What people complain about in Wave

Capabilities people described needing that Wave does not give them, taken from the highest-scoring problems first. These are individual accounts written in each person’s own terms, so two entries may describe the same underlying gap in different words.

• Accounting software with built-in inter-entity loan and ownership tracking instead of manual spreadsheets
• A fast, purpose-built receipt camera app that syncs instantly with accounting software
• Accounting software that handles assets with multiple owners and separate funding sources
• Automated workflows for partner reimbursements on shared asset purchases
• Clear guidance and automation for depreciation calculations on partial ownership assets
• Inventory management software that integrates Wave and Google Sheets for automatic syncing
• Multi-channel payout aggregation that handles different payout formats
• Lump-sum payment fee estimation without invoice details
• Sales tax tracking across platforms that collect on behalf vs self-collection
• Automated integration of Square sales reports with bank transaction feeds
• Simple, non-accountant-friendly bookkeeping workflow for receipt-to-report pipeline
• Transparent multi-artist revenue and expense tracking with sliding scale pricing support
• Receipt import and digital storage to replace printing
• Unified import from multiple sources without manual data entry
• Affordable, simple accounting software for micro clients under $100K revenue
• Automated reconciliation and multi-account support without manual spreadsheet tracking
• Photography-specific financial tracking app with gear depreciation and mileage
• Simple financial dashboard that replaces manual spreadsheet tracking with automated income and expense categorization
• Invoicing software with guaranteed issue resolution and callback support

The manual processes people built around the gap. A long workaround list is the strongest evidence a problem is real: someone is already paying for it in time. Where several people described the same workaround, it is marked.

• manually building Excel sheets to track inter-entity transactions
• uses Wave to take pictures of receipts but it's too slow
• Using personal savings account for business asset purchase
• Manual tracking of partner reimbursement via wire transfer
• Creating custom depreciation and asset accounts in Wave without clear methodology
• Manually logs each sale into a Google Sheet
• Uses Google Sheet with columns for date, platform, gross, fees, shipping, net
• Logs Instagram payments as lump sum and estimates fees
• Manually tracks COGS for materials and packaging separately
• Relies on platform-specific payout handling (Etsy batches deposits, Shopify uses own processor)
• used Sheets for bookkeeping but panicked at tax time due to lack of structure
• snap pics of receipts and upload them to Wave but lost on how to use for anything else
• tried Open Collective for transparent accounting but unsure how it fits
• prints everything out to save receipts
• uses separate software for booking (Janeapp) and payroll (Payworks)
• uses spreadsheets instead of paid accounting software
• uses spreadsheet to track transactions beyond 2-3 accounts
• uses Excel/Google Sheets to manually track finances
• uses generic accounting software like QuickBooks or Wave
• uses google sheets to track finances

The problems themselves

Highest opportunity score first.

• Payment account deactivated without warning, funds withheld for weeks, disrupting operations with no clear resolution path.

  5Critical
  General Business Services·Payment Processing·FundShield Payments

• A solo handyman/repair/fabrication LLC owner needs accounting software that handles income tracking, taxes, bookkeeping, receipts, invoicing, payments, works on iOS/Linux, and integrates with non-traditional payment methods, while avoiding QuickBooks.

  3Medium
  Home Services·Accounting & Financial Management·SoloFlow Accounting

• Need affordable multi-entity accounting software that supports inter-entity transactions and complex ownership structures without requiring separate subscriptions per entity.

  4High
  Accounting & Bookkeeping·Accounting & Financial Management·EntityHub Accounting

• Wave Invoicing is unreliable, often not working, and needs significant improvement.

  3Medium
  Accounting & Bookkeeping·Software Reliability & Performance·InvoiceStream Pro

• Invoice and payment receipt processing is too slow, especially taking photos of receipts.

  3Medium
  Accounting & Bookkeeping·Invoicing & Billing·QuickSnap Receipts

• Small SCORP business owner needs payroll software and W-2 setup for 3 people.

  3Medium
  Accounting & Bookkeeping·Payroll Management·MicroPayroll Pro

• A business owner is confused about how to properly account for partial ownership of equipment purchased with personal funds and reimbursed by a partner, specifically how to set up depreciation and asset tracking in their accounting software.

  3Medium
  Professional Services·Accounting & Financial Management·CoAsset Pro

• Accounting software users are frustrated by in-app advertisements and upgrade prompts that disrupt their workflow.

  3Medium
  Accounting & Bookkeeping·User Experience·Ad-Free Ledger

• Wave accounting app has most features locked behind a paywall, including viewing previously entered transactions.

  3Medium
  Accounting & Bookkeeping·Invoicing & Billing·InvoiceLite

• Sole business owner needs an affordable, easy-to-use bookkeeping app that integrates receipt scanning, invoicing with CC payments, bank connection, financial reporting, tax estimation, and AR/AP tracking.

  3Medium
  General Business Services·Bookkeeping·SoloBooks

• A new small cleaning business owner needs an integrated invoicing, payment, and bookkeeping solution that handles recurring billing for commercial clients.

  3Medium
  Cleaning & Maintenance·Invoicing & Billing·CleanBill Pro

• Small business needs to automatically sync inventory updates from Wave accounting app to a Google Sheet when sales are made, currently manually logging each sale into the sheet.

  3Medium
  Accounting & Bookkeeping·Inventory Management·StockSync Flow

• Tracking income and fees from sales across Etsy, Shopify, and Instagram DMs without formal invoices is time-consuming and error-prone, especially for tax reconciliation and sales tax compliance.

  3Medium
  E-commerce·Reconciliation & Cleanup Workflow·StitchSales

• A new photography business owner needs a simple, low-cost way to track business expenses and payments to contractors but is overwhelmed by available options.

  3Medium
  Professional Services·Accounting & Financial Management·SnapLedger

• Art collective using Square and Wave struggles to integrate sales reports, bank transactions, and receipts into a coherent financial picture for tax preparation, and needs guidance on optimal business structure and reporting.

  3Medium
  Art·Bookkeeping·CollectiveBooks

• Need simple, non-cloud bookkeeping software for Mac that imports CSV from various sources and works for Canadian small business.

  3Medium
  Accounting & Bookkeeping·Accounting & Financial Management·MacLedger Pro

• Accounting software for micro clients under $100K revenue is too expensive or lacks appropriate features.

  3Medium
  Accounting & Bookkeeping·Financial Management·MicroLedger

• User is dissatisfied with QuickBooks Desktop subscription cost and wants to find an alternative online accounting solution that allows self-managed monthly bookkeeping.

  3Medium
  General Business Services·Accounting & Financial Management·BookkeepFlow

• Small business owners struggle to find affordable accounting software that balances UI responsiveness, inventory/project billing support, and reliable customer support without breaking the bank.

  3Medium
  General Business Services·Financial Management·LeanLedger Pro

• User needs a budget-friendly bookkeeping platform with accountant collaboration and bank transaction linking, having found that Wave's collaboration feature is now paid-only.

  2Mild
  Accounting & Bookkeeping·Accounting & Financial Management·BookkeepPro Lite