Softwr

Professional Services · head to head

BigTime vs Wave

BigTime logo

BigTime

Professional Services

The all-in-one solution for growing, single-entity firms

From
$20/user/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wave logo

Wave

Professional Services

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: BigTime advanced and Premier pricing not specified; requires contacting sales; Wave automatic bank transaction import and receipt scanning require the Pro plan at $19 a month
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BigTime and Wave actually diverge.

Attributes where BigTime and Wave differ
AttributeBigTimeWave
Starting price$20/user/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Professional Services).

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 BigTime

Nothing recorded that Wave does not also cover.

Only in Wave

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

What people use each for

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

BigTime

  • Professional services time trackingnot Wave
  • Project-based billingnot Wave
  • Multi-team resource managementnot Wave

Wave

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

Where each one falls short

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

BigTime

  • Advanced and Premier pricing not specified; requires contacting sales
  • Specific feature costs for optional modules not disclosed

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

BigTime

$20/user/month
  • Essentials$20/user/month
    • Time tracking
    • Invoicing
    • Expense management
  • Advanced$null/user/month
    • Multi-currency expense management
    • Custom reporting center
    • Project templates
  • Premier$null/user/month
    • Multi-currency invoicing
    • Custom cost and rate management
    • Project budgeting
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Multi-entity, multi-currency
    • Optional modules for Services CPQ and Resource Management

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 BigTime if

Nothing in the data separates BigTime from Wave on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

BigTime 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 BigTime or Wave better?
Neither clearly leads. BigTime starts at $20/user/month and Wave at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BigTime or Wave?
Wave has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/user/month for BigTime and Free for Wave.
Does BigTime or Wave run on more platforms?
BigTime runs on Web. 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. BigTime starts at $20/user/month.
What is BigTime best used for?
BigTime is most often used for professional services time tracking, project-based billing, multi-team resource management. Of those, professional services time tracking and project-based billing are not what Wave is typically brought in for.
What can BigTime do that Wave cannot?
Wave covers Double-entry accounting, Invoicing, Expense tracking, Financial reporting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BigTime: What is BigTime's starting price per user?

BigTime's Essentials plan starts at $20 per user per month and includes time tracking, invoicing, expense management, and payments.

Source
Wave: Can I try Wave before committing to a paid plan?

Sign up for the Starter Plan to take the bookkeeping and invoicing basics for a spin. Then, whenever you're ready, upgrade to the Pro Plan to unlock even more money management features.

Source
BigTime: What features are included in BigTime's Essentials tier?

Essentials includes time and expense tracking, project portfolio management, billing and invoicing, automatic reconciliation, QuickBooks integration, and AI Assistant.

Source
Wave: What happens if I want to cancel my subscription?

Yes, you can unsubscribe at any time. The cancellation of your subscription will take effect at the end of the billing period in which you cancel.

Source
BigTime: What additional capabilities does the Premier plan add?

Premier adds multi-currency invoicing, custom cost and rate management, project budgeting, and multi-level approvals to all Advanced features.

Source
Wave: Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan easily?

To upgrade to the Pro Plan, sign into Wave. Visit your dashboard or use your invoicing or accounting features, and click the 'Upgrade now' button.

Source
BigTime: What modules are available as add-ons in BigTime?

BigTime offers three optional modules: Services CPQ (BigTime Quotes), Resource Management, and Data Hub available for additional fees.

Source
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