NeoReceipt

The Wave Alternative for Freelancers

Wave: Free accounting and invoicing for small businesses. Built for freelancers whose main need is free invoicing and basic books.

Short answer: Wave is great free invoicing and accounting, but receipt capture is a secondary, lighter feature. If your priority is capturing every receipt (including cash and Venmo) and sorting it for Schedule C, NeoReceipt is the more focused tool. Keep Wave if free invoicing and basic accounting are what you mostly need.

Why freelancers choose NeoReceipt over Wave

Wave earns its popularity on price: core accounting and invoicing are free. For a freelancer who bills clients and wants simple books, that is hard to beat.

But deduction tracking is not its center of gravity. NeoReceipt is built around the receipt, with photo-first capture, Schedule C auto-categorization, and mileage, so nothing is missed at tax time.

NeoReceipt vs Wave

WaveNeoReceipt
Built forInvoicing & basic accountingFreelancers & 1099 contractors only
Receipt captureSecondary featurePhoto-first, the core of the app
Cash / Venmo / ZelleBank/manual entryCaptured by photo or forwarding
Schedule C categoriesAccounting categoriesAI-assigned per line item
PricingFree core, paid add-onsOne flat price, free CSV/Excel/PDF export
Keep Wave if you mainly want free invoicing and simple bookkeeping and do not need deep receipt capture.

Try the freelancer-focused alternative. Scan your first 10 receipts free, no credit card.

Try NeoReceipt free

Frequently asked questions

Is NeoReceipt free like Wave?+

NeoReceipt has a free tier (10 receipt scans, no card) and then one flat price for unlimited scans and exports. Wave's accounting and invoicing core is free; the products focus on different jobs.

More alternatives

NeoReceipt vs QuickBooks Self-EmployedIntuit's solo accounting product (now moving to QuickBooks Solopreneur)NeoReceipt vs ExpensifyCorporate expense management with approvals and SmartScan OCRNeoReceipt vs KeeperBank-linked tax write-off finder and filing for gig workersNeoReceipt vs FreshBooksInvoicing-first accounting for service businessesNeoReceipt vs ShoeboxedMail-in physical receipt scanning with human verificationNeoReceipt vs DextPre-accounting tool for bookkeepers managing many clients

See also: Best Receipt Scanner for Freelancers · All alternatives

Trusted by freelancers

The freelancer-focused choice

See why the self-employed pick NeoReceipt.

NeoReceipt saved me during tax season. As a freelance graphic designer, I had receipts scattered across emails and folders. In just three months, NeoReceipt automatically categorized over 400 receipts and helped me identify nearly $2,300 in deductible expenses I would have otherwise missed.
SMSarah MitchellFreelance Graphic Designer
I drive for Uber and DoorDash full-time, and tracking gas and maintenance receipts was a nightmare. After switching to NeoReceipt, I reduced my bookkeeping time from 4 hours a week to less than 20 minutes and had every expense ready for my accountant.
JRJames RodriguezRideshare Driver
As a real estate agent, I'm constantly on the road and collecting receipts from multiple vendors. NeoReceipt helped me recover over $4,100 in business deductions last year by ensuring nothing slipped through the cracks.
JPJessica ParkerReal Estate Agent

Reviews from early NeoReceipt users. Individual results vary.