Comparison

LedgerSMB vs Wave

No clear leader: Wave (57.4) and LedgerSMB (54.6) are within the 5-point margin; treat as a tie. The attribute-by-attribute breakdown below, with a source and date on every value, is the honest way to compare them.

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LedgerSMB55
Wave57
Score
vioscaleAI score
LedgerSMB55 / 100low · 48%
Wave57 / 100medium · 72%
Pricing
Free tier
LedgerSMB✓
Wave✓
Model
LedgerSMBopen_source
Price level
LedgerSMBfree
Wavemid
Transparent
LedgerSMB✓
Wave✓
Integrations
Count
LedgerSMB–
Wave5
Reliability
Status page
LedgerSMB✓
Wave✓
Adoption
Dependent repos
LedgerSMB0
Wave–
Github stars
LedgerSMB570
Wave–
Activity
Commits last 30d
LedgerSMB81
Wave–
Release
Cadence days
LedgerSMB22
Wave–
History
LedgerSMB20 items
Wave–
Language
Primary
LedgerSMBPerl
Wave–
Market
Availability
Content
Faq
LedgerSMB4 items

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for accounting software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Core
Double-entry GL
LedgerSMB✓
Wave✓
Multi-entity
LedgerSMBMulti-entity
Wave-
Multi-currency
LedgerSMB✓
Wave-
Bank feeds
LedgerSMB-
WaveAggregator
Modules
AP automation
LedgerSMB-
Wave-
AR / invoicing
LedgerSMB✓
Wave✓
Inventory
LedgerSMB✓
Wave-
Fixed assets
LedgerSMB✓
Wave-
Project accounting
LedgerSMB✓
Wave✓
Compliance
Tax compliance
LedgerSMB-
WaveTax-ready bookkeeping with organized records and reporting
Workflow
Accountant collaboration
LedgerSMB-
Wave✓
Payments
Payments capture
LedgerSMB-
Wave✓
Ecosystem
API access
LedgerSMB-
WaveFull
Deployment
Deployment
LedgerSMBSelf-host
WaveCloud

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

LedgerSMB

LedgerSMB is an open-source ERP application that helps businesses manage core accounting operations, invoice customers, and track inventory from a single integrated interface. It emphasizes independence from vendor lock-in while maintaining support for multiple currencies and complex business processes.

Independently observed

Wave

Wave enables small business owners to manage their financial operations in one place, including expense and revenue tracking, customer billing, digital payments, and reporting to support financial decision-making.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

LedgerSMB

Open sourceFree tier
as of verify ↗

Wave

from $16/moSubscriptionFree tier

Free 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
as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
LedgerSMB✓
Wave✓
iOS
LedgerSMB✗
Wave✓
Android
LedgerSMB✗
Wave✓
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
LedgerSMB✗
Wave✓
Self-hosted
LedgerSMB✓
Wave✗

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

LedgerSMB

Not documented yet.

Wave

8 total
  • Plaid
  • Zapier
  • Shopify
  • Square
  • ADP
  • RBC
  • Block Advisors
  • Apple Pay
Independently observed
Still deciding?

LedgerSMB or Wave: which one depends on you

A composite score cannot know your constraints. Describe them and both get re-weighted against what you actually need, with the evidence behind every position.

Free to run, no account needed to start. How the evaluation works

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.