Corinthian vs Wave: Detailed Comparison for 2026
Wave built its name on being free. Free invoicing, free accounting, free receipt scanning. For freelancers and micro-businesses watching every dollar, that price tag is compelling. Wave makes money through payment processing fees and payroll services, so the core product costs nothing.
Corinthian is a paid invoicing and revenue operations platform. It charges for its plans and focuses the product on invoice delivery, team collaboration, dunning workflows, and payment recovery. The bet is that for businesses where invoicing is a core operation, the time saved on collections and team coordination justifies the cost.
This comparison lays out what you get at each price point.
The free vs. paid trade-off
Wave's free invoicing works. You can create invoices, send them to clients, accept online payments (with processing fees), and track who's paid. For a freelancer sending five invoices a month, the feature set is sufficient and the price is right.
The trade-offs show up as your business grows. Wave has limited automation, no dunning workflows, no public API for custom integrations, basic multi-user support, and minimal template customization. When you need these capabilities, there's no upgrade path within Wave -- you need a different tool.
Corinthian's paid plans include features that Wave doesn't offer at any tier: multi-step dunning workflows, threaded collaboration on invoices, delivery tracking, granular RBAC, comprehensive API access, and batch operations. The question is whether your business needs those features enough to pay for them.
Pricing structure
| | Corinthian | Wave | |---|---|---| | Base price | Pro plan (paid) | Free | | Payment processing | Stripe online payments when connected; manual payment instructions for offline methods | 2.9% + $0.60 (credit card), 1% (bank/ACH) | | Payroll | Not included | $20/mo + $6/person (US/Canada) | | Invoicing | Included in plan | Free | | Accounting | Not included (integrates with QBO/Xero) | Free | | Receipt scanning | Not included | Free | | Dunning workflows | Included | Not available | | API access | Included | Not available | | Team features | Included | Limited |
Wave's payment processing fees are competitive but not the lowest available. Corinthian's live online payment path is Stripe, and workspaces can also show manual payment instructions for bank transfer or another offline method. PayPal and GoCardless are coming soon, so do not evaluate Corinthian as a live multi-processor router yet.
Invoice creation and customization
Wave's invoice editor is functional. You add line items, set tax rates, choose a due date, and send. Templates are limited -- you can add your logo and change the accent color, but layout control is minimal. There's no rich text for descriptions, no multiple template designs, and no batch invoicing.
Corinthian's template editor offers full control over layout, colors, typography, and content structure. Rich text descriptions on line items let you add context or terms. Multiple templates let you use different designs for different client types or services. Batch invoicing generates invoices in bulk from client lists or import files.
| Feature | Corinthian | Wave | |---|---|---| | Custom templates | Full editor with branding | Logo + accent color | | Multiple templates | Yes | No | | Rich text descriptions | Yes | No | | Batch invoicing | Yes | No | | Recurring invoices | Yes | Yes | | Multi-currency | Yes, with auto conversion | Limited currency options | | Partial payments | Yes | Yes | | Deposits | Yes | No | | Custom invoice numbering | Yes | Auto-generated | | Line item discounts | Yes | Yes |
Payment processing
Wave processes payments through its own payment system. Credit card transactions cost 2.9% + $0.60, and bank payments (ACH) cost 1%. These rates are straightforward but non-negotiable -- you can't bring your own payment processor.
Corinthian connects to Stripe for online invoice payment today. Teams can also display manual bank-transfer instructions and record payments handled outside the processor flow. PayPal and GoCardless should be treated as planned integrations, not live payment options.
| Feature | Corinthian | Wave | |---|---|---| | Stripe | Yes | No | | PayPal | Coming soon | No | | GoCardless / Direct debit | Coming soon | No | | Wave Payments | No | Yes | | Credit card processing | Via Stripe when connected | 2.9% + $0.60 | | Bank/ACH | Manual instructions and recording | 1% | | Multiple processors simultaneously | Planned, not live | No | | Manual bank instructions | Yes | Limited |
Team features
Wave supports multiple users, but the team functionality is basic. You can invite collaborators to view and manage the account, but there's no granular role-based access control, no approval workflows, and no collaboration on individual invoices.
Corinthian is built for teams. RBAC lets you define exactly what each role can do -- create invoices, approve them, send them, manage clients, access reports. Each invoice has a threaded conversation where team members discuss the account, and client replies appear in the same thread. Approval workflows route invoices through review before sending.
| Feature | Corinthian | Wave | |---|---|---| | Multiple users | Yes | Yes (limited) | | Role-based access (RBAC) | Granular roles and permissions | Basic access | | Invoice-level threads | Yes | No | | Approval workflows | Yes | No | | Internal notes | Yes | No | | Audit logs | Yes | No | | SSO/SAML | Yes | No | | Custom email domains | DKIM/SPF verified | No |
Collections and dunning
Wave sends basic payment reminders. You can enable automatic reminders at set intervals after the due date. The reminders are email-based and use Wave's standard template. There's no escalation logic, no multi-channel delivery, and no tracking of whether the client saw the reminder.
Corinthian's dunning engine handles structured collection processes. Define multi-step workflows: friendly reminder on day 3, firmer notice on day 7, phone call task on day 14, formal collections notice on day 30. Each step has its own template, timing, and channel. Email delivery tracking shows opens, bounces, and clicks. Quiet hours and CAN-SPAM compliance are automatic.
| Feature | Corinthian | Wave | |---|---|---| | Payment reminders | Multi-step, multi-channel | Basic email | | Dunning workflows | Escalation engine | Not available | | Email tracking | Opens, bounces, clicks | Not available | | Portal view tracking | Yes | Not available | | Quiet hours | Built in | Not available | | CAN-SPAM compliance | Automatic | Not available | | Custom escalation rules | Yes | Not available | | Segment-based workflows | Yes | Not available |
API and developer access
Wave has no public API for invoice management. If you want to create invoices programmatically, pull data into another system, or build custom automations, there's no official path to do that.
Corinthian publishes a bearer-token REST API for documented invoicing resources. Use direct HTTPS requests today; official SDK packages and customer-managed webhook subscriptions are not published in the public docs yet.
| Feature | Corinthian | Wave | |---|---|---| | REST API | Public invoicing resources | Not available | | SDKs | Not published as an official suite | Not available | | Webhooks | Connected-service webhooks; customer-managed subscriptions not public | Not available | | Custom integrations | Full API support | Manual export/import only |
This is one of the starkest differences between the two products. For businesses that need any level of programmatic access to their invoicing data, Wave is a dead end.
Reporting
Wave provides basic financial reports: profit and loss, sales tax, aged receivables, and account balances. The reporting covers the basics for a free tool but doesn't go deep on invoice operations.
Corinthian reports on collection performance: collection rates, average days to payment, dunning workflow conversion rates, delivery success rates, and team performance. These metrics help AR teams understand where invoices are stuck and which collection approaches work.
| Report type | Corinthian | Wave | |---|---|---| | Aged receivables | Yes | Yes | | Collection rate tracking | Yes | No | | Dunning conversion rates | Yes | No | | Delivery success rates | Yes | No | | Team performance | Yes | No | | Profit and loss | No | Yes | | Sales tax | No | Yes | | Account balances | No | Yes |
Data portability
Wave lets you export data as CSV files. Invoices, clients, transactions, and accounting records can be downloaded. But without an API, automated exports or real-time syncing with other tools isn't possible.
Corinthian supports CSV import and export, plus full API access for real-time data synchronization. If you need to move data between systems, build dashboards from invoice data, or feed invoicing metrics into a BI tool, the API handles it.
Support
Wave offers email support and a help center. Priority support is available through Wave Advisors, a paid service. Community forums provide peer support.
Corinthian provides email and chat support. Depending on the plan, response times and support channels vary. The product documentation covers setup, API reference, and workflow configuration.
Where Wave is stronger
- Price: Free invoicing, free accounting, free receipt scanning
- Accounting included: Double-entry bookkeeping at no cost
- Receipt scanning: Mobile capture and categorization included
- Simplicity: Minimal learning curve for basic invoicing
- Payroll: Available as a paid add-on in US and Canada
- No commitment: Free means no risk to try and no cost to maintain
Where Corinthian is stronger
- Dunning and collections: Multi-step escalation engine with delivery tracking
- Team collaboration: Invoice-level threads, approval workflows, granular RBAC
- API access: documented REST resources for invoice workflows
- Payment setup: Stripe online payment when connected, plus manual instructions for offline payment methods
- Batch invoicing: High-volume invoice generation
- Delivery intelligence: Email open, bounce, click, and portal view tracking
- Custom email domains: DKIM/SPF verified sending from your domain
- Template customization: Full editor with branding and layout control
- Data portability: API-based real-time sync alongside CSV export
Who should choose Wave
Choose Wave if you're a freelancer or micro-business that sends a small number of invoices, needs basic accounting, and wants to minimize costs. Wave is a strong fit for solo operators in the early stages of their business who need functional invoicing without a subscription fee. If you don't need team features, collection workflows, API access, or advanced customization, Wave handles the basics at the best possible price: free.
The honest constraint is that Wave doesn't have a growth path for invoicing-specific features. If your needs evolve beyond basic send-and-track, you'll eventually need to migrate to a different tool.
Who should choose Corinthian
Choose Corinthian if invoicing is a significant part of your business operations, not just something you do once or twice a month. If you have a team managing invoices, need to automate your collection process, want visibility into delivery and engagement, or need API access for custom integrations, Corinthian covers those needs. The cost of the platform is justified when it reduces the time your team spends on manual follow-ups, and when the dunning workflows recover revenue that would otherwise slip through the cracks.
For businesses outgrowing Wave's limitations -- hitting the ceiling on customization, team features, or automation -- Corinthian is a direct upgrade path. The CSV import tool handles migration from Wave, and you can pair Corinthian with a free or paid accounting tool to replace Wave's bookkeeping features.