While there’s no desktop app for Wave, the web-based platform is designed to be user-friendly and accessible, so you’ll be able to complete accounting tasks from anywhere at any time. Now that we’ve compared Wave vs Xero in terms of pricing, free plans, and customer service, it’s time to see how they stack up against each other in features and functionality. However, their lowest plan is extremely limited in features. Many businesses will find themselves needing to move to the $60 per month plan. At that cost, you should switch to the QuickBooks Essentials Plan, which is the same price and comes with better reporting features and the ability to manage all 1099 contracts. If that’s the case, we invite you to check cash book excel out our picks for best accounting software for small businesses to see other top choices that may be better for your small business.
We also evaluated whether an electronic bill pay integration was available. Users can enter logged time in invoices for client’s billable hours and monitor time spent on projects. You can access the time tracker in Xero Projects which is within the Xero app. In Wave, you can connect your bank accounts only in the paid plan.
QuickBooks Online
Xero’s integrations save users time and reduce the potential for accounting errors by cutting down on manual data entry. Wave’s payroll feature streamlines the process of running payroll and paying your employees and contractors. With just one click, you can deposit payments into the bank accounts of your employees using the software. The Wave payment processing feature allows users to accept credit card and ACH payments. Wave users can accept all types of payments via bank deposit, credit card, and Apple Pay. The Growing monthly plan stands at $37/month and includes everything from the Early plan, plus unlimited invoices and bills and reconciling bank transactions in bulk.
Wave Accounting pros and cons
Regardless of which plan you choose, all users get access to inventory management, accounts payable, and other accounting features. Xero’s well-developed contact management feature is especially worth checking out. Wave recently added a paid plan, Wave Pro, which costs $16 per month if billed monthly or $170 per year if billed annually. These apps let you perform accounting tasks, such as creating invoices, reconciling bank transactions, and managing expenses. The Xero desktop apps can be a useful tool for users who prefer a more traditional, desktop-based experience. With the free version, you’ll be able to do your bookkeeping, create customizable invoices, and track expenses without paying a dime.
You can use default invoice templates or create your own if you want something more personalized. Some invoice template edits can be tricky, such as customizing or adding new columns, but for most businesses it’s a breeze to start invoicing historical cost accounting clients. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews.
Expense tracking
Connects seamlessly with Wave’s invoicing and accounting software, so you’ll always have the information you need in one place. Service or project-based businesses should choose accounting software that can track project costs, revenues, and profits. The software must have tools to track time, record billable hours or expenses, send invoices for progress billings, or monitor project progress and performance. As far as accounting features go, few software options can compare to Xero.
Yes, Xero has robust project accounting tools that include project estimations, project cost assignment, and cost variance analysis. However, Xero provides a side-by-side presentation in reconciling bank and book items for you. Once you upload your bank statement, Xero will extract line items automatically from it and look for possible matches. If there are no matches, the platform will let you create a transaction. Manage all your company spending and finances with Rippling Spend. Consolidate, automate, and control company expenses, bills, and corporate cards in one place.
It cannot pay and file your taxes, but it can provide you with information on what you’ll need during filing. To compare Xero and Wave, we prioritized our own hands-on experience with the software by setting up a free account with Wave Accounting and signing up for a 30-day free trial with Xero. Xero’s stand-out integrations extend to third-party payroll software.
- However, don’t count Wave out just yet, as it does offer some things you won’t find with Wave, including built-in payroll and a live bookkeeping add-on.
- If you don’t mind missing out on advanced features in exchange for easy to use software, then we suggest going with Wave.
- Xero is superior in this category, as Wave doesn’t offer inventory management features.
- Once you upload your bank statement, Xero will extract line items automatically from it and look for possible matches.
For processing online payments, Xero integrates with Stripe, PayPal, and GoCardless. You can also customize Xero’s reports to fit your business needs and hone in on the quickbooks accountant training most important insights for growing your business. Some of the links that appear on the website are from software companies from which CRM.org receives compensation. This site does not include all companies or all available Vendors.