Comparison
InvoiceScript
vs Wave.
Self-hosted invoicing with one-time pricing vs free invoicing with ads.
Own your data vs depend on a platform.
InvoiceScript
Self-hosted invoicing tool. PDF invoices with EPC payment QR codes, automated reminders, recurring invoices, credit notes, and quote management. One-time purchase. Full source code. Your data stays on your server.
Wave
Free cloud-based invoicing and accounting. Invoices, expense tracking, bank reconciliation, and basic accounting reports. Ad-supported free tier. Paid add-ons for payment processing and payroll.
Features
Feature by feature.
| Feature | InvoiceScript | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | One-time purchase | Free (ad-supported) + paid add-ons |
| Hosting | Self-hosted (your server) | Cloud (Wave servers) |
| Source code | Full PHP source included | Closed platform |
| PDF invoices | Three branded templates | Basic invoice PDF |
| Payment QR codes | EPC QR on every EUR invoice | Not available |
| Automated reminders | Configurable schedules | Basic reminders |
| Recurring invoices | Built-in with auto-generation | Built-in |
| Quotes / estimates | Full workflow with customer approval | Estimates available |
| Credit notes | Linked to original invoice | Credit notes available |
| E-invoicing (UBL) | UBL 2.1 XML export | Not available |
| Expense tracking | Not available | Built-in with receipt scanning |
| Accounting reports | Dashboard KPIs | Full accounting (P&L, balance sheet) |
| Bank reconciliation | Not available | Built-in |
| Payment processing | Not available in v1 | Stripe integration (paid add-on) |
| Data ownership | Your server, your data | Wave servers |
| Multi-user roles | Owner, admin, accountant, employee | Accountant and manager roles |
Their strengths
Where Wave wins.
Full accounting suite
Wave includes double-entry accounting, profit and loss reports, balance sheets, and bank reconciliation. InvoiceScript focuses on invoicing and does not replace accounting software.
Integrated payments
Wave offers Stripe-based online payment processing. Customers can pay invoices with a credit card directly. InvoiceScript generates payment QR codes but does not process payments.
Free tier
Wave's core invoicing and accounting features are free (ad-supported). InvoiceScript is a paid one-time purchase. Wave is the lower-cost option if you're comfortable with ads and cloud hosting.
Our strengths
Where InvoiceScript wins.
Self-hosted with full source code
Your financial data stays on your server. Full Laravel source code. No vendor dependency. No ads. No third-party tracking on your invoicing data.
EPC payment QR codes
Every EUR invoice includes an EPC QR code. The customer scans with their bank app, gets a pre-filled SEPA transfer. Offline generation, no payment processor needed.
E-invoicing compliance
UBL 2.1 XML export for every finalized invoice. EN 16931 compatible. Peppol fields ready in the schema. Wave does not support structured e-invoicing formats.
One-time purchase, no ads
Pay once. No monthly fees, no ads, no upsells, no usage limits. Your invoicing tool works the same on day one and day one thousand.
Summary
The verdict.
Choose Wave if you need a free invoicing and accounting suite with bank reconciliation, expense tracking, and integrated credit card payments. Wave is a strong choice for North American small businesses who want everything in one free platform and are comfortable with ad-supported cloud hosting.
Choose InvoiceScript if you want self-hosted invoicing with full source code, EPC payment QR codes, e-invoicing compliance (UBL XML), and data ownership. InvoiceScript is for businesses that prefer a one-time purchase over monthly fees and want their financial data on their own server.
Related: All features · Self-hosted vs SaaS
Get started
Own your invoicing.
One-time purchase. Self-hosted. Full source code. Your data, your server.