Tool matchup
Pocket Invoice vs Wave for consultants. Compare two Ops & Finance tools on pricing, setup speed, strengths, and Curalo score.
A free invoice maker for iOS, Android and the web. Make a PDF invoice with no signup, or use the apps for saved clients, items and multiple companies. No invoice cap, no watermark.
Prices checked October 17, 2026
SMB-friendly invoicing, payments, and lightweight accounting with a free starter path and optional paid automation features.
Prices checked April 5, 2026waveapps.com pricing page
Wave leads by 15 points (strong advantage).
Decision shortcuts
Client-ready brief
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Best fit
Best for: Solo consultants who just need clean PDF invoices for free, especially on the go from a phone.
Why pick it: Unlimited invoices, multiple companies and custom PDFs for $0, on every device. There's even a no-signup web generator for a one-off invoice.
Watch for: If you want clients to pay by card, recurring retainers, time tracking or bank feeds, use Duevero, FreshBooks or Xero instead.
Best for: Solo consultants and small service businesses that need invoicing and basic accounting without QuickBooks-level overhead.
Why pick it: Low-friction free entry point makes it easy to professionalize billing and bookkeeping early.
Watch for: If you require advanced accounting controls, inventory, or complex tax workflows, you may outgrow it.
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Pocket Invoice | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Quick facts | ||
| Pricing sanity | Free | Free |
| Setup speed | 5 min setup | 30 min setup |
| Intelligence | Focused | Medium |
| Integrations | 1+ | 4+ |
| Score breakdown | ||
| Outcome fit | 12/25 | 21/25 |
| Setup speed | 19/20 | 14/20 |
| Pricing sanity | 15/15 | 13/15 |
| Integrations | 3/15 | 9/15 |
| UX polish | 9/15 | 12/15 |
| Trust & support | 5/10 | 9/10 |
| Summary | ||
| Best for | Solo consultants who just need clean PDF invoices for free, especially on the go from a phone. | Solo consultants and small service businesses that need invoicing and basic accounting without QuickBooks-level overhead. |
| Key strength | Strong on pricing | Strong on trust |
| Main weakness | Fewer integrations | Fewer integrations |
Method
Common questions
Wave scores 78/100 and Pocket Invoice scores 63/100 on Curalo's consultant rubric. The biggest gap is Integrations: Wave 9/15 vs 3/15.
Pocket Invoice: Free. Wave: Free.
If you want clients to pay by card, recurring retainers, time tracking or bank feeds, use Duevero, FreshBooks or Xero instead.
If you require advanced accounting controls, inventory, or complex tax workflows, you may outgrow it.
Guides
A framework to evaluate five pricing models, calculate what to charge, and build tiered packages — with formulas, scripts, and sourced benchmarks for solo consultants.
Ops and Finance Automation GuideA complete operations and finance stack for independent consultants — scheduling, invoicing, bookkeeping, and time tracking with budget tiers, setup sprints, and weekly cadences.
The First 30 Days: Setting Up Your Independent Consulting PracticeA stage-by-stage guide to setting up your consulting practice in the first month — from entity formation to first client delivery, with budget tiers at every step.
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