Softwr

Accounting & Finance · head to head

Pleo vs Wave

Pleo logo

Pleo

Accounting & Finance

Smart company cards for forward-thinking teams

From
£9.5/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: Pleo card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas; Wave automatic bank transaction import and receipt scanning require the Pro plan at $19 a month
  • They diverge on capability: Pleo covers Company cards, Wave covers Double-entry accounting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pleo and Wave actually diverge.

Attributes where Pleo and Wave differ
AttributePleoWave
Starting price£9.5/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryAccounting & FinanceFreelancers
Founded20152010

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 Pleo

  • Company cards
  • Receipt capture
  • Expense categorization
  • Spend limits
  • Accounting sync
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Sage

Only in Wave

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

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Pleo

  • Employee expensesnot Wave
  • Spending autonomynot Wave
  • Expense automationnot Wave

Wave

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

Where each one falls short

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

Pleo

  • Card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
  • Receipt capture OCR inaccuracies and upload lag/glitches complicate expense categorization
  • Limited expense categories and tags reduce flexibility for complex accounting structures
  • Transaction approval workflows have minimal customization options
  • Lacks in-built forecasting tools and reporting is basic, providing limited insights into trends

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

Pleo

£9.5/month
  • Starter$9.5/month
    • Company cards
    • Real-time expense tracking
    • Automated reports
  • Essential$39/month
    • Reimbursements
    • Mileage and per diem
    • Vendor cards
  • Advanced$89/month
    • Cashback
    • Budgets
    • Multi-entity management
  • Beyond$179/month
    • Spending insights
    • Sub-wallets
    • Dedicated success manager

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 Pleo if

  • You need company cards.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want receipt capture.
Pleo 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 Pleo or Wave better?
Neither clearly leads. Pleo starts at £9.5/month and Wave at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pleo or Wave?
Wave has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £9.5/month for Pleo and Free for Wave.
Does Pleo or Wave run on more platforms?
Pleo runs on iOS, Android, 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. Pleo starts at £9.5/month.
What is Pleo best used for?
Pleo is most often used for employee expenses, spending autonomy, expense automation. Of those, employee expenses and spending autonomy are not what Wave is typically brought in for.
What can Pleo do that Wave cannot?
Pleo covers Company cards, Receipt capture, Expense categorization, Spend limits. Wave covers Double-entry accounting, Invoicing, Expense tracking, Financial reporting. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pleo: What are Pleo's pricing tiers?

Pleo offers four pricing tiers: Starter (GBP 9.50/month), Essential (GBP 39.00/month), Advanced (GBP 89.00/month), and Beyond (GBP 179.00/month). Annual billing provides equivalent of two free months.

Source
Pleo: Does Pleo have a free tier?

No, Pleo does not offer a free tier or permanent free plan. All plans require payment with a free trial available for evaluation.

Source
Pleo: What integrations does Pleo support for accounting?

Pleo integrates directly with Xero and QuickBooks, plus Sage 200, Sage 50, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Datev, and Visma e-conomic. Zapier integrations are also available.

Source
Pleo: What platforms can access Pleo?

Pleo is accessible via iOS and Android mobile apps, and through a web interface. Physical and virtual cards are issued for spending.

Source
Pleo: Does Pleo support multiple currencies?

Yes, Pleo supports multi-currency spending and transactions. The platform is particularly strong for European teams with local payment methods.

Source
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