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Akaunting vs Wave: $12 a month against a free plan
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Wave's Starter plan is free and includes unlimited invoices and estimates, bank reconciliation and accounting reports, for the owner only. Akaunting's Standard Cloud costs $12 a month, or $8 a month billed yearly, for 1 user plus an accountant and up to 1,000 invoices. Neither entry plan has bank feeds: Wave adds them on Pro at $19 a month, Akaunting on Premium Cloud at $36 a month.
At a glance, by our score
- Lowest price
#3 Wave
Sole traders who want free invoicing and reports with nothing to pay
8.2/10Very goodOur scoreVisit WaveOn waveapps.com #9 Akaunting
One-person businesses that want open-source books at $8 a month billed yearly, adding paid apps as needed
5.8/10PoorOur scoreVisit AkauntingOn akaunting.com
Wave's lowest monthly price is lower than Akaunting's, checked Sep 25, 2026 and Sep 27, 2026.
Side by side
| Criterion | Akaunting | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 5.8/10PoorOur score #9 of 10 | 8.2/10Very goodOur score #3 of 10 |
| Included on the entry plan (30%) | 2.0 / 10 | 6.0 / 10 |
| Regular price (30%) | 8.7 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Leaving (10%) | 6.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Free plan or trial (10%) | 6.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Price after the introductory offer (10%) | 10.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Users (10%) | 4.0 / 10 | 4.0 / 10 |
| Price from | $12 / month | $0 / month |
| Best for | One-person businesses that want open-source books at $8 a month billed yearly, adding paid apps as needed | Sole traders who want free invoicing and reports with nothing to pay |
| Visit | Visit AkauntingOn akaunting.com | Visit WaveOn waveapps.com |
Who should pick which
- Akaunting: One-person businesses that want open-source books at $8 a month billed yearly, adding paid apps as needed
- Wave: Sole traders who want free invoicing and reports with nothing to pay
At a glance
| Akaunting | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Standard Cloud | Starter |
| Regular price | $12 a month, or $8 a month billed yearly | $0 (Pro: $19 a month or $190 a year) |
| Billing | Monthly or yearly | Free; Pro monthly or yearly |
| Introductory offer | None; yearly billing is a standing "4 months free" | None |
| Unlimited invoices | No: 1,000 invoices | Yes |
| Bank feeds | No (Premium Cloud and up) | No (Pro) |
| Receipt capture | No (Receipts app, included from Elite Cloud) | No (paid add-on, or Pro) |
| Bank reconciliation | Yes | Yes |
| Reports | Income and expense; balance sheet needs Premium Cloud | Accounting reports |
| Users | 1 user + 1 accountant | Owner only (more users need Pro) |
| Leaving | Cancel any time; data lost unless you download it first | Nothing to cancel on Starter |
| Free plan or trial | Trial (length not stated); no free cloud plan on the plans page | Free plan; no Pro trial |
Prices from Akaunting's pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026, and Wave's pricing page, read Sep 25, 2026.
Price
Wave Starter costs nothing. Akaunting Standard Cloud is $12 a month, or $96 a year billed yearly. Neither shows an introductory offer.
The more useful comparison is bank feeds, which neither entry plan has. Wave's paid Pro plan adds bank connections at $19 a month, or $190 a year, per business. Akaunting adds them on Premium Cloud at $36 a month, or $288 a year ($24 a month). That makes Akaunting's plan with bank feeds $17 a month more on monthly billing, or $98 a year more on yearly billing. Premium Cloud also includes 10 users; Wave's pages say more users need Pro but don't give a number.
Where they differ
- Invoices and estimates. Wave's pricing page says Starter can "Create unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records". Akaunting Standard caps you at 1,000 invoices, and Estimates (Quotes) are included only from Elite Cloud or sold as a separate app, per its plans page.
- Getting paid online. Wave's online payments are an optional add-on at 2.9% + $0.60 per card transaction (3.4% + $0.60 for Amex), subject to approval. Akaunting Standard needs a payment app such as PayPal Express, $6 a month or $4 billed yearly.
- Receipts. Wave Starter has no receipt scanning; its help centre lists it as a paid feature. Akaunting's Receipts app is included from Elite Cloud ($84 a month) or bought separately.
- Users. Wave Starter is the owner only; the plans FAQ says sharing the business with more users needs Pro. Akaunting Standard includes 1 user and 1 accountant.
- Leaving. Starter is free, so there's nothing to cancel, and Pro returns you to Starter at the end of the paid period. Akaunting's help centre warns that cancelling loses all business data unless you download it first.
Who should pick which
Pick Wave if you want free invoicing, estimates, reconciliation and reports, and can enter bank transactions yourself or pay $19 a month for Pro later.
Pick Akaunting if you want open-source software, need a seat for your accountant, or plan to run it on your own server: its Standard On-Premise edition is free to download.
Both appear in our accounting software ranking and our list for freelancers. How we score is on the methodology page.