Handl vs Wave
When Free Isn't Actually Free Enough
Wave is genuinely free for invoicing and accounting — and for a lot of early-stage freelancers, that's enough. But free tools come with trade-offs, and the main one with Wave is that it's built for simple bookkeeping, not for running project-based creative or technical work. Handl is a paid tool, starting at $29/month flat, and it's built specifically for agencies and freelancers who manage projects, proposals, milestones, and clients who sometimes go quiet when a payment is due. This comparison breaks down where each tool actually makes sense.
How they stack up
An honest look at where each tool wins.
See the difference for yourself
Try Handl free for 14 days — no credit card, no commitment.
Simple pricing vs. per-seat costs
One flat price for your whole team, or pay more for every person who touches an invoice.
- Unlimited invoicing (free)
- Basic accounting included
- Receipt scanning
- Payment processing built-in
- Simple bank connections
- No monthly subscription
What are our strengths?
Both tools do some things really well. Here's where each one shines.
- Milestone billing. Wave has no concept of project phases. If your invoice is tied to a deliverable rather than a date, Handl handles it — Wave doesn't.
- AI-driven payment reminders. Handl tracks what's overdue and sends reminders automatically, adjusting timing based on client behaviour. Wave's reminders are manual and basic.
- Client portal. Clients get a dedicated space to view proposals, invoices, and project status. Wave has no equivalent — clients just receive email PDFs.
- Proposal builder with digital signatures. Send a quote, get it signed in the same flow. No PDFs, no DocuSign add-ons, no email chains.
- Change order management. When a client asks for something extra, you can log it, price it, and get written approval without leaving Handl. Wave has no concept of scope management.
- PM tool integrations. Jira, Asana, Monday.com — Handl connects to your existing workflow. Wave connects to nothing relevant to project work.
- Revenue forecasting and project health scoring. Know whether your pipeline is healthy before it becomes a problem. Wave's reporting is limited to backward-looking accounting data.
- Xero and MYOB integration. Push your billing data to your accounting software of choice — Handl and Wave can coexist if you want free accounting with proper agency billing.
- Completely free invoicing. Unlimited invoices, unlimited clients, no monthly fee. Hard to beat on price when the price is zero.
- Built-in accounting. Double-entry bookkeeping, financial reports, and bank reconciliation included — most billing tools charge extra for this or don't offer it at all.
- Receipt scanning. Snap a photo of a receipt and Wave categorises it. Useful for freelancers tracking expenses on the go.
- Payroll available. Wave offers payroll as a paid add-on in the US and Canada — convenient if you need it in the same platform.
- Clean, simple interface. Wave is genuinely easy to use. If you are not technical and just need to send invoices, the learning curve is minimal.
- Bank connections. Automatic bank feed imports for transaction categorisation. Saves manual data entry for bookkeeping.
- No feature gates. Unlike competitors with tiered plans, Wave gives you all core features on the free plan. No upgrading to unlock invoicing or reports.
- Established and trusted. Acquired by H&R Block in 2019. Millions of small businesses use it. The platform is stable and well-supported.
When to choose each tool
Choose the right tool based on how your agency bills and what problems you're solving.
When to choose
Handl
Handl makes sense the moment your work involves more than a simple hourly invoice. If you're writing proposals, breaking projects into milestones, dealing with clients who expand scope mid-project, or spending mental energy chasing late payments — the $29/month is almost certainly worth it.
Handl also integrates with Xero and MYOB, so you don't have to give up proper accounting. Use Handl for billing and client-facing work, push the data to your accounting software of choice — that combination is actually stronger than either tool alone.
When to choose
Wave
Wave is the honest choice if you're just getting started and cash is tight, or if your work is genuinely simple — fixed-price or hourly projects without much back-and-forth with clients. It's also worth considering if you need a full double-entry accounting system and aren't ready to pay for Xero or MYOB alongside a billing tool. The free price is real and the bookkeeping is solid.
Frequently asked questions
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