Cliniko vs Wave: Which Tool Wins for Australian Businesses in 2026?
Thinking of switching from Cliniko to Wave (or vice versa)? This comparison covers features, costs, and migration considerations to help mid-market Australian businesses make an informed decision.
Feature Comparison
Side-by-side feature ratings for Cliniko and Wave.
| Feature | Cliniko | Wave | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry fit | For Healthcare & Allied Health that rely on strong industry fit, Cliniko is the more capable option in our assessment. | ||
| Job management | Both Cliniko and Wave offer comparable job management capabilities. | ||
| Quoting and invoicing | Cliniko has a notable advantage in quoting and invoicing. | ||
| Scheduling and dispatch | When it comes to scheduling and dispatch, Wave pulls clearly ahead of Cliniko — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Mobile field access | For mobile field access, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage. | ||
| Compliance features | Both Cliniko and Wave offer comparable compliance features capabilities. | ||
| Invoicing | Both Cliniko and Wave offer comparable invoicing capabilities. | ||
| Expense tracking | For Healthcare & Allied Health that rely on strong expense tracking, Cliniko is the more capable option in our assessment. | ||
| Bank reconciliation | For Healthcare & Allied Health that rely on strong bank reconciliation, Wave is the more capable option in our assessment. | ||
| Payroll | When it comes to payroll, Cliniko pulls clearly ahead of Wave — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Tax reporting and BAS | For tax reporting and bas, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage. | ||
| Multi-currency support | For multi-currency support, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage. |
Industry fit
Cliniko
Wave
For Healthcare & Allied Health that rely on strong industry fit, Cliniko is the more capable option in our assessment.
Job management
Cliniko
Wave
Both Cliniko and Wave offer comparable job management capabilities.
Quoting and invoicing
Cliniko
Wave
Cliniko has a notable advantage in quoting and invoicing.
Scheduling and dispatch
Cliniko
Wave
When it comes to scheduling and dispatch, Wave pulls clearly ahead of Cliniko — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Mobile field access
Cliniko
Wave
For mobile field access, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage.
Compliance features
Cliniko
Wave
Both Cliniko and Wave offer comparable compliance features capabilities.
Invoicing
Cliniko
Wave
Both Cliniko and Wave offer comparable invoicing capabilities.
Expense tracking
Cliniko
Wave
For Healthcare & Allied Health that rely on strong expense tracking, Cliniko is the more capable option in our assessment.
Bank reconciliation
Cliniko
Wave
For Healthcare & Allied Health that rely on strong bank reconciliation, Wave is the more capable option in our assessment.
Payroll
Cliniko
Wave
When it comes to payroll, Cliniko pulls clearly ahead of Wave — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Tax reporting and BAS
Cliniko
Wave
For tax reporting and bas, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage.
Multi-currency support
Cliniko
Wave
For multi-currency support, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage.
Pricing Comparison
General pricing information for each platform.
Cliniko
From ~$45/month
Pricing is indicative only and subject to change. We recommend contacting the vendor for a tailored quote based on your Australian business needs.
Wave
Free for invoicing and accounting
Prices shown are approximate and may differ based on your plan, team size, and billing cycle. Verify directly with the vendor for current AUD rates.
Pros & Cons
An honest look at the strengths and limitations of each platform.
Cliniko
Pros
- Mobile-friendly interface
- Rich data model covering patients, appointments, invoices and more
- Strong fit for Healthcare & Allied Health workflows
- Active user community and resources
- Purpose-built for industry-specific needs
Cons
- May be too specialised for diverse businesses
- Large ecosystem can make choosing the right integrations overwhelming
- Smaller development team than general tools
- Onboarding documentation could be more comprehensive
Wave
Pros
- Regular platform updates and improvements
- Solid feature set for its price point
- Mobile-friendly interface
- Australian tax compliance built in
- Extensive integration ecosystem with 30+ connectors
Cons
- May require accounting knowledge to configure properly
- Add-on costs for advanced features
- Bank feed reliability varies by institution
- Onboarding documentation could be more comprehensive
Best For
Which tool suits which use case.
Choose Cliniko if you need
- ✓ Healthcare & Allied Health businesses
- ✓ Field service operations
- ✓ Moderate data needs (patients, appointments)
- ✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
- ✓ Specialised compliance
Choose Wave if you need
- ✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
- ✓ Education organisations
- ✓ Financial reporting
- ✓ Professional Services businesses
- ✓ Complex data models (invoices, customers, payments and more)
Expert Verdict
Our Harvard-educated consultants' take on this comparison.
Clever Ops Recommendation
Comparing Cliniko and Wave is a bit like comparing apples and oranges — they solve different problems. Cliniko handles your industry tools needs, while Wave covers accounting & finance. The value of this comparison lies in understanding how they work together. Clever Ops specialises in connecting these kinds of complementary tools for mid-market Australian businesses.
Migration Notes
What to know about switching between Cliniko and Wave.
Migrating Between Cliniko and Wave
Clever Ops takes a low-risk approach to migrating between Cliniko and Wave. We run both systems in parallel during the transition, transferring invoices in stages and verifying data at each step. Your team continues working in the existing system until the new one is fully validated. The process typically takes 4-8 weeks, followed by 3 months of hands-on support.
Cliniko vs Wave FAQ
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