Wave alternative
A simpler alternative to Wave invoicing
Wave is free accounting software that sends invoices too; taking card payments is an add-on that charges per payment. If you only need to invoice and get paid, One Page Invoice does it without an account: a one-page PDF, a link with a Pay button that opens your own payment link, and a QR code.
Free. No sign-up. A one-page PDF you can send today.
One Page Invoice vs Wave
| Feature | One Page Invoice | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Make an invoice without an account | Yes, unlimited | Yes, with the free invoice generator 1 |
| Get paid online without an account | Yes: the link's Pay button opens your payment link | No: payments need a Wave account 1 |
| Free plan | Unlimited invoices, share link and QR code | Starter: unlimited estimates, invoices and bills 2 |
| Your logo and colours | Yes, free (logo on the Classic design) | Yes, on Starter 2 |
| Remove the provider's branding | Pro: $7 a month or $60 a year | Pro: $19 a month or $190 a year 2 |
| Link the client opens | Yes, with a Pay button | Yes: send by link or PDF 2 |
| Card payments | Through your own Stripe or PayPal link; no fee from us | Optional add-on: 2.9% + $0.60 per card, 3.4% + $0.60 Amex 2 |
| Bank payments | Your bank details or your bank's pay link; no fee from us | 1% per payment, $1 minimum 3 |
| Recurring invoices | No | Yes, with Pro or online payments 3 |
| Late payment reminders | No | With online payments or Pro 2 |
| Viewed and paid notifications | No | Yes 3 |
| Bookkeeping | No | Yes, unlimited records 2 |
| Mobile app | No: the editor works in a phone's browser | Yes, iOS and Android 3 |
Checked on on Wave's own pages; prices in US dollars before tax. Plans change: follow the sources for the current details. Wave is a trademark of its owner; One Page Invoice isn't affiliated with it.
The short version
Wave is accounting software for small businesses: invoices, estimates and bills feed straight into your books, and online payments, reminders and recurring billing come with its payments add-on or Pro plan. One Page Invoice is only the invoice: you make it, share a link, and your client pays you through whatever you already use. There's no account to open, no payment processor to apply for, and no fee on what your client pays.
Stay with Wave if you
- Keep your books in Wave: invoicing there means every invoice and payment lands in your records without retyping.
- Want card payments run for you, with automatic reminders and paid invoices marked for you.
- Bill the same clients every month and want recurring invoices with automatic charges.
- Work from your phone and want an app.
Pick One Page Invoice if you
- Don't want an account just to send an invoice someone can pay: the link and its Pay button work straight away.
- Already get paid another way: a Stripe or PayPal link, Interac e-Transfer, or a bank transfer. Put it on the invoice; we never sit in the middle or take a percentage. See how the pay link works.
- Keep your books elsewhere, or have an accountant who just wants the PDFs.
- Want the invoice itself to look right: three designs, your accent colour, and always one page.
Using both
Nothing stops you. Some people keep Wave for bookkeeping and use One Page Invoice for quick jobs, or for clients who pay by bank transfer, then record the payment in their books as they would any other. If you do, give each its own invoice number prefix (for example W- and OP-), so the two series never clash.
Questions
Isn't Wave free too?
Its Starter plan is: unlimited invoices and bookkeeping for $0. Getting paid online is where the costs are: from 2.9% + $0.60 per card payment or 1% per bank payment, and Pro is $19 a month to remove Wave's branding. One Page Invoice is free with no account and takes nothing from your payments.
How do clients pay me without a payment processor?
Paste a payment link you already have (a Stripe Payment Link, PayPal.me, or your bank's pay page) and the share link shows a Pay button for it; the QR code on the PDF opens the same page. Or just put your bank details on the invoice.
Does One Page Invoice do bookkeeping?
No. Sign in and it keeps your invoices, numbers them and lets you mark them paid, but it isn't accounting software. Keep your books where you do now, or hand the PDFs to your accountant.
Can I invoice in Canadian dollars with HST?
Yes: pick CAD, label the tax HST and set your province's rate, as in the sample. Provinces with GST plus PST or QST need two tax lines, which we don't support yet.