Akaunting vs Wave — Which One Wins?
Pick Akaunting if: Tech-savvy small businesses that want free, self-hosted accounting with full control over their financial data
Pick Wave if: Solopreneurs and tiny businesses that want genuinely free accounting without the ‘free trial’ bait-and-switch
Our take: Akaunting for simplicity, Wave for power users.
| Akaunting | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free and open source (self-hosted) | Cloud hosting $9/mo | Free accounting and invoicing | Payroll $20/mo + $6/person |
| Features | Open source accounting, Multi-company support, Invoicing and billing, Banking and reconciliation, App marketplace for extensions | Free invoicing and accounting, Receipt scanning, Financial reports, Bank connections, Payroll services (paid add-on) |
| Best for | Tech-savvy small businesses that want free, self-hosted accounting with full control over their financial data | Solopreneurs and tiny businesses that want genuinely free accounting without the ‘free trial’ bait-and-switch |
| Learning Curve | Hard | Easy |
The Real Difference
Both offer free tiers, so the real question is what you get when you start paying.
Akaunting stands out with Open source accounting and Multi-company support. Wave counters with Free invoicing and accounting and Receipt scanning.
Akaunting's Achilles heel: self-hosting requires technical skills — and the free core is limited without buying premium app extensions. Wave's: no inventory tracking, no project costing, no time tracking — you get what you pay for (nothing). Pick whichever weakness you can live with.
Bottom Line
If you value open source accounting and tech-savvy small businesses that, go with Akaunting. If solopreneurs and tiny businesses matters more, Wave is your pick. Neither is a bad choice — but one will fit your workflow better.