Handl Billing: The Best Wave Alternative For Digital Agencies

Handl Billing provides specialised, project-based billing designed specifically for digital agencies with milestone payment triggers and integrated project tracking, while Wave offers basic, free accounting services primarily built for small businesses and freelancers without agency-specific functionality.

Why Digital Agencies Choose Handl Over Wave

Purpose-Built for Digital Agencies

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Specifically designed for digital marketing agencies, software firms, and design professionals with unique billing workflows.

General accounting software built for small businesses and freelancers with simple invoicing needs.

Project-Payment
Integration

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Automatically links project milestones to payment triggers, ensuring clients pay as work progresses rather than waiting until completion.

Basic invoicing disconnected from project progress, requiring manual tracking of deliverables and billing cycles.

Media Account Spend Management

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Streamlines digital marketing by automating micropayments between ad accounts and client payments, solving a critical agency challenge.

No specialised features for managing client ad spend or marketing budgets, creating additional administrative burden.

Deliverable Protection

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For software and design agencies, securely links digital asset delivery to payment confirmation, protecting valuable work products.

No mechanisms to protect digital deliverables or connect them to payment status.

Scope Change Tracking

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Features advanced scope creep detection that automatically identifies when projects expand beyond original agreements.

No project management features or scope tracking capabilities.

Secure Code-Payment Linkage

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For software agencies, securely links code exchanges to transactions, ensuring clients receive deliverables only after payment.

No specific features to protect digital deliverables or link them to payment confirmation.

Feature Comparison

Pricing
Value-based for agencies
Free basic accounting with paid payment processing

Target Users

Digital agencies, marketing teams, software firms
Small businesses, freelancers, solopreneurs

Project-Payment Linking

Automated
Not available

Media Budget Management (Coming Soon)

Specialized features
Not available

Digital Asset Protection

Payment-triggered release
Not available

Scope Creep

Advanced scope creep monitoring
Not available

Asset exchange payment

Links deliverable access to payment status
Not available

Client Portal

Project progress + payment tracking
Basic invoice view only

Accounting Features

Agency-focused
General business

Payment Processing

Integrated
Paid add-on

Understanding the Fundamental Difference

Free General Accounting vs. Agency-Specific Value

Wave has gained popularity by offering free basic accounting tools, but this comes with significant limitations for digital agencies:

Wave's Approach:

  • Free general accounting and invoicing
  • Revenue through payment processing fees
  • Designed for businesses with simple financial needs
  • No specialized features for project-based businesses

a screenshot of a software
a screenshot of a software

Handl's Approach:

  • Purpose-built for digital agency revenue models
  • Investment in agency-specific features that drive business value
  • Designed for complex client-agency financial relationships
  • Features that directly improve agency profitability and cash flow
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Transform Your Agency's Financial Operations

Handl is designed specifically for digital agencies looking to:

  • Link project milestones to automated payments

  • Track and bill for scope changes

  • Protect valuable digital deliverables

  • Streamline media account spending

  • Improve cash flow and eliminate payment delays

Automate My Billing

Start your  
free trial today

No credit card required. Experience the difference purpose-built agency billing software makes.

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