Wave vs Mercury: which should you pick in 2026?
Pick Wave if you want invoicing, accounting, and payments for small businesses. Pick Mercury if business banking for startups: accounts, cards, and payments in one app matters more. On price: Wave is free tier · paid plans available, Mercury is free tier · from $20/mo.
 Wave |  Mercury | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Invoicing, accounting, and payments for small businesses | Business banking for startups: accounts, cards, and payments in one app |
| Pricing | Free tier · Paid plans available | Free tier · From $20/mo |
| Key capabilities | Free accounting and invoicing with income/expense tracking and financial reports · Accept credit card, bank transfer, and Apple Pay directly from invoices · Tag transactions by project to see which work is actually profitable | Free business checking and savings with no minimums; earn up to 3.64% yield via Mercury Treasury · 1.5% cashback credit cards with instant virtual card issuance and team expense controls · No-fee USD payments worldwide, free invoicing, and AI-powered accounting sync with QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite |
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| AI citations detected | 0 | 0 |
Wave is an all-in-one financial management platform built for small business owners, freelancers, and contractors. It combines accounting, invoicing, online payments, receipt scanning, and payroll in a single system. The platform is known for its free core accounting and invoicing tools, with paid add-ons for payroll and a Pro plan for additional features.
Full listing & receipts →Mercury is a fintech-powered business banking platform built for startups, small businesses, and scaling companies. It offers free checking and savings accounts with no minimums, 1.5% cashback on credit card spend, no-fee USD wire payments, and up to 3.64% yield via Mercury Treasury. Paid plans start at $20/mo. Trusted by over 300,000 businesses, it also includes invoicing, expense management, and accounting integrations.
Full listing & receipts →