Wave vs Patriot Accounting
Verified ratings, feature by feature comparison and real pricing. Everything a North American business needs to pick between these two.

Patriot Accounting
Plain accounting for people who did not want a platform
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Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension. Wave against Patriot Accounting, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
03Wave 0, Patriot Accounting 3
Wave vs Patriot Accounting, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+1.1
Patriot Accounting leads on customer service
Verified reviews
349
143 for Wave, 206 for Patriot Accounting
143 verified reviews
206 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- Wave
- Patriot Accounting
Share of verified reviews
Which product reviewers actually write about.
- Wave143
- Patriot Accounting206
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
At least one of these is quoted rather than published, so compare the ratings above and get a real number from each vendor.
Head to head
Where each one wins
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| Wave | Patriot Accounting | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.3 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 143 | 206 |
| Ease of use | 4.5 | 4.7 |
| Value for money | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| Customer service | 3.7 | 4.8 |
| Functionality | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| Starting price | Free | $20/mo |
| Free trial | No | Yes |
| Free version | Yes | No |
Features
Feature by feature, checked off
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | Wave | Patriot Accounting |
|---|---|---|
| Free double entry accounting | ||
| Unlimited invoicing | ||
| Unlimited estimates | ||
| Receipt scanning | ||
| Recurring invoices | ||
| Online card payments | ||
| Canadian payroll with T4 and ROE | ||
| US payroll in supported states | ||
| Multi business support | ||
| Unlimited invoices, customers and vendors | ||
| Automatic bank imports | ||
| Account reconciliation | ||
| Standard financial reporting | ||
| Estimates on Premium | ||
| Recurring invoices and payment reminders | ||
| User based permissions | ||
| Receipt and document management | ||
| Payroll available from the same vendor | ||
| US based phone support at no extra cost |
Pricing
Both price lists, side by side
Every plan from both vendors, side by side, priced in US dollars.
Wave plans
Starter
The accounting and invoicing, at no cost. Not a trial.
Free
no card required
- Unlimited invoices and estimates
- Double entry accounting
- Unlimited customers
- Receipt scanning
- Email support
Pro
Adds bank feeds, reduced card fees and live support.
$16/mo
per month
- Everything in Starter
- Automatic bank feeds
- Lower card processing rate
- Auto categorization
- Live chat support
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Wave Financial for the figure you will actually pay.
Patriot Accounting plans
Accounting Basic
Core bookkeeping with unlimited invoices and vendors.
$20/mo
per month
- Unlimited customers and invoices
- Unlimited vendors and payments
- Automatic bank imports
- Income and expense tracking
- Financial reporting
- Account reconciliation
Accounting Premium
Adds estimates, permissions, reminders and receipt management.
$30/mo
per month
- Everything in Basic
- Estimates
- Recurring invoices
- Invoice payment reminders
- User based permissions
- Receipt and document management
Full Service Payroll
Sold separately. 37 base plus 5 per worker, filings included.
$37/mo
per month
- 37 dollars base plus 5 per worker
- Federal tax filings and deposits
- State and local tax filings
- Year end filings at no extra charge
- Free direct deposit
- Unlimited payroll runs
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Patriot Software for the figure you will actually pay.
