Wave Accounting vs ExpenseWire

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Our analysts compared Wave Accounting vs ExpenseWire based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Accounting Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Wave Accounting Software Tool
ExpenseWire Software Tool

Product Basics

Wave Accounting streamlines financial management for small businesses and freelancers. Its intuitive interface simplifies bookkeeping tasks like expense tracking, invoicing, and receipt scanning. Users praise its ease of use and mobile accessibility, making it ideal for entrepreneurs on the go. Wave offers core accounting features like bank reconciliation and income/expense reports, all for free. Premium plans unlock advanced functionalities like payroll, double-entry bookkeeping, and tax filing for an affordable monthly fee. Compared to similar products, Wave shines in user experience. Reviews highlight its intuitive design, helpful tutorials, and responsive customer support. However, its free plan lacks features crucial for larger businesses, requiring an upgrade for robust accounting needs. Ultimately, Wave excels as a beginner-friendly, cost-effective solution for solopreneurs and small teams seeking hassle-free financial management.

Pros
  • Free core features
  • Easy to use interface
  • Mobile-friendly design
  • Excellent customer support
  • Free bank reconciliation
Cons
  • Limited features in free plan
  • No inventory tracking
  • No double-entry accounting
  • Few integrations with other software
  • Limited reporting options
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Expensewire is a SaaS expense management software that helps businesses of any scale and size. It manages, simplifies and organizes expenses while ensuring compliance and expediting reimbursements. The module eliminates excessive spending and helps users take control of the organization’s reporting submissions, approvals, and more. Take advantage of on-the-go access to submit, review and manage expenses with its mobile capabilities.
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$20 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Assistance

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24/7 Live Support
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Product Insights

  • Free: Utilize Wave Accounting's free features forever, making it a great help for entrepreneurs and freelancers who may find themselves in the preliminary stages of launching their business or service.  
  • Easy Setup: Get to work immediately with easy account setup and installation. 
  • Available Anywhere: Access this solution on computers and mobile devices to access and change anything from practically any location. All changes are automatically saved and synced so users always see current information. 
  • Instant Transactions: Connect bank accounts for instant transaction recordings. It also eliminates manually inputting receipts. 
  • Stay Organized for Tax Season: Sort incomes, expenses, payments and invoices in one centralized location for tax time.  
  • Collaborate with Accountants: Share data and collaborate with accountants for smooth financial processing and advice. 
  • Top-Notch Security: Protect financial information with security components such as bank connections with 256-bit encryption in read-only formats and PCI Level-1 security for managing credit cards and bank account information. 
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  • Mobile: Access data, capture and upload receipts, review and approve the expense anytime and anywhere with a stable internet connection.  
  • Flexible: Work with any credit card and seamlessly integrate with the existing payroll, accounting system or CRM. Automate approval workflows and approve reports quickly and easily.  
  • Relaible: Get the business up and running in no time with its uptime of 99.9%. Save time with its automatic data tracking, editing and submissions. Boost productivity with intuitive SaaS solutions. 
  • Accurate: Get rid of manual expense reporting and OCR systems that are prone to errors. Provide rich insights into the business for better control and improved decision making.  
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  • Link Accounts and Credit Cards: Connect an unlimited amount of bank accounts and credit cards. Users may supervise multiple businesses with one account. 
  • Smooth Integrations: Integrate Shopify transactions and link with PayPal, Shoeboxed and Etsy accounts. 
  • Intricate Dashboards: Elaborate dashboards that display cash balances, invoice statuses, incomes, expenses and payments. This accessory also provides bill and invoice reminders. 
  • Export Various Reports: Export a variety of accounting reports such as profit and loss, sales tax, cash flow, comparative and others. 
  • Automatic Updates: Receive prompt updates and reminders on invoices, payments and payroll details. 
  • Evaluate High Volumes of Transactions: Process a bulk amount of transactions to ensure rapid bookkeeping practices. Users can also perform and accept transactions in foreign currencies and search for transactions based on descriptions. 
  • Double-Entry Accounting: Operate with double-entry accounting—a method that chronicles transactions in two or more accounts — that performs prompt exchange rate calculations and has a flexible sales tax module. 
  • Adaptable Expense and Income Categories: Use account IDs to create adjustable expense and income categories, sometimes called chart of accounts. There's also an unlimited income and expense tracking accessory. 
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  • Expense Submission: Pull data such as travel and expense forms, hotel itineraries, personal and credit card transactions, receipts and create expense reports. Save time by keeping common transactions in the database. Converts transactions into appropriate currencies for international travelers. 
  • Expense Approval: Give managers the freedom to review and approve expense reports without involving any paperwork. Set policy rules in the system, so expenses are pre-approved, making reviews and approvals easier and faster.
  • Expense Report Automation: Automate and streamline back office tasks to minimize the possibility of errors and make the process more efficient. Free up workers so that they can focus on more important business objectives. 
  • Quick Reimbursement: Pay accounting professionals faster with an accelerated reimbursement process with batch payment processing. Furthermore, save staff hours of data entry work and simplify expense reimbursement processing with automation. 
  • Compliance Management: Set standards and protocols to ensure compliance. Establish a spending limit and expense policies to help staff know when a certain payment is against company policy. Reduce excessive spending. 
  • Smart Categorization: Categorize transactions based on predefined rules for the transaction category. Eliminate the need to manually enter data. 
  • Digital Receipt Management: Provide an electronic copy of the receipt which can be later retrieved by the clients in case of chargebacks or reconciliation issues. 
  • Mileage Tracking: Track, manage and control mileage expenses in a simple, accurate and reliable way. 
  • Mobile Expense Management: Take a receipt of the picture and upload it to attach it to the expense report. Easily access expense report. Review, approve and deny submitted expenses on your schedule.  
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Product Ranking

#4

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Accounting Software

#135

among all
Accounting Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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87
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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Wave Accounting
ExpenseWire
+ Add Product + Add Product
Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable Banking And Cash Management Budget And Expense Management Financial Statements And Revenue Management General Ledger And Chart Of Accounts Integration And Extensibility Inventory Management Journal Entries Mobile Support Multi-company Accounting And Asset Management Platform Capabilities Project Accounting Reporting And Analytics Tax Management 78 92 87 57 98 61 58 50 73 90 65 78 56 70 88 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 2602 reviews
Fair User Sentiment 29 reviews
88%
of users recommend this product

Wave Accounting has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 88% when considering 2602 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

66%
of users recommend this product

ExpenseWire has a 'fair' User Satisfaction Rating of 66% when considering 29 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

4.0 (15)
n/a
4.4 (203)
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4.43 (1298)
3.2 (15)
4.4 (964)
3.4 (14)
4.0 (122)
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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

System Performance: Of the users who mentioned this solution's performance, precisely 65% said it's easy to use, documents all tasks performed and provides accurate information.
Modules: Approximately 57% of users who discussed this program's functionality said it has a variety of capabilities such as an assortment of reports, bank account synching and invoice reminders.
Cost: Of the users who mentioned this application's pricing, approximately 87% of users said they like the free version because it comes with plenty of appliances.
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Automated Expense Reports: Users praise ExpenseWire for automating the process of creating expense reports, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing errors.
Mobile Accessibility: The mobile app allows users to snap pictures of receipts and upload them directly to the platform, making expense tracking convenient and efficient.
Real-time Expense Tracking: Users appreciate the ability to track expenses in real-time, providing a clear view of spending patterns and budget adherence.
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Frustrating reconciliation process: Users often describe matching transactions as difficult and time-consuming, leading to delayed reconciliation and potential errors.
Limited reporting options: Users express a desire for more robust and flexible reporting features, including better sorting, exporting, and preset date options for generating customized reports.
Lack of phone support: Wave relies primarily on email and online resources for support, which can be frustrating for users who prefer immediate assistance or have complex issues to resolve.
Occasional glitches and errors: Users have reported occasional software glitches, such as duplicated transactions or difficulties with bank syncing, which can disrupt workflows and create data inconsistencies.
No inventory management: Wave lacks full-fledged inventory tracking and management capabilities, making it unsuitable for businesses with complex inventory needs or those who sell directly through eCommerce platforms.
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Limited Integrations: Users express frustration over ExpenseWire's limited third-party integrations, particularly its lack of seamless integration with popular accounting software like QuickBooks Online or Xero. This forces businesses to manually export and import data, leading to increased workload and potential errors.
Clunky Mobile App: The mobile app's user interface is frequently criticized for being unintuitive and difficult to navigate. Users report experiencing glitches and slow loading times, making it cumbersome to track expenses on the go.
Reporting Limitations: ExpenseWire's reporting features are considered basic and lack the flexibility and customization options needed by many businesses. Users desire more comprehensive reporting capabilities to gain deeper insights into spending patterns and identify areas for cost optimization.
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Wave Accounting users appreciate its simplicity and affordability, making it a popular choice for freelancers and solopreneurs. The free plan covers essential features like invoicing, expense tracking, and basic reporting, catering to those with straightforward accounting needs. Users praise its intuitive interface and mobile app for on-the-go tracking, highlighting its convenience compared to clunky desktop software. However, Wave's limitations become apparent as businesses grow. Users cite frustrating reconciliation issues, limited reporting options, and the lack of advanced features like inventory management or payroll integrations. Compared to competitors like Quickbooks or Xero, Wave feels less capable of handling complex accounting workflows. While its automatic bank imports save time, the absence of phone support can be a dealbreaker for some users who need immediate help troubleshooting issues. Ultimately, Wave shines for its ease of use and zero-cost entry point, but its lack of scalability and robust features might necessitate switching to more powerful alternatives as businesses evolve. Choosing Wave comes down to prioritizing convenience and affordability over comprehensive functionality and expert support.

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ExpenseWire users are buzzing about its seamless integration with Paychex payroll, making it a breeze to reimburse employees. The software's intuitive interface and mobile app receive high praise, allowing users to snap pics of receipts and submit expense reports on the go. ExpenseWire's robust reporting tools provide valuable insights into spending patterns, empowering businesses to make data-driven decisions. However, some users find the customization options limiting, particularly for complex approval workflows or unique expense categories. ExpenseWire shines for small to medium-sized businesses already using Paychex payroll, offering a streamlined expense management solution that plays well with their existing systems.

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