You're Switching from Wave.
Here's Why Party Entertainers 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 party entertainer, former Wave customer

The Bottom Line

Party Entertainers 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 party entertainer earns $35,000/year, so Wave's annual cost is roughly 0.7% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$35,000
Median party entertainer income
1.8%
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 Party Entertainers 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 →

Party Entertainers are leaving Wave every week.

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

Why This Matters for Party Entertainers

Most of my bookings are kids' birthday parties on weekends, with some school events, library shows and company picnics mixed in. A party is a tightly planned hour: a show with magic, balloons and games that holds a room of six-year-olds, then face painting or balloon animals for every child, and the birthday kid gets the spotlight. Before the day I call the parent to confirm the age range, the number of kids, indoors or outside, and any allergies or fears, because some little ones are scared of costumes. I arrive early to set up, and I'm always reading the room: a short attention span means changing the plan on the fly. Supplies are a steady cost: balloons, face paint that's safe for kids' skin, props and costumes that need replacing. Weekends are booked months ahead in spring and summer and are quieter in winter, so I fill weekdays with schools and daycares. I carry liability insurance because venues ask for it. Parties are booked with a deposit, and I charge travel fees beyond my home area.

Party Entertainers face unique challenges: Weekend-heavy scheduling conflicts. Deposit collection for parties. Managing multiple character/act options. Weather cancellation policies. On top of all that, Wave charges $19/month ($228/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median party entertainer earns $35,000/year. Software at $228/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.

Your Costumes 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."
— Party entertainer 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 party entertainers 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 party entertainers actually deal with

A day in the life of a party entertainer

Most of my bookings are kids' birthday parties on weekends, with some school events, library shows and company picnics mixed in. A party is a tightly planned hour: a show with magic, balloons and games that holds a room of six-year-olds, then face painting or balloon animals for every child, and the birthday kid gets the spotlight. Before the day I call the parent to confirm the age range, the number of kids, indoors or outside, and any allergies or fears, because some little ones are scared of costumes. I arrive early to set up, and I'm always reading the room: a short attention span means changing the plan on the fly. Supplies are a steady cost: balloons, face paint that's safe for kids' skin, props and costumes that need replacing. Weekends are booked months ahead in spring and summer and are quieter in winter, so I fill weekdays with schools and daycares. I carry liability insurance because venues ask for it. Parties are booked with a deposit, and I charge travel fees beyond my home area.

The tools a working party entertainer actually owns

Why party entertainers leave the big platforms

Local party entertainers on Nexa

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

FAQ

Is Nexa really a Wave replacement for party entertainers?

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.

Party Entertainers in Birmingham

The average solo operator there spends about $1,700/year on software — and party entertainer face their own version of that math. Alabama income tax up to 5%. Birmingham levies a 1% city occupational tax. Jefferson County also imposes a 0.5% tax. Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board oversees contractor licensing. Birmingham requires a city business license. Jefferson County has separate requirements.

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

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Party Entertainers 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."
— Party entertainer, 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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