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Stripe vs Wave
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Stripe and Wave.
| Feature | Stripe | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Paid | Free |
| Free Tier | No | Yes |
| Monthly Cost (Solo) | $0 | $0 |
| Target Audience | solopreneurs, startups, developers | solopreneurs, creators |
| Verified | Yes | Yes |
| Solo-Friendly | Yes | Yes |
| Open Source | Yes | No |
| Editorial Rating | 4.7/5 | 4/5 |
| Categories | Finance, Developer Tools | Finance |
| Key Features | Payment processing, Subscription billing, Connect (marketplace payments), Radar (fraud detection), Invoicing | Free accounting, Free invoicing, Receipt scanning, Bank connections, Financial reports |
| Free Tier Quality | excellent | excellent |
Pricing Breakdown
Stripe
Pay-as-you-go: 2.9% + $0.30 per card charge (US). International: +1.5%. ACH: 0.8% ($5 cap). Invoicing: 0.4-0.5%. No monthly fees. Volume discounts available.
Wave
Accounting and Invoicing: free. Payroll: $20-40/month base + $6/employee. Payments: 2.9% + $0.60 (credit card), 1% ($1 min) for bank payments.
Integration Overlap
Only in Stripe (10)
Only in Wave (6)
Use Case Fit
Stripe
- * SaaS subscription billing
- * E-commerce payment processing
- * Marketplace payments (Stripe Connect)
- * Invoice and quote generation
- * Company incorporation (Stripe Atlas)
Wave
- * Free small business accounting
- * Invoice creation and online payments
- * Expense tracking and categorization
- * Financial reporting for tax preparation
- * Receipt scanning and organization
Stripe
Pros
- + Best-in-class developer experience
- + Comprehensive payment solution
- + Excellent documentation
- + Global payment support
- + Constant innovation
Cons
- - Higher fees than some competitors
- - Complex for non-developers
- - Account holds can be frustrating
Wave
Pros
- + Core features completely free
- + Unlimited invoicing
- + Good for basic bookkeeping
- + Receipt scanning included
Cons
- - Payment processing costs extra
- - Limited integrations
- - Less powerful than QuickBooks
- - US and Canada focused
Editorial Verdict
Both tools are evenly matched on price. Stripe excels at saas subscription billing, while Wave is stronger for free small business accounting.
SaaSLens Editorial Team
Editorial Team