You're Switching from Wave.
Here's Why Drone Operators Choose Nexa.

Wave
$19/mo
$228/year — every year, forever
Nexa
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 14.7 months. Then it's free forever.
"Switched from Wave after the last price increase. Nexa does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified drone operator, former Wave customer

The Bottom Line

Drone Operators on Wave pay $19/month — $228/year. Over three years, that's $684. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 14.7 months. The median drone operator earns $55,000/year, so Wave's annual cost is roughly 0.4% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$55,000
Median drone operator income
1.5%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
14.7 mo
Break-even vs Wave
$405
3-year savings switching to Nexa

What Wave Is Costing You

The Damage

Wave monthly $19/mo
Annual drain $228/yr
Year 2 (at today's price) $228
Year 3 $228
3-year total $684

That's $684 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.

Your Wave subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.

Why Drone Operators Leave Wave

✗Higher payment processing fees than competitors
✗Limited features compared to QuickBooks
✗Support limited on free plan
✗No mobile invoicing on free
✗Acquired by H&R Block - future uncertain
✗Wave wins for freelancers who don't need inventory, but payment processing fees are slightly higher.

See the full history of Wave price changes in the SaaS Graveyard →

Drone Operators are leaving Wave every week.

You're not the only one who's had enough.

Why This Matters for Drone Operators

Every flight starts before I leave the house. I check the airspace for restrictions around airports and events, get authorisation where it's needed, check the weather and wind, and plan the flight, because I fly commercially under a remote pilot licence and the rules are specific. Most of my work is real estate photos and video, construction progress documentation, roof and property inspections, and events. On site I do a safety check of the aircraft and batteries, walk the area for obstacles and people, and brief anyone nearby. Real estate shoots are quick: aerial photos and a short video showing the house and neighbourhood. Inspections are more technical: systematic photos of a roof or structure so the client can see damage without anyone climbing up. Construction sites want the same shots on a schedule to show progress. Back at the desk, editing takes longer than the flight: colour correction, stitching panoramas, and processing mapping data for surveys. I carry liability insurance, keep flight logs, and deliver through an online gallery.

Drone Operators face unique challenges: Per-project vs hourly billing. Flight time logging for FAA. Equipment insurance tracking. Weather-dependent scheduling. On top of all that, Wave charges $19/month ($228/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median drone operator earns $55,000/year. Software at $228/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.

Your Drone(s) is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.

Your Full Stack Cost

Wave is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?

Want this breakdown emailed to you?

Your exact Wave cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.

"I was paying Wave $19/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $684 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— Drone operator business owner

What You Get Instead

Feature Wave Nexa
Invoicing ✓ ✓
Scheduling ✗ ✓
CRM ✗ ✓
Time Tracking ✗ ✓
Full Accounting ✓ ✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management ✗ ✓
Works offline ✗ ✓
Price $19/mo forever $279 once
or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost $684 $279
Stop paying? Lose everything Keep everything forever

Switching Takes 1-2 Days

Most drone operators are fully switched before the weekend.

1

Export your data

Go to Settings → Data Export. Download customers, invoices, transactions, and accounts.

2

Set up Nexa

15-minute setup. Import your client list and bank transactions from CSV.

3

Parallel run

Run both for 1-2 weeks. Re-create recurring invoices in Nexa and check your bank imports.

4

Cancel Wave

Cancel paid features. Your free account data stays accessible for records.

✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel Wave when you're confident. Zero risk.

What drone operators actually deal with

A day in the life of a drone operator

Every flight starts before I leave the house. I check the airspace for restrictions around airports and events, get authorisation where it's needed, check the weather and wind, and plan the flight, because I fly commercially under a remote pilot licence and the rules are specific. Most of my work is real estate photos and video, construction progress documentation, roof and property inspections, and events. On site I do a safety check of the aircraft and batteries, walk the area for obstacles and people, and brief anyone nearby. Real estate shoots are quick: aerial photos and a short video showing the house and neighbourhood. Inspections are more technical: systematic photos of a roof or structure so the client can see damage without anyone climbing up. Construction sites want the same shots on a schedule to show progress. Back at the desk, editing takes longer than the flight: colour correction, stitching panoramas, and processing mapping data for surveys. I carry liability insurance, keep flight logs, and deliver through an online gallery.

The tools a working drone operator actually owns

Why drone operators leave the big platforms

Local drone operators on Nexa

Real drone operators near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a drone operator? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every drone operator on Nexa →

FAQ

Is Nexa really a Wave replacement for drone operators?

For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. Wave may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.

$279 seems like a lot.

It's $7.75/month over 3 years. Wave is $19/month — that's $684 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.

Can I pay in installments?

Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.

What if I don't like it?

30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.

Can I import my Wave data?

Export your data from Wave as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.

Drone Operators in Guadalajara

The average solo operator there spends about $2,000/year on software — and drone operator face their own version of that math. Mexico requires CFDI electronic invoicing for all formal businesses. ISR and IVA apply. Requirements vary by country and locality. Check local regulations.

Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Guadalajara metro. Your situation will vary.

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Drone Operators run into with Wave, and what Nexa does instead.

✗
Wave gapScheduling
✓
NexaBuilt-in scheduling and booking — no separate tier.
✗
Wave gapCRM
✓
NexaFull CRM module included in $279.
✗
Wave gapTime tracking
✓
NexaBuilt into Nexa’s $279 once purchase — no separate add-on.
"Wave raised prices again and I was done. Found Nexa — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— Drone operator, switched from Wave

Stop Losing $228/Year to Wave

$684 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.

Get Nexa — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee — save $500 or full refund

Still want Wave?

We think Nexa is the better deal at $279 once vs $19/mo. But if you've decided on Wave, here's the link. No hard feelings.

Wave — $19/mo →

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