Stripe vs Wave
A side-by-side look at Stripe and Wave: what each costs to start, whether there is a free plan, how easy they are to pick up, and which features and integrations they cover.
Which should you choose?
Choose Stripe if
- SaaS and subscription businesses
- Developers building custom checkout or marketplace flows
- Online businesses selling in many currencies
- Startups that want one provider for online and in-person payments
Choose Wave if
- Freelancers and side businesses that need invoices and basic books at no cost
- Very small service businesses in the US or Canada
- Users who prefer transaction fees over a monthly subscription
Cheapest to start
Not comparable
Free plan
Wave
Highest editor rating
Stripe · 4.7
| Compare | Stripe |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Free trial | No |
| Starting price | Pay as you go |
| Editor rating | 4.7 |
| Ease of use | Moderate (3/5) |
| Category | Finance & Accounting |
| Pricing model | No monthly fee; US card processing is 2.9% plus $0.30 per successful domestic transaction, and add-on products such as Billing, Invoicing and Tax are charged as a percentage of volume. Custom rates are available at high volume. |
| Plans |
|
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, API, CLI |
| Integrations | HubSpot, Make, Salesforce, Slack, Typeform, Webflow, WooCommerce, Xero, Zapier |
| Best for |
|
| Pros |
|
| Cons |
|
| API access | Yes |
| Bank connections | No |
| Client portal | Yes |
| Expense tracking | No |
| Mobile app | Yes |
| Multi-currency | Yes |
| Multi-currency invoicing | No |
| Payment processing | Yes |
| Payroll | No |
| Point of sale | Yes |
| Quotes & invoices | No |
| Recurring invoices | Yes |
| Reporting & dashboards | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | Yes |
| Subscription billing | Yes |
| Tax reports | Yes |
| Webhooks | Yes |
Common questions
- Does Stripe or Wave have a free plan?
- Wave has a free plan. Stripe does not.
- Which is easier to use, Stripe or Wave?
- In VERILO's editorial assessment Wave is the easier of the two, scoring 5 out of 5 against 3 for Stripe. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.