Comparison · competitor facts checked 19 October 2026
Inbill vs Wave
Choose Wave if your business is in the US or Canada and you want unlimited free invoices plus bookkeeping. Choose Inbill if you work anywhere else, or want free payment reminders, WhatsApp sending and voice drafting without an accounting ledger. Wave opens new accounts only in the US and Canada.
By Asad Mahmood, founder of Inbill. Inbill is our product, so we link every competitor fact to its source.
Last updated
Pick Inbill if
- Your business is outside the US or Canada.
- You want automatic payment reminders without paying for them.
- You send invoices on WhatsApp and get paid through Wise, Payoneer or a bank transfer.
- You want to draft invoices by speaking or typing one sentence.
Pick Wave if
- Your business is in the US or Canada.
- You need bookkeeping, bank connections and accounting reports.
- Unlimited free invoices matter more than free reminders.
- You want card payments built in through Wave Payments.
Feature by feature
Wave facts from its own pages, checked 19 October 2026.
| Decision point | Inbill | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 10 invoices a month, unlimited clients | Starter: unlimited invoices and estimates |
| Paid plan | $5/month, $39/year, $99 once | Pro: $19/month or $190/year |
| Who can open an account | Anyone, from any country | Businesses in the US and Canada |
| Automatic payment reminders | Automatic friendly, firm and final emails on Pro; a manual Send reminder button on Free | Pro (3, 7 and 14 days after the due date) |
| Recurring invoices | Free (counts toward 10/mo) | Pro, or with Wave Payments turned on |
| Card payments | Not processed by us; add your own Stripe, PayPal or Square link | 2.9% + $0.60 per card payment on Starter |
| Send on WhatsApp | Yes, one tap with the amount, due date and link | Not listed on its pricing page |
| AI drafting | Yes, by voice or text in English and Urdu, with Hindi and Arabic in beta | Not listed on its pricing page |
| Bookkeeping and reports | Expenses with receipt scan and a profit line; no time tracking or bookkeeping | Included |
Worked example: 8 invoices a month to clients abroad
A designer in Lahore sends 8 invoices a month in USD and GBP and wants reminders to go out on their own. Wave is not an option: new accounts can only be opened by businesses in the US and Canada. On Inbill this fits the free plan: 8 of the 10 free invoices, reminders included, $0 a month.
Now say the same designer is in Toronto. On Wave Starter the invoices are free and unlimited, but automatic late-payment reminders and recurring invoices need Pro at $19 a month ($190 if paid yearly), unless recurring is unlocked by turning on Wave Payments. On Inbill the reminders stay free, and if the designer goes past 10 invoices, Pro is $5 a month.
What Wave adds for that money is real: bookkeeping, bank connections and accounting reports. If you need those, compare Wave Pro with an accountant's fees, not with an invoicing app.
Switching from Wave
Moving from Wave is mostly about re-entering clients and setting up your payment details once.
Inbill has no import tool yet, so clients and products are added by hand or by asking the assistant ("add a client called ..."). Old invoices stay in your previous tool; export them as PDFs or a CSV from there for your records.
Keep Wave for your books if you use its accounting; plenty of people invoice in one tool and keep books in another.
If you leave Inbill later, "Download my data" gives you everything as one JSON file, and Settings has a CSV export of invoices and payments. Both are free.
Honest verdict
Wave is the stronger accounting product, and its free invoice volume is more generous. For eligible US and Canadian businesses that need bookkeeping, that is a real advantage, and we would pick Wave in that case.
Inbill is the better fit for freelancers outside North America and for anyone who mainly wants to be paid: reminders are free, invoices go out on WhatsApp, and clients see Wise, Payoneer or bank details with pay buttons.
Questions people ask
Can I open a Wave account outside the US and Canada?
No. Wave's help centre says new accounts are for businesses in the US and Canada. It also says product support for users outside those two countries has ended.
Are Wave's payment reminders free?
Automatic late-payment reminders are listed under Wave Pro ($19 a month) on its pricing page, checked 19 October 2026.
Are Inbill's reminders free?
Yes. Friendly, firm and final reminders are included on every Inbill plan, including Free.
Which one does bookkeeping?
Wave. Inbill does invoicing and getting paid only.
Sources checked
Competitor facts come from their own product, pricing or help pages, checked on 19 October 2026. Prices change, so check the live page before you decide.