SimPRO vs Wave

SimPRO or Wave? How to Pick the Right Fit for Your Team

Is SimPRO or Wave the better investment for your business? Compare pricing, total cost of ownership, and feature value side by side - with expert analysis from our Harvard-educated consultants.

Features compared

50+

Clients advised

98%

Client retention

12+

Years experience

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Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature analysis for SimPRO and Wave.

Industry fit

SimPRO

SimPRO provides industry fit functionality, popular with Trades & Construction businesses

Wave

Wave provides industry fit functionality, popular with Professional Services businesses

Both SimPRO and Wave address industry fit. The right choice depends on whether you prioritise depth of functionality or breadth of your overall platform.

Job management

SimPRO

End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform

Wave

Limitation: No inventory management, purchase orders, or project tracking, limiting Wave to pure invoicing and bookkeeping

SimPRO highlights job management as a core strength. Wave offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Quoting and invoicing

SimPRO

End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform

Wave

Completely free accounting and invoicing with no feature limitations, hidden fees, or artificial caps on transactions or customers

Both platforms are strong here. SimPRO emphasises this as a core strength, and Wave also invests heavily in quoting and invoicing. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.

Scheduling and dispatch

SimPRO

End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform

Wave

Wave provides scheduling and dispatch functionality, popular with Professional Services businesses

SimPRO highlights scheduling and dispatch as a core strength. Wave offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Mobile field access

SimPRO

Advanced scheduling with drag-and-drop Gantt-style views, travel time calculation, and skill-based assignment optimises field team productivity

Wave

Receipt scanning via mobile app uses OCR to extract expense details automatically, reducing manual data entry

Both platforms are strong here. SimPRO emphasises this as a core strength, and Wave also invests heavily in mobile field access. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.

Compliance features

SimPRO

Limitation: Learning curve is steep due to the depth of features, and staff training is essential for productive use

Wave

Limitation: Australian-specific features like BAS preparation, STP compliance, and local bank feeds are limited or absent compared to Xero and MYOB

On paper compliance features looks similar across SimPRO and Wave, but the admin experience, reporting, and permission model tend to be the real differentiators.

Invoicing

SimPRO

SimPRO provides invoicing functionality, popular with Trades & Construction businesses

Wave

Completely free accounting and invoicing with no feature limitations, hidden fees, or artificial caps on transactions or customers

Wave highlights invoicing as a core strength. SimPRO offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Expense tracking

SimPRO

Comprehensive inventory management with stock tracking, purchase orders, and supplier management suits businesses handling significant materials

Wave

Receipt scanning via mobile app uses OCR to extract expense details automatically, reducing manual data entry

Both platforms are strong here. SimPRO emphasises this as a core strength, and Wave also invests heavily in expense tracking. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.

Bank reconciliation

SimPRO

SimPRO provides bank reconciliation functionality, popular with Trades & Construction businesses

Wave

Limitation: Australian-specific features like BAS preparation, STP compliance, and local bank feeds are limited or absent compared to Xero and MYOB

If bank reconciliation is a daily-use area for your team, the onboarding curve and keyboard ergonomics matter more than feature counts - trial both with a real operator, not an evaluator.

Payroll

SimPRO

SimPRO provides payroll functionality, popular with Trades & Construction businesses

Wave

Wave Payroll (available in select regions) integrates directly into the accounting platform for seamless wage expense tracking

Wave highlights payroll as a core strength. SimPRO offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Tax reporting and BAS

SimPRO

Multi-branch and multi-company support with consolidated reporting suits larger trade businesses and franchise operations

Wave

Financial reporting with profit and loss, balance sheet, and sales tax reports covers the basics without needing a separate reporting tool

Both platforms are strong here. SimPRO emphasises this as a core strength, and Wave also invests heavily in tax reporting and bas. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.

Multi-currency support

SimPRO

Multi-branch and multi-company support with consolidated reporting suits larger trade businesses and franchise operations

Wave

Wave offers multi-currency support capabilities. Support depth and SLA commitments vary by plan

SimPRO highlights multi-currency support as a core strength. Wave offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Pricing Comparison

General pricing information for each platform.

SimPRO

Custom pricing based on business size and requirements, typically from $200-500+/month (AUD). Implementation and training costs additional. Per-user pricing applies. Annual contracts standard.

These figures are estimates based on publicly available pricing. Actual costs depend on your usage, team size, and any negotiated rates.

Wave

Accounting and invoicing are completely free. Payment processing at 2.9% + $0.60 per transaction. Payroll available in US and Canada only. No Australian payroll support.

Pricing may vary based on team size, features, and region. Contact the vendor for the latest Australian pricing.

Pros & Cons

An honest look at the strengths and limitations of each platform.

SimPRO

Pros

End-to-end project management for trades with quoting, scheduling, job costing, purchasing, and asset management in one platform
Advanced scheduling with drag-and-drop Gantt-style views, travel time calculation, and skill-based assignment optimises field team productivity
Comprehensive inventory management with stock tracking, purchase orders, and supplier management suits businesses handling significant materials
Asset and maintenance management tracks customer assets, maintenance schedules, and service history for recurring contract work
Multi-branch and multi-company support with consolidated reporting suits larger trade businesses and franchise operations

Cons

Implementation is complex and typically requires SimPRO consulting services, adding $5,000-20,000 to initial setup costs
Pricing is among the highest in the trades software category, making it a significant investment for smaller businesses
Learning curve is steep due to the depth of features, and staff training is essential for productive use
Mobile app has improved but can still feel clunky compared to more modern alternatives like ServiceM8 for field workers

Wave

Pros

Completely free accounting and invoicing with no feature limitations, hidden fees, or artificial caps on transactions or customers
Clean, modern interface that is easy to learn for business owners without accounting backgrounds
Receipt scanning via mobile app uses OCR to extract expense details automatically, reducing manual data entry
Financial reporting with profit and loss, balance sheet, and sales tax reports covers the basics without needing a separate reporting tool
Wave Payroll (available in select regions) integrates directly into the accounting platform for seamless wage expense tracking

Cons

Revenue comes from payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.60 per transaction), which can add up for businesses with high transaction volumes
No inventory management, purchase orders, or project tracking, limiting Wave to pure invoicing and bookkeeping
Australian-specific features like BAS preparation, STP compliance, and local bank feeds are limited or absent compared to Xero and MYOB
Third-party integrations are minimal, with most connections requiring Zapier rather than native integrations

Best For

Which tool suits which use case.

Choose SimPRO if you need

✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
✓ Complex data models (jobs, quotes, invoices and more)
✓ Trades & Construction businesses
✓ Manufacturing organisations
✓ Field service operations

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

SimPRO and Wave solve different problems: SimPRO handles industry tools, while Wave covers accounting & finance. Most mid-market Australian businesses benefit from running both with a proper integration layer. SimPRO is the right pick when mid-sized to larger trade and service contractors (20+ staff) with complex scheduling, inventory, and project management needs that justify the investment in a comprehensive platform. Wave fits when freelancers and micro-businesses that need basic invoicing and bookkeeping at zero cost, particularly those starting out and not yet ready to invest in paid accounting software. Clever Ops can design the integration architecture and implement both, typically within 4-8 weeks.

Migration Notes

What to know about switching between SimPRO and Wave.

Migrating Between SimPRO and Wave

Both SimPRO and Wave offer REST APIs, which simplifies the migration process. Clever Ops builds custom migration scripts that extract data from one platform and import it into the other with full field mapping. We validate every record, run parallel systems during the switch, and provide 3 months of post-migration support.

SimPRO vs Wave FAQ

Wave is generally simpler to set up. SimPRO typically requires more configuration and may benefit from expert implementation support. Clever Ops provides implementation services for both platforms, typically completing setup within 2 weeks.

Yes. SimPRO provides a REST API and Wave provides a REST API, so automations can be built via Zapier, Make, or custom integrations. Common automated workflows include syncing invoices between both platforms. Clever Ops builds these automations for mid-market Australian businesses, saving teams 8+ hours/week on average.

SimPRO may hit limits when sole traders or small trade businesses where the cost and complexity far exceed requirements, and ServiceM8, Tradify, or Fergus provide sufficient capability. Wave may hit limits when Australian businesses needing GST, BAS, or STP compliance, or any business requiring inventory management, project tracking, or extensive third-party integrations. Both platforms are designed to grow with your business, but scaling experience varies. SimPRO connects with 37+ tools, and Wave with 33+, so integration flexibility at scale is comparable. Clever Ops helps mid-market Australian businesses plan their tech stack for growth, not just for today.

SimPRO is more commonly used in Manufacturing. Wave is stronger in Professional Services and Education. That said, popularity alone should not drive your decision. The right tool depends on your specific processes and integration needs. Clever Ops can advise based on what we have seen work for similar businesses.

Yes, both platforms are used by Australian businesses. SimPRO is popular with Trades & Construction and Manufacturing in Australia. Wave is widely used by Professional Services and Education. Key Australian considerations include AUD pricing, local support hours, GST handling, and data residency. SimPRO offers Australian-specific pricing. Clever Ops, based in Gippsland, Victoria, factors these nuances into every recommendation.

We audit your current workflows, team size, budget, and growth plans, then recommend the platform that fits. Our advice is vendor-neutral: we do not earn commissions from SimPRO, Wave, or any vendor. Our Harvard-educated consultants have helped 50+ businesses make informed technology decisions over 12+. Book a free assessment to get started.

Since SimPRO (industry tools) and Wave (accounting & finance) serve different functions, many businesses run both. The key is connecting them so data flows automatically. Clever Ops builds these integrations, keeping invoices in sync across both platforms.

SimPRO limitations: Implementation is complex and typically requires SimPRO consulting services, adding $5,000-20,000 to initial setup costs. Pricing is among the highest in the trades software category, making it a significant investment for smaller businesses. Wave limitations: Revenue comes from payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.60 per transaction), which can add up for businesses with high transaction volumes. No inventory management, purchase orders, or project tracking, limiting Wave to pure invoicing and bookkeeping. Understanding these trade-offs in the context of your specific workflows is critical. Clever Ops can help you weigh which limitations matter most for your business during a free assessment.