GNUKhata vs Wave
GNUKhata
gnukhata.org
Wave
waveapps.comSide by side
| Figure | GNUKhata | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $6/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 10 |
| Spec score · Financial Management | 8.8 (#5) | 8.6 (#10) |
| Spec score · Bookkeeper Software | 8.8 (#6) | 8.6 (#12) |
| Spec score · Bookkeeping Software | 8.7 (#21) | 9.3 (#4) |
| API | gkcore is GNUKhata's REST API server and exposes Swagger documentation locally at /docs/. | Wave provides an API with application creation, endpoint documentation, query and mutation examples, a playground and webhooks. |
| Company size | LinkedIn lists Digital Freedom Foundation as a nonprofit with 2–10 employees. | LinkedIn lists Wave HQ as a privately held software company with 201–500 employees in Toronto. |
| Founded | 2009 | 2010 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Rating on G2 | 0 out of 5 from 0 reviews. | 4.3 out of 5 from 358 reviews |
| Security | The project says SQL injection issues are fixed, but its code has not had a security audit and it recommends use in a private environment. | Wave states that it uses up to 256-bit TLS encryption, protected hosting facilities and tokenized payment data handling. |
| Support | User support is offered through community discussions, documentation and video tutorials. | The Help Center and automated support chatbot Mave are available 24/7 to all customers; eligible customers can contact support by email or live chat Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern. |
| What it does | GNUKhata provides accounting and inventory management for small and medium-sized businesses, traders, startups and NGOs. | Wave provides cloud accounting, invoicing, payments, payroll and bookkeeping tools for small businesses, freelancers and contractors. |
Plans
Wave
- StarterFree
- Pro$19 a month
- StarterFree
- Receipts$8 a month
- Pro$19 a month
- Pro Plan$19 a month
- Receipts$72 a year
- Wave Advisors$149 a month
- Pro$190 a year
- Pro Plan$190 a year
In their own words
GNUKhata
GNUKhata is free, open-source financial accounting and inventory software for SMEs, traders, startups, and NGOs, with a focus on Indian GST requirements. It handles sales and purchase invoices, point-of-sale entries, delivery notes, debit and credit notes, payments, and receipts. Accounting tools include a customizable chart of accounts, journal and other vouchers, and year-end book closing and rollover. Inventory records cover products and services, tax details, HSN search, and stock across multiple godowns. Reports include Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and stock summaries. GNUKhata can prepare GSTR-1 reports as JSON for upload to the GST portal, and it has multiple user roles, including Admin, Manager, Operator, Internal Auditor, and Godown In charge. Version 8.0 is distributed as Docker images; Windows installation is possible, but the project says it is not well tested. The project reports fixed SQL injection issues, while also noting that the code has not had a security audit and recommending use in a private environment. It does not currently support online e-way billing or e-invoicing, or GST-2A/GSTR-2B reconciliation. The listed plan is GNUKhata at free.
Wave
Wave's invoicing software helps businesses create and send invoices, receive payments, and manage customer information. Invoice templates can be customized with a logo and brand colors using drag-and-drop editing. It supports recurring invoices and automatic credit card payments for repeat customers. Customers can pay by credit card, bank payment (ACH/EFT), or Apple Pay, and invoice and payment information connects to Wave's accounting feature. The free Starter plan costs nothing and includes unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records; online payments have transaction fees. Pro costs $19 a month and adds automatic bank transaction import, transaction merging and categorization, receipt capture, expense tracking, and late-payment reminders. Wave lists integrations including Amazon, eBay, Capsule, and Etsy, with workflows through Make. Connecting or maintaining Partner integrations and Make requires Pro or a Wave Advisors bookkeeping subscription; third-party API connections also require an active Pro or Wave Advisors package. Wave says it is not HIPAA-compliant and does not support healthcare-related businesses.