// head-to-head
SnapBooks vs Wave (2026)
Wave's headline is 'free accounting' — but Wave Pro is now $16/mo, and even on the free tier you pay 2.9% + $0.60 per card transaction plus $8/mo for receipt scanning.
SnapBooks is $15/mo flat with invoicing, expense tracking, receipt capture, and tax estimates included. Numbers come from each vendor's pricing page.
No paid rankingsPricing checked June 15, 20264 options
Pricing comparison
| Tool | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wave Starter | $0/mo | Invoicing and accounting. Payment processing 2.9% + $0.60 per card txn. |
| Wave Pro | $16/mo | Adds auto-import bank transactions, unlimited receipt scanning, and lower card rates. |
| Wave Receipts add-on | +$8/mo | Required on Starter to scan unlimited receipts. |
| SnapBooks | $15/mo flat | Invoicing, expenses, receipt capture, tax estimates. No per-feature add-ons. |
Who should switch
- ✓You're on Wave Starter + receipts add-on ($8/mo) and considering Wave Pro anyway.
- ✓You want tax estimates baked in (Wave doesn't include these).
- ✓You're tired of Wave's slower release cadence and want a tool actively iterating.
Who should not switch
- ·You're truly fine on Wave's free tier and never need receipt scanning.
- ·You rely on Wave Payroll (US/CA) — SnapBooks doesn't offer payroll.
- ·You need Wave's free invoice-only workflow for very low-volume side work.
Savings math
- Wave Pro: $16/mo = $192/yr. SnapBooks: $180/yr. Saving: $12/yr (6%) — plus tax estimates included.
- Wave Starter + Receipts add-on: $8/mo = $96/yr. SnapBooks costs $84/yr more but adds tax estimates and active development.
- If you process $5k/mo on cards, Wave's 2.9% + $0.60 ≈ $151/mo in fees — payment processor choice matters more than software cost at that volume.
Caveats
- !Wave is genuinely free for invoice-only use — SnapBooks doesn't beat $0.
- !Wave Payroll is a real product; SnapBooks does not offer payroll.
- !Compare card processing rates separately — they dwarf software cost above ~$3k/mo in revenue.
Final verdict
If you've outgrown Wave's free tier and are eyeing Wave Pro, SnapBooks is $1/mo cheaper with tax estimates included. If $0 still works, stay on Wave.
Pricing checked June 15, 2026. We re-verify every comparison page on a rolling basis.
Sources
Related guides
Prices change often — verify on the vendor's site before switching.