TLDR (Summary)
Wave handles invoicing and basic bookkeeping but stops there, so project management, time tracking, proposals, contracts, and client communication all need separate tools on top. Plutio is a fully branded platform where proposals, projects, time tracking, invoicing, and client portals are all connected. When a proposal gets signed, the project creates itself, tracked hours flow into invoices, and clients check progress and pay from a branded portal.
Project management that Wave doesn't have
Wave has no project management at all. No task lists, no boards, no timelines, no milestones. Plutio includes Kanban boards, Gantt charts, task dependencies, milestones, and project templates.
Wave is an accounting tool, and the product page makes no mention of projects, tasks, or timelines. Freelancers managing multi-phase work like website builds, brand campaigns, or ongoing retainers need a separate tool on top, and the missing project layer is the gap that forces a second and third app.
Plutio's project management starts with Kanban boards and adds what Wave doesn't have: Gantt timelines that show dependencies between tasks, milestones that mark phase transitions, and templates that create entire project structures from a single click. A website project can have design, development, and launch phases with tasks that automatically unlock when the previous phase finishes.
The difference is how the project work connects to billing. In Plutio, time tracked on a task feeds into an invoice line item, a completed milestone triggers a client notification, and project status updates in the client portal without sending a single email.
Plutio's project management connects tasks to time tracking, invoicing, and client portals, so the work and the business run from the same place.
Invoicing that connects to the work, not just the ledger
Wave has invoicing, but every invoice is a blank slate because there's no time tracking or project data to pull from. Plutio's invoicing populates from tracked hours automatically.
Wave's invoicing works for sending one-off invoices with manual line items. But hourly billing means opening a separate time tracker, copying numbers, and creating each line item from memory or a spreadsheet. Wave also charges 2.9% + $0.60 per credit card transaction on the Starter plan, and automatic bank imports that were free before H&R Block's acquisition now require the $19/month Pro plan.
In Plutio, invoices populate from a date range with every tracked hour, task name, and rate already filled in, so there's no copying from a separate tracker or reconciling from memory at the end of the month.
Recurring invoices auto-send on schedule with late payment reminders built in. Payment processing through Stripe, PayPal, or bank transfer happens inside the same platform, and multi-currency support lets international freelancers bill clients in local currencies.
Plutio's invoicing turns tracked hours into paid invoices without copying numbers between apps.
Proposals and contracts that create projects automatically
Wave has no proposals, no contracts, and no e-signatures. In Plutio, a signed proposal creates the project, attaches the contract, and activates the client portal in one step.
Plutio's proposal builder includes drag-and-drop sections, pricing tables, and built-in e-signatures. Clients review and sign from any device. When the signature goes through, Plutio creates the project with pre-configured tasks and deadlines based on the proposal scope.
Contracts attach to proposals and projects, so the signed scope stays connected to the actual work. The client portal activates with branded access, and the first invoice can generate directly from the approved pricing in the proposal.
With Wave, the entire pre-project workflow happens outside the platform. Proposals go through a separate tool like PandaDoc or Canva, contracts through DocuSign or HelloSign, and project setup happens manually in Asana or Trello. Each handoff between tools means re-entering client details and scope information.
In Plutio, a signed proposal becomes a live project with contracts, tasks, and client portal access, all from one signed document.
Time tracking built into every project
Wave has no time tracking at all. Freelancers billing hourly need Toggl, Harvest, or Clockify on top, then manually create invoice line items each billing cycle.
Plutio's time tracking runs inside every project. A built-in timer starts from any task with one click, or hours get logged manually with notes and rates attached. Billable and non-billable hours stay separated so only client-facing work hits the invoice.
At invoice time, tracked hours convert to line items with the task name, duration, and hourly rate already filled in, so there's no guesswork when the invoice goes out.
Time reports break down hours by project, client, or date range. The data shows exactly where billable hours went and which projects ran over budget, all from the same place where the projects and invoices live.
Every hour tracked in Plutio turns into an invoice line item without manual entry or app switching.
Client portals that show project progress
Wave has no client portal. Clients receive invoices by email and pay through a Wave-branded link. There's no way for clients to view project progress, upload files, or track milestones.
Plutio's client portals are branded with a custom logo, colors, and domain. Clients log in and see project progress alongside milestones, shared files, unpaid invoices, and messages.
Files upload directly to the project instead of arriving as email attachments. Messages attach to specific tasks so conversations stay in context. Clients approve deliverables and pay invoices from the portal without downloading separate apps or juggling multiple logins.
The portal replaces the email chains, the "just checking in" messages, and the status update requests that pile up between meetings. Clients see what's happening without asking, and freelancers don't need to write separate update emails.
Plutio's client portals replace status update emails with a branded space where clients track progress, share files, and pay invoices.
With Plutio we don't jump between apps anymore! Everything from projects to invoicing is finally connected in one fully-branded app.
How to switch from Wave to Plutio
Most freelancers switch between projects, finishing active billing in Wave while starting new clients on Plutio.
- Start a free trial: Plutio offers 14 days of full access with no credit card required. Every feature, including projects, invoicing, proposals, time tracking, and client portals, works from day one.
- Import client contacts: Export contacts from Wave as a CSV and import them into Plutio. Client names, emails, and details carry over in minutes.
- Set up a project template: Create one project template with the standard task list, milestones, and deliverable structure. Every new project starts from the template instead of manual setup.
- Start new clients on Plutio: Send the next proposal from Plutio. When the client signs, the project creates automatically with the template structure, portal access, and contract attached.
- Finish Wave invoices where they are: Active billing stays in Wave until completion. Running both platforms in parallel avoids disrupting client relationships mid-cycle.
- Cancel Wave: Once all active invoicing wraps up, downgrade or cancel the Wave subscription. Export any remaining data as backup.
The hardest part of leaving Wave isn't the data migration. The hardest part is accepting that an accounting tool was never going to replace the project management, time tracking, and client portal features a freelance business actually needs.
The switch happens between projects, not mid-project. New clients start on Plutio while Wave billing cycles finish naturally.
