Xero vs Wave
Verified ratings, feature by feature comparison and real pricing. Everything a North American business needs to pick between these two.
Some links here are affiliate links, so we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never affects a rating or a ranking. How this works.
Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension. Xero against Wave, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
41Xero 4, Wave 1
Xero vs Wave, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+0.7
Xero leads on functionality
Verified reviews
337
194 for Xero, 143 for Wave
Xero194 verified reviews
Wave143 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- Xero
- Wave
Share of verified reviews
Which product reviewers actually write about.
- Xero194
- Wave143
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.
| Xero | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Reviews | 194 | 143 |
| Ease of use | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| Value for money | 4.6 | 4.8 |
| Customer service | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| Functionality | 4.5 | 3.8 |
| Starting price | $20/mo | Free |
| Free trial | Yes | No |
| Free version | No | Yes |
Features
Feature by feature, checked off
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | Xero | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited users on every plan | ||
| Automated bank feeds | ||
| Side by side reconciliation | ||
| Invoicing and online payments | ||
| GST/HST returns for CRA | ||
| Sales tax via Avalara | ||
| Project tracking | ||
| Expense claims | ||
| Multi currency | ||
| Inventory | ||
| Fixed asset register | ||
| Full audit trail | ||
| Accountant tools | ||
| 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 |
Pricing
Both price lists, side by side
Every plan from both vendors, side by side, priced in US dollars.
Xero plans
Early
Capped at 20 invoices and 5 bills a month. Genuinely small.
$20/mo
per month
- 20 invoices per month
- 5 bills per month
- Bank reconciliation
- Unlimited users
- Short term cash flow
Growing
Uncapped invoicing. Where almost everyone actually starts.
$47/mo
per month
- Unlimited invoices and bills
- Bank reconciliation
- Unlimited users
- Bulk transaction reconcile
- Short term cash flow
Established
Adds multi currency, projects and expense claims.
$80/mo
per month
- Everything in Growing
- Multi currency
- Project tracking
- Expense claims
- Advanced analytics
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Xero Limited for the figure you will actually pay.
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.