{"id":1491,"date":"2026-06-06T02:49:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T02:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/easy-invoice-vs-wave\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T02:49:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T02:49:13","slug":"easy-invoice-vs-wave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/easy-invoice-vs-wave\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy Invoice vs Wave (2026): Honest Comparison + Hidden Cost Verdict"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You&#8217;re comparing <strong>Easy Invoice and Wave<\/strong> for your invoicing in 2026 \u2014 and on the surface they look almost identical. Both have legitimate free tiers. Both let you send unlimited invoices. Both have decent PDF generation. Neither charges a monthly subscription to get started. So which one actually wins?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The short answer hinges on two non-obvious factors: <strong>payment processing fees and data ownership<\/strong>. Wave charges <strong>2.9% + $0.60<\/strong> per credit card transaction (their own gateway, not negotiable). Easy Invoice lets you bring your own Stripe or PayPal account at <strong>2.9% + $0.30<\/strong> \u2014 saving $0.30 per transaction, or $30 per 100 invoices, or $1,800 over the life of a 50-invoice\/month freelance business. Plus Easy Invoice&#8217;s data lives in your own WordPress database forever, while Wave holds your data in their cloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This guide is the honest head-to-head: what&#8217;s actually different between two &#8220;free&#8221; invoicing tools, hidden costs you won&#8217;t see until invoice 50, and who wins for which use case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Easy Invoice vs Wave: 30-second verdict<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th>Criteria<\/th><th>Easy Invoice (winner overall)<\/th><th>Wave<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Pricing model<\/strong><\/td><td>Free forever + optional Pro $79\/yr or $199 lifetime<\/td><td>Free Starter + Pro $16\/mo annual<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Free-tier invoice limit<\/strong><\/td><td>Unlimited, no client cap<\/td><td>Unlimited, no client cap<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Payment processing fee<\/strong><\/td><td>Gateway&#8217;s fee only (Stripe\/PayPal 2.9% + $0.30)<\/td><td>2.9% + <strong>$0.60<\/strong> per card (higher) \/ 1% ACH<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Bring your own gateway<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2705 Stripe, PayPal, Square, Razorpay + 5 more<\/td><td>\u274c Wave Payments only<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Number of payment gateways<\/strong><\/td><td>9 (Pro tier)<\/td><td>1 (Wave Payments)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>International gateway coverage<\/strong><\/td><td>EU (Mollie), Africa (Paystack), India (Razorpay), Canada (Moneris)<\/td><td>US, Canada only<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Recurring billing<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2705 Pro Personal tier<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro tier ($16\/mo)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Bookkeeping included<\/strong><\/td><td>\u274c Use separate tool<\/td><td>\u2705 Built-in basic bookkeeping<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Mobile app<\/strong><\/td><td>\u26a0\ufe0f WordPress admin via mobile browser<\/td><td>\u2705 Native iOS \/ Android<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Data ownership<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2705 Your WordPress database (forever)<\/td><td>\u274c Wave&#8217;s cloud<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>White-label option<\/strong><\/td><td>\u2705 Agency $399 lifetime unlimited sites<\/td><td>\u274c Not available<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>5-year cost (single user, Pro)<\/strong><\/td><td>$199 (lifetime)<\/td><td>$850 (Pro annual)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Best for<\/strong><\/td><td>WordPress users + international billing + long-horizon businesses<\/td><td>US\/Canada sole proprietors wanting bookkeeping bundled<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The hidden cost most Wave reviews don&#8217;t tell you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wave&#8217;s marketing leans hard on &#8220;free forever.&#8221; The Starter plan genuinely is free \u2014 unlimited invoices, no caps, no trial. But Wave makes its money on <strong>payment processing<\/strong>, and their fees are <strong>30 cents higher per transaction<\/strong> than Stripe or PayPal directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why does $0.30 matter? Because it compounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Scenario<\/th><th>Easy Invoice (Stripe\/PayPal direct)<\/th><th>Wave Payments<\/th><th>Hidden cost on Wave<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1 invoice\/week (52\/yr)<\/td><td>2.9% + $0.30 \u00d7 52 = $15.60 fees<\/td><td>2.9% + $0.60 \u00d7 52 = $31.20 fees<\/td><td><strong>+$15.60\/yr<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10 invoices\/month (120\/yr)<\/td><td>2.9% + $0.30 \u00d7 120 = $36 fees<\/td><td>2.9% + $0.60 \u00d7 120 = $72 fees<\/td><td><strong>+$36\/yr<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>50 invoices\/month (600\/yr)<\/td><td>2.9% + $0.30 \u00d7 600 = $180 fees<\/td><td>2.9% + $0.60 \u00d7 600 = $360 fees<\/td><td><strong>+$180\/yr = $900 over 5 years<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>100 invoices\/month (1,200\/yr)<\/td><td>2.9% + $0.30 \u00d7 1,200 = $360 fees<\/td><td>2.9% + $0.60 \u00d7 1,200 = $720 fees<\/td><td><strong>+$360\/yr = $1,800 over 5 years<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Per-transaction fee delta (excluding the 2.9% percentage which is identical). Wave&#8217;s $0.30 premium is invisible in their pricing page but very visible in your bank account.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a 50-invoice\/month freelance business over 5 years, that hidden Wave fee surcharge is <strong>$900<\/strong>. For a 100-invoice\/month agency, it&#8217;s <strong>$1,800<\/strong>. Plus Easy Invoice&#8217;s $199 lifetime license. Plus the structural benefit of bringing your own gateway (negotiate Stripe rates if you scale, swap to Razorpay if you bill India, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 5-year cost comparison<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Plan<\/th><th>Year 1<\/th><th>Year 3<\/th><th>Year 5<\/th><th>5-year total<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Easy Invoice Free (WP.org)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$0<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$0<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$0<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$0<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Easy Invoice Personal Lifetime (1 site)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$199<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$199<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$199<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$199<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Easy Invoice Agency Lifetime (unlimited)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$399<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$399<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$399<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>$399<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Easy Invoice Personal yearly<\/td><td>$79<\/td><td>$237<\/td><td>$395<\/td><td>$395<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Wave Free + Wave Payments fee surcharge (50 invoices\/mo)<\/td><td>$180<\/td><td>$540<\/td><td>$900<\/td><td>$900<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Wave Pro (annual) + Wave Payments fee surcharge (50 inv\/mo)<\/td><td>$352<\/td><td>$1,056<\/td><td>$1,760<\/td><td>$1,760<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wave&#8217;s &#8220;free&#8221; plan isn&#8217;t free once you process payments. At 50 invoices\/month, the per-transaction fee surcharge alone exceeds Easy Invoice&#8217;s lifetime license inside Year 1. Easy Invoice Lifetime ($199) recovers itself before Wave&#8217;s hidden fees pass $200.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Feature-by-feature comparison<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Free tier capability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Feature<\/th><th>Easy Invoice Free<\/th><th>Wave Starter<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Unlimited invoices<\/td><td>\u2705<\/td><td>\u2705<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Unlimited clients<\/td><td>\u2705<\/td><td>\u2705<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quote\/estimate \u2192 invoice conversion<\/td><td>\u2705<\/td><td>\u2705<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Custom branding (logo, colors)<\/td><td>\u2705 + 10 templates<\/td><td>\u2705 (basic)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Multi-currency (150+ currencies)<\/td><td>\u2705<\/td><td>\u26a0\ufe0f Limited (Wave-supported currencies only)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Multi-tax lines per invoice<\/td><td>\u26a0\ufe0f Single tax (Pro for multi)<\/td><td>\u2705<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Recurring billing<\/td><td>\u274c (Pro required)<\/td><td>\u274c (Pro required)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Payment gateway in free tier<\/td><td>\u2705 PayPal (you bring the account)<\/td><td>\u2705 Wave Payments (Wave is the processor)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Basic bookkeeping<\/td><td>\u274c (use separate tool)<\/td><td>\u2705<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Receipt scanning<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><td>\u274c Free \/ \u2705 Pro<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Payment processing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the most consequential difference. Wave Payments is the only way to collect online payments through Wave \u2014 you can&#8217;t bring your own Stripe account or hook in a regional gateway. Easy Invoice is the opposite: you bring whatever gateway makes sense for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Gateway<\/th><th>Easy Invoice<\/th><th>Wave<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Stripe (bring your own account)<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>PayPal (your own account)<\/td><td>\u2705 Free<\/td><td>\u274c (only via Wave Payments routing)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Square<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Authorize.Net<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mollie (Europe: iDEAL, SEPA, Bancontact)<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Paystack (Africa: NGN, KES, ZAR, GHS)<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Razorpay (India: UPI, netbanking)<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Moneris (Canada)<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro<\/td><td>\u26a0\ufe0f Wave Payments processes Canada<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bank Transfer \/ Wire<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro<\/td><td>\u274c (manual only)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>ACH (US)<\/td><td>Via Stripe<\/td><td>\u2705 1% via Wave Payments<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Wave&#8217;s structural limit:<\/strong> if you bill clients in EUR, INR, NGN, ZAR or any non-US\/CAD currency at scale, Wave Payments either rejects the transaction or routes it inefficiently. Easy Invoice&#8217;s regional gateways (Mollie\/Paystack\/Razorpay) accept native payments at native fees \u2014 critical for international freelancers and agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bookkeeping (where Wave wins)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wave bundles free bookkeeping with invoicing \u2014 chart of accounts, double-entry ledger, P&amp;L, balance sheet. Easy Invoice doesn&#8217;t. If you&#8217;re a US\/Canada sole proprietor who needs free invoicing + free bookkeeping + free reports under one roof, Wave is the path of least resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Easy Invoice users who want bookkeeping, the standard answer is <strong>Easy Invoice Pro Agency tier ($239\/yr or $399 lifetime)<\/strong> with the two-way QuickBooks Online \/ Xero \/ FreshBooks accounting sync addon \u2014 pipe every Easy Invoice transaction into your real accounting platform. More flexible than Wave&#8217;s all-in-one, but it&#8217;s a separate paid sync.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recurring billing &amp; automation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Feature<\/th><th>Easy Invoice<\/th><th>Wave<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Recurring billing<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro Personal ($79\/yr or $199 lifetime)<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro ($16\/mo = $192\/yr)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Partial payments \/ deposits<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro Personal<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Smart Reminders (multi-step automated chase)<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro Professional ($159\/yr) \u2014 recovers 30%+ overdue<\/td><td>\u26a0\ufe0f Basic late-payment reminders only<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Late fees (automated)<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro Professional<\/td><td>\u26a0\ufe0f Manual only<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Client portal<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro Personal<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time tracking, expenses, projects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Feature<\/th><th>Easy Invoice<\/th><th>Wave<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Time tracking (start\/stop timer)<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro Professional<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Expense tracking + receipts<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro Professional<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro (receipt scanning)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Project management<\/td><td>\u26a0\ufe0f Pair with WP project plugin<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Team collaboration<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro Agency (Team Roles + Audit Log)<\/td><td>\u2705 Pro multi-user<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Integrations &amp; extensibility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Integration<\/th><th>Easy Invoice<\/th><th>Wave<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>QuickBooks Online sync<\/td><td>\u2705 Two-way (Agency tier)<\/td><td>\u274c (Wave is the accounting tool, not synced)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Xero sync<\/td><td>\u2705 Two-way (Agency tier)<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Zapier<\/td><td>\u2705 Webhooks (Agency)<\/td><td>\u26a0\ufe0f Limited (Wave has dropped some Zapier triggers)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>WordPress \/ WooCommerce native<\/td><td>\u2705 It IS WordPress<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>White-label (rebrand)<\/td><td>\u2705 Agency $399 lifetime<\/td><td>\u274c<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Open source \/ code-level extension<\/td><td>\u2705 GPLv2 plugin you can fork<\/td><td>\u274c Proprietary SaaS<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pricing breakdown: Easy Invoice vs Wave (2026)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wave pricing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Starter:<\/strong> <strong>Free<\/strong> \u2014 unlimited invoices + estimates + basic bookkeeping + 1 user<\/li><li><strong>Pro:<\/strong> $16\/mo annual ($170\/yr) or $19\/mo monthly \u2014 bank transaction imports, receipt scanning, multi-user<\/li><li><strong>Payment processing:<\/strong> 2.9% + $0.60 per credit card (US); 1% for ACH transfers; 2.9% in Canada via Wave Payments<\/li><li><strong>Payroll:<\/strong> $40\/mo + $6\/user (US only)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apparent annual cost: $0 (Starter) or $170 (Pro). <strong>Real annual cost including payment fees<\/strong> at 50 invoices\/month: $360 (free + Wave Payments) or $530 (Pro + Wave Payments) \u2014 because the hidden $0.30\/transaction surcharge accumulates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Easy Invoice pricing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Free tier (WordPress.org):<\/strong> unlimited invoices &amp; quotes, automatic PDF generation, PayPal gateway, client management, 10 professional templates, multi-tax, 150+ currencies. v2.3.2 with 500+ active installs, tested up to WordPress 7.0. <strong>Forever free.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Personal:<\/strong> $99 \u2192 <strong>$79\/yr (sale)<\/strong> or <strong>$199 lifetime<\/strong> \u2014 9 payment gateways + 12 Personal-tier addons (recurring, partial payments, client portal, PDF toolkit, etc.)<\/li><li><strong>Professional:<\/strong> $199 \u2192 <strong>$159\/yr (sale)<\/strong> \u2014 5 sites \u2014 adds Time Tracking, Expense Tracking, Smart Reminders<\/li><li><strong>Agency:<\/strong> $299 \u2192 <strong>$239\/yr (sale)<\/strong> or <strong>$399 lifetime unlimited sites<\/strong> \u2014 adds White-Label, Team Roles, Webhooks, two-way accounting sync<\/li><li><strong>Payment processing:<\/strong> Whatever your chosen gateway charges \u2014 Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30, PayPal at 2.9% + $0.30, regional gateways at their native rates<\/li><li><strong>14-day money-back guarantee<\/strong> on every paid tier<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to pick Easy Invoice over Wave<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u2705 <strong>You already run a WordPress site<\/strong> (or are willing to spin one up for $5\/month hosting)<\/li><li>\u2705 <strong>You process 50+ payments\/month<\/strong> \u2014 Wave&#8217;s $0.30\/transaction surcharge accumulates fast vs Stripe\/PayPal direct rates<\/li><li>\u2705 <strong>You bill internationally<\/strong> \u2014 Mollie (EU), Paystack (Africa), Razorpay (India), Moneris (Canada) all natively supported<\/li><li>\u2705 <strong>You want data ownership<\/strong> \u2014 invoices\/payments\/clients in your own WordPress database forever, immune to Wave&#8217;s pricing changes or shutdown<\/li><li>\u2705 <strong>You&#8217;re planning to be in business 2+ years<\/strong> \u2014 the $199 lifetime license breaks even vs Wave Pro inside Year 2<\/li><li>\u2705 <strong>You sell via WooCommerce<\/strong> \u2014 native auto-PDF on every order, no Wave alternative<\/li><li>\u2705 <strong>You want white-label invoicing<\/strong> for clients \u2014 Wave doesn&#8217;t offer this at any price<\/li><li>\u2705 <strong>You want time tracking + project billing<\/strong> \u2014 Wave doesn&#8217;t have native time tracking<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to pick Wave over Easy Invoice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>You don&#8217;t run WordPress and refuse to start<\/strong> \u2014 Wave is the polished cloud free alternative<\/li><li>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>You&#8217;re a US\/Canada sole proprietor<\/strong> who wants free invoicing + free bookkeeping in one tool, and you bill fewer than 25 invoices\/month so the $0.30\/transaction surcharge doesn&#8217;t compound dramatically<\/li><li>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>You need basic bookkeeping included<\/strong> \u2014 chart of accounts, P&amp;L, balance sheet \u2014 without paying for QuickBooks or Xero on the side<\/li><li>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>You invoice primarily from a phone<\/strong> \u2014 Wave has polished native iOS\/Android apps<\/li><li>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>You want zero setup friction<\/strong> \u2014 Wave is 5-minute signup vs Easy Invoice&#8217;s 10\u201330 minutes (depending on whether you need to install WordPress first)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Switching from Wave to Easy Invoice (migration guide)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Export from Wave:<\/strong> Wave admin \u2192 Settings \u2192 Data Export. Download CSV files for customers, invoices, payments, products\/services. Wave also lets you export your accounting data (chart of accounts, ledger) \u2014 useful if you&#8217;ll move bookkeeping to QuickBooks or Xero.<\/li><li><strong>Install Easy Invoice:<\/strong> WordPress admin \u2192 Plugins \u2192 Add New \u2192 search &#8220;Easy Invoice&#8221; by MatrixAddons \u2192 Install \u2192 Activate.<\/li><li><strong>Import via CSV:<\/strong> Easy Invoice \u2192 Tools \u2192 Import. Map Wave&#8217;s CSV columns to Easy Invoice fields. Run import and verify a sample of 5\u201310 invoices for accuracy.<\/li><li><strong>Set up your gateway:<\/strong> Connect Stripe (if you have an account) or PayPal Business in Easy Invoice \u2192 Settings \u2192 Payments. Test with a $1 transaction.<\/li><li><strong>For bookkeeping:<\/strong> if you used Wave&#8217;s accounting features, install QuickBooks Self-Employed ($15\/mo) or upgrade to Easy Invoice Agency tier ($399 lifetime) for two-way QuickBooks\/Xero sync.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Budget a Saturday for 100+ historical invoices including verification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is Wave really free?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wave&#8217;s Starter plan is genuinely free \u2014 unlimited invoices, no time limit, no credit card required. But Wave makes money on payment processing fees that are <strong>$0.30 higher per transaction than Stripe or PayPal direct<\/strong> (2.9% + $0.60 vs 2.9% + $0.30). For low-volume invoicing (under 20 invoices\/month), Wave is effectively free. For higher-volume billing, the per-transaction premium can quietly add up to $500\u2013$1,800 over 5 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is Easy Invoice really free?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. The version on <strong>WordPress.org<\/strong> is fully functional with no client cap, no trial, no upsell footer: unlimited invoices &amp; quotes, automatic PDF generation, PayPal payment gateway (bring your own account), client database, 10 professional templates, multi-tax compliance, 150+ currencies. v2.3.2 with 500+ active installs, tested up to WordPress 7.0. Pro tiers are optional \u2014 needed only for Stripe + 7 more gateways, recurring billing, client portal, time tracking, or accounting sync.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wave vs Easy Invoice: which is cheaper over 5 years?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Easy Invoice by a wide margin once you include payment processing fees. For a 50-invoice\/month business: Wave Free + Wave Payments fees = $900 over 5 years. Easy Invoice Free + bring-your-own Stripe = $0 over 5 years. Easy Invoice Personal Lifetime + Stripe = $199 over 5 years. Both Easy Invoice options beat Wave on real total cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I use Stripe with Wave?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No \u2014 Wave only supports Wave Payments as its native gateway. You can&#8217;t bring your own Stripe account into Wave for card processing. This is a structural limitation: Wave&#8217;s free pricing model depends on processing payments through their gateway. Easy Invoice is the opposite \u2014 bring whatever gateway makes sense, including Stripe at standard 2.9% + $0.30 rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does Wave work outside the US and Canada?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Limited support. Wave Payments accepts US and Canadian credit cards natively. International customers paying via Wave Payments often face high fees, currency conversion losses, or rejected transactions. For non-US\/CA freelancers and agencies, Easy Invoice&#8217;s regional gateways (Mollie for Europe, Paystack for Africa, Razorpay for India) accept native payments at native fees \u2014 a meaningful structural advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does Wave include bookkeeping?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes \u2014 Wave bundles free basic bookkeeping (chart of accounts, double-entry ledger, P&amp;L, balance sheet) with the free Starter plan. Easy Invoice doesn&#8217;t include bookkeeping; pair it with QuickBooks, Xero, or FreshBooks (Agency tier syncs two-way) for full accounting. For US\/Canada sole proprietors who want everything in one tool, Wave&#8217;s bundled approach is simpler. For everyone else \u2014 international businesses, agencies that already use QuickBooks\/Xero, anyone with non-Wave gateway preference \u2014 Easy Invoice&#8217;s modular approach is more flexible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I migrate from Wave to Easy Invoice?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Export Wave&#8217;s data as CSV (Settings \u2192 Data Export), install Easy Invoice on your WordPress site, and import via the Tools \u2192 Import flow. Budget a Saturday for 100+ historical invoices. The Agency tier&#8217;s accounting-sync addon ($399 lifetime) lets you pipe Wave&#8217;s bookkeeping data into QuickBooks Online or Xero if you want to leave Wave entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is my data safer in Easy Invoice or Wave?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Easy Invoice gives structural data ownership \u2014 invoices, payments, clients live in your own WordPress database forever. Wave holds your data in their cloud. Wave was acquired by H&amp;R Block in 2019 and has changed pricing several times since; if they pivot, shut down, or move bookkeeping into a paid tier (they already did this for Pro features), your data is at their discretion. For long-horizon businesses, self-hosted is structurally safer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which is easier to use day-to-day?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wave edges out on UI polish and native iOS\/Android mobile apps. Easy Invoice runs in WordPress admin \u2014 more familiar if you already publish a blog or run WooCommerce, less familiar otherwise. For invoicing primarily from a phone, Wave wins. For invoicing alongside other WordPress workflows, Easy Invoice wins on context switching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final verdict: Easy Invoice vs Wave in 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two free tools, two different long-term cost structures. Wave&#8217;s &#8220;free forever&#8221; gets meaningful only at low invoice volume (under 20\/month) and within US\/Canada billing. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/matrixaddons.com\/plugins\/easy-invoice\/?utm_source=mantrabrain&#038;utm_medium=blog&#038;utm_campaign=easy-invoice-vs-wave\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Easy Invoice<\/a><\/strong>&#8216;s free tier + bring-your-own gateway is meaningfully free at every volume, in every region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The one case for Wave: you&#8217;re a US\/Canada sole proprietor with low invoice volume who wants invoicing + bookkeeping + payment receipts in one bundle and doesn&#8217;t run WordPress. Wave is the cleanest path for that profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For everyone else \u2014 international billers, higher-volume businesses, anyone who wants to bring their own Stripe\/PayPal\/regional gateway, agencies reselling invoicing under white-label, course creators using WooCommerce, freelancers planning to be in business 2+ years \u2014 Easy Invoice is structurally cheaper, more flexible, and never charges hidden per-transaction premiums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Install Easy Invoice free from WordPress.org this afternoon and connect your existing Stripe or PayPal account. If you process 50+ invoices\/month, the savings vs Wave Payments alone will exceed Easy Invoice&#8217;s $199 lifetime upgrade inside year 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe0a7de2 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/easy-invoice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download Easy Invoice Free<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-outline is-style-outline--1\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/matrixaddons.com\/plugins\/easy-invoice\/?utm_source=mantrabrain&#038;utm_medium=blog&#038;utm_campaign=easy-invoice-vs-wave#pricing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See Easy Invoice Pro Pricing<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-outline is-style-outline--2\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/try.matrixaddons.com\/try-easy-invoice-pro\/?utm_source=mantrabrain&#038;utm_medium=blog&#038;utm_campaign=easy-invoice-vs-wave\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Try Pro Sandbox<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/best-invoice-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Best invoice software 2026: 10 tools ranked by 5-year cost<\/a> \u2014 full comparison including FreshBooks, Zoho Invoice, QuickBooks, Xero<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/easy-invoice-vs-freshbooks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Easy Invoice vs FreshBooks (2026)<\/a> \u2014 head-to-head vs the polished SaaS leader<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/best-invoicing-plugin-for-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Best WordPress invoicing plugins 2026<\/a> \u2014 deep WP-plugin comparison<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/best-wordpress-hosting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Best WordPress hosting services 2026<\/a> \u2014 if you&#8217;re spinning up WordPress to run Easy Invoice<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"Article\",\n  \"headline\": \"Easy Invoice vs Wave (2026): Honest Comparison + Hidden Cost Verdict\",\n  \"description\": \"Easy Invoice vs Wave compared head-to-head for 2026. Both have free tiers \u2014 here's the real difference in payment fees, gateway breadth, data ownership, and 5-year cost.\",\n  \"image\": \"https:\/\/matrixaddons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/easy-invoice-screenshot.jpg\",\n  \"author\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"MantraBrain\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\"},\n  \"publisher\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"MantraBrain\", \"logo\": {\"@type\": \"ImageObject\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MantraBrain-Logo.png\"}},\n  \"datePublished\": \"2026-06-06\",\n  \"dateModified\": \"2026-06-06\"\n}\n<\/script>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"SoftwareApplication\",\n  \"name\": \"Easy Invoice\",\n  \"applicationCategory\": \"BusinessApplication\",\n  \"operatingSystem\": \"WordPress 5.6+\",\n  \"description\": \"The most powerful invoicing plugin for WordPress. Free includes unlimited invoices, quotes, PDFs, PayPal, and client management. Pro adds 9 payment gateways, recurring billing, client portal, time tracking, smart reminders, white-label, and accounting sync.\",\n  \"offers\": [\n    {\"@type\": \"Offer\", \"price\": \"0.00\", \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\", \"name\": \"Free forever (WordPress.org)\", \"availability\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/InStock\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/easy-invoice\/\"},\n    {\"@type\": \"Offer\", \"price\": \"79.00\", \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\", \"name\": \"Pro Personal yearly (1 site)\"},\n    {\"@type\": \"Offer\", \"price\": \"199.00\", \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\", \"name\": \"Pro Personal Lifetime (1 site)\"},\n    {\"@type\": \"Offer\", \"price\": \"399.00\", \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\", \"name\": \"Pro Lifetime Unlimited Sites\"}\n  ],\n  \"author\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"MatrixAddons\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/matrixaddons.com\"},\n  \"url\": \"https:\/\/matrixaddons.com\/plugins\/easy-invoice\/\"\n}\n<\/script>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is Wave really free?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Wave's Starter plan is genuinely free \u2014 unlimited invoices, no time limit. But Wave makes money on payment fees that are $0.30 higher per transaction than Stripe or PayPal direct (2.9% + $0.60 vs 2.9% + $0.30). For low volume, Wave is effectively free. For higher volume, the surcharge can add up to $500-$1,800 over 5 years.\"}},\n    {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is Easy Invoice really free?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Yes. The version on WordPress.org is fully functional with no client cap, no trial: unlimited invoices and quotes, PDF generation, PayPal gateway, client database, 10 templates, multi-tax, 150+ currencies. Pro tiers are optional.\"}},\n    {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Wave vs Easy Invoice: which is cheaper over 5 years?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Easy Invoice by a wide margin once you include payment processing fees. For 50 invoices\/month: Wave Free + Wave Payments fees = $900 over 5 years. Easy Invoice Free + bring-your-own Stripe = $0. Easy Invoice Personal Lifetime + Stripe = $199.\"}},\n    {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Can I use Stripe with Wave?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"No \u2014 Wave only supports Wave Payments as its native gateway. You can't bring your own Stripe account into Wave. Easy Invoice is the opposite \u2014 bring whatever gateway makes sense, including Stripe at standard 2.9% + $0.30 rates.\"}},\n    {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Does Wave work outside the US and Canada?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Limited. Wave Payments accepts US and Canadian credit cards natively. International customers often face high fees, currency conversion losses, or rejected transactions. Easy Invoice's regional gateways (Mollie, Paystack, Razorpay) accept native payments at native fees.\"}},\n    {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Does Wave include bookkeeping?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Yes \u2014 Wave bundles free basic bookkeeping (chart of accounts, P&L, balance sheet) with the free Starter plan. Easy Invoice doesn't; pair it with QuickBooks, Xero, or FreshBooks for full accounting.\"}},\n    {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Can I migrate from Wave to Easy Invoice?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Yes. Export Wave's data as CSV (Settings > Data Export), install Easy Invoice on your WordPress site, and import via Tools > Import. Budget a Saturday for 100+ historical invoices.\"}},\n    {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is my data safer in Easy Invoice or Wave?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Easy Invoice gives structural data ownership \u2014 invoices\/payments\/clients live in your own WordPress database forever. Wave holds data in their cloud and has changed pricing several times since H&R Block's 2019 acquisition.\"}},\n    {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Which is easier to use day-to-day?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Wave edges out on UI polish and native iOS\/Android mobile apps. Easy Invoice runs in WordPress admin \u2014 more familiar if you already publish a blog or run WooCommerce.\"}}\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Easy Invoice vs Wave compared head-to-head for 2026. Both have free tiers \u2014 here&#8217;s the real difference in payment fees, gateway breadth, data ownership, and 5-year cost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1491\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mantrabrain.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}