Brandwave

Wave vs Xero:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Xero had more branded searches than Wave among invoicing apps in New Zealand. Xero had about 165,000 branded searches, while Wave had 570. Xero made up 90.2% of all invoicing app searches we track, and Wave accounted for 0.31%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about invoicing apps, Xero appeared in four of the five answers and Wave in one. Xero was mentioned before Wave in four out of five answers.

Among invoicing apps in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Xero, about 289 searches for every 1 for Wave

Xero 165K searchesWave 570 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Xero, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Wave in 1

Xero in 4 of 5Wave in 1 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Xero, named ahead of Wave in 4 of 5 answers

Xero first in 4Wave first in 1

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Top invoicing apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Xero was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Wave was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Xero was listed before Wave in four out of five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Xero1st
  2. Zoho Invoice2nd
  3. Hnry3rd
  4. Wave4th
  5. MYOB Business5th
  6. Invoice Simple6th
  7. Invoice2go–
  8. FreshBooks–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Xero4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Hnry3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • MYOB Business3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Zoho Invoice3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Invoice Simple2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Wave1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Invoice2go0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • FreshBooks0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about invoicing apps

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is Wave or Xero more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Wave and Xero by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight invoicing apps we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Wave and Xero among invoicing apps in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Xero, Wave. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthXeroHnryMYOB BusinessZoho InvoiceWaveInvoice SimpleInvoice2goFreshBooks
Oct 202590.1%8.1%0.71%0.39%0.38%0.14%0.12%0.1%
Nov 202589.7%8%0.86%0.48%0.51%0.17%0.18%0.11%
Dec 202589.4%8%1.1%0.48%0.5%0.14%0.18%0.15%
Jan 202685.7%11.5%1.2%0.46%0.53%0.2%0.17%0.17%
Feb 202687.7%9.6%1.2%0.47%0.48%0.17%0.18%0.12%
Mar 202686%11.6%1.3%0.38%0.43%0.14%0.17%0.07%
Apr 202683.6%13.7%1.5%0.45%0.42%0.13%0.14%0.07%
May 202688.1%9.7%1%0.38%0.44%0.14%0.14%0.06%
Jun 202688%9.7%1.3%0.38%0.39%0.11%0.14%0.06%
Jul 202688.1%9.7%1%0.47%0.35%0.14%0.18%0.09%
Aug 202690.2%8.1%0.71%0.39%0.29%0.11%0.18%0.05%
Sep 202690.2%8.1%0.55%0.39%0.31%0.26%0.14%0.06%

How has the Wave and Xero comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Xero was ahead of Wave in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wave’s share of searches among invoicing apps in New Zealand moved from 0.38% to 0.31%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 700 to 570.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xero’s share of searches among invoicing apps in New Zealand moved from 90.1% to 90.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 165K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand invoicing apps in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Xero’s share of searches among invoicing apps in New Zealand has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 88% to 90.2% in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Wave in New Zealand fell 18.6% over 12 measured months, from 700 to 570 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

7 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Wave’s and Xero’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Wave

6 branded search terms

  • wave accounting
  • wave accounting program
  • wave invoice
  • wave invoice app
  • waveapps
  • waveapps app

Xero

1 branded search term

  • xero

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among invoicing apps

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