Honest comparison, no slimy bait
Pick VenueBill if
Best if you want a polished, fully branded free invoice with a client portal and SMS reminders, and Stripe payments on your own account.
Pick Wave if
Best if you want free invoicing plus free double-entry bookkeeping in one place and do not mind a slower interface and email-only support.
| Feature | VenueBill | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, unlimited invoices | Yes, unlimited invoices |
| Branded invoices, no watermark | Yes✓ | Light Wave branding on free |
| Card payments | Yes, your own Stripe account | Yes, Wave Payments (2.9% + 60c) |
| Recurring invoices | Yes (Pro) | Yes (Pro Plan) |
| Client portal | Yes✓ | Limited, pay link only |
| SMS reminders | Yes, built in (Pro)✓ | No |
| Free accounting / books | No | Yes, double-entry✓ |
| Native mobile app | Mobile web | Native iOS and Android✓ |
| Support | Email, usually under 24h | Email on free; chat on Pro Plan |
VenueBill
Free forever for unlimited invoices. Pro is $19/mo for recurring billing, automatic reminders, and time tracking.
Wave
Free invoicing and accounting. Pro Plan is $16/mo for auto-reminders and advanced features. Payments cost 2.9% + 60c per card transaction.
This is the closest matchup, because both tools have a real free invoicing plan. The difference is focus. VenueBill is invoicing done well: a cleaner, fully branded invoice with no watermark, a proper client portal where customers see every past invoice and estimate, and built-in SMS reminders on Pro.
Wave wins by bundling free double-entry accounting alongside free invoicing. If you want one free place to send invoices and keep your books, Wave is a strong deal, and its native mobile apps are a plus. The trade-offs people most often cite are a slower interface and email-only support on the free plan.
VenueBill wins for anyone who wants the invoicing experience itself to feel modern and on-brand, and who handles bookkeeping elsewhere or not at all. Wave wins for the freelancer who specifically wants free books in the same tool. Both let you accept card payments, though VenueBill routes them through your own Stripe account.
Because both are free to start, the lowest-risk move is to try VenueBill for the invoicing and client-portal experience and keep Wave or a spreadsheet for books if you need them. Your invoice data exports to PDF and CSV either way.
Make the switch
Free for unlimited invoices. Bring your clients over, connect Stripe, and send your first invoice in minutes. No credit card required.
Yes. Both have a free plan with unlimited invoices. VenueBill charges $19/mo for Pro (recurring, reminders, time tracking); Wave charges $16/mo for its Pro Plan. Card processing fees apply on both.
No. Wave bundles free double-entry bookkeeping; VenueBill focuses on invoicing, payments, and a client portal. If free accounting in the same tool is essential, Wave has the edge.
VenueBill. It gives clients a portal to view all their invoices and estimates in one place, while Wave mainly provides a per-invoice payment link.
Yes. Export your customers and invoices from Wave as CSV/PDF, then add them to a free VenueBill account. Both being free, you can run them side by side while you switch.
A freelancer who wants free invoicing and free bookkeeping in a single tool, and who values native mobile apps, should pick Wave.
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