INVOICING COMPARISON

Freel vs Wave

Wave is popular because it's free — and its invoicing is solid. But freelancers spend more time switching between Wave, a project tool, and a time tracker than actually working. Freel generates invoices directly from your time entries and projects, no copy-pasting required.

THE FREEL WAY

Freel

$12/month

Everything included. First 7 days free.

THE WAVE WAY

Wave

Free (revenue model)

Free invoicing and accounting software

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Feature
Freel
Wave
Professional Invoice Generation
Invoice via Email
PDF Invoice Export
Project Management Boards
Time Tracking
Auto-Fill Invoices from Time Logs
Client Management
Basic
Public Portfolio Pages
Business Reports & Analytics
Accounting-focused
Payment Status Tracking

Why freelancers choose Freel

over Wave

1

Invoices auto-fill from your time entries and project work — no manual data entry needed.

2

Track projects, time, and invoices in one place — see your full business at a glance.

3

Purpose-built for freelancers, not small businesses or accountants.

Common Wave complaints

What freelancers say when switching

Wave is great for invoicing, but you still need separate tools for project management and time tracking.

Generating invoices requires manually copying hours and rates from other apps.

No portfolio or client management features to grow your freelance business.

Ready to switch from Wave?

First 7 days free. No credit card. No strings attached.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Freel better than Wave for freelancers?

It depends on what you need. Wave is excellent and free for invoicing alone. If you also need project management, time tracking, and client tools, Freel connects all of those to your invoicing — saving you from juggling multiple apps.

Wave is free — why pay for Freel?

Wave is free for invoicing, but freelancers typically also pay for a project tool ($5–$10/mo), a time tracker ($4+/mo), and more. Freel at $12/month replaces all of them with one connected tool.

Can Freel generate invoices as professionally as Wave?

Yes. Freel generates clean, professional invoices that you can send via email or export as PDF — and they auto-fill from your logged time and projects.

Still have questions? Try Freel free for 7 days and see for yourself.