Does Wave or Xero have a free plan?

Wave has a free plan. Xero does not, though it offers a free trial.

Which is easier to use, Wave or Xero?

In VERILO's editorial assessment Wave is the easier of the two, scoring 5 out of 5 against 3 for Xero. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.

Wave vs Xero

A side-by-side look at Wave and Xero: 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 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

Visit Wave

Choose Xero if

Businesses that want owners, staff and an accountant in one file without per-user fees
Companies based in the UK, Australia or New Zealand
Growing businesses that connect ecommerce, payment and CRM apps

Visit Xero

Cheapest to start

Not confirmed

Free plan

Wave

Highest editor rating

Xero · 4.3

Comparison of Wave and Xero
Compare	Wave Visit site	Xero Visit site
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	No	Yes
Starting price	From $16/mo	From $25/mo
Editor rating	3.9	4.3
Ease of use	Very easy (5/5)	Moderate (3/5)
Category	Finance & Accounting	Finance & Accounting
Pricing model	Starter is free with unlimited invoicing; Pro is approximately $16 per month (or $170 per year) and adds bank imports and receipt scanning. Card payments cost approximately 2.9% plus $0.60 per transaction, and payroll is a separate add-on.	Three US plans at $25, $55 and $90 per month, with no per-user fees. The Early plan caps monthly invoices and bills, and plan names and prices differ by country.
Plans	Starter — Free Pro — $16/mo Payroll add-on — $20/mo	Early — $25/mo Growing — $55/mo Established — $90/mo
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, API	Web, iOS, Android, API
Integrations	Zapier	HubSpot, Make, PayPal, Shopify, Stripe, Zapier
Best for	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	Businesses that want owners, staff and an accountant in one file without per-user fees Companies based in the UK, Australia or New Zealand Growing businesses that connect ecommerce, payment and CRM apps
Pros	Genuinely free invoicing and double-entry bookkeeping Simple, uncluttered interface that non-accountants can use Estimates, recurring invoices and online payments included on the free plan Payroll available as an add-on in the US and Canada	Unlimited users on every plan Clean, fast bank reconciliation workflow Large app marketplace and a well-documented API Strong in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, including native payroll in those regions
Cons	Only available to businesses in the US and Canada Automatic bank connections now require the paid Pro plan No inventory, project accounting or time tracking Few native integrations beyond Zapier	Early plan caps invoices (about 20) and bills (about 5) per month Multi-currency, expense claims and project tracking require the top plan US payroll relies on Gusto rather than a built-in module No inbound phone support; help is via online support and callbacks
API access	Yes	Yes
App marketplace	No	Yes
Bank connections	Yes	Yes
Expense tracking	Yes	Yes
Inventory management	No	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
Multi-currency invoicing	Yes	Yes
Payment processing	Yes	No
Payroll	Yes	No
Quotes & invoices	Yes	Yes
Recurring invoices	Yes	Yes
Reporting & dashboards	Yes	Yes
Roles & permissions	No	Yes
Tax reports	No	Yes

Common questions

Does Wave or Xero have a free plan?: Wave has a free plan. Xero does not, though it offers a free trial.
Which is easier to use, Wave or Xero?: In VERILO's editorial assessment Wave is the easier of the two, scoring 5 out of 5 against 3 for Xero. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.

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