An honest Wave alternative — free, private
For people who liked Wave's "free" but not the move to paid tiers — or who'd rather not be inside a tax giant.
Businessily is a free, private alternative to Wave: invoices, expenses, mileage and US taxes at $0, on-device on Apple, with no bank login. Wave still has a free tier, but in 2024 it moved automatic bank import to a paid Pro plan (around $19/mo), it uses Plaid for that connection, and it's owned by H&R Block — so your "free" books sit inside a tax company.
Pricing and ownership reflect publicly listed information as of 2026 and can change — check waveapps.com before deciding.
Businessily vs Wave
| Businessily | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ✓ $0, no tier | ~ Free + paid Pro |
| Automatic bank import included free | ✓ File import, free | ✗ Moved to ~$19/mo Pro (2024) |
| No bank login / no Plaid | ✓ Import a file | ✗ Uses Plaid |
| Not owned by a tax / data giant | ✓ Independent | ✗ Owned by H&R Block |
| On-device data option | ✓ Apple apps | ✗ Cloud only |
| No ads / not a data sale | ✓ | ~ Inside a tax giant |
| Mileage tracking | ✓ Free | ✗ |
| US tax tooling (Sched C, quarterly, 1099) | ✓ Full | ✗ |
| POS & scheduling / booking | ✓ Included | ✗ |
| Native Mac app | ✓ Only one in category | ✗ Web/phone |
| Double-entry accounting & reports | ~ Solo-focused books | ✓ Mature |
| Established accountant network | ✗ Not yet | ✓ |
✓ = yes · ~ = partial/with a catch · ✗ = no. Summarized from publicly listed plans; verify with Wave. Last reviewed June 2026.
When Wave is the better choice
Wave has mature general-ledger bookkeeping and financial statements. Ours is built around what a solo operator actually files.
If you want transactions pulled in automatically and don't mind Wave Pro and Plaid, that's a real convenience.
Wave has been around a long time with a large support org behind H&R Block. We're independent and earlier.
Wave sells payroll as an add-on. Ours covers contractor 1099-NEC; full payroll depth differs.
What's different about Businessily
No Plaid, ever
We never ask for your bank password. Import a statement file (CSV/OFX/QFX), parsed on your device — no login routed through a third party.
Not owned by a tax giant
We're independent and bootstrapped — no parent company that also files taxes or sells data. Your books aren't part of a bigger funnel.
Free that stays free
No tier moved a beloved feature behind a paywall. Everything is $0, and on Apple your books stay on-device.
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Get it free — really.
Every feature, every platform, $0. No card. Nothing to cancel.