📌 Originally published on the Inkvoice blog.
Wave has been a default "free invoicing" pick for years, and for good reason — it bundles invoicing with accounting at no cost. But it isn't the right fit for everyone, and if you've landed here you're probably weighing a move. This is a practical guide to choosing a Wave alternative: why people switch, what to look for, and the strongest options in 2026.
Disclosure: we build one of the alternatives mentioned below (Inkvoice). The aim here is to help you choose well, not to talk you into anything.
Why people look for a Wave alternative
Common reasons we hear:
- Data ownership. Wave is closed-source and hosted-only — your invoices and client data live on their infrastructure, and there's no self-host option. If you want to control where your data sits, that's a hard limit.
- Region focus. Wave's strongest features (especially anything payment- or payroll-related) center on the US and Canada. Outside those, the experience thins out.
- You want lighter, not heavier. Wave is an accounting suite. If you mostly need to send clean invoices and track who's paid, a full bookkeeping platform can feel like overkill.
- Open-source preference. Some people simply prefer software they can read, audit, and run themselves.
If none of those apply to you, Wave may still be a great fit — there's no need to switch for the sake of it.
What to look for in an alternative
- Ownership & portability — can you export everything and leave? Can you self-host if you want to?
- The get-paid-faster basics — recurring invoices, quotes/estimates, customer statements, and ideally read receipts so you know an invoice was opened.
- Professional output — clean PDF templates, multi-currency, and multiple languages if you bill internationally.
- Honest pricing — "free" should mean free, not "free until you hit a feature wall." Watch for per-transaction fees dressed up as free features.
- Right-sized — match the tool to the job. Full accounting if you need books; focused invoicing if you don't.
The best Wave alternatives in 2026
| Alternative | Free | Open source / self-host | Best when you want… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inkvoice | Yes (no caps) | Yes — MIT, self-hostable | To own your data and keep invoicing simple |
| Zoho Invoice | Yes | No | A polished hosted free tier |
| Invoice Ninja | Free tier | Yes | Every feature, and don't mind setup |
| FreshBooks | Paid | No | Bookkeeping + invoicing, willing to pay |
Inkvoice — if data ownership is the reason you're leaving
Inkvoice is free, open-source (MIT) invoicing you actually own. It's the most direct answer to the two most common Wave complaints — ownership and weight. You can self-host it in minutes (Docker, Dokploy, Coolify) or use the hosted version, and either way you can export your data anytime. It's deliberately lightweight and modern, with the get-paid-faster toolkit built in: recurring invoices, quotes, customer statements, and read receipts. It records payments rather than processing them, so there are no transaction fees — you mark an invoice paid as the money arrives.
Best when: you're leaving Wave for control and simplicity, not to find a different accounting suite.
Zoho Invoice — the polished hosted pick
If you don't care about self-hosting and just want a clean, free, hosted invoicing tool, Zoho Invoice is excellent, especially within the Zoho ecosystem. Closed-source and hosted-only, like Wave.
Invoice Ninja — the feature-maximalist open-source option
Open-source with a free tier and self-hosting. Very capable, with more features (and more setup) than a minimal tool. A strong pick if you want maximum control and don't mind the heavier footprint.
FreshBooks — if you'd actually pay for bookkeeping
Not free, but worth a mention: if your real need is small-business accounting plus invoicing and you're willing to pay, FreshBooks is a polished option. If "free" is non-negotiable, it's not the one.
The bottom line
If you're leaving Wave because you want to own your data and keep invoicing simple, an open-source, self-hostable tool is the natural landing spot — that's exactly the gap Inkvoice fills. If you want bookkeeping bundled in or the most polished hosted free tier, Zoho or a paid suite may suit you better. Either way, pick the tool that lets you take your data with you.
Get the free invoice-template pack
Four professional, ready-to-send invoice templates (print-ready PDF) — free, no payment, no signup, no lock-in.
Rather skip the busywork? Inkvoice is free, open-source invoicing you actually own — self-host it free, or let us host it. Try Inkvoice free.
