Wave vs BILL 2026: Free Solo Invoicing vs Paid Team AP/AR Automation
Quick verdict: Wave is our overall pick for Wave vs BILL.
Wave (4.2/5) is the free solo-invoice floor; BILL (3.8/5) is the paid team-scale AP + AR automation platform at $49–$89/user/mo plus transaction fees.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave Best overall Best free | 4.2/5 | Free $19/mo (Pro) | Wave is a free-forever invoicing and light-accounting platform for US/Canada freelancers —… |
| BILL Best for teams | 3.8/5 | Free $49/user/mo (Essentials) | BILL is an AP + AR automation platform for teams that pay many vendors and collect on many… |
Bottom line: solo versus team. Wave earns 4.2/5 and is free for a freelancer — unlimited invoices, light bookkeeping and online payments, with US/Canada-only reach and no team approvals. BILL earns 3.8/5 and is built for finance teams automating vendor payables and customer receivables, with approval workflows, multi-user roles and a 4M+ vendor network, priced per user. A solo operator staying free takes Wave; a team that needs AP automation and approval routing takes BILL.
Pricing and details
Wave · 4.2/5
Free plan available · $19/mo (Pro)
The only standing free plan in the cluster: unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and basic bookkeeping at $0. Pro at $19/mo ($190/yr) adds auto bank imports, receipt capture and reminders. Online payments are a separate per-transaction cost (2.9% + $0.60 on the free plan); payroll is a paid US-only add-on. Service is limited to US/Canada.
Pro $190/yr (billed annually, ~$15.83/mo effective)
Wave is a free-forever invoicing and light-accounting platform for US/Canada freelancers — unlimited invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records on the $0 plan, with automation pushed to the paid Pro tier.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Genuinely free: unlimited invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records on the $0 Starter plan
- Simple, fast to set up — the easiest invoice-first flow for a solo operator
- Online payments built in, with receipt scanning and expense tracking
- Pro adds auto bank imports, categorization and reminders without a per-invoice fee
Cons
- US/Canada only — no international invoicing
- Automation (bank imports, receipt capture) is gated behind paid Pro
- No time tracking, inventory or multi-entity accounting
Pricing verified 2026-09-20
BILL · 3.8/5
Free plan available · $49/user/mo (Essentials)
Priced per user/month by tier: Essentials covers AP or AR with manual CSV sync; Team adds automatic two-way QuickBooks/Xero sync and custom roles; Corporate ($89, most popular) combines AP + AR and adds procurement; Enterprise is quote-only. A free Spend & Expense plan provides corporate cards and credit lines. Transaction fees stack on top (ACH $0.59, check $1.99, international USD wire $19.99, card pay ~2.9%).
per-user rates unchanged when billed annually
BILL is an AP + AR automation platform for teams that pay many vendors and collect on many invoices — approval workflows, 4M+ vendor network and two-way QuickBooks/Xero sync — priced per user with transaction fees on top.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Genuine AP + AR automation — approval routing, two-way QuickBooks/Xero sync and a 4M+ vendor network
- Multi-user roles and custom approval policies that solo-invoice tools lack
- Free Spend & Expense plan with corporate cards and credit lines
- Built for finance teams that spend real hours per week on payables
Cons
- Per-user pricing (Essentials $49 / Team $65 / Corporate $89) is expensive at scale
- Transaction fees stack on top: ACH $0.59, check $1.99, international wire $19.99, card ~2.9%
- Essentials is manual CSV sync only; automatic accounting sync starts at Team
Pricing verified 2026-09-20
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, Wave or BILL?
Wave is our overall pick (4.2/5 vs 3.8/5). Wave (4.2/5) is the free solo-invoice floor; BILL (3.8/5) is the paid team-scale AP + AR automation platform at $49–$89/user/mo plus transaction fees.
Do Wave and BILL offer free plans?
Wave and BILL have a free tier. Wave paid plans start at $19/mo (Pro); BILL paid plans start at $49/user/mo (Essentials).
What does Wave cost?
$19/mo (Pro) — The only standing free plan in the cluster: unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and basic bookkeeping at $0. Pro at $19/mo ($190/yr) adds auto bank imports, receipt capture and reminders. Online payments are a separate per-transaction cost (2.9% + $0.60 on the free plan); payroll is a paid US-only add-on. Service is limited to US/Canada. Prices were last verified on 2026-09-20.