BuddyWorkflowBuddyWorkflow
See the demoStart free
Wave alternative

A Wave alternative with clients built in.

Shopping for a Wave alternative? Most either charge for basic accounting or, like Wave, stop at the books. BuddyWorkflow keeps bookkeeping and invoicing free forever and adds the client CRM, contracts and marketing analytics Wave doesn't have.

Start free: no card requiredSee the live demo
What you get
BuddyWorkflow
Wave
Bookkeeping & reports
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Invoicing
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Books free forever
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Client Management & pipeline
✓ Yes
✕ No
Contracts & e-signatures
Included: no DocuSign
✕ No
Scheduling & booking links
✓ Yes
✕ No
Marketing analytics tracking
✓ Yes
✕ No
Payment fees
Card at cost, zero markup · free ACH
Standard % on cards, 1% on ACH

Why switch from Wave

Wave is a fine free ledger, but the moment you need to track leads, send a contract or see which channel brings paying clients, you're back to juggling extra apps. A better alternative keeps the free books and adds the client and marketing side.

Still free where it counts

BuddyWorkflow keeps bookkeeping and invoicing free forever. You don't trade Wave's price for a monthly bill just to get a CRM. Pro adds pipeline, custom branding and marketing analytics.

Switching is quick

Export your data from Wave, import clients and history from a CSV in minutes, and connect your bank for automatic bookkeeping. All in one login.

Common questions

Is BuddyWorkflow a good Wave alternative?
Yes: it matches Wave's free bookkeeping and invoicing, and adds a client CRM, contracts, scheduling and marketing analytics that Wave doesn't offer.
Is it really free like Wave?
The books and invoicing are free forever. Optional paid tools add pipeline automation, custom branding and marketing analytics. Get everything for $24/mo on the 12-month plan, or pay $5 to $9/mo only for the tools you outgrow.
How do payment fees compare?
Bank transfers are free and cards are passed through at Stripe's exact cost with zero markup, versus Wave's percentage on cards and 1% on bank payments (2026 published rates).

Free books, plus the clients Wave leaves out.

Free forever for your books. We pass Stripe's real processing cost straight through, never marking up the rate the way others keep the spread, and Pro removes our fee entirely.

Start free →
© BuddyWorkflow, bookkeeping, Client Management and marketing in one place.TermsPrivacy
CompareDemoContact