Wave vs HubSpot CRM

Wave

Wave is a free accounting and invoicing platform designed for small businesses, freelancers, and solopreneurs. It offers genuinely free accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning with no subscription fee. Wave makes money through payment processing and payroll add-ons. It is one of the best free accounting tools available for very small businesses with simple needs.

Freemium pricing · Get Pricing →

HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM is a powerful and easy-to-use customer relationship management platform trusted by over 150,000 companies worldwide. It offers a completely free core CRM with optional paid Marketing, Sales, and Service Hubs for growing teams. HubSpot is the go-to CRM for companies that want to align their marketing, sales, and customer service teams in one platform.

Freemium pricing · Get Pricing →

Pros

• ✓Genuinely free accounting and invoicing — no subscription required
• ✓Clean and easy to use interface
• ✓Good enough for most very small businesses and freelancers
• ✓Receipt scanning and bank connections included free

Cons

• ✗Limited features compared to paid alternatives
• ✗Customer support is minimal on the free plan
• ✗Not suitable for growing businesses with complex needs
• ✗Payroll and payment processing add-ons can add up in cost

Pros

• ✓Generous free plan that is genuinely useful for small teams
• ✓All-in-one platform covering marketing, sales, and service
• ✓Excellent onboarding resources and HubSpot Academy
• ✓Strong integrations with 1000+ tools

Cons

• ✗Can get very expensive as you add paid Hubs and contacts
• ✗Some advanced features locked behind higher tiers
• ✗Reporting is limited on free and starter plans

Best For

Solopreneurs and very small businesses wanting free accounting and invoicing software

Best For

SMBs wanting a free CRM with room to grow into marketing automation