The verdict for translators: 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 translators 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.
Translators deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Billing per word vs per hour vs per page depending on the client. Tracking time across multiple simultaneous translation projects. Translation agencies paying net-60 or net-90. Managing terminology consistency across long-term client projects. Wave charges $16/month on top of these daily realities. The median translator earns $52,000/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 translators. You own it like you own your CAT tools (SDL Trados, MemoQ, Smartcat).
You're translating a legal document at $0.12/word, a marketing brochure at $0.15/word, and a technical manual billed hourly. Each project has different pricing, different word counts, and different deadlines. You switch between projects three times today. One agency payment is 75 days overdue. You need to invoice the direct client for the brochure but your word count tool says 2,400 words and the client counted 2,200. FreshBooks charges per client and you're on the edge of needing the next tier.
Real translators near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a translator? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every translator on Nexa →
For solo translators 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 translators, 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