Side-by-side comparison

FreshBooks Lite vs Wave Starter

FreshBooks Lite vs Wave Starter comparison on Luminxo. Compare pricing, features, ratings, and who each product is best for.

Most affordableWave StarterFree
Highest ratedFreshBooks Lite4.5/5.0
Most featuresFreshBooks Lite6/11

Quick Take

FreshBooks Lite

FreshBooks · Starter

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FreshBooks Lite by FreshBooks starts at $13.2/mo (billed annually) with invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation. It includes 1 user seat and integrates with 100+ third-party apps.

Best for: Best for freelancers and solo professionals.

  • Tax preparation and filing
  • Time tracking
  • Automatic bank reconciliation
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Wave Starter

Wave · Starter

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Wave Starter by Wave offers a free plan with invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation. It includes 99 user seats and integrates with 15+ third-party apps.

Best for: Best for freelancers and solo professionals looking for a free solution.

  • Multi-currency support
  • Automatic bank reconciliation
Read full review →

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricFreshBooks LiteWave Starter
Monthly Price$23/moFree
Annual Price$13.2/mo-
Included Users199
Free Trial30 daysFree tier
Integrations100+15+
Rating4.5/5.04.4/5.0

Feature Comparison

FeatureFreshBooks LiteWave Starter
Invoicing
Expense Tracking
Bank Reconciliation
Payroll
Inventory Management
Time Tracking
Project Tracking
Multi-Currency
Tax Filing
Mobile App
API Access

Who Should Pick Which Product?

FreshBooks Lite

We like FreshBooks Lite because it highly rated by users, offers a 30-day free trial, has a mobile app for on-the-go access.

Best for: Best for freelancers and solo professionals.

Pros

  • Affordable pricing
  • 30-day free trial
  • Good integration ecosystem (100+ apps)
  • Mobile app available
  • Highly rated (4.5/5.0 average)

Tradeoffs

  • No built-in payroll (requires add-on or separate service)
  • No inventory management
  • No multi-currency support
  • No API access

Wave Starter

We like Wave Starter because it completely free to use, has a mobile app for on-the-go access.

Best for: Best for freelancers and solo professionals looking for a free solution.

Pros

  • Free plan available
  • Mobile app available
  • Well rated (4.4/5.0 average)

Tradeoffs

  • No built-in payroll (requires add-on or separate service)
  • No inventory management
  • No API access
  • Limited third-party integrations

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between FreshBooks Lite and Wave Starter?

The biggest tradeoffs are pricing, included features, and the type of business each product targets. This page compares those factors directly so you can choose the right fit.

Which is the most affordable option?

Wave Starter has the lowest price in this comparison at free.

Which has the most features?

FreshBooks Lite has the most features in this comparison with 6 out of 11 tracked features.