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Professional Services · head to head

Freelancer.com vs Wave

Freelancer.com logo

Freelancer.com

Professional Services

Find the best freelancers for any job online

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wave logo

Wave

Professional Services

Financial software for small businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Freelancer.com employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects when awarding; 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 Freelancer.com and Wave actually diverge.

Attributes where Freelancer.com and Wave differ
AttributeFreelancer.comWave
Pricing modeltransactionfreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Freelancer.com

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.

Freelancer.com

  • Posting projects and collecting competitive bids without upfront costnot Wave
  • Engaging hourly contractors with flexible staffing and per-payment feesnot Wave
  • Running design contests where employers only pay if satisfiednot Wave
  • Securing work payments held by platform until contractor approvalnot Wave
  • Identifying vetted freelancers through Verified by Freelancer badgesnot Wave

Wave

  • Invoicing and bookkeeping for very small businesses and freelancersnot Freelancer.com
  • Accepting card payments against issued invoicesnot Freelancer.com

Where each one falls short

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

Freelancer.com

  • Employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects when awarding
  • Freelancers pay 10% or $5.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects
  • Preferred Freelancer Program charges 15% on recruiter projects
  • Maintenance fee up to $14.00 per month for accounts inactive 6+ months
  • Withdrawal fees range from $1.00 to $25.00 depending on method

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

Freelancer.com

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Freelancer.com review.

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 Freelancer.com if

  • You want to start without paying.
Freelancer.com 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 Freelancer.com or Wave better?
Neither clearly leads. Freelancer.com starts at Free and Wave at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freelancer.com or Wave?
Freelancer.com starts at Free and Wave at Free.
Does Freelancer.com or Wave run on more platforms?
Freelancer.com runs on Web. Wave runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Freelancer.com for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Freelancer.com best used for?
Freelancer.com is most often used for posting projects and collecting competitive bids without upfront cost, engaging hourly contractors with flexible staffing and per-payment fees, running design contests where employers only pay if satisfied, securing work payments held by platform until contractor approval. Of those, posting projects and collecting competitive bids without upfront cost and engaging hourly contractors with flexible staffing and per-payment fees are not what Wave is typically brought in for.
What can Freelancer.com do that Wave cannot?
Wave covers Double-entry accounting, Invoicing, Expense tracking, Financial reporting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freelancer.com: What are Freelancer.com's fees?

Employers pay 3% or $3.00 USD (whichever is greater) when awarding fixed-price projects and 3% on hourly payments. Freelancers pay 10% or $5.00 USD minimum on fixed-price projects, 10% on hourly payments, and 10% or $5.00 USD on contest prizes. The Preferred Freelancer Program charges 15% on recruiter projects.

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
Freelancer.com: What are the payment processing and withdrawal fees on Freelancer?

Payment processing fees are $0.30 USD plus 2.3% for credit card, PayPal, or Skrill. Withdrawal fees are $1.00 for PayPal/Skrill/Payoneer and $25.00 for international wire transfers.

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
Freelancer.com: What optional upgrades are available for Freelancer projects?

Featured and Urgent upgrades cost $10.99 each, Private/NDA/IP Agreement upgrades cost $22.99 each, and Full Time projects cost $240.00. Projects also have a Verification Badge option at $99.00 (regular), $79.00 (Preferred), or $59.00 (Rising Stars).

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
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