Wave vs Zoho Books
- ✦ Accounting
- ✦ Receipt Scanning
- ✦ Bank Connections
- ✦ Expense Tracking
- ✦ Bank Reconciliation
- ✦ Project Accounting
Wave and Zoho Books are both Accounting tools. Wave starts at $8/mo, Zoho Books at $20/mo. Compare features, pricing, and ratings below to find the best fit for your team.
When to Choose Wave vs Zoho Books
The question that matters: “In what situation will I regret choosing A over B after 3 months?”
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%.
Project Accounting in Zoho Books links purchase orders to job codes, showing actual spend versus budgeted materials in real time before invoicing.
Zoho Books' Multi-currency captures exchange rates at transaction time across USD, EUR, and GBP, removing the 2-3 day lag that causes false bank mismatches.
Tax Compliance pre-populates quarterly filings and flags nexus obligations per entity, keeping accountants in-app and off manual spreadsheet reformatting.
Pricing Comparison & PlansHigh· Verified May 30, 2026
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
Zoho Books Plans
Free tier available
Free
FreeBest for: Ideal for very small businesses or freelancers needing basic invoicing and expense tracking without cost
- ✓Create invoices, quotes, expenses & journals
- ✓Receipt autoscans
- ✓Accept online payments
- ✓Enable self-service customer portal
- ✓Bank reconciliation
Standard
$20/org/moBest for: A solid entry point for small businesses requiring essential accounting features like invoicing, banking, and basic reporting
- ✓All Free features
- ✓Progress invoicing
- ✓Track sales tax and use tax
- ✓Connect bank feeds
- ✓Setup recurring expenses
Professional
$50/org/moBest for: Suitable for growing businesses needing more advanced features such as recurring expenses, sales orders, and custom reports
- ✓All Standard features
- ✓Track sales and purchase orders
- ✓Record multi-currency transactions
- ✓Bill timesheets
- ✓Project profitability
Premium
$70/org/moBest for: Designed for businesses that require multi currency support, project profitability tracking, and vendor portals
- ✓All Professional features
- ✓Basic revenue recognition
- ✓Fixed asset management
- ✓Manage budgets
- ✓Cashflow forecasting
Elite
$150/org/moBest for: larger organizations needing advanced inventory management, budgeting, and a dedicated client portal
- ✓All Premium features
- ✓Advanced features for product-based businesses
- ✓Advanced inventory management
- ✓Enhanced reporting capabilities
- ✓Increased automation options
Ultimate
$275/org/moBest for: The most comprehensive plan, offering advanced analytics, custom modules, and premium support for large enterprises
- ✓All Elite features
- ✓Advanced reporting and analytics
- ✓Deeper financial dashboards
- ✓More complex custom reports
- ✓Extended custom field limits
Capability Breakdown
5 differences found across 16 standardized features
- •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
- •Invoicing
- •Expense Tracking
- •Bank Reconciliation
- •Project Accounting
- •Inventory
- •Purchase Orders
- •Tax Compliance
- •Multi-currency
- •Time Tracking
- •Reporting
- •Automation
- •Client Portal
- •Mobile App
- •Zoho Integrations
- •API
- •Budgeting and Forecasting
- •Customizable Templates
- •Sales Order Management
- •Vendor Management
- •Item Tracking
- •Serial Number Tracking
- •Billing Reminders
- •Automatic Payment Reminders
- •Recurring Invoices
- •Credit Note Management
- •Debit Note Management
- •Retainer Invoice
- •Progress Invoice
- •Milestone Tracking
- •Task Assignment
- •Employee Expenses
- •Leave Management
- •Asset Depreciation
- •Accounts Payable
- •Accounts Receivable
Strengths & Limitations
Evaluative strengths and weaknesses: not feature lists
- +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
- +Deep, native integration with the entire Zoho business suite (CRM, Inventory)
- +Client portal for estimates, invoices, and payments improves customer experience
- +Generous free plan for businesses under $50K annual revenue
- +Advanced automation workflows for recurring tasks and payment reminders
- +Strong mobile app for on-the-go invoicing, expenses, and reporting
- −Payroll is a paid add-on, not included in core plans
- −Limited number of users on lower-tier plans (1 user + accountant on Standard)
- −No dedicated US-based phone support, relies on email/chat for lower tiers
- −Can feel complex for freelancers or solopreneurs not using the Zoho ecosystem
- −Advanced inventory features require upgrading to Zoho Inventory
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
Zoho Books lowered "Ultimate" from $290/mo to $275/mo (-5%)
Price change · May 30, 2026
Zoho Books added a new "Ultimate" plan at $290/mo
Plan added · May 21, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Comparisons
Sources & Data Trail · Wave
- 1.Official Pricing Page·Source of verified tiers(Checked: 2026-05-30)
- 2.Official Website·Official vendor website
- 3.G2·G2 verified reviews · 4.4/5 · 319 reviews
- 4.Capterra·Capterra verified reviews · 4.4/5
- 5.TrustRadius·TrustRadius verified reviews
- 6.PeerSpot·PeerSpot enterprise peer reviews
Sources & Data Trail · Zoho Books
- 1.Official Pricing Page·Source of verified tiers(Checked: 2026-05-30)
- 2.Official Website·Official vendor website
- 3.G2·G2 verified reviews · 4.5/5 · 327 reviews
- 4.Capterra·Capterra verified reviews · 4.4/5
- 5.TrustRadius·TrustRadius verified reviews
- 6.PeerSpot·PeerSpot enterprise peer reviews