Sage
Wave
| Feature | Sage | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $10/mo | Free / from $16/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.1 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | small-businesses, accountants, construction, manufacturing | freelancers, solopreneurs, micro-businesses, side-hustlers |
| Founded | 1981 | 2010 |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cash Flow | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tax Compliance | ✓ | ✗ |
| Payroll | ✓ | ✗ |
| Inventory | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Accounting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Receipt Scanning | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bank Connections | ✗ | ✓ |
| Financial Reports | ✗ | ✓ |
| Payroll Addon | ✗ | ✓ |
| Payments Addon | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Sage Pros
- Established brand
- Good compliance
- Payroll included
- Industry-specific
✗ Sage Cons
- Dated interface
- Complex pricing
- Steep learning curve
✓ Wave Pros
- Core accounting and invoicing completely free
- Unlimited income and expense tracking
- Receipt scanning with OCR included
- Simple enough for non-accountants
✗ Wave Cons
- Payroll and payments are paid add-ons
- No inventory or project tracking
- Limited integrations compared to competitors
The Verdict
Sage is built for small businesses and accountants, with a focus on invoicing and cash-flow. Wave targets freelancers and solopreneurs and leads with accounting and invoicing.
On pricing, Sage is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $10/mo compared to $16/mo for Wave. That $6/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Wave has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Sage requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Wave offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Sage takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.