Wave wins on more features overall (5 vs 3, 11 tied). Below is the full feature-by-feature breakdown.
| Feature | Wave | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
1 user, 1,000 invoices/year
|
| Entry paid plan |
✓ Yes
Pro Plan US$16/mo (about AU$25)
|
— Paid add-on
AU$15/mo Standard
|
| Download PDF without signup |
✗ No
Requires signup to generate invoices
|
✗ No
|
| Feature | Wave | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited invoices |
✓ Yes
|
— Limited
|
| Custom logo & branding |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Recurring invoices |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Email invoices to clients |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Multi-currency |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Client management |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Feature | Wave | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| ATO-compliant GST invoices |
— Limited
No automatic ATO Tax Invoice wording
|
— Limited
|
| ABN field built in |
✗ No
Manual workaround needed
|
✓ Yes
|
| Australian-focused support |
✗ No
No AU-based support
|
— Limited
|
| Feature | Wave | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Bank reconciliation |
— Limited
AU bank feeds are limited
|
✗ No
|
| Expense tracking |
✓ Yes
|
— Limited
|
| Payroll |
✗ No
US/Canada only
|
✗ No
|
| Inventory tracking |
✗ No
|
✗ No
|
| Feature | Wave | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe payments |
— Limited
Wave Payments only — no direct Stripe integration
|
✓ Yes
|
| Mobile app |
✓ Yes
|
— Limited
|
| Feature | Wave | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time |
— Limited
~10 min signup + business setup
|
— Limited
Account signup required
|
Neither tool fits your invoicing-only workflow? Try InvoiceSonic — free for unlimited ATO-compliant tax invoices, no signup required.
Create a free invoice now →Wave starts at Free (Pro Plan US$16/mo); Zoho Invoice starts at AU$15/mo (Standard). Wave offers free forever. Zoho Invoice offers free for 1 user, 1,000 invoices/yr.
For ATO-compliant GST: Wave = limited, Zoho Invoice = limited. For native ABN field: Wave = no, Zoho Invoice = yes. If you operate in Australia and either tool falls short here, InvoiceSonic handles both natively — and it's free.
Most freelancers want fast invoicing without paying for full accounting. Between these two, Wave wins more categories overall. But if you're a freelancer who just wants ATO-compliant tax invoices for free, InvoiceSonic is purpose-built for that workflow.
Both Wave and Zoho Invoice let you export client lists and invoice history (usually as CSV). Migration takes an afternoon for most small businesses. If you're considering switching anyway, it might be worth evaluating InvoiceSonic as a free alternative for invoicing while keeping your accountant's tool of choice for bookkeeping.
Both tools are accounting-first platforms; their invoicing modules are a subset of what they do. If invoicing is your only need, a free dedicated invoice generator like InvoiceSonic is usually faster, cheaper, and more focused — without paying for bookkeeping, payroll, or inventory features you won't use.
Yes — InvoiceSonic is free for unlimited Australian-compliant invoices with no signup required for PDF download. You can run it alongside or instead of paid accounting platforms.