Chaser vs Wave Invoicing
Wave creates invoices. Chaser chases them. Wave is free — but you'll spend hours every month manually following up on late payments.
Wave is a genuinely good free invoicing tool for US and Canadian freelancers — if you just need to create and send invoices. But it has no automated payment follow-up. When an invoice goes overdue, Wave doesn't do anything. You have to track it manually and send reminders yourself. Chaser handles the follow-up part Wave skips: a smart 4-stage escalation that starts gentle and gets firmer until you're paid — plus full EU support including Dutch BTW, iDEAL, and UBL export.
| Feature | Wave Invoicing | Chaser ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (payment processing: 2.9% + 30¢) | Free (3 invoices) / €20/mo Pro |
| Automated payment reminders | ❌ Manual only | ✅ 4-stage automated escalation |
| Escalating reminder tone | ❌ No | ✅ Friendly → firm → formal |
| Payment link in every reminder | ❌ No | ✅ Stripe link embedded in every email |
| Dutch BTW support (0/9/21%) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| iDEAL payment support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (via Stripe) |
| UBL 2.1 XML export | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (for NL accountants) |
| PDF invoice creation | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (with logo, line items, VAT) |
| Client payment page | ✅ Yes (with processing fee) | ✅ Yes (Stripe checkout) |
| EU / NL focused | ❌ US/CA primarily | ✅ Dutch, German, French UI + invoices |
Why Wave users switch to Chaser
- →Wave's reminders are manual. Every time an invoice goes overdue, you have to notice it, log in, and send a reminder yourself. Chaser fires automatically — you don't have to think about it.
- →No escalation logic in Wave. A reminder that says the same thing every time is easy to ignore. Chaser starts friendly (day 3), gets firmer (day 7), and becomes a formal notice (day 30). Matching tone to urgency gets better results.
- →Wave is US/Canada only in practice. Dutch freelancers can't use Wave for BTW invoices (0%, 9%, 21%), can't offer iDEAL, and can't export UBL 2.1 XML for their accountants. Chaser supports all three.
- →Payment link in every email. Every Chaser reminder includes a Stripe payment link. Clients pay directly from the email — no login, no portal, zero friction.
On the "Wave is free" argument
Wave is free to use, but consider what the real cost is: if you spend 2–3 hours/month manually chasing invoices, and you bill at €50–100/hr, that's €100–300/month in opportunity cost. Chaser at €20/mo pays for itself the moment it saves you one hour of chasing.
Also: Wave charges 2.9% + 30¢ per card payment. On a €1,000 invoice, that's €29.30. On a €2,000 invoice: €58.30. Chaser's Stripe fees are the same, but you're getting the automation as well.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Wave Invoicing really free?
Wave's core invoicing is free, but payment processing costs 2.9% + 30¢ per card transaction. For European freelancers, it also lacks BTW support, iDEAL, and UBL XML export.
Does Wave have automated invoice reminders?
Wave has basic manual reminders only — no automated sequence. Chaser sends 4 automatically escalating reminders without any manual work.
Is there a free Wave Invoicing alternative?
Chaser offers a free plan with up to 3 invoices tracked and full 4-stage automated chasing. Pro is €20/mo for unlimited invoices.
Does Wave work in Europe / Netherlands?
Wave is primarily US/CA focused. It lacks Dutch BTW, iDEAL, and UBL 2.1 XML export. Chaser is built for European freelancers with full Dutch, German, and French support.
What is the best Wave alternative for automated payment reminders?
Chaser — it automates the entire follow-up sequence with escalating tone and payment links in every email. Wave creates invoices; Chaser chases them.