Relay vs Wave Comparison 2026
Both cover creator finance and accounting & tax. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
Business banking with twenty checking accounts
Invoicing and bookkeeping that costs nothing
At a glance
- Wave starts cheaper, at $19.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Relay | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $30 | From $19 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial (they differ) | 14 days | None |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web | Not stated |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
Relay
Business banking with twenty checking accounts
Relay's difference is that it hands you twenty checking accounts rather than one, which is what makes envelope budgeting work on a business rather than on a spreadsheet beside it. Income splits on arrival: tax here, contractors there, what is left is yours. It also issues a stack of cards and connects to the usual bookkeeping tools. The free plan is a real account rather than a trial.
Our note
The free tier is the one most creators should be on, because the paid features are approval workflows for teams and a better savings rate that only matters on a balance large enough to notice. If the interest rate is what tempts you, work out the difference on your actual balance before paying $360 a year for it.
Wave
Invoicing and bookkeeping that costs nothing
Wave does invoices, receipts and double-entry bookkeeping for free, and earns on card payments and on a paid tier that automates the parts you would otherwise do by hand. For a sole trader sending a dozen invoices a year it is the cheapest honest answer. Payroll and the advisor service exist in some countries only, which is worth checking before a whole tax year lives in it.
Our note
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.