You're Switching from Wave.
Here's Why Theater Costumers 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 theater costumer, former Wave customer

The Bottom Line

Theater Costumers 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 theater costumer earns $35,000/year, so Wave's annual cost is roughly 0.7% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$35,000
Median theater costumer income
2%
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 Theater Costumers 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 →

Theater Costumers are leaving Wave every week.

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

Why This Matters for Theater Costumers

My morning is at the fabric store with a list and a budget: 15 actors for a high school musical on $1,200, which means muslin and thrifted pieces for the ensemble and real money only on the leads. I'm hunting for a stretch velvet I can dye and something that reads as brocade from the back row. By 11 I'm at the school measuring the students I missed last week, chest, waist, hips, inseam, girth, nape to waist, and noting who's still growing so I leave extra seam allowance. Fittings have to squeeze into the gaps in the rehearsal schedule, so I pin a mock-up on one actor while the director runs the scene behind us. Afternoon is at my cutting table: drafting a bodice pattern, cutting three matching skirts, setting in sleeves on the industrial machine. Then I pull 1940s pieces for a commercial shoot tomorrow, checking shoulder pads, seam lines and zipper types so nothing looks modern on camera. In the evening I go to tech rehearsal for the community theater Les Mis I'm also dressing, 30 costumes on $2,500, fix a split seam in the wings and take notes on quick changes that need snaps swapped for hook-and-loop. At home I tape receipts into each show's folder, work out what's left of each budget, write the rental invoice for the commercial, and send another email about the community theater's check from the last show, which was due net-30 and is now 45 days late.

Theater Costumers face unique challenges: Production budgets are tight and fabric costs are the first thing cut. Fittings require scheduling around rehearsal times. Managing multiple productions simultaneously. Net-30 payment from theaters means waiting months for payment. On top of all that, Wave charges $19/month ($228/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median theater costumer 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 Industrial sewing machines 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."
— Theater costumer 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 theater costumers 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 theater costumers actually deal with

A day in the life of a theater costumer

My morning is at the fabric store with a list and a budget: 15 actors for a high school musical on $1,200, which means muslin and thrifted pieces for the ensemble and real money only on the leads. I'm hunting for a stretch velvet I can dye and something that reads as brocade from the back row. By 11 I'm at the school measuring the students I missed last week, chest, waist, hips, inseam, girth, nape to waist, and noting who's still growing so I leave extra seam allowance. Fittings have to squeeze into the gaps in the rehearsal schedule, so I pin a mock-up on one actor while the director runs the scene behind us. Afternoon is at my cutting table: drafting a bodice pattern, cutting three matching skirts, setting in sleeves on the industrial machine. Then I pull 1940s pieces for a commercial shoot tomorrow, checking shoulder pads, seam lines and zipper types so nothing looks modern on camera. In the evening I go to tech rehearsal for the community theater Les Mis I'm also dressing, 30 costumes on $2,500, fix a split seam in the wings and take notes on quick changes that need snaps swapped for hook-and-loop. At home I tape receipts into each show's folder, work out what's left of each budget, write the rental invoice for the commercial, and send another email about the community theater's check from the last show, which was due net-30 and is now 45 days late.

The tools a working theater costumer actually owns

Why theater costumers leave the big platforms

Where theater costumers actually talk shop

Local theater costumers on Nexa

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

FAQ

Is Nexa really a Wave replacement for theater costumers?

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.

Theater Costumers in Reno

The average solo operator there spends about $2,592/year on software — and theater costumer face their own version of that math. NV state licensing requirements apply.

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

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Theater Costumers 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 Theater Costumers Talk Shop

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

Reddit
r/Theatre, r/CostumeDesign, r/sewing
Forums
The Costumer's Manifesto
YouTube
Bernadette Banner, Morgan Donner
"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."
— Theater costumer, 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 →

This is an affiliate link. If you sign up, we earn a commission.

Also Compare