Patriot Software vs Wave
- ✦ Expense Tracking
- ✦ Bank Imports
- ✦ Payroll Tax Filing
- ✦ Receipt Scanning
- ✦ Bank Connections
- ✦ Online Payments
Patriot Software and Wave are both Accounting tools. Patriot Software starts at $6/mo, Wave at $8/mo. Compare features, pricing, and ratings below to find the best fit for your team.
When to Choose Patriot Software vs Wave
The question that matters: “In what situation will I regret choosing A over B after 3 months?”
Teams with remote staff across multiple states use Patriot's Direct Deposit feature to eliminate check printing and manual distribution delays. The setup process captures employee.
Small manufacturers and service contractors use Payroll Tax Filing to submit quarterly 941s and state unemployment returns directly from Patriot, bypassing the 2-3 week.
Receipt Scanning with Multi-currency support auto-converts foreign expenses by project code, cutting 8 hours of monthly receipt entry down to 90 minutes.
Bank Connections pulls live transaction data; the Accounting module cross-references Invoicing records to surface double payments before month-end close.
Online Payments embedded in each invoice let clients pay by card or bank transfer from their inbox, improving collection speed by 18-25%.
Pricing Comparison & PlansHigh· Verified May 30, 2026
Patriot Software Plans
Paid plans only
Time And Attendance (Add-on)
$6/mo (+ $2/employee)- ✓Time and attendance management
HR Software (Add-on)
$6/mo (+ $2/employee)- ✓HR functions
- ✓Handbook creation
- ✓Policy creation
Basic Payroll
$17/mo (+ $4/worker)Best for: $17/mo + $4/worker
- ✓Run payroll
- ✓Handle own taxes
- ✓Free direct deposit
- ✓Free employee portal
- ✓Unlimited payrolls
Accounting Basic
$20/moBest for: $20/mo covers unlimited invoicing, bank imports, expense tracking, and financial reporting
- ✓Manage unlimited invoices
- ✓Manage unlimited contractors
- ✓Manage unlimited customers
- ✓Automate bank imports
- ✓Track expenses
Accounting Premium
$30/moBest for: $30/mo adds estimates, recurring invoices, user-based permissions, receipt management, and subaccounts
- ✓All Basic features
- ✓Set user-based permissions
- ✓Get invoice alerts and reminders
- ✓Manage documents
- ✓Create and send estimates
Full-Service Payroll
$37/mo (+ $5/worker)- ✓All Basic Payroll features
- ✓Federal tax filings & deposits
- ✓State tax filings & deposits
- ✓Local tax filings & deposits
- ✓Year-end payroll tax filings
Bookkeeping Service (Add-on)
$100/mo- ✓Patriot experts manage books end-to-end
Wave Plans
Free tier available
Starter
FreeBest for: This free plan is ideal for new businesses or those with basic accounting needs, offering invoicing and expense tracking without cost.
- ✓Unlimited invoicing
- ✓Estimates
- ✓Bookkeeping
- ✓Unlimited customers and products
- ✓Add your logo and brand colors to an invoice
Receipts
$8/user/moBest for: This plan focuses on efficient receipt management and expense tracking
- ✓Receipt scanning
- ✓Automatic bookkeeping record creation
- ✓Upload receipt files from desktop or mobile
Pro
$19/user/moBest for: The Pro plan provides advanced features for growing businesses needing more robust accounting tools
- ✓Automated bank transaction imports
- ✓Unlimited collaborators
- ✓Remove Wave branding from invoice footer
- ✓Automated late payment reminders
- ✓Unlimited, secure, and reliable bank connections
Payroll
$40/user/moBest for: Designed for businesses managing employee payroll, including tax calculations and direct deposits
- ✓Payroll processing
- ✓Manage 1099 contractors
- ✓Direct deposit
Capability Breakdown
4 differences found across 16 standardized features
- •Accounting
- •Payroll
- •Invoicing
- •Expense Tracking
- •Bank Imports
- •Financial Reports
- •Payroll Tax Filing
- •Direct Deposit
- •1099 Filing
- •Time & Attendance
- •HR Software
- •Employee Portal
- •Multi-state Payroll
- •W-2 Filing
- •US-focused Compliance
- •Accounting
- •Invoicing
- •Receipt Scanning
- •Bank Connections
- •Financial Reports
- •Payroll
- •Online Payments
- •Multi-currency
- •Sales Tax Tracking
- •Recurring Invoicing
- •Customer Management
- •Estimates
- •Mobile App
- •Dashboard
- •Integrations
Strengths & Limitations
Evaluative strengths and weaknesses: not feature lists
- +Dual-entry accounting and cash-basis reporting in one system
- +Full-service payroll includes year-end W-2/W-3 filing
- +No per-state fees for multi-state payroll processing
- +Free US-based expert support via phone, chat, or email
- +Transparent, low-cost pricing with no hidden setup fees
- −No mobile app for on-the-go accounting or payroll management
- −Limited third-party integrations beyond QuickBooks and Plaid
- −Does not support contractor-only payroll (requires at least one W-2 employee)
- −Lacks advanced features like inventory tracking or project costing
- −No international payroll or multi-currency support
- +Truly free accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning
- +Unlimited users, invoices, and bank connections on the free plan
- +Built-in payment processing (Wave Payments) for faster invoice payment
- +Simple, user-friendly interface designed for non-accountants
- +Mobile app for on-the-go invoicing and receipt capture
- −No dedicated time tracking or project management features
- −Limited to US and Canadian businesses for bank connections and payroll
- −Lacks advanced inventory management for product-based businesses
- −Customer support is primarily email/chatbot on the free plan
- −No third-party app integrations outside of Zapier
At a Glance
Recent Price History
Wave removed the "Wave Advisors" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Wave removed the "Payroll (Full-Service)" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Wave added a new "Payroll" plan at $40/user/mo
Plan added · May 30, 2026
Wave added a new "Receipts" plan at $8/user/mo
Plan added · May 30, 2026
Wave raised "Pro" from $16/mo to $19/mo (+19%)
Price change · May 30, 2026
Patriot Software added a new "Bookkeeping Service (Add-on)" plan at $100/mo
Plan added · May 28, 2026
Patriot Software added a new "HR Software (Add-on)" plan at $6/mo
Plan added · May 28, 2026
Patriot Software removed the "Full Service Payroll" plan
Plan removed · May 28, 2026
Patriot Software added a new "Full-Service Payroll" plan at $37/mo
Plan added · May 28, 2026
Patriot Software added a new "Time And Attendance (Add-on)" plan at $6/mo
Plan added · May 28, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
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