Lexware Office vs Wave Comparison
Compare Lexware Office vs Wave features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Lexware Office
6.7/10
A German cloud tool for bookkeeping, invoicing, receipt capture, VAT filing and optional payroll, made for freelancers and small businesses.
Wave
4.9/10
Wave is a free-to-start accounting, invoicing, payments and payroll tool for very small businesses and freelancers in the US and Canada.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.7/10 | 4.9/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 3/10 |
| Compliance | 8/10 | 4/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 3/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 3/10 |
| Scalability | 4/10 | 2/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 3/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | €8/mo S | $19/mo Pro |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | €8/mo S | $19/mo Pro |
| Features | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Financial Reporting | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Online Payments | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Audit Trail | Not listed | |
| Inventory Accounting | ||
| Multi-currency | Not listed | |
| Multi-entity Consolidation | Not listed | |
| Tax Compliance | Not listed | |
Lexware Office vs Wave cost by team size
| Team size | Lexware Office | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | €8/moS | FreeStarter |
| 5 users | €8/moS | $19/moPro |
| 10 users | €8/moS | $19/moPro |
| 25 users | €8/moS | $19/moPro |
| 50 users | €8/moS | $19/moPro |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Lexware Office
- Higher Compliance score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Integration score (7/10 vs 3/10)
Why choose Wave
- Has a free plan (Lexware Office does not)
- Higher Cost score (9/10 vs 8/10)
Pros & Cons
Lexware Office
Pros
- Users on OMR Reviews and testers on Experte.de describe receipt scanning and bank matching as fast and easy to set up.
- Creates ZUGFeRD and XRechnung e-invoices and files VAT returns directly to ELSTER.
- Every plan can be cancelled monthly, and users are unlimited according to Für-Gründer.
- Tax advisor access and DATEV export make it easy to hand the books to an accountant.
- An optional payroll add-on handles social security and tax filings for up to 50 employees.
Cons
- Invoices can only be issued in euros.
- Cannot manage several companies, and has no approval workflow and no cost-centre reporting.
- Bookkeeping and VAT returns need the L plan, and recurring features need higher tiers.
- Users report bank connections that drop and support that is hard to reach by phone.
- There is no postal invoice sending and no built-in time tracking.
Wave
Pros
- The free Starter plan includes unlimited invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records.
- Pro is a flat $19 per business rather than per user.
- US payroll now includes tax filing in all 50 states at a single price.
- Pro waives the $0.60 card fee on the first 10 payments each month.
Cons
- Free users get only chatbot support, there is no phone support, and reviewers report slow responses even on paid plans.
- There is no inventory tracking, time tracking or audit trail.
- Reports can only be adjusted by date range and cash or accrual basis.
- Trustpilot reviewers describe payroll problems after Wave moved payroll processing to Check in mid-2025.
- Automatic bank feeds and extra users require the Pro plan.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Lexware Office scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.7/10 against 4.9/10 for Wave. The largest gap is in Compliance: 8/10 for Lexware Office and 4/10 for Wave.
Wave has a free plan; Lexware Office does not list one.
