Bench vs Wave
On the evidence we track, Wave leads this comparison with a composite score of 63/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.
Capabilities
Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for accounting software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.
What each one is
The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.
Bench
Bench is an online bookkeeping service that combines automated software with dedicated professional bookkeeping experts to provide monthly books, financial reporting, and tax preparation for small businesses.
Wave
LeaderA unified platform combining bookkeeping, invoicing, payment processing, and reporting in one dashboard. Helps small business owners track income and expenses, manage cash flow, and maintain organized financial records year-round.
Pricing
List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.
Bench
From $199/mo for Bookkeeping Grow. Free trial available.
- Bookkeeping Grow$199/mo or $1,910/year (20% discount)
- Dedicated bookkeeping experts
- Accurate monthly books and year-end tax-ready financial packages
- P&L, balance sheet and 1099 reporting
- Pre-scheduled communication touchpoints with your bookkeeping team
- Custom categorizations
- Bookkeeping Core$399/mo or $3,830/year (20% discount)
- Dedicated bookkeeping experts
- Accurate monthly books and year-end tax-ready financial packages
- P&L, balance sheet and 1099 reporting
- Unlimited communication with your bookkeeping team
- Custom categorizations
- Bookkeeping Core + Tax$5,750/year
- Dedicated bookkeeping experts
- Accurate monthly books and year-end tax-ready financial packages
- P&L, balance sheet and 1099 reporting
- Unlimited communication with your bookkeeping team
- Dedicated team of licensed tax professionals to file your income tax return on time
- +2 more
- QBO Certified Bookkeeper$55/hour + $1,200 onboarding
- QuickBooks native support
- A true team extension
- On-demand flexibility
- Fully customizable scope
Wave
LeaderFree Starter plan with unlimited invoicing and bookkeeping. Pro from $16/month includes bank automation. Wave Advisors from $149/month for managed bookkeeping. Payment processing fees: 2.9% + $0.60 per Visa/Mastercard transaction.
- StarterFree
- Unlimited invoices, estimates, bills
- Unlimited bookkeeping records
- Mobile app access
- Dashboard and reports
- Payment processing available
- Pro$16/month billed monthly, or $190/year billed annually
- Everything in Starter
- Auto-import bank transactions via Plaid
- Auto-merge and auto-categorize transactions
- Unlimited receipt capture and tracking
- Add multiple users/collaborators
- +1 more
- Wave Advisors$149/month or $199/month depending on tier
- Everything in Pro
- Dedicated bookkeeper management
- Monthly financial statements
- Expert bookkeeping support
- Transition assistance from other software
- +1 more
Platform & deployment
Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.
Integrations
What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.
- Plaid
- Square
Bench
- QuickBooks Online
- Drake
- FileThis
- Stripe
- Salesforce
- AWS
- Azure OpenAI
- Mailchimp
- Marketo
- Stream Chat
- Appcues
- DataDog
- Rollbar
- Retool
Wave
Leader- Zapier
- Shopify
- ADP
- RBC
- Block Advisors
- Apple Pay
Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.