Ekue
Where they differ
| Ekue | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | One plan, $15 a month per business, after a 30-day free trial | A free plan, with a paid plan and paid add-ons |
| Card payments | Through your own Stripe account, at Stripe's rates | Through Wave's own payment service |
| Bills and bill payments | Yes, split across several bills | Yes |
| Receipts read for you | Yes, you check and save | On the paid plan |
| Reconcile to a statement | Yes, reconciled entries lock | Yes |
| Year-end pack | One download for your tax agent | Reports run one at a time |
Written from public information, October 2026. Plans and prices change; check their own site before you decide.
Free is good until tax time
A free tool is a fine way to send your first invoices. The cost shows up later: in the hours spent turning a year of transactions into the figures a tax agent needs, and in what the agent charges to do it for you.
Ekue is built backwards from that moment. Every category is mapped to a Schedule C line, every contractor you pay is totalled for the 1099-NEC, and every receipt is attached to the expense it proves. At year end you download one pack and send it.
Your payments, your processor
When a customer pays an Ekue invoice by card, the charge happens on your own Stripe account. The money never passes through Ekue, you pay Stripe's own fees, and Ekue records the payment and the fee in your books automatically.
When Wave is the better choice
If you send a handful of invoices a year and file a simple return yourself, Wave's free plan may be all you need. Wave also offers payroll in some places; Ekue doesn't.