The verdict for paper & stationery makers: 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 paper & stationery makers 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.
Paper & Stationery Makers deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Paper and ink costs per piece are small but add up across hundreds of orders. Custom wedding stationery requires multiple proofs and revisions. Seasonal demand spikes (wedding season, holidays) make cash flow unpredictable. Competing with Canva and digital templates driving prices down. Wave charges $16/month on top of these daily realities. The median stationery maker earns $24,000/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 paper & stationery makers. You own it like you own your Letterpress or printing equipment.
It's wedding season and you have 4 custom invitation suite orders. Each suite involves design, 2-3 revision rounds, printing 100-150 invitations, RSVP cards, and detail cards. Your paper cost per suite is $80-120 and printing takes 3-4 hours. You charge $650 per suite. After materials and 15+ hours including design and revisions, you're making about $30/hour. But you have a backlog of 6 weeks and no system to track which orders are at what stage.
Real paper & stationery makers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a stationery maker? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every stationery maker on Nexa →
For solo paper & stationery makers 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 paper & stationery makers, 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