HomeQuickBooks Online vs Wave
Updated March 2026 · Independent Analysis

QuickBooks OnlinevsWave

Wave starts at $16/mo, 54% cheaper than QuickBooks Online's $35/mo. Wave is rated higher at 4.4/5 vs QuickBooks Online's 4.2/5.

Q
QuickBooks Online

The most popular small business accounting software in the US

4.2/5Founded 19837M+ customers users
Try QuickBooks Online Free →
W
Wave

Free accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning for small businesses

4.4/5Founded 20102M+ small businesses users
Try Wave Free →

⚡ Quick Stats

Avg Rating
🏆 Wave wins
💰
Starting Price
🏆 Wave wins
🔧
Features
🏆 QuickBooks Online wins
🎁
Free Plan
🏆 Wave wins

📊 Ratings Breakdown

Q

QuickBooks Online

4.2/5 avg
G2 Score4/5
Capterra Score4.3/5
Overall Avg4.15/5
W

Wave

4.4/5 avg
G2 Score4.4/5
Capterra Score4.4/5
Overall Avg4.4/5

⚡ Quick Verdict

Independent analysis based on features, pricing, and user ratings

Choose QuickBooks Online if you need:
  • Expense Tracking
  • Tax Categories
  • Payroll (add-on)
  • Time Tracking
  • Inventory Management
Try QuickBooks Online Free →
Choose Wave if you need:
  • Accounting
  • Receipt Scanning
  • Payroll
  • Online Payments
  • Sales Tax Tracking
Try Wave Free →

🔧 Feature Comparison

QuickBooks Online uniquely offers Expense Tracking, Tax Categories, Payroll (add-on). Wave uniquely offers Accounting, Receipt Scanning, Payroll. Both share 5 features including Invoicing, Bank Connections, Financial Reports.

Feature
QuickBooks Online
Wave
Invoicing
Bank Connections
Financial Reports
Multi-currency
Mobile App
Expense Tracking
Tax Categories
Payroll (add-on)
Time Tracking
Inventory Management
Project Profitability
Receipt Capture
1099 Contractor Payments
Cash Flow Planner
750+ Integrations
Accounting
Receipt Scanning
Payroll
Online Payments
Sales Tax Tracking
Recurring Invoicing
Customer Management
Estimates
Dashboard
Integrations
Total Features
15
15

💰 Pricing Comparison

Wave starts at $16/mo, 54% cheaper than QuickBooks Online's $35/mo.

Q

QuickBooks Online Plans

Paid plans only

Simple StartBest Value
$35/mo
  • 1 user
  • Income & expenses
  • Invoicing
Essentials
$65/mo
  • 3 users
  • Bill management
  • Time tracking
Plus
$99/mo
  • 5 users
  • Inventory
  • Project tracking
Advanced
$235/mo
  • 25 users
  • Custom reports
  • Batch invoices
Full QuickBooks Online pricing breakdown →
W

Wave Plans

Free tier available

Free (Accounting)
Free
  • Accounting
  • Invoicing
  • Receipt scanning
Pro (Accounting)Best Value
$16/mo
  • Bank connections
  • Receipt scanning
Payroll
$20/mo base
  • + $6/employee
  • Tax-filing states
Advisors
$149/mo
  • 1-on-1 coaching
  • Bookkeeping support
Full Wave pricing breakdown →
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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