Is Nexa better than Wave for art teachers?

For solo art teachers and small teams (1-5), Nexa offers invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting for $279 one-time. Wave costs $16/month ($644 over 3 years). Wave may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.

How much cheaper is Nexa than Wave for art teachers?

Nexa is $279 one-time. Wave is $192/year. You save $-87 in year one. Over 3 years: $365.

Can art teachers switch from Wave to Nexa?

Yes. Export your data from Wave as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes. Most switch in 1-2 days.

Wave vs Nexa
The Real Comparison for Art Teachers

Wave

$16/mo ($192/yr)

Nexa

$279 once — own forever

or 3 payments of $99

Break even: 17.4 months. Save $365 over 3 years.

"I compared Wave and Nexa side by side. The math wasn't even close. $644 over 3 years vs $279 once. Switched and never looked back."

— Art teacher, Nexa customer

The verdict for art teachers: Wave is solid software, but at $16/month it costs $644 over 3 years. Nexa does most of what Wave does for $279 once. For solo art teachers and small teams, Nexa is the better deal.

Choose Nexa if:

You're done paying monthly forever
You're a solo operator or small team (1-5)
You need scheduler, Connect CRM, Invoicing in one purchase in one tool
You're tired of price increases
You want to own your tools like you own your equipment

Choose Wave if:

You have a large team (10+) needing enterprise features
You're deeply invested in Wave's specific workflow
You need a feature Nexa doesn't have yet

What Wave Actually Costs Art Teachers

The 3-Year Damage

Year 1$192

Year 2 (+11.4% inflation)$214

Year 3$238

Total lost to Wave$644

Nexa: $279. Once. You keep $365. And you own it — no more "we're updating our pricing" emails.

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

Feature-by-Feature

Feature	Wave	Nexa
Invoicing	✓	✓
Scheduling	✗	✓
CRM	✗	✓
Time Tracking	✗	✓
Full Accounting	✗	✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management	✗	✓
Price	$16/mo	$279 once or 3 × $99
3-Year Total	$644	$279
You own it?	No — stop paying, lose access	Yes — forever

"The feature comparison convinced me. Nexa does 90% of what Wave does — for 10% of the 3-year cost. And I actually own it."

— Art teacher

Calculate Your Full Stack

Wave plus whatever else you're paying for:

Email yourself this comparison?

Switching from Wave

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

Set up Nexa — 15-minute setup. Import your client list and chart of accounts from CSV.

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

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

✓ 30-day money-back guarantee. Zero risk.

Art Teachers are switching from Wave every week.

The math doesn't lie.

What This Means for Art Teachers

You teach 3 classes today: kids' after-school class ($25/kid, 8 enrolled), adult watercolor workshop ($40/person, 6 enrolled), and a private lesson ($60/hour). Supply costs for the kids' class are $30. The adult workshop uses $45 in watercolor paper and paints. One parent wants a refund because their kid missed 2 of 6 sessions. Your class registration is a Google Form and payments are collected via Venmo.

Art Teachers deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Supply costs per class eat into tuition revenue. Class minimums and cancellation policies for group sessions. Managing kids' classes, adult workshops, and private lessons. Seasonal enrollment fluctuations. Wave charges $16/month on top of these daily realities. The median art teacher earns $30,000/year — $192/year in software subscriptions is a significant percentage of that income, paid every year, forever.

Nexa is $279 once. Invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, accounting — all connected, built for art teachers. You own it like you own your Art supplies for classes.

What art teachers actually deal with

Supply costs per class eat into tuition revenue
Class minimums and cancellation policies for group sessions
Managing kids' classes, adult workshops, and private lessons
Seasonal enrollment fluctuations

A day in the life of a art teacher

The tools a working art teacher actually owns

Art supplies for classes
Easels and work surfaces
Studio or classroom space
Display and exhibition materials

Why art teachers leave the big platforms

acuity: Built for one-on-one appointments, not group class registration with supply fees and enrollment tracking.
wave: Free but can't manage class registration, attendance, or per-class supply cost tracking.

Where art teachers actually talk shop

r/ArtEducation (Reddit)
r/painting (Reddit)
r/Art (Reddit)
WetCanvas Forum (Forum)
Art Teacher Business Tips (YouTube)

Local art teachers on Nexa

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

FAQ

Is Nexa really a Wave replacement?

For solo art teachers and small teams, yes. invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting — all for $279 once. Wave may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.

What does Wave do that Nexa doesn't?

Wave has features like Free accounting software and Unlimited invoicing that some businesses rely on. For most solo art teachers, these aren't dealbreakers.

How fast does Nexa pay for itself?

At $16/month, Nexa pays for itself in 17.4 months. After that: $192 saved every year.

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.

"$644 over 3 years to Wave. Or $279 once for Nexa. I own my tools now. No more renting software."

— Art teacher, Nexa owner

$644 Over 3 Years. Or $279 Once (or 3 × $99).

Own your tools. Stop renting your software.

Get Nexa — $279 Once