Wave #2 in Accounting Software
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Score over time
Score 49.1 (95% CI 46.3–51.7) as of 2026-07-13. The trend line appears once a second monthly run lands.
Shaded band = 95% bootstrap confidence interval. Orange markers = methodology events (model releases, panel versions). How this works
By model
Perplexity
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Gemini (Google)
Claude (Anthropic)
By question type
Where Wave shows up, by the intent behind the question. Every accounting software panel asks the same balanced mix — 10 prompts per type — so these rates are directly comparable. A gap here (strong on recommendations, invisible on comparisons) is where AI visibility is being won or lost.
| Question type | Mentioned | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Recommendations “What's the best option for me?” | 59% | |
| Comparisons “How do the top options stack up?” | 14% | |
| Ready to buy “Which one should I actually get?” | 38% | |
| Problem-solving “I have this problem — what fixes it?” | 63% | |
| Informational “How does this kind of product work?” | 50% |
What the AIs say
Real answers from the latest measurement in which Wave appeared — the receipts behind the score.
Claude (Anthropic) · recommended · listed #1
"What's a simple tool for tracking personal finances and bookkeeping?"
…stments alongside spending - **Monarch Money** – Paid, clean interface, good bank syncing **For Small Business/Freelance Bookkeeping** - **Wave** – Free accounting software, good for invoicing and basic bookkeeping - **QuickBooks Self-Employed** – Paid, good if you need tax categorization --- **My honest recommendation:…
Gemini (Google) · recommended · listed #1
"What's the best free accounting software available right now?"
…icing. Here is the breakdown of the best free accounting software available right now, categorized by who they are best for. --- ### 1. Wave Accounting (Best Overall for Service Businesses & Freelancers) Wave has long been the king of free cloud accounting. While they recently introduced a paid "Pro" tier, their **Starter (Free)…
ChatGPT (OpenAI) · recommended · listed #1
"What's a simple tool for tracking personal finances and bookkeeping?"
…’ flexibility with automated bank feeds - Cons: paid after trial - Good for: spreadsheet fans who want automatic transaction imports - Wave (web) — for small business / freelancer bookkeeping - Pros: free core accounting, invoicing, receipts - Good for: small-business owners who need bookkeeping plus personal/busi…
Perplexity · recommended · listed #1
"What's the best accounting software for a small business just starting out?"
The **best accounting software for a small business just starting out** depends on your budget and complexity, but **Wave** is widely considered the top choice for a brand-new business needing **free** accounting, while **QuickBooks Online** is the best **paid** option for comprehensive features and…
Where the AIs get it from
Domains cited by search-backed answers that mentioned Wave (136 answers, 2026-07-13). Your own domain is highlighted — presence in the others is the GEO opportunity.
| Cited domain | Answers citing it |
|---|---|
| reddit.com | 136 |
| youtube.com | 114 |
| quickbooks.intuit.com | 89 |
| waveapps.com own domain | 74 |
| uschamber.com | 54 |
| xero.com | 46 |
| pcmag.com | 41 |
| pilot.com | 40 |
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Head-to-head: Wave vs QuickBooks · Wave vs Xero · Wave vs FreshBooks — or the full Accounting Software leaderboard.
Data from run #51. Methodology