Salesforce Starter vs Wave: which one fits your business?
Side-by-side comparison of Salesforce Starter and Wave — fees, features, ease, support, and which one fits your business. Scored on the same rubric.
Short answer: Wave wins on our scorecard (7.8/10 vs 7.3/10).
| Scored on | Salesforce Starter | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Right fit for small biz | 8 | 8 |
| Ease of use | 7 | 9 |
| Fees & pricing | 7 | 9 |
| Customer support | 6 | 5 |
| Features | 8 | 7 |
| Starter Tier (per user/mo) | $25 | — |
| Pro Suite (per user/mo) | $100 | — |
| Implementation Fee | $0 (Self-serve) | — |
| Contract Term | Annual | — |
| 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 |
Salesforce Starter in one paragraph
A powerful, future-proof CRM that trades advanced automation for ease of use, perfect for teams of 2 to 10.
Skip it if: Skip it if you are a solo freelancer who only needs a basic contact list and no marketing tools.
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
Which is better, Salesforce Starter or Wave?
On our five-axis scorecard, Wave scores higher (7.8/10 vs 7.3/10). Wave remains the gold standard for free invoicing and simple bookkeeping for solo service providers, provided you don't mind limited support.
Who should skip Salesforce Starter?
Skip it if you are a solo freelancer who only needs a basic contact list and no marketing tools.
Who should skip Wave?
Skip it if you sell physical inventory or plan to scale to a 10+ person team within the next year.