Wave Advisors review

What Wave Advisors is

Wave makes simple accounting and invoicing software for small businesses. Wave Advisors is its paid service tier, where a real bookkeeper does the work in Wave for you Wave pricing ↗.

You get a dedicated bookkeeper, monthly financial statements prepared for you, expert support for bookkeeping questions, and clean, organized books and reports for tax time Wave pricing ↗. Wave also handles onboarding if you are switching from other software such as FreshBooks, and offers optional one on one accounting coaching packages Wave pricing ↗.

The service sits on top of Wave Pro, so you also get Pro's software features, except mobile receipts, which Wave lists as not included Wave pricing ↗.

This is not an AI tool. We include it because many owners comparing AI bookkeeping software really want the work off their plate. Hands on testing is in progress, and we will update this review with our results.

What it does well

A person does the books. Instead of reviewing AI suggestions yourself, a dedicated bookkeeper categorizes and reconciles, then hands you monthly statements Wave pricing ↗. For owners who never open their accounting software, that is the real benefit.

You still get good software. The Pro features include automatic import of bank transactions where your bank supports Plaid, automatic merging and categorization, automated late payment reminders, invoice branding, attachments, reusable message templates and multiple users Wave pricing ↗.

Tax time is easier. Wave promises clean, organized books and reports ready for tax season Wave pricing ↗, which can cut your accountant's bill.

Switching is handled. Wave offers onboarding from other software Wave pricing ↗, so you do not have to move years of records yourself.

Wave's core is free. If you outgrow the service or want to cut costs, you can drop back to Pro at $19 a month or the free Starter plan and keep working in the same software Wave pricing ↗.

Where it falls short

It costs much more than software alone. Wave Advisors starts at $149 a month, with a $199 tier also listed, against $19 a month for Pro Wave pricing ↗. That is $1,788 or more a year.

Pricing tiers are not clearly explained. The pricing page lists $149 and $199 but does not say what separates them Wave pricing ↗. Ask before you sign up.

Mobile receipts are not included, even though the service includes other Pro features Wave pricing ↗. Wave sells unlimited receipt capture as a separate add on Wave pricing ↗.

Wave's pricing page does not describe AI features beyond auto categorization and receipt capture Wave pricing ↗. If you want AI that does most of the bookkeeping at a lower price, AI first tools like Digits are worth comparing.

Bookkeeping services can disappear. Bench, a popular bookkeeping service, shut down without warning on December 27, 2024 before Employer.com bought it Accounting Today on Bench ↗. Keep your own copies of statements and reports, whichever service you choose.

Pricing and plans

Wave Advisors: starting at $149 a month and $199 a month, depending on tier Wave pricing ↗. Includes a dedicated bookkeeper, monthly statements, expert support, tax time reports, onboarding from other software and Pro features except mobile receipts Wave pricing ↗. One on one accounting coaching is an optional package Wave pricing ↗.

Wave Pro (software only): $19 a month, or $190 a year billed annually, per business Wave pricing ↗.

Wave Starter: free, with unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and bookkeeping records, but no bank import or auto categorization Wave pricing ↗.

Add ons: payroll from $25 or $40 a month, and unlimited receipt capture from $8 a month on Pro Wave pricing ↗.

Payment processing: on Pro, 2.9 percent plus $0 per card transaction for the first 10 each month, then 2.9 percent plus $0.60, or 3.4 percent plus $0.60 for Amex Wave pricing ↗. We did not find a trial for the Advisors service.

Who should (and shouldn't) use it

• Good fit: owners who want someone else to do the books every month and already use or like Wave.
• Good fit: service businesses with simple books that want clean statements for tax time.
• Skip it if: you are happy to review categorized transactions yourself; Wave Pro or an AI tool costs far less.
• Skip it if: you need inventory, complex payroll or multi entity accounting.

Alternatives worth a look

• QuickBooks Online: our top pick, with AI help inside the software most accountants use, from $38 a month QuickBooks pricing ↗.
• Digits: AI that does much of the bookkeeping itself, from $65 a month Digits pricing ↗.
• Zoho Books: real accounting with bank feeds and an AI assistant from $15 a month billed yearly, free under $50,000 in revenue Zoho Books pricing ↗.
• Xero: automatic bank reconciliation and payment follow ups from $27 a month Xero pricing ↗.