Homeโ€บWave vs Patriot Software
Updated March 2026 ยท Independent Analysis

WavevsPatriot Software

Wave starts at $16/mo, 20% cheaper than Patriot Software's $20/mo. Patriot Software is rated higher at 4.7/5 vs Wave's 4.4/5.

W
Wave

Free accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning for small businesses

โ˜… 4.4/5Founded 20102M+ small businesses users
Try Wave Free โ†’
P
Patriot Software

Simple, affordable accounting and payroll for US small businesses

โ˜… 4.7/5Founded 2002150K+ businesses users
Try Patriot Software Free โ†’

โšก Quick Stats

โญ
Avg Rating
๐Ÿ† Patriot Software wins
๐Ÿ’ฐ
Starting Price
๐Ÿ† Wave wins
๐Ÿ”ง
Features
๐Ÿ† Wave wins
๐ŸŽ
Free Plan
๐Ÿ† Wave wins

๐Ÿ“Š Ratings Breakdown

W

Wave

4.4/5 avg
G2 Score4.4/5
Capterra Score4.4/5
Overall Avg4.4/5
P

Patriot Software

4.7/5 avg
G2 Score4.6/5
Capterra Score4.8/5
Overall Avg4.699999999999999/5

โšก Quick Verdict

Independent analysis based on features, pricing, and user ratings

Choose Wave if you need:
  • โœ“ Receipt Scanning
  • โœ“ Bank Connections
  • โœ“ Online Payments
  • โœ“ Multi-currency
  • โœ“ Sales Tax Tracking
Try Wave Free โ†’
Choose Patriot Software if you need:
  • โœ“ Expense Tracking
  • โœ“ Bank Imports
  • โœ“ Payroll Tax Filing
  • โœ“ Direct Deposit
  • โœ“ 1099 Filing
Try Patriot Software Free โ†’

๐Ÿ”ง Feature Comparison

Wave uniquely offers Receipt Scanning, Bank Connections, Online Payments. Patriot Software uniquely offers Expense Tracking, Bank Imports, Payroll Tax Filing. Both share 4 features including Accounting, Invoicing, Financial Reports.

Feature
Wave
Patriot Software
Accounting
โœ“
โœ“
Invoicing
โœ“
โœ“
Financial Reports
โœ“
โœ“
Payroll
โœ“
โœ“
Receipt Scanning
โœ“
โœ—
Bank Connections
โœ“
โœ—
Online Payments
โœ“
โœ—
Multi-currency
โœ“
โœ—
Sales Tax Tracking
โœ“
โœ—
Recurring Invoicing
โœ“
โœ—
Customer Management
โœ“
โœ—
Estimates
โœ“
โœ—
Mobile App
โœ“
โœ—
Dashboard
โœ“
โœ—
Integrations
โœ“
โœ—
Expense Tracking
โœ—
โœ“
Bank Imports
โœ—
โœ“
Payroll Tax Filing
โœ—
โœ“
Direct Deposit
โœ—
โœ“
1099 Filing
โœ—
โœ“
Time & Attendance
โœ—
โœ“
HR Software
โœ—
โœ“
Employee Portal
โœ—
โœ“
Multi-state Payroll
โœ—
โœ“
W-2 Filing
โœ—
โœ“
US-focused Compliance
โœ—
โœ“
Total Features
15
15

๐Ÿ’ฐ Pricing Comparison

Wave starts at $16/mo, 20% cheaper than Patriot Software's $20/mo.

W

Wave Plans

Free tier available

Free (Accounting)
Free
  • โ€ข Accounting
  • โ€ข Invoicing
  • โ€ข Receipt scanning
Pro (Accounting)Best Value
$16/mo
  • โ€ข Bank connections
  • โ€ข Receipt scanning
Payroll
$20/mo base
  • โ€ข + $6/employee
  • โ€ข Tax-filing states
Advisors
$149/mo
  • โ€ข 1-on-1 coaching
  • โ€ข Bookkeeping support
Full Wave pricing breakdown โ†’
P

Patriot Software Plans

Paid plans only

Accounting Basic
$20/mo
  • โ€ข Invoicing
  • โ€ข Bank imports
  • โ€ข Reports
Accounting Premium
$30/mo
  • โ€ข Recurring invoicing
  • โ€ข Accountant access
Payroll BasicBest Value
$17/mo
  • โ€ข + $4/employee
  • โ€ข Print checks
Payroll Full Service
$37/mo
  • โ€ข + $4/employee
  • โ€ข Tax filing included
Full Patriot Software pricing breakdown โ†’
๐Ÿ”” Get notified when prices change

โ“ Frequently Asked Questions

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