Wave vs Nexa
The Real Comparison for Sticker Makers

Wave
$16/mo ($192/yr)
VS
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."
— Sticker maker, Nexa customer

The verdict for sticker 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 sticker makers 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 financial-suite, task-manager 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 Sticker Makers

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

FeatureWaveNexa
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 accessYes — 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."
— Sticker maker

Calculate Your Full Stack

Wave plus whatever else you're paying for:

Email yourself this comparison?

Switching from Wave

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.
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee. Zero risk.
Sticker Makers are switching from Wave every week.

The math doesn't lie.

What This Means for Sticker Makers

You have 25 Etsy orders today — mostly $3-5 sticker sheets. Each order needs printing, cutting, packaging with a thank-you card, and shipping. Material cost per sheet is $0.40. Etsy charges $0.20 listing + 6.5% transaction + 3% payment processing on each $4 sale. That $4 sticker sheet nets you about $2.80. You ship in a rigid mailer for $0.85. Your real profit is $1.55 per order. Multiply by 25 orders and 3 hours of work — you made $12.92/hour. The math only works at volume.

Sticker Makers deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Per-sticker costs are pennies but tracking at scale is tedious. Etsy listing fees on $3-5 items eat proportionally more margin. Print-then-cut workflow wastes materials on misalignments. High volume of low-value orders means shipping costs dominate. Wave charges $16/month on top of these daily realities. The median sticker maker earns $22,000/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 sticker makers. You own it like you own your Cricut or Silhouette cutting machine.

What sticker makers actually deal with

A day in the life of a sticker maker

You have 25 Etsy orders today — mostly $3-5 sticker sheets. Each order needs printing, cutting, packaging with a thank-you card, and shipping. Material cost per sheet is $0.40. Etsy charges $0.20 listing + 6.5% transaction + 3% payment processing on each $4 sale. That $4 sticker sheet nets you about $2.80. You ship in a rigid mailer for $0.85. Your real profit is $1.55 per order. Multiply by 25 orders and 3 hours of work — you made $12.92/hour. The math only works at volume.

The tools a working sticker maker actually owns

Why sticker makers leave the big platforms

Where sticker makers actually talk shop

Local sticker makers on Nexa

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

FAQ

Is Nexa really a Wave replacement?

For solo sticker 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.

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 sticker makers, 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."
— Sticker maker, Nexa owner

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

Own your tools. Stop renting your software.

Get Nexa — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back — save $500 or full refund

More Comparisons for Sticker Makers