You're Switching from Wave.
Here's Why Custom Sneaker Painters Choose Helix.

Wave
$16/mo
$192/year — every year, forever
Helix
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 17.4 months. Then it's free forever.
"Switched from Wave after the last price increase. Helix does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified custom sneaker painter, former Wave customer

What Wave Is Costing You

The Damage

Wave monthly $16/mo
Annual drain $192/yr
Year 2 (11.4% SaaS inflation) $214
Year 3 $238
3-year total $644

That's $644 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.

Your Wave subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.

Why Custom Sneaker Painters Leave Wave

Higher payment processing fees than competitors
Limited features compared to QuickBooks
Support limited on free plan
No mobile invoicing on free
Acquired by H&R Block - future uncertain
Wave wins for freelancers who don't need inventory, but payment processing fees are slightly higher.

See the full history of Wave price changes in the SaaS Graveyard →

Custom Sneaker Painters are leaving Wave every week.

You're not the only one who's had enough.

Why This Matters for Custom Sneaker Painters

You have 4 custom pairs in the queue. Each takes 8-15 hours depending on complexity. A client wants a Dragon Ball Z themed pair of AF1s — you quoted $350 on a $110 retail shoe. Paint, prep, and finish supplies run $25. You're 6 hours in and the client wants to change Goku's pose. You also have 3 Instagram DMs asking for quotes and no system beyond screenshots to track orders.

Custom Sneaker Painters face unique challenges: Custom designs take 5-20 hours but customers compare to retail prices. Supply costs per pair ($15-30 in paint) not tracked carefully. Revision requests after paint is already applied. No-show on paid deposits when customers change their mind. On top of all that, Wave charges $16/month ($192/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median custom sneaker painter earns $28,000/year. Software at $192/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.

Your Angelus leather paints and supplies is yours. You bought it once. Helix works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.

Your Full Stack Cost

Wave is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?

Want this breakdown emailed to you?

Your exact Wave cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.

"I was paying Wave $16/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $644 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Helix was $279. Once. Done."
— Custom sneaker painter business owner

What You Get Instead

Feature Wave Helix
Invoicing
Scheduling
CRM
Time Tracking
Full Accounting ✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management
Price $16/mo forever $279 once
or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost $644 $279
Stop paying? Lose everything Keep everything forever

Switching Takes 1-2 Days

Most custom sneaker painters are fully switched before the weekend.

1

Export your data

Go to Settings → Data Export. Download customers, invoices, transactions, and accounts.

2

Set up Helix

15-minute setup. Import your client list and chart of accounts from CSV.

3

Parallel run

Run both for 1-2 weeks. Verify bank connections and recurring invoices work.

4

Cancel Wave

Cancel paid features. Your free account data stays accessible for records.

✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel Wave when you're confident. Zero risk.

FAQ

Is Helix really a Wave replacement for custom sneaker painters?

For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Helix includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. Wave may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.

$279 seems like a lot.

It's $7.75/month over 3 years. Wave is $16/month — that's $644 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Helix is also available as 3 payments of $99.

Can I pay in installments?

Yes. Helix 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.

What if I don't like it?

30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Helix doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.

Can I import my Wave data?

Export your data from Wave as CSV, import into Helix in about 5 minutes.

"Wave raised prices again and I was done. Found Helix — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— Custom sneaker painter, switched from Wave

Stop Losing $192/Year to Wave

$644 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.

Get Helix — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee — save $500 or full refund

Still want Wave?

We think Helix is the better deal at $279 once vs $16/mo. But if you've decided on Wave, here's the link. No hard feelings.

Wave — $16/mo →

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