OneBookPlus vs Wave:
the Australian all-in-one alternative
Wave gives away free invoicing and accounting — and that's genuinely useful. But its Payments, Payroll and bank feeds are US and Canada only, it bills in USD, and it isn't built for Australian GST or BAS. OneBookPlus is Australian-built and bundles invoicing, CRM, bookings, jobs and accounting in one app — from $0/month.
Key takeaways
5- Wave's free Starter plan is genuinely free and generous: unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and double-entry bookkeeping at $0/month (waveapps.com/pricing). Its paid Pro plan is USD $19/month, adding bank-transaction auto-import, discounted card processing, receipt capture and branded invoicing.
- The catch in Australia is geography: Wave Payments and Wave Payroll are US & Canada only, and automatic bank-connection feeds are restricted outside the US/Canada — Wave's own Help Centre points outside-region users elsewhere. Wave also bills in USD/CAD, not AUD.
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- Wave is not Australian-tax-native: there's no direct ATO lodgement (you export reports for a BAS agent) and tax handling is generic sales-tax tracking, not AU GST. Its tax-exclusive pricing model is a poor fit for Australia's tax-inclusive consumer pricing (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_Financial).
- Wave wins on: a truly free tier with unlimited invoices, a clean double-entry ledger, and zero cost for a North-American sole trader who just needs invoicing and books.
- OneBookPlus wins on: Australian fit (AUD billing, 10% GST, ABN validation, BAS-ready figures, AU bank feeds and AU payments) and platform breadth (CRM, bookings, jobs, marketing, POS and AI in one subscription, from $0/month).
At a glance
What you get with each platform
OneBookPlus
From $0/mo — Australian, everything included
- GST invoicing & quoting (10%)
- ABN validation & BAS-ready figures
- Australian bank feeds (Basiq)
- In-app payments (Stripe, AU)
- CRM & contact management
- Online booking page
- Job management & pipeline
- Email marketing & reviews
- Accounting & P&L reports
- POS & retail management
- AI Companion + AI Receptionist
- Australian-built & supported
Wave
Free Starter / USD $19/mo Pro — North-America-first accounting
- Unlimited free invoices & estimates
- Double-entry bookkeeping & reports
- Receipt capture (Pro / add-on)
- AU GST / ABN / BAS lodgement
- Priced & billed in AUD
- Wave Payments (US & Canada only)
- Bank feeds in Australia
- Wave Payroll (US & Canada only)
- CRM, bookings, jobs, marketing, POS
- AI assistant / receptionist
Feature by feature
OneBookPlus vs Wave — detailed comparison
Both have a free tier. The honest split is fit and breadth: Wave is free North-American invoicing and books; OneBookPlus is an Australian all-in-one platform.
| Feature | OneBookPlus | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan available | ||
| Unlimited invoices on the free plan | ||
| GST-compliant invoicing (10%) | ||
| ABN validation (Australian Business Register) | ||
| BAS / ATO tax summaries | ||
| Priced & billed in AUD | ||
| In-app online / card payments | ||
| Automatic bank-feed import | ||
| Australian payroll (STP Phase 2) | ||
| Accounting & P&L reports | ||
| CRM & contact management | ||
| Online booking page | ||
| Job management & pipeline | ||
| Email marketing & campaigns | ||
| Google review requests | ||
| POS & retail management | ||
| AI assistant + AI receptionist | ||
| Native mobile app | ||
| Australian-built & supported | ||
| Price | From A$0/mo | Free / USD $19/mo (Pro) |
| AUD, inc. GST, all included | Billed in USD; AU features limited |
Category by category
Free North-American accounting vs Australian all-in-one
Here is each dimension an Australian operator checks first — cited against Wave’s own pages and help centre, and honest about where Wave’s free tier genuinely competes.
| Category | Feature | OneBookPlus | Wave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0 plan for invoicing + accounting | Free plan (10 invoices/mo, 250 contacts) | Free Starter: unlimited invoices + bookkeeping [src] |
| Billing currency | Priced & billed in AUD | AUD, inc. GST | USD / CAD (no AUD billing) [src] |
| GST / BAS | AU-native 10% GST + BAS-ready figures | Built for AU GST + BAS | Generic sales-tax tracking; no BAS [src] |
| ATO lodgement | Australian tax-office lodgement path | DSPPT-49533 onboarding | No ATO lodgement; export for your agent [src] |
| ABN | ABN validation via the Australian Business Register | Yes | No |
| Payments | In-app card / online payments | Stripe-powered, AU | US & Canada only [src] |
| Bank feeds | Automatic bank-transaction import | Connected via Basiq (AU) | Restricted outside US/Canada [src] |
| Payroll / STP | Australian payroll (STP Phase 2) | Rostering & Payroll add-on | US & Canada only [src] |
| Accounting depth | Double-entry GL, P&L, balance sheet | P&L, balance sheet, GST | Double-entry accounting + reports [src] |
| CRM | Full contact CRM with client timeline | Yes | Customer list only, not a CRM [src] |
| Online bookings | Customer-facing booking page + calendar | Yes | No |
| Job management | Quote → job → invoice pipeline | Yes | No |
| Marketing | Email campaigns + Google review requests | Yes | No |
| POS / retail | Point of sale + menu/order management | Yes | No |
| AI features | Business-wide AI assistant + AI Receptionist | AI Companion + AI Receptionist | No |
| Local presence | Australian-built & AU support | Built in Australia | North-America-focused [src] |
| Data residency | Where customer data is stored | AWS Sydney (ap-southeast-2) | North America [src] |
| Starting price (AUD, inc. GST) | From A$0/mo | Free / USD $19/mo | |
| Inc. GST · AUD billing · All modules bundled | Free Starter or Pro · billed in USD · AU features limited |
Where Wave wins
Credit where it’s due
Wave’s free tier is the real deal, and it has earned its reputation. The free Starter plan lets you send unlimited estimates and invoices, record bills, and keep proper double-entry bookkeeping — all at $0/month, with a clean mobile app and no invoice cap. For a sole trader or freelancer who just needs to invoice and keep books, that is genuinely hard to beat on price. Wave’s ledger is a real double-entry accounting tool, not a toy, and in its home markets the paid layer — bank auto-import, discounted card processing, and payroll — rounds it out nicely. If you operate in the United States or Canada, or you simply want free, no-frills invoicing and a ledger and don’t need Australian payments, bank feeds, or BAS, Wave is a legitimately strong, honestly free choice and the switch isn’t urgent.
Where OneBookPlus wins
Three differences that matter in Australia
Built for Australian tax, not retrofitted. Wave does generic sales-tax tracking and has no ATO lodgement — you export reports and hand them to a BAS agent — and its tax-exclusive pricing model is a poor fit for Australia’s tax-inclusive pricing. OneBookPlus calculates 10% GST automatically, validates ABNs via the Australian Business Register, tracks GST collected and paid, and produces BAS-ready summaries — because it’s an Australian product.
The paid layer actually works here. Wave’s most useful features are US and Canada only — Payments and Payroll don’t run in Australia, and bank-connection feeds are restricted outside the US/Canada. OneBookPlus takes in-app payments through Stripe, connects Australian bank feeds via Basiq in about two minutes, and offers STP-ready payroll — the parts of an accounting workflow Wave can’t cover here.
One Australian platform, not just a ledger. Wave is invoicing and accounting; it has a customer list, not a CRM, and no bookings, jobs, marketing, POS or AI. OneBookPlus carries a single customer record from the first online booking through the quote, the job, the GST invoice and the BAS line, and adds email campaigns, Google review requests, a point of sale, and an AI Companion that chases unpaid invoices and an AI Receptionist that answers calls — all on one Australian subscription from $0/month.
Why switch
Why Australian businesses outgrow Wave
The free part stops at the AU border
Wave's free invoicing works anywhere, but Payments, Payroll and bank feeds are US/Canada only — so in Australia you end up bolting on a payment gateway, a separate bank-reconciliation step, and a BAS workaround. OneBookPlus has those built in, in AUD.
GST and BAS without the export dance
Wave has no ATO lodgement and generic sales-tax tracking, so you export reports and hand them to a BAS agent. OneBookPlus calculates 10% GST, validates ABNs, and gives you BAS-ready figures inside the same app where you invoice.
Billed in dollars that aren't yours
Wave Pro is priced in USD, so your bill drifts with the exchange rate and your reporting mixes currencies. OneBookPlus is priced and billed in AUD inc. GST, with a free plan and paid tiers at $29, $49 and $69/month.
More than a ledger
Wave is invoicing and books. To run a service business you'd still add a CRM, a booking tool, a job manager and a mailer. OneBookPlus bundles CRM, bookings, jobs, marketing, POS and AI with the accounting — one login, one Australian platform.
FAQ
OneBookPlus vs Wave — your questions answered
Is Wave actually free, and how does OneBookPlus compare?
Yes — Wave's free Starter plan is genuinely free, and it's generous: you can send unlimited estimates and invoices, record bills, and keep double-entry bookkeeping at $0/month (see waveapps.com/pricing). Credit where it's due. OneBookPlus also has a $0 plan, but it's capped at 10 invoices a month and 250 contacts. The difference isn't 'free vs paid' — both have a free tier. The difference is what each free tier is built for: Wave is North-America-first accounting, while OneBookPlus is an Australian all-in-one platform with bookings, CRM, jobs, marketing and an AI layer included. If all you need is unlimited free invoices and basic books, and you don't need AU bank feeds, AU payments or BAS, Wave is a legitimately strong free choice.
Does Wave work in Australia?
Partly. You can use Wave's free invoicing and bookkeeping in Australia by setting your country and currency at sign-up. But Wave's revenue-generating features are North-America-only: Wave Payments (card/online payments) is US and Canada only, Wave Payroll is US and Canada only, and automatic bank-connection feeds are restricted outside the US and Canada — Wave's own Help Centre directs users outside those regions elsewhere. Wave also has no ATO lodgement and its tax handling is generic sales-tax tracking, not AU-native GST. So in Australia you get the free invoicing and the ledger, but not the paid layer that makes Wave compelling in North America.
Can OneBookPlus replace Wave for an Australian business?
Yes, and it covers the gaps Wave leaves in Australia. OneBookPlus handles GST-compliant invoicing, expense tracking, profit-and-loss reports and BAS-ready summaries — built for Australian tax from the ground up rather than retrofitted. On top of the accounting you get CRM, online bookings, job management, email marketing, POS, review requests and an AI Companion, plus in-app payments and Australian bank feeds (via Basiq) that Wave doesn't offer here. If you've been using Wave for free invoices but reaching for separate tools to take payments, reconcile a bank account or lodge BAS in Australia, OneBookPlus folds all of that into one Australian platform.
How much does Wave cost compared to OneBookPlus in 2026?
Wave's Starter plan is free; its Pro plan is USD $19/month (about A$29–31 depending on the exchange rate), which adds auto-import and auto-categorisation of bank transactions, discounted card processing, receipt capture, late-payment reminders and branded invoicing (see waveapps.com/pricing). Note that Pro's headline upgrades — bank import and discounted payments — lean on features that are US/Canada-centric, and Wave bills in USD. OneBookPlus is priced and billed in AUD inc. GST: a free plan, then $29/month (Starter), $49/month (Plus) and $69/month (Growth), each bundling invoicing, CRM, bookings, marketing and accounting in one subscription. So the real comparison isn't dollar-for-dollar on the ledger — it's whether you also want bookings, CRM, jobs, marketing, AU payments and BAS in the same price.
Does Wave handle GST and BAS like OneBookPlus?
No. Wave supports generic sales-tax tracking, but it isn't tailored to Australian GST, and it offers no direct ATO lodgement — Australian users export reports and hand them to a registered BAS agent or accountant for submission. Wave's tax-exclusive pricing model is also a poor fit for Australia, where consumer pricing is usually tax-inclusive. OneBookPlus calculates 10% GST automatically on invoices and quotes, validates ABNs via the Australian Business Register, tracks GST collected and paid, and produces ATO-ready BAS summaries — because it's an Australian product built for Australian tax compliance.
What is the best Wave alternative in Australia in 2026?
For Australian businesses that liked Wave's free invoicing but hit its limits here, OneBookPlus is the closest all-in-one Australian alternative. Where Wave gives you free invoicing and a ledger but no AU payments, no AU bank feeds, no AU payroll and no BAS, OneBookPlus is Australian-built with GST, ABN and BAS support, in-app payments, bank feeds via Basiq, and a free plan — plus CRM, bookings, jobs, marketing, POS and AI that Wave doesn't ship at all. If you specifically want a free, no-frills North-American accounting tool and you don't need the AU-specific or all-in-one features, Wave itself is still a fine pick.
Can I import my Wave data into OneBookPlus?
Yes. OneBookPlus imports your customer list via CSV export from Wave during onboarding, so you keep your contacts without re-typing them. Your historical invoices and books stay in Wave as a record, while new invoices, quotes, bookings and payments happen in OneBookPlus — with Australian bank feeds connecting in about two minutes via our secure integration. You can export your OneBookPlus data at any time, so you are never locked in.
Wave is free — but free at what, in Australia?
Wave earned its following honestly: a free, real double-entry accounting tool with unlimited invoicing is rare, and for a North-American sole trader it's an easy yes. The question for an Australian business isn't whether Wave is cheap — it is — but whether “free invoicing and a ledger” is the whole job. Here, Wave's revenue features (Payments, Payroll, bank feeds) are US/Canada only, billing is in USD, and there's no BAS or ATO path. The free part you can use; the part that closes the loop you mostly can't.
OneBookPlus is also free to start, but it's built the other way around: Australian tax first, then the rest of the business on top. GST is calculated automatically, ABNs validate against the Australian Business Register, BAS figures are ready when the quarter closes, payments run through Stripe, and bank feeds connect via Basiq. Then bookings, CRM, jobs, marketing, POS and AI sit in the same app, so a quote becomes a job, the job becomes a GST invoice, the payment matches your bank feed, and the GST lands in your BAS — no exports, no second tool.
Feature Deep Dive
- Australian Bank Feeds & Payments — OneBookPlus connects your Australian bank accounts through a secure bank-feed integration (powered by Basiq) and takes in-app card payments through Stripe. Transactions flow in automatically, get categorised, and high-confidence matches reconcile against your open invoices. Wave restricts bank connections outside the US/Canada and its Payments product doesn't operate in Australia, so this is the part of the workflow Wave can't close here.
- GST, ABN & BAS Built In — Every invoice and quote calculates 10% GST, ABNs validate against the Australian Business Register, and GST collected and paid roll up into a BAS-ready summary. Wave offers generic sales-tax tracking and no ATO lodgement, so Australian Wave users export reports and rely on a BAS agent to file.
- A Platform, Not Just Books — During onboarding you tell OneBookPlus your business type and the dashboard adapts: a tradie sees Jobs, Pipeline and Quotes; a salon sees Bookings, Services and Reviews; a cafe gets POS, Menu and Kitchen Display. Wave is a customer list plus a ledger — there is no booking page, CRM timeline, job pipeline, marketing or POS to adapt.
Who Should Switch from Wave
- Australian businesses using Wave for free invoices but stuck on the rest — if you're reaching for a separate payment gateway, a manual bank reconciliation, or a BAS workaround, OneBookPlus folds those into one Australian app.
- Service businesses that need bookings or jobs, not just a ledger — Wave doesn't do bookings or job management. OneBookPlus runs the whole quote-to-job-to-invoice pipeline with a customer-facing booking page.
- Anyone who wants AUD billing and AU support — start free with OneBookPlus, priced in Australian dollars, instead of a USD subscription tuned for North America.
- —When Wave might still be better: if you operate in the US or Canada, or you only need free invoicing and a clean ledger with no Australian payments, bank feeds, payroll or BAS, Wave's genuinely free tier is hard to beat and there's no reason to switch.
Getting Started
Switching takes minutes. Sign up free at onebookplus.com.au, choose your business type during onboarding, and import your customer list via CSV export from Wave. Your existing invoices and books stay in Wave for historical records. New invoices, quotes, bookings and payments happen in OneBookPlus from day one — and your Australian bank feeds connect in under two minutes via our secure integration.
Migration guide
How to switch from Wave to OneBookPlus
Export your customers from Wave
In Wave, export your customer list as a CSV and import it straight into OneBookPlus — names, emails, phone numbers and addresses map across into proper CRM records (not just a customer list), each ready for bookings, quotes and invoices. Your Wave file stays intact as a historical record.
Connect AU bank feeds and set your GST defaults
Connect your Australian bank accounts in about two minutes via our secure bank-feed integration — something Wave can't do here — and set your ABN, 10% GST defaults and BAS quarter so every new invoice is ATO-compliant and feeds your BAS summary automatically. Turn on Stripe to take card payments in AUD.
Start new invoices in OneBookPlus, keep Wave as the archive
Pick a cut-over date — usually the start of a BAS quarter — and raise all new quotes, bookings and invoices in OneBookPlus from that day. There's no need to migrate historical transactions; keep your free Wave account as a read-only archive until your last open BAS period is lodged. You can export your OneBookPlus data at any time, so you are never locked in.
Industries
Tools & Apps
Keep the free start.
Get the Australian half Wave can't give you.
GST, BAS, AU bank feeds, payments, bookings, CRM and jobs — in one Australian app, from $0/month.
No credit card · Free plan available · Cancel anytime
About this comparison
How we compared OneBookPlus to Wave
Feature claims about OneBookPlus reflect what is shipping today on onebookplus.com.au. Wave pricing and feature claims were last verified against Wave’s public Australian product pages on the date below; vendor pricing changes frequently, so check the Wave website for your specific situation before making a decision.
Disclosure: OneBookPlus publishes this comparison and stands to benefit if you switch. We aim to compare like-for-like on capability and Australian tax compliance — if you spot something out of date, email hello@onebookplus.com.au and we’ll review it.
About the author
Bishal Shrestha
Founder & CEO, OneBookPlus
Bishal has over a decade of experience in digital marketing, web development, and small business consulting across Australia. Bishal regularly assists Australian small to medium businesses with software stack consolidation — including the trade-offs of moving from Wave to an integrated platform. The comparison above is informed by direct migration experience, not a single read of the Wave marketing site.
Last reviewed and updated: June 2026 by Bishal Shrestha