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Software · head to head

Responsive vs Wave

Responsive logo

Responsive

Software

Strategic Response Management

From
$400/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: Responsive restricted to Canadian custodians and CIRO compliance; geographic limitation to Canadian market only; Wave automatic bank transaction import and receipt scanning require the Pro plan at $19 a month
  • They diverge on capability: Responsive covers AI content suggestions, Wave covers Double-entry accounting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Responsive and Wave actually diverge.

Attributes where Responsive and Wave differ
AttributeResponsiveWave
Starting price$400/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20152010

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 Responsive

  • AI content suggestions
  • Response automation
  • Content library
  • Collaboration
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams

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.

Responsive

  • Automated back-office administration for Canadian independent portfolio managersnot Wave
  • Client onboarding and compliance management for investment advisory firmsnot Wave

Wave

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

Where each one falls short

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

Responsive

  • Restricted to Canadian custodians and CIRO compliance; geographic limitation to Canadian market only
  • Pricing not published; custom quotes required from sales

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

Responsive

$400/month
  • Professional$400/month
    • AI suggestions
    • Content library
    • Collaboration
  • Enterprise$800/month
    • Advanced AI
    • Custom workflows
    • API access

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 Responsive if

  • You need ai content suggestions.
  • You also want response automation.
Responsive 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 Responsive or Wave better?
Neither clearly leads. Responsive starts at $400/month and Wave at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Responsive or Wave?
Wave has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $400/month for Responsive and Free for Wave.
Does Responsive or Wave run on more platforms?
Responsive 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. Responsive starts at $400/month.
What is Responsive best used for?
Responsive is most often used for automated back-office administration for canadian independent portfolio managers, client onboarding and compliance management for investment advisory firms. Of those, automated back-office administration for canadian independent portfolio managers and client onboarding and compliance management for investment advisory firms are not what Wave is typically brought in for.
What can Responsive do that Wave cannot?
Responsive covers AI content suggestions, Response automation, Content library, Collaboration. Wave covers Double-entry accounting, Invoicing, Expense tracking, Financial reporting. Both handle Web support.
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