Wave vs Stripe
Detailed comparison to help you choose the right tool for your needs
W
Wave
Free accounting and invoicing for small businesses
4.4
Editorial RatingQuick Comparison
Rating
4.4
vs4.4
Starting Price
Free
vsFree
Pricing Model
free
vspaid
Feature
Wave
Stripe
Invoicing
Accounting
Receipt Scanning
Financial Reporting
Payment Processing
Payroll
Subscription Billing
Fraud Prevention
Connect Platform
Global Payments
Wave Pros
- Core accounting and invoicing are completely free
- No client or invoice limits
- Clean and simple interface
- Good for freelancers and solopreneurs
- Receipt scanning via mobile app
- No credit card required to start
Wave Cons
- Limited integrations compared to competitors
- No inventory management
- Payroll is a paid add-on
- Payment processing fees are standard not discounted
- No project tracking or time tracking
- Reporting is fairly basic
Stripe Pros
- Best-in-class developer documentation and APIs
- Extremely reliable infrastructure
- Supports 135+ currencies and dozens of payment methods
- Powerful subscription and billing management
- Excellent fraud prevention with Radar
- Massive ecosystem of integrations and tools
Stripe Cons
- Transaction fees are higher than some processors
- Account holds and fund freezes can happen suddenly
- Dashboard can be overwhelming for beginners
- Phone support not available on standard plan
- Chargeback fees are not refunded
- Complex pricing for international transactions