Harvest vs Wave: which one fits your business?
Side-by-side comparison of Harvest and Wave — fees, features, ease, support, and which one fits your business. Scored on the same rubric.
Short answer: it's a tie on our scorecard — pick on fit, not score.
| Scored on | Harvest | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Right fit for small biz | 8 | 8 |
| Ease of use | 9 | 9 |
| Fees & pricing | 7 | 9 |
| Customer support | 7 | 5 |
| Features | 8 | 7 |
| Free Plan | $0 (1 User, 2 Projects) | — |
| Pro Plan (Monthly) | $12.00 per user | — |
| Pro Plan (Annual) | $10.80 per user/mo | — |
| Starter Plan | — | $0/mo |
| Pro Plan | — | $16/mo |
| CC Processing (Visa/MC) | — | 2.9% + $0.60 |
| CC Processing (Amex) | — | 3.4% + $0.60 |
| ACH Processing | — | 1% ($1 min) |
| Payroll (Tax Service) | — | $40 + $6/employee |
Harvest in one paragraph
Harvest is the gold standard for small agencies that need to bridge the gap between daily tasks and professional financial reporting without the bloat of enterprise software.
Skip it if: Skip it if you need advanced project scheduling or Gantt charts built-in without paying for a second app.
Wave in one paragraph
Wave remains the gold standard for free invoicing and simple bookkeeping for solo service providers, provided you don't mind limited support.
Skip it if: Skip it if you sell physical inventory or plan to scale to a 10+ person team within the next year.
Frequently asked questions
Who should skip Harvest?
Skip it if you need advanced project scheduling or Gantt charts built-in without paying for a second app.
Who should skip Wave?
Skip it if you sell physical inventory or plan to scale to a 10+ person team within the next year.