordable invoicing and accounting solution best-suited for freelancers and small businesses. There are less limits and costs compared to alternatives like Sage. Manage your business without breaking the bank, starting at $0. Choose Wave today!

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Featured in

More time for what you love

Sign up in minutes and access the solutions you actually need, all in one place. Don’t waste time building your own tech stack or sifting through complicated tools you’ll never use.

Be the wiz of your biz

Wave's accounting and invoicing features allow you to create professional invoices on-the-go, track expenses, digitally capture receipts, and more, so you can run the numbers just as well as you run your biz.

Ditch imposter syndrome

Whether you’re viewing your smart dashboard or accessing key financial reports, you’ll love our simple interface. Wave is made for small biz owners first.

Wave vs. Sage

Wave's Starter and Pro Plans are affordable ways to set up invoicing and accounting solutions for your business.

Wave plans

Sage (all plans)

Pricing

$0-$25 CAD/month

$14-$30/month

Track income and expenses

✓

Some paid plans

Capture and organize receipts

with Pro or a subscription to our receipts feature

Some paid plans

Track sales taxes

✓

Unlimited invoicing

✓

Invoice customization

✓

Unlimited vendors and customers

✓

Some paid plans

Connect your bank account

with Pro

✓

Payments processing

1% per bank payment (ACH/EFT); credit cards starting at 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction. Or unlock a 2.9% + $0 rate for the first 10 transactions of every month with Pro.

2.9% + 30¢ per transaction for all credit cards, plus monthly fees

Manage and pay bills

✓

Unlimited estimates

✓

✖

Add partners or accountants as collaborators

with Pro

✖

Accountant-approved reporting

✓

Some paid plans

Over 300,000 small businesses
trust Wave

Over 300,000 small businesses trust Wave

Tatiyanna W.

TruCreates.com

"Wave invoicing makes your life a whole lot easier and takes that worry off you. I've tried Quickbooks—it's a bit more complicated and technical, and takes more time to set up."

Don Lam

Don Lam, DIY Body

“When I signed up with Wave it was a no brainer. It's been one of the best decisions I've made when it comes to making sure my accounting is on point.”

Robbie Katherine Anthony

Euphoria LGBT Inc.
App Development

"It’s not just a cool piece of software, it is giving peace of mind to people.” You deserve to know your taxes aren't something you have to sweat over the entire calendar year."

Wave vs. Sage

Here's why we think you'll love Wave.

Why choose Wave over Sage?

Wave pros:

Free invoicing and accounting for small businesses with the free Starter Plan
Simple, easy to use, and designed for freelancers and small businesses
Real-time dashboards to monitor cash flow, income, and expenses
Ability to request and accept deposits directly from estimates with the Pro Plan
Receipt scanning with smart OCR-technology in the Pro Plan
Unlimited users at no additional cost with the Pro Plan

Wave pros:

Free invoicing and accounting for small businesses with the free Starter Plan
Simple, easy to use, and designed for freelancers and small businesses
Real-time dashboards to monitor cash flow, income, and expenses
Ability to request and accept deposits directly from estimates with the Pro Plan
Receipt scanning with smart OCR-technology in the Pro Plan
Unlimited users at no additional cost with the Pro Plan

Wave pros:

Free invoicing and accounting for small businesses with the free Starter Plan
Simple, easy to use, and designed for freelancers and small businesses
Real-time dashboards to monitor cash flow, income, and expenses
Ability to request and accept deposits directly from estimates with the Pro Plan
Receipt scanning with smart OCR-technology in the Pro Plan
Unlimited users at no additional cost with the Pro Plan

Wave cons:

Limited advanced features compared to Sage’s more expensive plans
No inventory, mileage, or time-tracking features, but integrations are available

Wave vs Sage: Pros & Cons

Sage cons:

Higher price for basic features
Advanced features may create a steeper learning curve
Fewer built-in automations, such as payment reminders for overdue invoices
No ability to accept deposits directly from quotes sent to clients
Receipt scanning not available on all paid plans
Additional costs for additional users

Sage cons:

Higher price for basic features
Advanced features may create a steeper learning curve
Fewer built-in automations, such as payment reminders for overdue invoices
No ability to accept deposits directly from quotes sent to clients
Receipt scanning not available on all paid plans
Additional costs for additional users

Sage cons:

Higher price for basic features
Advanced features may create a steeper learning curve
Fewer built-in automations, such as payment reminders for overdue invoices
No ability to accept deposits directly from quotes sent to clients
Receipt scanning not available on all paid plans
Additional costs for additional users

Sage pros:

Suited for larger teams and complex businesses with bigger budgets
Built-in inventory tracking features

Online payments

If you’re a freelancer or small business owner who invoices clients and wants affordable accounting software, Wave is an ideal choice for you. If your business is larger and you need more advanced features like inventory management, Sage may be more suitable, but it comes at a higher cost. Explore Wave today — getting started is free!

¹Rates are 1% for bank payments (minimum fee of $1). For information on credit card rates, visit Pricing for details.

Plans to make your
plans happen

Get started for free

Save $50

Save $38

Save $50

Save $38

STARTERPlan

Just starting your business or looking for the basics? This is the place.

Get started now

Create unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records
Option to accept online payments
2.9% + $0.60 per credit card transaction
3.4% + $0.60 per Amex transaction
Invoice on-the-go with the mobile app
Manage cash flow and customers in one dashboard

Recommended

ProPlan

Want to look more polished, save more time, and conquer cash flow? It’s Pro time.

$19USD/month*

Billed monthly

$25CAD/month*

Billed monthly

Get started now

Everything in Starter, plus….

Option to accept online payments at a discounted rate
2.9% + $0** per credit card transaction
3.4% + $0** per Amex transaction
Auto-import bank transactions***
Auto-merge and categorize bank transactions
Digitally capture unlimited receipts and track expenses
Automate late payment reminders
And more!

STARTERPlan

Just starting your business or looking for the basics? This is the place.

Get started now

Create unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records
Option to accept online payments
2.9% + $0.60 per credit card transaction
3.4% + $0.60 per Amex transaction
Invoice on-the-go with the mobile app
Manage cash flow and customers in one dashboard

Recommended

ProPlan

Want to look more polished, save more time, and conquer cash flow? It’s Pro time.

$190USD/year*

Billed annually

$250CAD/year*

Billed annually

Get started now

Everything in Starter, plus….

Option to accept online payments at a discounted rate
2.9% + $0** per credit card transaction
3.4% + $0** per Amex transaction
Auto-import bank transactions***
Auto-merge and categorize bank transactions
Digitally capture unlimited receipts and track expenses
Automate late payment reminders
And more!

*Active subscription required. While subscribed to Wave’s Pro Plan, get 2.9% + $0 (Visa, Mastercard, Discover) and 3.4% + $0 (Amex) per transaction for an unlimited number of transactions during the offer period. After the offer ends: over 10 transactions per month at 2.9% + $0.60 (Visa, Mastercard, Discover) and 3.4% + $0.60 (Amex) per transaction. Discover processing is only available to US customers. See full terms and conditions

**We use Plaid to facilitate bank connections. Not all financial institutions are supported so we can’t guarantee that you will be able to connect an account. Check Plaid's troubleshooting guide for more information or learn more about how bank connections work at Wave.

You didn't start your business to
be a bookkeeper

You didn't start your business to be a bookkeeper

Get started for free

You didn't start your business to be a bookkeeper

Get started for free

Wave vs. Sage

The wiser choice for small
business owners

The wiser choice for small business owners

Get started for free

No hidden
fees

Easy
interface

Fun
to use

Less expensive than Sage

Small biz approved

No hidden
fees

Easy
interface

Fun
to use

Less expensive than Sage

Small biz approved

Illustration of a person with rolled papers in a tote bag, pointing at a cash flow chart that’s available in Wave.

More time for what you love

Sign up in minutes and access the solutions you actually need, all in one place. Don’t waste time building your own tech stack or sifting through complicated tools you’ll never use.

Illustration of a person sitting cross-legged in a meditative pose with documents and folders floating above.

Be the wiz of your biz

Ditch imposter syndrome

Whether you’re viewing your smart dashboard or accessing key financial reports, you’ll love our simple interface. Wave is made for small biz owners first.

What are the differences between Wave and Sage?

The main difference between Wave and Sage is that Wave is more affordable and specifically designed for freelancers and small business owners. Wave offers core accounting and invoicing features, including receipt scanning and deposits, and Wave’s Pro Plan is more affordable than Sage’s comparable premium plan.

Why choose Wave over Sage?

Wave is one-stop money management, including accounting and invoicing, that’s easy (and fun!) to use
Wave’s design-friendly interface lets you track your cashflow with real-time dashboards
Unlike Sage, Wave has a free Starter Plan, so you can access what you need without paying just to get started.
When you’re ready, upgrade to the Pro Plan for additional features — it’s less expensive than Sage’s Accounting Standard plan!When you’re ready, upgrade to the Pro Plan for additional features — it’s less expensive than Sage’s Premium Accounting plan!
Wave’s Pro Plan lets you request and receive deposits directly from estimates you send to prospects, helping you seal the deal, lock in jobs, and get paid.
Wave’s Pro Plan lets you send invoices to clients with automated payment reminders; no more manual follow-ups to get paid!
Wave’s mobile app lets you scan receipts with your phone, automatically uploading them and categorizing them as expenses into your books.
With Wave’s Pro Plan, you can add unlimited users to your account for free — with Sage’s Accounting Start plan, each additional user costs $30+; teamwork shouldn’t cost extra!With Wave’s Pro Plan, you can add unlimited users to your account for free — with Sage’s Pro Accounting plan, each additional user costs $30+; teamwork shouldn’t cost extra!

An image depicting the differences between Wave and the competitor, on Wave's app Dashboard.

Why choose Wave over Sage?

Wave is one-stop money management, including accounting and invoicing, that’s easy (and fun!) to use
Wave’s design-friendly interface lets you track your cashflow with real-time dashboards
Unlike Sage, Wave has a free Starter Plan, so you can access what you need without paying just to get started.
When you’re ready, upgrade to the Pro Plan for additional features — it’s less expensive than Sage’s Accounting Standard plan!When you’re ready, upgrade to the Pro Plan for additional features — it’s less expensive than Sage’s Premium Accounting plan!
Wave’s Pro Plan lets you request and receive deposits directly from estimates you send to prospects, helping you seal the deal, lock in jobs, and get paid.
Wave’s Pro Plan lets you send invoices to clients with automated payment reminders; no more manual follow-ups to get paid!
Wave’s mobile app lets you scan receipts with your phone, automatically uploading them and categorizing them as expenses into your books.
With Wave’s Pro Plan, you can add unlimited users to your account for free — with Sage’s Accounting Start plan, each additional user costs $30+; teamwork shouldn’t cost extra!With Wave’s Pro Plan, you can add unlimited users to your account for free — with Sage’s Pro Accounting plan, each additional user costs $30+; teamwork shouldn’t cost extra!

Wave vs Sage:
A Detailed Comparison

Don’t pay a premium on standard features.
Access Wave’s full suite of core accounting and invoicing features today.

Don’t pay a premium on standard features. Access Wave’s full suite of core accounting and invoicing features today.

PROPlan

$19

USD monthly

Pro Accounting

$66

USD monthly

Premium Accounting

$114

USD monthly

Send unlimited invoices and estimates

Remove Wave/Sage branding on invoices

Send invoices with built-in automated payment reminders

Accept online payments from invoices

Accept deposits directly from estimates

Create automatically recurring invoices

Use double-entry accounting

Connect your bank and credit card accounts

Import, categorize, and reconcile your transactions

View real-time cash flow dashboards

Scan and capture receipts

Track and manage expenses

Track sales & sales tax

View balance sheets and financial statements

Add users to your account for free

$30+/mo per user

Manage inventory

PROPlan

$25

CAD monthly

Accounting Start

$21

CAD monthly

Accounting Standard

$47

CAD monthly

Send unlimited invoices and estimates

Remove Wave/Sage branding on invoices

Send invoices with built-in automated payment reminders

Accept online payments from invoices

Send unlimited estimates

Accept deposits directly from estimates

Create recurring invoices

Use double-entry accounting

Connect your bank and credit card accounts

Import, categorize, and reconcile your transactions

View real-time cash flow dashboards

Scan and capture receipts

Track and manage expenses

Track sales & sales tax

View balance sheets and financial statements

Add multiple users to your account

Manage inventory

PROPlan

$19

USD monthly

Pro Accounting

$66

USD monthly

Simple Start

Easy Start

$114

USD monthly

Send unlimited invoices and estimates

Remove Wave/Sage branding on invoices

Send invoices with built-in automated payment reminders

Accept online payments from invoices

Accept deposits directly from estimates

Create automatically recurring invoices

Use double-entry accounting

Connect your bank and credit card accounts

Import, categorize, and reconcile your transactions

View real-time cash flow dashboards

Scan and capture receipts

Track and manage expenses

Track sales & sales tax

View balance sheets and financial statements

Add users to your account for free

$30+/mo per user

Manage inventory

PROPlan

$25

CAD monthly

Solopreneur

Self-Employed

$21

CAD monthly

Simple Start

Easy Start

$47

CAD monthly

Send unlimited invoices and estimates

Remove Wave/Sage branding on invoices

Send invoices with built-in automated payment reminders

Accept online payments from invoices

Send unlimited estimates

Accept deposits directly from estimates

Create recurring invoices

Use double-entry accounting

Connect your bank and credit card accounts

Import, categorize, and reconcile your transactions

View real-time cash flow dashboards

Scan and capture receipts

Track and manage expenses

Track sales & sales tax

View balance sheets and financial statements

Add multiple users to your account

Manage inventory

Wave vs Sage: Pros & Cons

Wave pros:

Free invoicing and accounting for small businesses with the free Starter Plan
Simple, easy to use, and designed for freelancers and small businesses
Real-time dashboards to monitor cash flow, income, and expenses
Ability to request and accept deposits directly from estimates with the Pro Plan
Receipt scanning with smart OCR-technology in the Pro Plan
Unlimited users at no additional cost with the Pro Plan

Wave pros:

Free invoicing and accounting for small businesses with the free Starter Plan
Simple, easy to use, and designed for freelancers and small businesses
Real-time dashboards to monitor cash flow, income, and expenses
Ability to request and accept deposits directly from estimates with the Pro Plan
Receipt scanning with smart OCR-technology in the Pro Plan
Unlimited users at no additional cost with the Pro Plan

Wave pros:

Free invoicing and accounting for small businesses with the free Starter Plan
Simple, easy to use, and designed for freelancers and small businesses
Real-time dashboards to monitor cash flow, income, and expenses
Ability to request and accept deposits directly from estimates with the Pro Plan
Receipt scanning with smart OCR-technology in the Pro Plan
Unlimited users at no additional cost with the Pro Plan

Wave cons:

Limited advanced features compared to Sage’s more expensive plans
No inventory, mileage, or time-tracking features, but integrations are available

Sage cons:

Higher price for basic features
Advanced features may create a steeper learning curve
Fewer built-in automations, such as payment reminders for overdue invoices
No ability to accept deposits directly from quotes sent to clients
Receipt scanning not available on all paid plans
Additional costs for additional users

Sage cons:

Higher price for basic features
Advanced features may create a steeper learning curve
Fewer built-in automations, such as payment reminders for overdue invoices
No ability to accept deposits directly from quotes sent to clients
Receipt scanning not available on all paid plans
Additional costs for additional users

Sage cons:

Higher price for basic features
Advanced features may create a steeper learning curve
Fewer built-in automations, such as payment reminders for overdue invoices
No ability to accept deposits directly from quotes sent to clients
Receipt scanning not available on all paid plans
Additional costs for additional users

Sage pros:

Suited for larger teams and complex businesses with bigger budgets
Built-in inventory tracking features

Wave pros:

Free invoicing and accounting for small businesses with the free Starter Plan
Simple, easy to use, and designed for freelancers and small businesses
Real-time dashboards to monitor cash flow, income, and expenses
Ability to request and accept deposits directly from estimates with the Pro Plan
Receipt scanning with smart OCR-technology in the Pro Plan
Unlimited users at no additional cost with the Pro Plan

Wave pros:

Free invoicing and accounting for small businesses with the free Starter Plan
Simple, easy to use, and designed for freelancers and small businesses
Real-time dashboards to monitor cash flow, income, and expenses
Ability to request and accept deposits directly from estimates with the Pro Plan
Receipt scanning with smart OCR-technology in the Pro Plan
Unlimited users at no additional cost with the Pro Plan

Wave pros:

Free invoicing and accounting for small businesses with the free Starter Plan
Simple, easy to use, and designed for freelancers and small businesses
Real-time dashboards to monitor cash flow, income, and expenses
Ability to request and accept deposits directly from estimates with the Pro Plan
Receipt scanning with smart OCR-technology in the Pro Plan
Unlimited users at no additional cost with the Pro Plan

Wave cons:

Limited advanced features compared to Sage’s more expensive plans
No inventory, mileage, or time-tracking features, but integrations are available

Sage cons:

Higher price for basic features
Advanced features may create a steeper learning curve
Fewer built-in automations, such as payment reminders for overdue invoices
No ability to accept deposits directly from quotes sent to clients
Receipt scanning not available on all paid plans
Additional costs for additional users

Sage cons:

Higher price for basic features
Advanced features may create a steeper learning curve
Fewer built-in automations, such as payment reminders for overdue invoices
No ability to accept deposits directly from quotes sent to clients
Receipt scanning not available on all paid plans
Additional costs for additional users

Sage cons:

Higher price for basic features
Advanced features may create a steeper learning curve
Fewer built-in automations, such as payment reminders for overdue invoices
No ability to accept deposits directly from quotes sent to clients
Receipt scanning not available on all paid plans
Additional costs for additional users

Sage pros:

Suited for larger teams and complex businesses with bigger budgets
Built-in inventory tracking features

Real feedback from Wave users

Tatiyanna W.

TruCreates.com

"Wave makes managing business transactions easy! The receipts feature lets me scan receipts in-app, auto-populates the details, and syncs transactions instantly to my desktop."

Don Lam

Don Lam, DIY Body

“When I signed up with Wave it was a no brainer. It's been one of the best decisions I've made when it comes to making sure my accounting is on point.”

Robbie Katherine Anthony

Euphoria LGBT Inc.
App Development

"It’s not just a cool piece of software, it is giving peace of mind to people. You deserve to know your taxes aren't something you have to sweat over the entire calendar year."

More reasons to love Wave

Make bookkeeping and tax time easy with solutions that are affordable, small biz friendly, and—dare we say—fun to use.

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Learn more

Painless payroll

Reliably pay employees and yourself and manage contractors without worrying about the complicated legal stuff.

Painless payroll

Reliably pay employees and yourself and manage contractors without worrying about the complicated legal stuff.

Ask an expert

Get by with a little 1:1 help

Our (non-judgmental) in-house team of bookkeeping, accounting, and payroll experts is standing by to coach you—or do the work for you.

Learn more about Advisors

Built for small business owners like you

Freelancers

Pay your staff (and yourself!) with confidence.

Tru Williams

Photographer/Videographer

Solopreneurs

Get tidy books for tax time—one less thing to worry about.

Dae

Dae the poet

Contractors

Fire off professional invoices and estimates in minutes.

Troy Styke

Crystal Clean Window Cleaning

Consultants

Set up recurring invoices and payments for repeat clients.

Sarah Stockdale

Growclass Founder

Built for small business owners like you

Freelancers

Pay your staff (and yourself!) with confidence.

Tru Williams

Photographer/Videographer

Solopreneurs

Get tidy books for tax time—one less thing to worry about.

Dae

Dae the poet

Contractors

Fire off professional invoices and estimates in minutes.

Troy Styke

Crystal Clean Window Cleaning

Consultants

Set up recurring invoices and payments for repeat clients.

Sarah Stockdale

Growthclass Founder

Wave vs. Sage

Final verdict

Get started for free

How does Wave compare to other accounting and invoicing software?

Wave vs.

HoneyBook

Wave vs.

QuickBooks

Wave vs.

FreshBooks

Wave vs.

ZipBooks

Wave vs.

Xero

Frequently Asked Questions

Expand all Collapse all

Which is better for freelancers, Wave or Sage?

Wave may be better suited for freelancers, as it’s easy to use and offers free accounting and invoicing features with the Starter Plan. Sage might be better suited for businesses with more complex needs and a bigger budget.

Is Wave's software something I need to install?

Wave's tools are web-based, so you just need an Internet connection and browser—no installation is necessary for our online software!

‍

If you're looking for an on-the-go solution, you can install our mobile app to help you manage invoices and payments. Download our mobile app on iOS and Android today!

Is my data secure when I use Wave?

Our servers are protected physically and electronically. Any connections between you, your bank accounts, and Wave are protected by 256-bit SSL encryption. Wave is a PCI-DSS Level 1 Service Provider.

Do you provide customer support?

We provide different levels of support, depending on the plan and/or the add-on features you choose. Learn more about how Wave support works here.

Is Wave’s software free?

Wave’s Starter Plan is free, and all its features are available immediately, with no trial period or time limits. This includes:

Accounting: Transactions, reports, adding sales taxes, and more.
Invoicing: Creating and editing invoices and estimates, and sending them using a link or PDF. You can create as many invoices, estimates, payment receipts, customers, vendors, and products as you need.
‍

As your business grows, you can save more time and reduce admin work with Wave’s Pro Plan. Explore the Starter Plan and the Pro Plan today.

Are there any other fees for online payments?

With online payments enabled on your invoices, you can accept bank payments for 1% per transaction, Visa and Mastercard payments for 2.9% per transaction, and American Express payments for 3.4% per transaction. Each transaction also has a $0.60 fee, but with the Wave Pro Plan, your first 10 transactions each month have a $0 fee. Learn more here.

Do I need to enter my credit card details to sign up?

If you are signing up for our free Starter Plan, no credit card info is required! If you are signing up for our Pro Plan, you’ll need to provide credit card details during the sign up process.

Wave vs. Sage

Featured in

Everything you need to confidently run your business.

Wave vs. Sage

Wave plans

Sage (all plans)

Over 300,000 small businessestrust Wave

Over 300,000 small businesses trust Wave

Everything you need to confidently run your business.

Wave vs. Sage

Why choose Wave over Sage?

Wave pros:

Wave pros:

Wave pros:

Wave cons:

Wave vs Sage: Pros & Cons

Sage cons:

Sage cons:

Sage cons:

Sage pros:

Online payments

Plans to make yourplans happen

You didn't start your business tobe a bookkeeper

You didn't start your business to be a bookkeeper

You didn't start your business to be a bookkeeper

Wave vs. Sage

The wiser choice for smallbusiness owners

The wiser choice for small business owners

More time for what you love

Be the wiz of your biz

Ditch imposter syndrome

Take the easy route with Wave!

Take the easy route with Wave!

What are the differences between Wave and Sage?

Why choose Wave over Sage?

Why choose Wave over Sage?

Wave vs Sage:A Detailed Comparison

PROPlan

Pro Accounting

Premium Accounting

PROPlan

Accounting Start

Accounting Standard

PROPlan

Pro Accounting

Simple Start

Easy Start

PROPlan

Solopreneur

Self-Employed

Simple Start

Easy Start

Wave vs Sage: Pros & Cons

Wave pros:

Wave pros:

Wave pros:

Wave cons:

Wave pros:

Wave pros:

Wave cons:

Sage cons:

Sage cons:

Sage cons:

Sage pros:

QuickBooks cons:

QuickBooks cons:

QuickBooks pros:

Wave pros:

Wave pros:

Wave pros:

Wave cons:

Wave pros:

Wave cons:

Sage cons:

Sage cons:

Sage cons:

Sage pros:

QuickBooks cons:

QuickBooks pros:

Real feedback from Wave users

Over 300,000 small businesses
trust Wave

Plans to make your
plans happen

You didn't start your business to
be a bookkeeper

The wiser choice for small
business owners

Wave vs Sage:
A Detailed Comparison

You didn't start your business to
be a bookkeeper