What is Wave?
Wave is a free accounting and invoicing platform for small businesses, freelancers, and sole proprietors. Now owned by H&R Block, it offers invoicing, accounting, receipt scanning, and financial reporting at no cost. Wave makes money through Wave Payments (credit card and ACH processing) and Wave Payroll.
The free plan is genuinely generous: unlimited invoices, unlimited clients, unlimited users, free accounting, and free receipt scanning. There are no feature gates or paid tiers for the core product. For budget-conscious businesses, Wave is one of the best free options available.
For businesses that use Stripe for payment processing, it is worth knowing that Wave does not offer Stripe integration and is primarily available in the US and Canada. This article compares Wave and Stripdo to help you decide which tool fits your Stripe invoicing needs.
Stripdo is an invoicing tool built specifically for Stripe users. It connects to your Stripe account and automatically generates professional invoices every time a payment is made. It costs a flat $39/year with unlimited invoices and zero per-invoice fees.
How Much Does Wave Cost in 2026?
Wave's invoicing and accounting features are completely free. No trial period, no invoice limits, no upgrade required. You can create unlimited invoices, track expenses, and generate financial reports without paying anything. This is a genuinely free product, not a limited trial.
Wave makes money through Wave Payments. Credit card processing costs 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction. ACH bank payments cost 1% with a $1 minimum. Wave Payroll is available as an add-on at $20/month base plus $6 per employee.
One thing to consider is that if you use Stripe for payments and Wave for invoicing separately, the invoicing is free but the manual work is not. Creating invoices by hand for each Stripe payment takes time. Stripdo at $39/year automates that process entirely.
For businesses that use Wave Payments (not Stripe), the entire invoicing and payment workflow is integrated and free. This is a great value proposition if Wave Payments works for your business.
A few things worth knowing about Wave pricing:
- Wave Payments charges 2.9% + $0.60, a higher fixed fee than Stripe
- ACH payments through Wave cost 1% ($1 min)
- No Stripe integration. Must use Wave Payments or manual entry
- Acquired by H&R Block. Future pricing uncertain
- Customer support is limited on free plan
Auto-generate invoices from Stripe
Connect your Stripe account and get professional invoices in under a minute.
Does Wave Integrate with Stripe?
Wave does not integrate with Stripe. Wave is built around its own payment processing (Wave Payments), so the platform does not support external payment processors like Stripe.
If you use Stripe for payments and Wave for invoicing, the two systems run independently. You would need to create invoices in Wave manually to match your Stripe payments. There are no official third-party connectors, and Wave's limited API makes it difficult to build custom integrations.
For businesses that use Wave Payments instead of Stripe, this is not an issue. Wave Payments integrates directly with Wave invoicing, and the workflow is seamless. The question is whether Wave Payments fits your business needs.
Stripdo is built specifically for Stripe users. It connects via OAuth and generates invoices from completed Stripe payments automatically. If you are already on Stripe and want to keep using it, Stripdo is designed for that workflow.
Wave vs Stripdo: Full Comparison
| Feature | Wave | Stripdo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (limited) / 2.9% + $0.60 per card payment | $39/year |
| Per-invoice fee | None | None |
| Stripe integration | Not available | Native, auto-generates from payments |
| Auto-send invoices | ||
| PDF export | ||
| Multi-currency | ||
| VAT handling | ||
| Custom branding | ||
| Setup time | 30 min - 2 hours | Under 1 minute |
| Expense tracking | ||
| Recurring invoices | Yes (via Stripe subscriptions) | |
| API access | Via Stripe API | |
| 👉 Start now | ||
Wave clearly wins on breadth: expense tracking, reporting, and accounting features that Stripdo doesn't offer. But breadth comes at a cost, both in price and complexity. If you need a full accounting suite, Wave delivers. If you need invoices for Stripe payments, Stripdo delivers at a fraction of the cost.
Wave or Stripdo: Which is Right for You?
Wave and Stripdo serve different payment ecosystems. Wave is built around Wave Payments, and Stripdo is built around Stripe. If you use Wave Payments, Wave is the natural choice. If you use Stripe, Stripdo is the natural choice.
Wave is also limited to the US and Canada, while Stripdo works globally with multi-currency support. For businesses selling internationally through Stripe, this is an important difference.
If you currently use Wave for accounting and Stripe for payments, you could add Stripdo for the invoicing piece. Stripdo handles the Stripe invoicing automatically, and you can continue using Wave for expense tracking and financial reporting.
Choose Wave if you need:
- Completely free invoicing and accounting
- Clean, modern interface that is easy for beginners
- Unlimited invoices, clients, and users on free plan
- Built-in receipt scanning and expense tracking
- Good basic reporting and financial dashboards
Solo entrepreneurs and very small businesses in the US/Canada who need free invoicing and basic accounting, and don't use Stripe for payment processing.
Choose Stripdo if you need:
- Native Stripe integration. Invoices auto-generated from Stripe payments
- No need to switch payment processors or use Wave Payments
- Multi-currency support included
- API access for automation
- Works globally, not limited to US/Canada
Best for businesses that use Stripe and want automatic invoice generation without the complexity of a full accounting platform.
Try Stripdo freeHow Stripdo Auto-Generates Invoices from Stripe
Stripdo is built for one specific workflow: turning your Stripe payments into professional invoices, automatically. Here's how it works:
- Connect your Stripe account with a one-click OAuth connection. Stripdo only reads payment data and never modifies anything in Stripe.
- Customize your invoice template with your logo, business details, VAT numbers, and branding.
- Invoices are generated automatically every time a Stripe payment is completed. Your customers receive professional invoices without any manual work on your end.
There's no data migration, no learning curve, and no conflict with Wave if you still use it for accounting. Stripdo handles invoicing, Wave handles the rest.
Wave vs Stripdo: Our Take
Wave is an excellent free invoicing and accounting tool. For US and Canadian businesses that use Wave Payments, it is hard to beat. The unlimited free plan, clean interface, and built-in accounting features make it a great all-in-one solution.
For businesses that use Stripe for payment processing, Stripdo is a better fit for invoicing. It costs $39/year, connects directly to Stripe, supports multi-currency, and generates invoices automatically from your payments. You can also use Stripdo alongside Wave if you want Wave for accounting and Stripdo for Stripe invoicing.
The choice depends on your payment processor. If you are on Wave Payments, use Wave. If you are on Stripe and need automatic invoicing, Stripdo is built for that.
Auto-generate invoices from Stripe
Connect your Stripe account and get professional invoices in under a minute.
Getting Started with Stripdo
Stripdo works alongside your existing tools. You can try it without changing anything about your current setup. The whole process takes less than a minute:
- Create your account at stripdo.com. No credit card required.
- Connect your Stripe account with a one-click OAuth connection. Stripdo reads your payment data to generate invoices and never modifies anything in Stripe.
- Customize your invoice template with your logo, business details, VAT numbers, and branding.
- Invoices are sent automatically. Every Stripe payment triggers a professional invoice delivered to your customer. No manual work required.
No data migration, no CSV imports. You can run Stripdo alongside Wave and see how it fits your workflow before making any changes.
Wave Alternative: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stripdo a good alternative to Wave?
Yes. Stripdo is purpose-built for businesses that use Stripe for payments. Unlike Wave, Stripdo generates invoices directly from your Stripe payments with no manual data entry and no sync issues. At $39/year, it's significantly cheaper than Wave while covering the core invoicing needs of Stripe users.
How much does Wave cost compared to Stripdo?
Wave costs 2.9% + $0.60 per card payment to $20/month + $6/employee. Stripdo costs a flat $39/year with no per-invoice fees, no client limits, and full Stripe integration. For most Stripe users, Stripdo is significantly more affordable.
Can I use Wave with Stripe?
Wave does not have a native Stripe integration. You'd need third-party connectors or manual data entry to match invoices with Stripe payments. Stripdo integrates directly with Stripe and generates invoices from your payments automatically.
What are the main differences between Wave and Stripdo?
Wave is a general-purpose accounting and invoicing tool. Stripdo is specifically built for Stripe users. It auto-generates invoices from your Stripe payments, costs $39/year flat, and requires no accounting knowledge. Wave offers more features like expense tracking and reporting, but Stripdo focuses on doing invoicing for Stripe payments exceptionally well.
How do I switch from Wave to Stripdo?
Switching takes under a minute. Sign up for Stripdo, connect your Stripe account, and Stripdo immediately starts generating invoices from your Stripe payments. There's no data migration needed. Stripdo works alongside Stripe, not as a replacement for your payment processor.
What is the best Wave alternative for Stripe users in 2026?
For businesses using Stripe for payment processing, Stripdo is the best alternative to Wave. It's purpose-built for Stripe, generates invoices automatically from your payments, costs $39/year flat, and takes less than a minute to set up. You keep Stripe for payments and use Stripdo for invoicing. The best of both worlds.
Wave is free. Why should I pay for Stripdo?
While Wave's free plan is great for basic invoicing, it comes with limits (Unlimited invoicing and accounting, free forever) and doesn't integrate with Stripe. Stripdo at $39/year gives you unlimited invoices auto-generated from your Stripe payments with no manual entry, no sync headaches, and no limits.
Other Invoicing Alternatives for Stripe Users
Looking at other options? We've also written detailed comparisons for these popular invoicing tools:
- Best alternative to Stripe Invoicing (Stripe's built-in invoicing tool that lets you create and send invoices directly from the Stripe Dashboard.)
- Best alternative to Xero (Cloud-based accounting software popular with small businesses and accountants.)
- Best alternative to QuickBooks (Intuit's popular accounting and invoicing software for small to mid-sized businesses.)
- Best alternative to FreshBooks (Cloud invoicing and accounting software designed for freelancers and small businesses.)
- Best alternative to Zoho Invoice (Free invoicing software from Zoho's business suite.)
- Best alternative to Zenvoice (A self-serve invoicing tool for Stripe built by indie maker Marc Lou.)
You might also find these tools useful: Stripe Fees Calculator to see exactly what Stripe charges in your country, and the Stripe Invoice Calculator to estimate your invoicing costs with Stripe.
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