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Software · head to head

Dubsado vs Wave

Dubsado logo

Dubsado

Software

Business management for creatives

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wave logo

Wave

Software

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: Dubsado automated workflows, scheduling and public proposals all require the Premier plan at $525 a year; Wave automatic bank transaction import and receipt scanning require the Pro plan at $19 a month
  • They diverge on capability: Dubsado covers Scheduler, Wave covers Double-entry accounting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dubsado and Wave actually diverge.

Attributes where Dubsado and Wave differ
AttributeDubsadoWave
Starting price$20/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20162010

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

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 Dubsado

  • Scheduler
  • CRM
  • Contracts
  • Automation workflows
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • QuickBooks
  • Zapier

Only in Wave

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

Both cover

  • Invoicing
  • Stripe
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Dubsado

  • Client management and project workflows for freelancers and studiosnot Wave
  • Sending proposals, contracts and invoices with automated follow upnot Wave

Wave

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dubsado

  • Automated workflows, scheduling and public proposals all require the Premier plan at $525 a year
  • The Starter plan allows a single lead capture form
  • Zapier and bookkeeping integrations are excluded from Starter
  • Additional brands are $10 a month each
  • Only 3 users are included, with 4 to 10 costing $25 a month and 21 to 30 costing $60

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

Dubsado

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 3 clients
    • Core features
    • Scheduler
  • Premier$40/month
    • Unlimited clients
    • All features
    • Automation

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 Dubsado if

  • You need scheduler.
  • You also want crm.
Dubsado review

Choose Wave if

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

Questions people ask

Is Dubsado or Wave better?
Neither clearly leads. Dubsado starts at $20/month and Wave at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dubsado or Wave?
Wave has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/month for Dubsado and Free for Wave.
Does Dubsado or Wave run on more platforms?
Dubsado 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. Dubsado starts at $20/month.
What is Dubsado best used for?
Dubsado is most often used for client management and project workflows for freelancers and studios, sending proposals, contracts and invoices with automated follow up. Of those, client management and project workflows for freelancers and studios and sending proposals, contracts and invoices with automated follow up are not what Wave is typically brought in for.
What can Dubsado do that Wave cannot?
Dubsado covers Scheduler, CRM, Contracts, Automation workflows. Wave covers Double-entry accounting, Expense tracking, Financial reporting, Bank reconciliation. Both handle Invoicing, Stripe, Web support.
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