The verdict for bicycle repair techs: 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 bicycle repair techs and small teams, Nexa is the better deal.
Nexa: $279. Once. You keep $365. And you own it — no more "we're updating our pricing" emails.
| 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 |
Wave plus whatever else you're paying for:
Email yourself this comparison?
The math doesn't lie.
Bicycle Repair Techs deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Quoting a tune-up before the bike is on the stand, then finding a seized bottom bracket or a cracked rim that triples the labor. Marking up parts fairly while customers price-check every derailleur and chain against online retailers. Juggling walk-in flat fixes against booked tune-ups so the queue doesn't blow past the promised turnaround. Tracking component warranties and which customer's frame is waiting on a back-ordered part from the distributor. Wave charges $16/month on top of these daily realities. The median Bicycle Repair Tech earns $38,000/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 bicycle repair techs. You own it like you own your A repair stand with a rotating clamp.
He flips the open sign and the first walk-in is already waiting with a flat, so the day starts behind. He clamps a road bike into the stand for a booked overhaul, strips the drivetrain, and runs the chain checker, which is stretched past 0.75, so that's a new chain and probably a cassette the customer didn't budget for. He texts a quote and waits, because nobody likes a surprise bill. Walk-ins keep trickling in between booked jobs, each one a flat or a brake adjustment that he can't really say no to, and each one pushes the overhaul later. A distributor order is half-arrived; the customer's been waiting a week on a back-ordered freehub and keeps calling. He bleeds a set of hydraulic brakes, trues a wobbly rear wheel, and re-checks his torque on a carbon seatpost twice because cracking someone's frame is a nightmare he refuses to live. By close he's got three bikes tagged 'waiting on parts,' a counter full of small cash sales he hasn't logged, and a tune-up he promised for tomorrow that he hasn't started. He sweeps the bay, wipes down the stand, and writes himself a note to call about the freehub first thing.
Real bicycle repair techs near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a bicycle repair tech? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every bicycle repair tech on Nexa →
For solo bicycle repair techs 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.
Wave has features like Free accounting software and Unlimited invoicing that some businesses rely on. For most solo bicycle repair techs, these aren't dealbreakers.
At $16/month, Nexa pays for itself in 17.4 months. After that: $192 saved every year.
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.
Own your tools. Stop renting your software.
Get Nexa — $279 Once