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Professional Services · head to head

Guru vs Wave

Guru logo

Guru

Professional Services

Find freelancers, find a job

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: Guru higher tiers all include 600 bids; no bid increases from Business to Executive; 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 Guru and Wave actually diverge.

Attributes where Guru and Wave differ
AttributeGuruWave
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
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 Guru

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.

Guru

  • Connecting freelancers with employers for competitive project biddingnot Wave
  • Managing multiple contractors as a distributed freelance businessnot Wave
  • Standing out in competitive freelance bidding with premium quotesnot Wave
  • Managing monthly bid limits for active freelancersnot Wave
  • Improving profile ranking in freelancer search resultsnot Wave

Wave

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

Where each one falls short

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

Guru

  • Higher tiers all include 600 bids; no bid increases from Business to Executive
  • Membership purchases are non-refundable
  • No free trial period before commitment

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

Guru

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 120 bids annually
    • 9% job fee
    • No premium features
  • Basic+$11.95/month
    • 120 bids annually
    • 9% job fee
    • Annual: $8.95/month
  • Professional$21.95/month
    • 600 bids annually
    • 7% job fee
    • Premium quotes
  • Business$33.95/month
    • 600 bids annually
    • 6% job fee
    • All Professional features

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 Guru if

  • You want to start without paying.
Guru 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 Guru or Wave better?
Neither clearly leads. Guru 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, Guru or Wave?
Guru starts at Free and Wave at Free.
Does Guru or Wave run on more platforms?
Guru runs on Web. Wave runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Guru for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Guru best used for?
Guru is most often used for connecting freelancers with employers for competitive project bidding, managing multiple contractors as a distributed freelance business, standing out in competitive freelance bidding with premium quotes, managing monthly bid limits for active freelancers. Of those, connecting freelancers with employers for competitive project bidding and managing multiple contractors as a distributed freelance business are not what Wave is typically brought in for.
What can Guru do that Wave cannot?
Wave covers Double-entry accounting, Invoicing, Expense tracking, Financial reporting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Guru: Is there a free Guru membership?

Yes, Guru offers a free tier with 120 annual bids and a 9% job fee on earnings.

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
Guru: What is Guru's job fee structure?

Guru charges job fees that decrease with membership tier: Free 9%, Basic+ 9%, Professional 7%, Business 6%, Executive 5%.

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
Guru: Does Guru offer annual billing discounts?

Yes. Annual plans offer up to 27% savings. For example, Professional is $15.95/month billed annually versus $21.95/month on a monthly plan.

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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