Wave vs Xero:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Xero had more branded searches than Wave among small business accounting software in the United States. Xero had about 90,500 branded searches, while Wave had 22,200. Xero made up 7.7% of all small business accounting software searches we track, and Wave accounted for 1.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about small business accounting software, Wave appeared in all five answers and Xero in four. Xero was mentioned before Wave in three out of five answers.
Follow Wave vs Xero and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top small business accounting software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Wave appeared in all five answers. Xero was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Xero was listed before Wave in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
QuickBooks Online1st
Wave2nd
Xero3rd
FreshBooks4th
Zoho Books5th
Sage Accounting6th
ZipBooks–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- FreshBooks5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Wave5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- QuickBooks Online4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Xero4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Zoho Books4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sage Accounting1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- ZipBooks0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about small business accounting software
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best accounting software for a small business?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which bookkeeping software should I use for my small business?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the easiest accounting software for a freelancer?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“accounting software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“small business accounting software”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 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 seven small business accounting software we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Xero, Wave. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | QuickBooks Online | Xero | FreshBooks | Zoho Books | Wave | Sage Accounting | ZipBooks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 82.9% | 7.5% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 0.2% | 0.36% |
| Nov 2025 | 81.2% | 8.9% | 4% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 0.19% | 0.36% |
| Dec 2025 | 80.7% | 8.9% | 4% | 2.7% | 3.2% | 0.19% | 0.35% |
| Jan 2026 | 80.1% | 8.8% | 4% | 2.7% | 4% | 0.19% | 0.35% |
| Feb 2026 | 83.6% | 7.6% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 83.6% | 7.6% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 83.7% | 7.6% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 0.16% | 0.3% |
| May 2026 | 82.7% | 9.1% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 0.19% | 0.29% |
| Jun 2026 | 82.6% | 7.4% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 0.24% | 0.19% |
| Jul 2026 | 84.9% | 7.7% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 0.2% | 0.16% |
| Aug 2026 | 85.4% | 7.7% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 0.16% | 0.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 85% | 7.7% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 0.16% | 0.16% |
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 small business accounting software in the United States moved from 2.7% to 1.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 22.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xero’s share of searches among small business accounting software in the United States moved from 7.5% to 7.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 90.5K.
How did search popularity change for United States small business accounting software in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Wave in the United States fell 32.9% over 12 measured months, from 33.1K to 22.2K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 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.
Other head-to-heads among small business accounting software
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.