Wave vs Keap

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 →

Keap

Keap is a CRM and marketing automation platform designed specifically for small businesses and solopreneurs. It combines contact management, email marketing, invoicing, and appointment scheduling in one platform. Keap is ideal for service-based small businesses that want to automate their client follow-up and lead nurturing.

Paid 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

• ✓All-in-one platform covering CRM, marketing, and payments
• ✓Strong automation for small service businesses
• ✓Good for automating client follow-up and lead nurturing
• ✓Dedicated small business focus

Cons

• ✗Expensive for what you get compared to alternatives
• ✗Steep learning curve for the automation builder
• ✗Interface feels dated compared to modern CRM tools

Best For

Solopreneurs and very small businesses wanting free accounting and invoicing software

Best For

Service-based small businesses wanting CRM and marketing automation in one