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Wave
Accounting & Finance
★ 4.0
rating
Payments: 2.9% + $0.60/transaction
starts at
Free
tier
VS
★ Winner
Xero
Accounting & Finance
★ 4.3
rating
$25/mo (Early)
Quick verdict
Xero wins for small businesses wanting clean cloud accounting with unlimit.
Xero has a 4.3 rating vs 4.0 for Wave. Wave is the better pick if you need solopreneurs and micro-businesses who need real accounting software at zero cost.
Performance overview
Wave
Xero
Overall
4.04.3
Ease of use
4.24.0
Value for money
4.34.7
Features
Side-by-side comparison
Choose based on your needs
Choose Wave if...
Best for
Solopreneurs and micro-businesses who need real accounting software at zero cost.
Genuinely free accounting, invoicing, and reporting
Unlimited users at no cost
Choose Xero if...
Best for
Small businesses wanting clean cloud accounting with unlimited users, especially outside the US.
Unlimited users on all plans — no per-seat charges
Clean, modern interface that is a pleasure to use