We took the things people don’t like about Wave accounting and made them better. Wave Accounting made headlines for offering free accounting tools tailored to freelancers, solopreneurs, and microbusinesses. Its clean interface and easy setup process made it a go-to solution for business owners just starting out. However, as users grow, many discover its limitations—especially when they begin managing more complex operations or want greater financial insights.
GlassJar vs Wave
| GlassJar | Wave | |
| Simplified Transaction Entry | ||
| No Duplicate Contacts | ||
| Single Click-To-View Records | ||
| Easily Import & Export Data | ||
| Large Report Handling | ||
| Reliable Audit Logs | ||
| Auto-Close Accounts | ||
| It’s Not Wave |
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“I’m able to get more done in less time. GlassJar has me waving goodbye to Wave.”
Matt Getz
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Core
$59
$29.50/mo*LIMITED TIME DISCOUNT AT LAUNCH
Income and expenses
Bookkeeping automation
Invoice and payments
Tax deductions
General reports
Receipt capture
Mileage tracking
Cash flow
Sales and sales tax
Estimates
Contractors
Bill management
Connect 3 sales channel
Multiple currencies
Includes 3 users
Enter time
MOST POPULAR
Complete
$89
$44.50/mo*LIMITED TIME DISCOUNT AT LAUNCH
Income and expenses
Bookkeeping automation
Invoice and payments
Tax deductions
General reports
Receipt capture
Mileage tracking
Cash flow
Sales and sales tax
Estimates
Contractors
Bill management
Multiple currencies
Enter time
Connect all sales channel
Includes 5 users
Project profitability
Financial planning
Advanced
Starting at
$199
$99.50/mo*LIMITED TIME DISCOUNT AT LAUNCH
Income and expenses
Bookkeeping automation
Invoice and payments
Tax deductions
General reports
Receipt capture
Mileage tracking
Cash flow
Sales and sales tax
Estimates
Contractors
Bill management
Multiple currencies
Enter time
Project profitability
Financial planning
Connect all sales channel
Includes 25 users
Auto-track fixed assets
Data sync with Excel
Batch invoices and expenses
Custom access controls
Workflow automation
Data restoration
24/7 support & training
Revenue recognition
*Pricing subject to change at launch.
Our Core Features
Less Clicks
Do more with less clicks. Add entries and people of any type in one place.
Report On Anything
Combine any type of data with our drag-and-drop report builder.
No Duplicate Contacts
Contacts can be both a customer and vendor at the same time.
Data Friendly
Run reports and export small to large data files with ease and lag-free.
Better Audit Logs
Reliable audit logs that don’t continuously spiral into oblivion.
It’s Not Wave
We took the things that people dislike about Wave accounting software and fixed them.
GlassJar’s accounting tools are purpose-built to integrate smoothly, giving you a clear financial picture without the clutter or complexity.
Sign Up To Get EARLY ACCESS To GlassJar
Stay ahead of the curve by getting notified when GlassJar accounting software becomes available in your area.
Wave Accounting’s Rise—And Its Limits
Wave lacks customizable reporting, inventory tracking, and advanced invoice features that growing businesses often need. Many users also report inconsistent support and limited integrations with other platforms. Once business needs evolve, many begin searching for a more scalable, dependable solution.
GlassJar: Built by Accountants, Designed for Growth
GlassJar was created by a team of accountants and software developers who understand the gaps in tools like Wave. GlassJar is not just a replacement—it’s an upgrade built for businesses that outgrow limited platforms but don’t want the complexity or price tag of enterprise software.
GlassJar’s mission is simple: to provide intuitive, powerful, and flexible accounting software without unnecessary fluff or inflated pricing. Unlike Wave, GlassJar offers robust reporting, deeper customization, and live support with actual accounting professionals.
“GlassJar scales with our business so we aren’t paying for things we don’t need.”
– Sonia Salizar
Breaking Bread Bakeries
Where Wave Falls Short—and GlassJar Steps In
1. Real-Time Collaboration
Wave’s interface is largely built for a single user, with limited collaboration features for growing teams. GlassJar allows multiple users, role-based permissions, and seamless collaboration between business owners, bookkeepers, and CPAs. All activity is synced in real time with version tracking and audit trails for accountability.
2. Custom Chart of Accounts
Wave’s chart of accounts lacks customization options, restricting how businesses can organize and track their financials. GlassJar offers a flexible chart of accounts, allowing users to rename, restructure, or create categories that mirror their actual business operations.
3. Smarter Invoicing and Payment Automation
In Wave, recurring invoices and auto-payments are limited in flexibility. With GlassJar, you can set up client-specific invoice rules, late payment reminders, and automatic payment splits across multiple income categories. Payment integrations support more gateways, and the system reconciles them against invoices without manual matching.
4. Built-In Inventory and Cost Tracking
Wave doesn’t offer inventory management. Businesses selling physical products must rely on third-party tools. GlassJar includes native inventory tracking, cost-of-goods calculations, SKU labeling, and alerts for low stock. This feature alone makes GlassJar a preferred Wave accounting alternative for e-commerce and retail operators.
5. More Insightful Financial Reports
Wave provides basic financial reports such as Profit and Loss and Balance Sheets. However, businesses looking to analyze spending trends, department-level profitability, or cash flow forecasting need more. GlassJar offers advanced financial dashboards, customizable P&Ls by category or date range, and predictive cash flow tools that help with better financial planning.
6. Support That Actually Helps
Wave’s support is largely self-service unless you pay extra for advisors. GlassJar includes live chat, phone support, and onboarding consultations with licensed bookkeepers. There’s also a help desk staffed by CPAs during business hours. You won’t have to rely on community forums or delayed email responses.
Wave’s Pricing vs. GlassJar’s Value
While Wave is free for basic use, the value drops when you begin paying for additional services like payroll, bookkeeping, or payment processing. GlassJar provides one all-inclusive pricing plan that scales with your business. There are no hidden upsells. You get everything—core accounting, reporting, inventory, invoicing, support, and integrations—for one transparent fee.
The investment reflects the value received: fewer errors, faster financial closeouts, more accurate reporting, and better business decisions.
How GlassJar Compares as a Wave Accounting Alternative
User Experience
Both Wave and GlassJar offer clean, user-friendly dashboards. However, GlassJar is designed for long-term use and business scaling. It includes more customizable features without adding complexity, which is why it appeals to serious small business owners and financial professionals alike.
Scalability
Wave is ideal for side hustles and microbusinesses. As soon as you add employees, inventory, or multiple revenue streams, it becomes restrictive. GlassJar is designed to grow with your business. It supports expansion without requiring a platform switch.
Industry Use Cases
GlassJar works especially well for service providers, consultants, marketing agencies, retailers, e-commerce shops, and nonprofits. Any business that needs reporting, categorization, inventory management, or team collaboration will find it more suitable than Wave.
Migration Made Easy
Switching platforms is often the biggest hesitation for business owners. GlassJar offers free data migration from Wave and other platforms, including setup of your custom chart of accounts, contacts, product and service items, and bank connections.
The GlassJar onboarding team handles everything, so there’s no disruption to your workflow. Most businesses are fully migrated within 48 hours.
Who Should Choose GlassJar Over Wave?
If you are currently using Wave and you experience any of the following:
✔ Need more control over your chart of accounts
✔ Want better invoice workflows and a smoother experience
✔ Require inventory tracking or sales categorization
✔ Value strong customer support and human interaction
✔ Need better financial insights to plan your growth
Then GlassJar is the best Wave Accounting alternative on the market.
Wave is a fine starting point, but once you realize the limitations, transitioning to a more powerful and flexible platform is essential. GlassJar was built to be that next step—one that doesn’t compromise simplicity but adds depth, insight, and capability where it matters most.
