Wave export
Accounting data, about four files
Download the export, then open a free book.
01 Export from Wave · Data export
LedgerMCP vs Wave
The Wave alternative where your AI does the books.
Both are free. The difference is what free means. Wave’s free plan centers on invoicing with manual bookkeeping. LedgerMCP’s free plan is full double-entry bookkeeping that Claude or ChatGPT runs for you, across unlimited businesses.
No card. Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Cursor, and any MCP client.
Three businesses, bank feeds on, August 2026
Wave Pro, per business3 × $19/mo
LedgerMCP Starter, all three businesses$9/mo
5 of 10 connected bank accounts on Starter
One login, one bill, all three books.
Side by side.
What each free plan includes, and what each one charges for.
FeatureLedgerMCPWave
Free planFree plan
LedgerMCP: Unlimited books, all reports, connect any AI over MCP
WaveStarter: $0 for one business (invoicing, manual bookkeeping records)
Bank feeds and auto-categorizationBank feeds and auto-categorization
LedgerMCP: Feeds from $9/mo pooled across all books; CSV import free, and your AI categorizes either way
WavePro only, at $19/mo (or $190/yr) per business; Starter is manual entry
Receipt captureReceipt capture
LedgerMCP: Free: drop files on transactions, or your AI attaches them
Wave$8/mo add-on on Starter; included with Pro
AIAI
LedgerMCP: Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok runs the books through 72 MCP tools
WaveMave, a support chatbot for product questions; no AI bookkeeper advertised
Multiple businessesMultiple businesses
LedgerMCP: Unlimited under one account, one feed plan for all of them
WaveEach business is separate; Pro is per business
Real double-entry ledgerReal double-entry ledger
LedgerMCP: Yes, with entries nobody can edit and period locks
WaveYes
Data exportData export
LedgerMCP: One click, one ZIP per book: ten CSVs plus your receipts and bank statements
WaveSelf-serve export of accounting data (about four files), reports to CSV/PDF
Invoicing and paymentsInvoicing and payments
LedgerMCP: Invoices and bills with a hosted page and your own payment link; no built-in card processing
WaveYes, with unlimited invoices even on Starter; pay-per-use card fees
Wave pricing as of August 2026, per waveapps.com (USD).
Which free plan fits you.
- Stay on Wave ifCard payments or estimates are the center of your business.
- Switch ifYou keep more than one business, or you want the categorizing done for you.
- Run both ifPayments stay in Wave and the books live here, kept by your AI.
Switching is three steps.
- 01 Export from Wave
- 02 Hand the files to your AI
- 03 Reconcile one month
CSV
Here’s my Wave export. Set up the book and import everything.
| Date | Merchant | Description | Category | Amount | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/25 | Square daily sales | Sales Revenue | +$8,494.00 | ||
| 06/19 | Meta and Yelp local ads | Advertising | −$446.00 | ||
| 06/18 | Pacific Cup Co needs review | −$2,984.00 |
84 imported, 81 categorized, 3 to review.
02 Hand the files to your AI · import_transactions
Business Checking, June
Statement, Jun 30
$11,976.00
Your booksL
$11,976.00
$0.00 difference
June ties. Cancel Wave, or keep it for payments.
03 Reconcile one month · reconcile_account
Questions
Common questions.
Does Wave have AI bookkeeping?
No. Wave’s advertised AI is Mave, a customer-support chatbot for product questions; it does not advertise an AI that keeps your books.
I run more than one business. How do the two compare?
Wave treats each business separately. LedgerMCP gives you unlimited books under one login, one AI connection that covers all of them, and one bank-feed plan that covers every book.
Can I move my Wave books over?
Yes. Download Wave’s data export and hand the files to your AI. Bulk import skips duplicates, and most single-business moves finish in an afternoon. Your Wave account keeps working while you compare the two.
When is Wave the better pick?
When your business runs on card payments or estimates. LedgerMCP sends invoices from a hosted page with your own payment link on it, but it does not process cards.
Move one business this afternoon.
Export it from Wave, open a free book, and ask your AI to import and categorize it.
Free software. Unlimited businesses. No card.