Comparison

Wave vs Invoice Ninja

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Wave

Manage your small business finances on the go. Send professional invoices, track expenses with receipt scanning, and monitor your business insights. Get paid faster with integrated online payment options.

Highlights
  • Send customized invoices and estimates
  • Scan receipts with OCR for expense tracking
  • Monitor business insights on a dashboard
  • Accept online credit card and bank payments
  • Automate late payment reminders
  • Syncs with desktop account
Currently charting
Read full description

Wave’s mobile app is an integrated, on-the-go solution for small business owners, creators, freelancers, consultants, and contractors in the US and Canada and the perfect companion to your desktop experience. Send customized, professional invoices and estimates and keep track of your business expenses in one place! Add optional online credit card and bank payment processing to get paid even faster. Plus, subscribe to our Pro Plan to access even more bookkeeping and invoicing features. Our receipts feature is included for free in the Pro Plan or easy to add-on to the Starter Plan. You can capture unlimited receipts with optical character recognition to track your business expenses. Bookkeep better with the Pro Plan Want to look more polished, save more time, and conquer cash flow? With our Pro Plan, you get access to the following features: Capture unlimited receipts and track expenses at no additional cost Option to accept online payments* at a discounted rate Auto-import bank transactions** Auto-merge and categorize bank transactions Add additional users to your account Automate late payment reminders Access live-person chat and email support And more! You’re in good company Wave’s software has helped more than 300K North American small business owners manage their money, so you know we’ve got your back. Dashboard Easily monitor what’s going on in your business with Wave’s intuitive dashboard, which includes: At-a-glance business insights, like profit and loss statements Quick access to invoicing metrics, like amounts overdue and upcoming payments Access to accounting reports for understanding your business, filing taxes, and more Mobile invoicing Create and send professional, customized invoices with your logo Receive notifications when you've been paid Check invoice status (sent, viewed, overdue, paid) Record payments Send invoice reminders and payment receipts Get paid even faster with Wave’s online payments feature to accept credit cards and bank payments Synchronize instantly with your Wave account on desktop Estimates Instantly create and send estimates and land that dream customer quicker Convert an estimate into an invoice in seconds Customize estimates with your brand colors and logo Access your estimates from anywhere, anytime Designed to get you paid faster Wave invoice templates and email messages are designed to help you get paid faster Sending professional easy-to-read invoices inspires confidence from your clients, encouraging prompt payment and repeat business Receipt scanning Organize and manage your receipts in one place with Wave’s subscription-based mobile receipts feature Don’t waste time manually managing your expenses—let our app capture receipt details in seconds using OCR technology Get peace of mind and breeze through tax season with updated books and reports, synced with our accounting feature Upload receipts from your desktop or via email Manage and categorize transactions on-the-go or on desktop—everything stays synced! Accept online payments in seconds Wave’s invoicing software works seamlessly to accept online payments via direct integration with our online payments feature: Getting started is as easy as a few clicks*. You’ll be able to select the invoices where you want to accept all major credit cards (Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, Discover®) for a competitive, per transaction fee. Most Wave invoices paid by credit card and bank payment get paid in 2 days or less! Create your Wave account right in the Wave mobile app, or visit waveapps.com. *Approval is subject to eligibility criteria, including identity verification and credit review. **Not all financial institutions are supported. Learn more here: https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005541303-Understanding-bank-connections Privacy: https://www.waveapps.com/legal/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.waveapps.com/legal/terms-of-use Terms of Service: https://www.waveapps.com/legal/legal-disclosures

About

Invoice Ninja

This app helps businesses manage their finances by creating and sending invoices, tracking payments, and managing clients and projects. It offers features like time tracking, expense management, and payment processing to streamline business operations and get paid faster.

Highlights
  • Invoice creation and sending
  • Payment tracking and processing
  • Client management
  • Project and task management
  • Time tracking
  • Expense tracking
  • Automated notifications
Features
Read full description

200,000+ businesses trust Invoice Ninja. And it's 100% free! Create invoices, track payments, vendors, expenses, and time billable-tasks & projects: • Invoicing, Quotes, Credits, Payments • Product Library, Client Management • Project & Task Management, Time-Tracking • Full Persistence, 2FA, Google Login Pro & Enterprise plan highlights + Unlimited Clients, Invoices, Quotes + Email invoices & quotes via your Gmail account. + Attach & embed 3rd party files to client invoices & emails Intuitive business dashboard + View revenue, invoices sent, recent activity data. + Track upcoming invoices, invoices past due, more. Invoice clients in seconds + Create clients and send an invoices in seconds. + Create subscriptions, recurring invoices, payment profiles. + Product library system to quickly populate invoices & quotes. Clients pay faster + Accept credit cards, ACH payments, PayPal, & more. + Clients pay directly from their invoice with the click of a button. Notifications keep you up-to-date + Receive app and email notifications when client view or paid. + View instant data updates when payments are made. + Automate payment reminders & past due notifications. Time-tracking, Tasks, Kanban Boards + The feel of desktop software but with the power of a web-based app. + Create projects, time billable-tasks, monitor progress in kanban boards. Integration Platforms + Streamline workflow with Zapier, Integromat, & more. + Self-host integrations with Digital Ocean, Cloudron, Softaculous & more. Download the Invoice Ninja app today and start invoicing clients & get paid! Self-hosting? Invoice Ninja is 100% source-available! + GitHub: https://github.com/invoiceninja/admin-portal

Screenshots

Wave4 screens
Invoice Ninja4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Invoice Ninja at 78% against Wave's 29%. Invoice Ninja also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.4) and device support (4 vs 1). Wave's advantage is ratings volume (6.7K vs 177) and chart position (#67 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Wave sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $8.00 per month and Invoice Ninja sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Invoice Ninja holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wave has 6.7K ratings behind it against 177, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Wave's written reviews are positive against 78% of Invoice Ninja's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wave ships an update every 3 weeks, Invoice Ninja every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Wave versus Invoice Ninja: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWaveInvoice Ninja
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (6.7K ratings)4.6 (177 ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.9% of reviews77.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.7K — better177
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#67 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.413.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB67 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperWave Financial IncInvoice Ninja LLC

Customer experience

Wave

All ratings6,652 ratings
Positive84.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews380 reviews
Positive28.9%
Neutral9.7%
Negative61.3%

Invoice Ninja

All ratings177 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral2.8%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews98 reviews
Positive77.6%
Neutral7.1%
Negative15.3%

User reviews

Wave

From 6.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Professional invoicing
  • 🚀 Great for small businesses
  • 👍 Convenient mobile app
  • 🚀 Seamless integration between devices

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app with crashes
  • 🔒 Poor customer service and support
  • 💰 Expensive payment processing fees
  • 🔒 Unreliable payouts and fund holds
  • 🐛 Missing key features in mobile app

Invoice Ninja

From 177 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
  • 💰 Affordable pricing with free tier available
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive performance
  • 🔒 Open-source with self-hosting capability
  • 📱 Multi-platform support (web, mobile, desktop)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🔍 Poor navigation and search functionality
  • 📱 Mobile app not fully optimized for tablets/iPad
  • ⚠️ Inconsistency between web and mobile versions
  • 🔐 Data privacy concerns reported

Bugs and requests

Wave

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes when trying to edit invoices
  • Inability to view past transactions in mobile app
  • Inconsistent behavior when connecting bank accounts
  • Incorrect tax calculations and reporting issues
  • Delayed or missing payments from customers

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve mobile app functionality
  • Integrate with more third-party services
  • Provide better customer support channels
  • Add more customization options for invoices

Invoice Ninja

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes when attempting Google login
  • Google authentication not working properly
  • Widgets not functioning correctly
  • App freezes during data input
  • CIS deduction not calculating correctly from net amount
Show 5 more
  • PDF download not working on iOS devices
  • Mobile app widgets malfunction
  • Back gesture not supported on iOS
  • Inconsistent syncing between web and mobile versions
  • Upgrade purchases not reflecting in app

Requested features

12 requests
  • Unit of measurement column for line items
  • Payroll system integration
  • Day rate support for freelancers (not just hourly)
  • Ticketing system
  • Better iPad/tablet optimization
Show 7 more
  • Custom PDF export filenames
  • Improved template editing and customization
  • Spell check integration for iOS
  • Test API keys for payment processors
  • Better Google login support
  • Activity notes field for time tracking
  • Australia GST/BAS support

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Wave

Subscriptions4
  • Mobile receipts - Monthly$8.001 Month
  • Pro Plan - Monthly$19.001 Month
  • Mobile receipts - Annual$72.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro Plan - Annual$190.001 Year
10 purchases

Invoice Ninja

Subscriptions10
  • Pro - Month$13.991 Month
  • Enterprise - Month (1-2)$17.991 Month
  • Enterprise - Month (3-5)$31.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Enterprise - Month (6-10)$59.991 Month
  • Enterprise - Month (11-20)$84.001 Month
  • Pro - Year$139.991 Year
  • Enterprise - Year (1-2)$179.991 Year
  • Enterprise - Year (3-5)$319.991 Year
  • Enterprise - Year (6-10)$539.991 Year
  • Enterprise - Year (11-20)$839.991 Year

Questions

Is Wave free?
Wave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Invoice Ninja free?
Invoice Ninja is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Wave or Invoice Ninja?
Invoice Ninja is rated higher. Wave averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6.7K ratings, while Invoice Ninja averages 4.6 from 177 ratings.
Do Wave or Invoice Ninja have ads?
Neither Wave nor Invoice Ninja shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wave or Invoice Ninja?
Wave ships an update every 3 weeks, and Invoice Ninja every 2 weeks. Most recently, Wave was updated on October 24, 2026 and Invoice Ninja on October 24, 2026.

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