Software · head to head
Wave vs Guru
The short version
- Only Wave has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Wave automatic bank transaction import and receipt scanning require the Pro plan at $19 a month; Guru job fees run 5-9% depending on membership tier, and lower rates require paid plans up to $49.95/month
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Wave and Guru actually diverge.
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 Wave
- Double-entry accounting
- Invoicing
- Expense tracking
- Financial reporting
- Bank reconciliation
- Receipt scanning
- Multi-currency
- Sales tax tracking
Only in Guru
Nothing recorded that Wave does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Wave
- Invoicing and bookkeeping for very small businesses and freelancersnot Guru
- Accepting card payments against issued invoicesnot Guru
Guru
No use cases recorded yet. See the Guru review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Guru
- Job fees run 5-9% depending on membership tier, and lower rates require paid plans up to $49.95/month
- Membership purchases are non-transferable and non-refundable, and expired members are downgraded to Basic
Pricing, plan by plan
Wave
Free- AccountingFree
- Unlimited invoicing
- Expense tracking
- Financial reports
- Payments$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
Guru
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Guru review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Wave if
- You need double-entry accounting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want invoicing.
Choose Guru if
Nothing in the data separates Guru from Wave on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Wave or Guru better?
- Neither clearly leads. Wave starts at Free and Guru at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Wave or Guru?
- Wave has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Wave and On request for Guru.
- Does Wave or Guru run on more platforms?
- Wave runs on Web, Ios, Android. Guru runs on Web.
- Can I use Wave for free?
- Yes. Wave has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Guru starts at On request.
- What is Wave best used for?
- Wave is most often used for invoicing and bookkeeping for very small businesses and freelancers, accepting card payments against issued invoices. Of those, invoicing and bookkeeping for very small businesses and freelancers and accepting card payments against issued invoices are not what Guru is typically brought in for.
- What can Wave do that Guru cannot?
- Wave covers Double-entry accounting, Invoicing, Expense tracking, Financial reporting.