Which is cheaper, Clear Books or Wave Accounting?

Wave Accounting publishes a free plan. Clear Books quotes pricing on request and publishes no figure, so the two cannot be compared on published prices alone.

Do Clear Books and Wave Accounting both offer a free trial?

Clear Books lists a free trial. Wave Accounting does not. Both publish a permanently free plan.

Which one integrates with QuickBooks and Xero, Clear Books or Wave Accounting?

Neither published integration list names QuickBooks or Xero. Both lists do share PayPal and Stripe. Check the vendor pages for anything added since these records were last checked.

Which suits a smaller firm, Clear Books or Wave Accounting?

Both records list the same firm sizes: solo and small. The split comes from the rest of the record, including deployment, specialisation and the integrations each vendor lists.

Clear Books vs Wave Accounting: which fits your firm?

Wave Accounting publishes a free plan while Clear Books quotes pricing on request; both list solo and small firms.

Prices and details verified May 25, 2026 for Clear Books and August 15, 2026 for Wave Accounting. Both records sit in Core ledger and bookkeeping and are compared on vendor-published specifications, the same way across every tool.

Clear Books vs Wave Accounting side by side

7 of 13 dimensions differ. Rows marked "Differs" are where the two records do not match.

Clear Books and Wave Accounting compared across 13 dimensions, with the rows that differ marked.
Dimension	Clear Books	Wave Accounting
Entry priceDiffers	Quoted on request	Free plan
Pricing modelDiffers	Flat rate	Free
Free trialDiffers	Yes	Not listed
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Firm size fit	Solo, Small	Solo, Small
Built forDiffers	Firms and their clients	Small businesses
Specialisation	Bookkeeping	Bookkeeping
Automation profile	High volume, routine work	High volume, routine work
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Geo availabilityDiffers	UK	US, Canada
Integrations listedDiffersBoth list: PayPal, Stripe.	7 listed	3 listed
Certifications	Not published	Not published
Support channelsDiffers	Phone, Chat, Email, Knowledge base, Community forum	Email, Chat, Phone, Knowledge base

Which one fits your firm

Choose Clear Books if

UK sole traders, landlords, and small limited companies that need HMRC-recognized MTD filing.
Small UK practices wanting affordable accounting software with VAT, payroll, and CIS built in.
Businesses that want a free MTD filing tier before moving to a paid plan.

Think twice about Clear Books if

Firms outside the UK. Clear Books is built around HMRC and UK VAT rules only.
Mid-market or multi-entity groups needing consolidation. Clear Books targets small UK businesses.
Teams wanting USD pricing. Clear Books is priced in GBP for the UK market.

Choose Wave Accounting if

Solo traders, freelancers, and micro-businesses that want permanently free bookkeeping with double-entry rigor.
Accountants that add Wave as a collaborator on micro-client books at no extra license fee.
US or Canadian clients that want optional managed bookkeeping. Wave Advisors starts at $149 per month.

Think twice about Wave Accounting if

Firms with mid-market clients. Wave's reporting depth is not built for complex finance functions.
Practices outside the US or Canada. Wave operates in those two markets only.
Clients that need NetSuite, Sage Intacct, or QuickBooks-grade integration. Wave's connector list is small.

What each one does

About Clear Books

Clear Books is online accounting software for UK sole traders, landlords, and small businesses. It handles invoicing, bank feeds, VAT, payroll, and the Construction Industry Scheme, files Making Tax Digital returns to HMRC, and offers a free tier for basic MTD filing. It is built specifically around UK tax rules rather than as a global tool.

Best for UK sole traders and small businesses that need affordable, HMRC-recognized accounting with MTD, VAT, payroll, and CIS.

Clear Books profile Clear Books vendor site

About Wave Accounting

Wave Accounting is a permanently free bookkeeping, invoicing, and financial reporting platform for small businesses. A paid Pro plan adds automatic bank imports, and an optional managed bookkeeping service is available for clients who want hands-on support.

Best for solo traders, freelancers, and US or Canadian micro-businesses that want permanently free double-entry bookkeeping.

Wave Accounting profile Wave Accounting pricing and plans Wave Accounting vendor site

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Clear Books or Wave Accounting?: Wave Accounting publishes a free plan. Clear Books quotes pricing on request and publishes no figure, so the two cannot be compared on published prices alone.
Do Clear Books and Wave Accounting both offer a free trial?: Clear Books lists a free trial. Wave Accounting does not. Both publish a permanently free plan.
Which one integrates with QuickBooks and Xero, Clear Books or Wave Accounting?: Neither published integration list names QuickBooks or Xero. Both lists do share PayPal and Stripe. Check the vendor pages for anything added since these records were last checked.
Which suits a smaller firm, Clear Books or Wave Accounting?: Both records list the same firm sizes: solo and small. The split comes from the rest of the record, including deployment, specialisation and the integrations each vendor lists.