As of October 2026, Wave's Starter plan is $0, and Pro costs $19 a month or $190 a year in the US (C$25 a month or C$250 a year in Canada). Wave Advisors, which adds a dedicated bookkeeper, starts at $149 a month, and card payments carry a per transaction fee on every plan.
Wave's Starter plan costs nothing, and for many small businesses that's the whole appeal. The paid parts are Pro, card payment processing and the Wave Advisors bookkeeping service. Here's what each costs, and how the payment fees change between Starter and Pro.
Wave plans and prices
| Plan | US price | Canada price | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $0 | $0 | Businesses just starting out or needing the basics |
| Pro (monthly) | $19 a month | C$25 a month | Businesses that want automation and lower payment fees |
| Pro (annual) | $190 a year | C$250 a year | The same plan, billed once a year |
| Wave Advisors | Starting at $149 a month | Shown separately | Hands off bookkeeping with in house experts |
Paying Pro annually costs $190 a year, and Wave shows that as a $38 saving against paying monthly. There's also a current promo on monthly Pro: $9.50 a month for your first 3 months, a saving of $28.50.
What's free on Starter
- Unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records
- The option to accept online payments
- Invoicing on the go with the mobile app
- Cash flow and customers managed in one dashboard
That's a lot for $0, and for a sole trader sending a few invoices a month, Starter may be all you ever need.
What Pro adds
- Online payments at a discounted rate on your first 10 card transactions each month
- Auto import of bank transactions
- Auto merge and categorisation of bank transactions
- Unlimited receipt capture and expense tracking
- Automated late payment reminders
The bank import is the time saver. On Starter, you're adding transactions yourself; on Pro, they come in and get sorted automatically. If you spend an hour a month typing in bank lines, Pro pays for itself in time alone.
The payment fees, plan by plan
| Payment type | Starter | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Visa, Mastercard, Discover | A percentage of the transaction plus $0.60 | The same percentage plus $0 for your first 10 transactions a month, then plus $0.60 |
| Amex | A higher percentage plus $0.60 | The same higher percentage plus $0 for your first 10 transactions a month, then plus $0.60 |
Wave charges a percentage of every card payment on both plans. The difference is the fixed fee. On Starter, every card transaction carries $0.60 on top. On Pro, Wave waives that $0.60 on the first ten cumulative transactions in each monthly subscription period, then charges it as normal. So Pro saves you up to ten lots of 60 cents a month on card fees, not the fixed fee on every payment. Discover processing is only available to US customers.
Online payments aren't automatic, either. Wave says approval is subject to eligibility criteria, including identity verification and a credit review, whichever plan you're on.
Small print worth knowing
- The Pro price is per business, not per owner. Three businesses on Pro means three subscriptions.
- The $9.50 promo is for new Pro subscribers buying monthly through Wave's website, one offer per customer, and reverts to the listed monthly price after three months.
- Listed Pro prices apply to new subscriptions; prices don't include tax, and subscriptions auto renew.
- Bank import works through Plaid, and Wave says not every bank is supported.
- Support is by live chat or email, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:45pm Eastern.
- Pro lets you add users as admin, editor or viewer; on Starter you can add a payroll manager or a Block Advisors tax pro for free.
Wave Advisors: bookkeeping done for you
Wave Advisors includes the Pro plan features, except mobile receipts, plus a dedicated bookkeeper who keeps your books accurate and up to date, monthly financial statements prepared for you, expert support for bookkeeping questions, and books that are ready for tax time. Wave also helps with onboarding if you're switching from other accounting software, and offers optional packages with an accounting coach. It starts at $149 a month in the US.
Which Wave plan should you choose?
- Just invoicing a few clients: Starter, free.
- Tired of entering bank transactions, or you want receipt capture and payment reminders: Pro, ideally annual.
- No time for bookkeeping at all: Wave Advisors from $149 a month.
If you're comparing Wave with the bigger names, my Wave vs QuickBooks comparison and Xero vs Wave guide compare the two in detail. And if Wave doesn't fit, here are the best Wave alternatives.
The verdict
Wave's Starter plan is free and good enough for many sole traders, and Pro at $19 a month or $190 a year is fair value once you want bank transactions imported and sorted automatically. My advice: start on Starter, and move to annual Pro when manual bank entry starts eating your time, rather than for the card fee saving, which only covers your first ten card payments a month.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Wave free?
Yes. As of October 2026, Wave's Starter plan is $0 and includes unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records.
How much is Wave Pro?
Wave Pro costs $19 a month or $190 a year in the US, and C$25 a month or C$250 a year in Canada.
Is there a Wave Pro discount?
Yes. A current promo makes monthly Pro $9.50 a month for your first 3 months, a saving of $28.50.
What are Wave's card payment fees?
Both plans charge a percentage of each card payment. Starter adds $0.60 per transaction. Pro waives the $0.60 on the first ten transactions each month, then charges it as normal.
Is Wave Pro priced per business or per owner?
Per business. Wave says that if you run three businesses in one account and want all three on Pro, you subscribe and pay three times.
Can I cancel Wave Pro any time?
Yes. Wave says you can unsubscribe at any time, and the cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period in which you cancel.
How much is Wave Advisors?
Wave Advisors, which includes a dedicated bookkeeper and monthly financial statements, starts at $149 a month in the US.
Does Wave Pro import bank transactions?
Yes. Pro auto imports, merges and categorises your bank transactions. Starter doesn't.
