Wave
Invoicing, bookkeeping, payments, payroll, and receipt management
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
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule, data: Model accounts, source transactions, ledger entries, reconciliations, and reports; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
Project rule, behavior: For small-business accounting, import one user-owned statement or enter a transaction with currency and source identifier.
Project rule, recovery: The sum of debits and credits must balance for posted entries; an import retry cannot change the closing balance.
Implementation plan
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.
Phase 2, implement
For small-business accounting, import one user-owned statement or enter a transaction with currency and source identifier.
Phase 3, implement
Store money as integer minor units, reject duplicate source IDs, and record corrections as new audit events.
Phase 4, review and output
Reconcile a statement period and export a report with the unmatched entries visible.
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.
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
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Wave pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| starter | $0/workspace | $0/workspace | 1 business; unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping; card processing 2.9%+$0.60, or 3.4%+$0.60 Amex |
| pro | $19/workspace | $15.83/workspace | 1 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.