Softwr

Accounting & Finance · head to head

Adyen vs Wave

Adyen logo

Adyen

Accounting & Finance

The payments platform built for growth

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wave logo

Wave

Freelancers

Financial software for small businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Wave has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Adyen there is a minimum monthly invoice, set by industry and business model and only disclosed through the sales team, so small volumes are not economic; Wave automatic bank transaction import and receipt scanning require the Pro plan at $19 a month
  • They diverge on capability: Adyen covers Payment processing, Wave covers Double-entry accounting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adyen and Wave actually diverge.

Attributes where Adyen and Wave differ
AttributeAdyenWave
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelusage-basedfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, PosWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryAccounting & FinanceFreelancers
Founded20062010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adyen

  • Payment processing
  • Risk management
  • Unified commerce
  • Issuing
  • Platform payments
  • SAP
  • Salesforce
  • Oracle

Only in Wave

  • Double-entry accounting
  • Invoicing
  • Expense tracking
  • Financial reporting
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Receipt scanning
  • Multi-currency
  • Sales tax tracking

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adyen

  • Card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchantsnot Wave
  • Accepting local payment methods across multiple countriesnot Wave
  • Settling in several currencies through linked bank accountsnot Wave
  • Unified online and in-person paymentsnot Wave

Wave

  • Invoicing and bookkeeping for very small businesses and freelancersnot Adyen
  • Accepting card payments against issued invoicesnot Adyen

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adyen

  • There is a minimum monthly invoice, set by industry and business model and only disclosed through the sales team, so small volumes are not economic
  • Published fees are indicative rather than a rate card, with real pricing negotiated
  • Interchange++ means the card cost varies per transaction rather than being a single predictable percentage
  • Alternative payment methods carry their own rates on top, such as 3.3 percent plus $0.10 for American Express in North America

Wave

  • Automatic bank transaction import and receipt scanning require the Pro plan at $19 a month
  • The free plan pays a $0.60 per transaction fee on card payments on top of 2.9%, which Pro waives only for the first 10 transactions a month
  • Beyond 10 transactions a month the Pro plan pays the same per transaction fee as the free one
  • Amex is charged at 3.4% rather than 2.9% on both plans

Pricing, plan by plan

Adyen

$29/month
  • CustomFree
    • Payment processing
    • Risk management
    • Unified commerce

Wave

Free
  • AccountingFree
    • Unlimited invoicing
    • Expense tracking
    • Financial reports
  • Payments$undefined/transaction
    • 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction
    • Credit card processing
    • Bank payments (1%)
  • Payroll$35/month
    • $35/month base + $6/employee
    • Tax calculations
    • Direct deposit

Which should you pick?

Choose Adyen if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You work on Web, Api, Pos.
  • You also want risk management.
Adyen review

Choose Wave if

  • You need double-entry accounting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want invoicing.
Wave review

Questions people ask

Is Adyen or Wave better?
Neither clearly leads. Adyen starts at $29/month and Wave at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adyen or Wave?
Wave has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Adyen and Free for Wave.
Does Adyen or Wave run on more platforms?
Adyen runs on Web, Api, Pos. Wave runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Wave for free?
Yes. Wave has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adyen starts at $29/month.
What is Adyen best used for?
Adyen is most often used for card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants, accepting local payment methods across multiple countries, settling in several currencies through linked bank accounts, unified online and in-person payments. Of those, card acquiring with interchange plus pricing for larger merchants and accepting local payment methods across multiple countries are not what Wave is typically brought in for.
What can Adyen do that Wave cannot?
Adyen covers Payment processing, Risk management, Unified commerce, Issuing. Wave covers Double-entry accounting, Invoicing, Expense tracking, Financial reporting. Both handle Web support.
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