Wave

Invoicing, bookkeeping, payments, payroll, and receipt management

NOT REALLY · consider alternatives
price $19/mosubscription / year $228estimated build time not a true replacement; consolation build in one to two daysreplaced by 0 people

Do not mistake the interface for the product. Wave's durable value is banking, compliance, trust, which a solo one-shot build cannot reproduce responsibly. The prompt therefore builds only the closest honest personal consolation tool.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • bank, payment, tax, and reconciliation integrations
  • live bank feeds and payment rails
  • tax and accounting rule updates
  • audited security and recovery
  • multi-user controls and accountant workflows

Why people still pay

Wave: People pay because errors touch real money. Bank connections, reconciliation, tax changes, evidence, security, and support are the product.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • Node.js 22
  • SQLite
  • CSV exports from the user's own accounts
  • Explicit README warning that this is a consolation build, not a production replacement
01
Use exactly this stack: Next.js 15 + TypeScript + SQLite.
02
Model accounts, source transactions, ledger entries, reconciliations, and reports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
03
Interface for this small-business accounting workflow: a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views.
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1, architecture and data

Use exactly this stack: Next.js 15 + TypeScript + SQLite. Model accounts, source transactions, ledger entries, reconciliations, and reports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.

2

Phase 2, implement

For small-business accounting, import one user-owned statement or enter a transaction with currency and source identifier.

3

Phase 3, implement

Store money as integer minor units, reject duplicate source IDs, and record corrections as new audit events.

4

Phase 4, review and output

Reconcile a statement period and export a report with the unmatched entries visible.

5

Phase 5, recovery and acceptance

Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: The sum of debits and credits must balance for posted entries; an import retry cannot change the closing balance. State the practical limit: bank, payment, tax, and reconciliation integrations.

the pro prompt
Build me a focused small-business accounting workflow for the personal core of Wave. Requirements:

- Use exactly this stack: Next.js 15 + TypeScript + SQLite. Model accounts, source transactions, ledger entries, reconciliations, and reports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
- Paid product context: Invoicing, bookkeeping, payments, payroll, and receipt management. Build only this DIY scope: Build a private small-business accounting ledger that imports user-supplied CSV files, categorizes entries, reconciles balances, and exports reports.
- For small-business accounting, import one user-owned statement or enter a transaction with currency and source identifier.
- Store money as integer minor units, reject duplicate source IDs, and record corrections as new audit events.
- Reconcile a statement period and export a report with the unmatched entries visible.
- Use a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views. Required input or access: CSV exports from the user's own accounts.
- Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: The sum of debits and credits must balance for posted entries; an import retry cannot change the closing balance.
- Out of scope: bank, payment, tax, and reconciliation integrations; live bank feeds and payment rails. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow.
- Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan

prior art · use these instead of building, if you'd ratherActual BudgetLocal-first open-source personal finance and envelope budgeting.↗Invoice NinjaOpen-source invoicing, payments, and client management.↗
share on X ↗

Wave pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
starter$0/workspace$0/workspace1 business; unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping; card processing 2.9%+$0.60, or 3.4%+$0.60 Amex
pro$19/workspace$15.83/workspace1 business; unlimited users and receipt scans; automatic bank import/categorization; first 10 card transactions each month omit the $0.60 fixed feeAnnual bill is $190.

free tier1 business; unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping; receipt scanning and automatic bank import are not included

billingfree + monthly/annual Pro

hidden costsStarter receipt scanning is $11/month or $96/year. Payroll starts at $25 or $40/month depending on state, plus employee fees. Advisors cost $149/month on an annual commitment or $199 month to month. Card processing remains 2.9% (3.4% Amex); the $0.60 fixed component is waived only for Pro's first 10 card transactions per month.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-10 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Wave

Can you build your own Wave with AI?

A full replacement is not the recommended project. Do not mistake the interface for the product. Wave's durable value is banking, compliance, trust, which a solo one-shot build cannot reproduce responsibly. The prompt therefore builds only the closest honest personal consolation tool.

What does the Wave build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Build a private small-business accounting ledger that imports user-supplied CSV files, categorizes entries, reconciles balances, and exports reports. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: bank, payment, tax, and reconciliation integrations; live bank feeds and payment rails; tax and accounting rule updates. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Wave prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Wave project take?

The catalogue estimate is not a true replacement; consolation build in one to two days for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Wave?

bank, payment, tax, and reconciliation integrations; live bank feeds and payment rails; tax and accounting rule updates; audited security and recovery; multi-user controls and accountant workflows. Wave: People pay because errors touch real money. Bank connections, reconciliation, tax changes, evidence, security, and support are the product.

What price is this guide comparing against?

The recorded Pro plan is $19/mo (monthly accounting plan), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.

What can I use instead of building Wave?

The prior-art section lists Actual Budget, Invoice Ninja as starting points. Review their current scope, license and maintenance before adopting one.

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