Wave Hidden Costs 2026
What they don't show you on the pricing page
Wave costs Free to $199 per month as of June 2026, with 3 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Starter (Free) (free), Pro at $19/month, and Wave Advisors at $199/month. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
Wave offers 3 pricing tiers: Starter (Free), Pro, Wave Advisors. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Pro at $19/month, Wave Advisors at $199/month. The Pro plan is businesses wanting polished invoices and automation.
Wave true cost runs 70% above the listed $0-$199/month price as of June 2026. For a 25-person team, expect ~$9,690 in year-one costs vs the $5,700 base license. Key hidden costs: payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.60 for credit cards, 1% for bank payments), payroll service ($40/month base + $6/employee), bookkeeping and advisory services (starts at $149/month). Verified from 1 sources by CostBench.
Example: True Cost for 25 Users
| License (25 × $19 × 12) | $5,700/yr |
| Implementation (one-time) | +$15,000–$50,000 |
| Premium Support (20%) | +$1,140/yr |
| Training (25 × $500) | +$12,500 |
| Admin (part-time) | +$15,000–$25,000/yr |
| Estimated Year 1 Total | ~$9,690 |