Both are strong choices. The short answer: pick Wave if you are micro businesses that want free books. Pick Xero if you are teams that want modern UX and unlimited seats.
| Wave | Xero | |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | Genuinely free accounting and invoicing. | Clean cloud accounting with unlimited users on every plan. |
| Pricing | Free accounting; pay for payments/payroll | From $20/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Best for | Micro businesses that want free books | Teams that want modern UX and unlimited seats |
| Category | Accounting & Bookkeeping | Accounting & Bookkeeping |
| Website | waveapps.com | xero.com |