# Wave vs MakerHQ

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MakerHQ at none against Wave's 4. MakerHQ also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). Wave's advantage is chart position (#58 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Wave sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $8.00 per month. MakerHQ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Wave ships an update every 3 weeks, MakerHQ every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Wave | MakerHQ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (6.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-small-business-software/id881629660/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6.7K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 28.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#58** | — |
| Size | 128 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Wave Financial Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/574934359) | [MOPEN LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534159080) |

## What reviewers say

### Wave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-small-business-software/id881629660)

**Currently charting:** #58 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mobile receipts - Monthly | $8.00 | per month |
| Pro Plan - Monthly | $19.00 | per month |
| Mobile receipts - Annual | $72.00 | per year |
| Pro Plan - Annual | $190.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### MakerHQ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/makerhq/id6801573515)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Wave free?

Wave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MakerHQ free?

MakerHQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Wave or MakerHQ have ads?

Neither Wave nor MakerHQ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Wave or MakerHQ?

Wave ships an update every 3 weeks, and MakerHQ every 6 days. Most recently, Wave was updated on October 20, 2026 and MakerHQ on October 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*