You're Switching from Wave.
Here's Why Soap Makers Choose Nexa.

Wave
$16/mo
$192/year — every year, forever
Nexa
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 17.4 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 soap maker, former Wave customer

The Bottom Line

Soap Makers on Wave pay $16/month — $192/year. Over three years, that's $644. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 17.4 months. The median soap maker earns $26,000/year, so Wave's annual cost is roughly 0.7% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$26,000
Median soap maker income
1.8%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
17.4 mo
Break-even vs Wave
$365
3-year savings switching to Nexa

What Wave Is Costing You

The Damage

Wave monthly $16/mo
Annual drain $192/yr
Year 2 (11.4% SaaS inflation) $214
Year 3 $238
3-year total $644

That's $644 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 Soap Makers 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 →

Soap Makers are leaving Wave every week.

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

Why This Matters for Soap Makers

You made a batch of 40 bars today. They won't be ready to sell for 4-6 weeks due to cure time. Meanwhile you have 15 Etsy orders of already-cured soap to ship, a farmers market Saturday, and a boutique wanting a wholesale quote. Your ingredient costs just went up 12% and you need to recalculate pricing on 30 recipes. Your 'system' is a binder of recipes with costs penciled in the margins.

Soap Makers face unique challenges: Calculating per-bar cost with cure time factored in. FDA labeling compliance for cosmetic claims. 4-6 week cure time means cash is tied up in inventory. Managing farmers market, Etsy, and wholesale channels simultaneously. On top of all that, Wave charges $16/month ($192/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median soap maker earns $26,000/year. Software at $192/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.

Your Soap molds and cutting tools 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 $16/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $644 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— Soap maker business owner

What You Get Instead

Feature Wave Nexa
Invoicing
Scheduling
CRM
Time Tracking
Full Accounting ✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management
Price $16/mo forever $279 once
or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost $644 $279
Stop paying? Lose everything Keep everything forever

Switching Takes 1-2 Days

Most soap makers 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 chart of accounts from CSV.

3

Parallel run

Run both for 1-2 weeks. Verify bank connections and recurring invoices work.

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 soap makers actually deal with

A day in the life of a soap maker

You made a batch of 40 bars today. They won't be ready to sell for 4-6 weeks due to cure time. Meanwhile you have 15 Etsy orders of already-cured soap to ship, a farmers market Saturday, and a boutique wanting a wholesale quote. Your ingredient costs just went up 12% and you need to recalculate pricing on 30 recipes. Your 'system' is a binder of recipes with costs penciled in the margins.

The tools a working soap maker actually owns

Why soap makers leave the big platforms

Where soap makers actually talk shop

Local soap makers on Nexa

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

FAQ

Is Nexa really a Wave replacement for soap makers?

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 $16/month — that's $644 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.

Soap Makers in Baltimore

The average solo operator there spends about $2,300/year on software — and soap maker face their own version of that math. Maryland income tax up to 5.75% plus county piggyback taxes (2.25-3.2%). Baltimore City rate is 3.2%, among the highest. Maryland MHIC license required for home improvement contractors. Baltimore City requires a Trader's License for most businesses.

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

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Soap Makers 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.

Where Soap Makers Talk Shop

If you want to compare notes or see how other soap makers are running their tools, here's where the conversation happens.

Reddit
r/soapmaking, r/Etsy, r/handmade
Forums
Soap Making Forum, CraftyBathtique Community
YouTube
Royalty Soaps, Bramble Berry, Tree Marie Soapworks
"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."
— Soap maker, switched from Wave

Stop Losing $192/Year to Wave

$644 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 $16/mo. But if you've decided on Wave, here's the link. No hard feelings.

Wave — $16/mo →

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