Magic Invoice vs Wave
Wave is free but requires an account and stores your financial data on their servers. Magic Invoice is free, no account, and 100% browser-based.
What is Wave?
Wave is a free accounting software for small businesses offering invoicing, accounting, and receipt scanning. While the core is free, Wave charges for payments processing and payroll. All your data is stored on Wave's servers.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Magic Invoice | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free (but charges for payments) |
| Account required | ✓No | Yes — account required |
| Data privacy | ✓100% browser-based | Data on Wave's servers |
| PDF export | Instant | Yes |
| Online payments | No | Yes (2.9% + $0.30 fee) |
| Accounting features | Invoicing only | Full accounting |
| Receipt scanning | No | Yes |
| Payroll | No | Yes (paid add-on) |
| Setup time | ✓Zero — instant | 10-15 minutes onboarding |
| Open source | ✓Yes | No |
| Export formats | ✓PDF, JSON, CSV, XML |
Why Magic Invoice Wins for Invoicing
Try Magic Invoice — It's Free
No credit card. No account. Create a professional PDF invoice in under 2 minutes.
Create Free Invoice →100% browser-based · No signup · Instant PDF · Open source
When Wave Is the Better Choice
Wave is better if you need built-in payment processing (clients pay invoices online), accounting and bookkeeping, receipt scanning, or payroll. If you just need to create professional invoices and export them as PDFs, Magic Invoice is faster and more private.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Magic Invoice better than Wave for freelancers?
For simple invoicing, yes. Magic Invoice requires no account and keeps your data private. Wave requires signup and stores your financial data on their servers. If you need online payment collection or accounting, Wave has an edge.
Does Wave store my invoice data?
Yes — Wave stores all your invoice and client data on their servers. Magic Invoice processes everything locally in your browser and stores nothing. For freelancers concerned about financial data privacy, Magic Invoice is the better choice.
Can I use Magic Invoice instead of Wave for free?
Yes, Magic Invoice is completely free. You won't get Wave's accounting features, but you'll get a faster, more private invoicing experience with no account required. Thousands of freelancers use it instead of Wave for this reason.