BILL vs Wave — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
BILL starts at $49/mo. Wave starts at $19/mo. Wave is $30/mo cheaper on the entry tier than BILL.
SMB accounts-payable + accounts-receivable automation platform (formerly Bill.com), IPO'd 2019 at $27B peak valuation. Positioned as the alternative to processing invoices manually or hacking QuickBooks Online for AP/AR workflows. Distinctive for 2-way sync with all major accounting platforms (QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct, NetSuite) and BILL Divvy spend-management combined suite. Priced $49-$89/user/mo across Essentials/Team/Corporate published tiers plus Enterprise. Also charges per-transaction fees on top of subscription (ACH $0.59, checks $1.99, wire $19.99, international 1%). Popular with 5-100-person businesses running full AP/AR workflows.
Free accounting software from Canada, acquired by H&R Block for $537M in 2019. Positioned as the alternative to QuickBooks for freelancers and micro-businesses that can't justify a paid accounting subscription. Distinctive for its genuine forever-free accounting/invoicing (competitors moved everything to paid). Monetizes through payments (2.9% + 60¢), payroll ($20-$40/mo), and advisor services. Popular with side hustlers, freelancers, and micro-businesses under $50K annual revenue.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | BILL monthly | BILL annual | Wave monthly | Wave annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | — / Starter | — | — | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Essentials / Mobile Receipts | $49 | $49 | $8 | Free |
| Pro / power | Corporate / Pro | $89 | $89 | $19 | $15.83 |
| Teams | Team / — | $65 | $65 | — | — |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / — | Custom | Custom | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
BILL is worth it if… growing businesses (10-500 employees) that need to automate invoice processing, approvals, and payments across a real vendor+customer stack — particularly if your finance team spends more than 10 hours/week on AP or AR manually. Essentials covers AP OR AR per user (not both); Team adds custom roles and class/location tracking; Corporate combines AP + AR; Enterprise adds NetSuite + Dynamics sync.
Wave is worth it if… US/Canada freelancers and solo entrepreneurs who want completely free accounting + invoicing + receipt scanning — particularly for early-stage founders bootstrapping before they need QuickBooks. Free forever for core accounting and invoicing; charges per transaction for payments and payroll.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose BILL over Wave if…
Choose BILL if…
- You're comfortable with BILL's from $49/mo entry point.
- You match the profile BILL is built for: growing businesses (10-500 employees) that need to automate invoice processing, approvals, and payments across a real vendor+customer stack — particularly if your finance team spends more than 10 hours/week on AP or AR manually.
- You need a general-purpose finance & accounting option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Wave if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (freemium, from $19/mo).
- You match the profile Wave is built for: US/Canada freelancers and solo entrepreneurs who want completely free accounting + invoicing + receipt scanning — particularly for early-stage founders bootstrapping before they need QuickBooks.
- You need a general-purpose finance & accounting option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| BILL | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Entry price | $49/mo | $19/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | No |
| Pricing model | — | Freemium |
| Verification | Pricing under review | Checked September 28, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 28, 2026. Tracked daily.