Bonsai vs Wave
Updated 2026 — Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and scores.
Bonsai
6.8/10
Good
Ease of Use8.5
Value for Money7
Support7.5
Features7
Scalability5
Integrations5.5
Wave
6.3/10
Good
Ease of Use8.5
Value for Money10
Support6
Features5.5
Scalability4
Integrations2
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Bonsai | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ Invoicing with contracts and proposals | ✓ Unlimited free invoicing |
| Expense Tracking | ✓ Expense tracking with bank import | ✓ Free expense tracking |
| Bank Reconciliation | ~ Basic bank connection for expenses | ✓ Bank connections and reconciliation |
| Tax Management | ✓ Quarterly tax estimates and 1099 prep | ~ Sales tax tracking, basic tax reports |
| Financial Reports | ✓ P&L, tax summary, income by client | ✓ P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, sales tax |
| Payroll | ✗ Not available | ~ Available as paid add-on in US & Canada |
| Multi-Currency | ✓ Multi-currency invoicing | ✗ Not supported |
| Project Tracking | ✓ Project management with task boards | ✗ Not available |
| Inventory Management | ✗ Not applicable (service-focused) | ✗ Not available |
| Receipt Scanning | ✓ Receipt upload and categorization | ✓ Unlimited receipt scanning |
| Mobile App | ✓ iOS & Android | ✓ iOS & Android for invoicing and receipts |
| API Access | ~ Limited API on Business plan | ✗ No public API |
| Free Plan Available | ✗ 7-day free trial only | ✓ Core accounting and invoicing free forever |
| Time Tracking | ✓ Built-in time tracking with timer | ✗ Not available |
| Third-Party Integrations | ~ Zapier + Calendly + Slack + limited native integrations | ✗ Very limited integrations |
✓ Full support~ Limited✗ Not available
Pricing Comparison
Bonsai Pricing
Starter$21/mo
$17/mo billed annually
ProfessionalPopular$39/mo
$33/mo billed annually
Business$79/mo
$69/mo billed annually
Wave Pricing
FreePopularFree
Pro$16/mo
$14/mo billed annually
FAQ
Is Bonsai or Wave better?
It depends on your needs. Bonsai scores 6.8/10 overall while Wave scores 6.3/10. Compare the detailed feature matrix above to find the best fit.