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 4/5.
QuickBooks Onlinevs Wave
★ 4.0/5-0.4 vs Wave
Only in QuickBooks Online
- ✦ Expense Tracking
- ✦ Tax Categories
- ✦ Payroll (add-on)
From $35/mo(pricier)7M+ customers users · est. 1983
Try QuickBooks Online Free →
Wavevs QuickBooks Online
★ 4.4/5+0.4 vs QuickBooks Online
Only in Wave
- ✦ Accounting
- ✦ Receipt Scanning
- ✦ Payroll
✓ Free planFrom $16/mo(cheaper)2M+ small businesses users · est. 2010
Try Wave Free →Ratings Breakdown
QuickBooks Online
4.0/5 avg
G2 Score4/5
Capterra Score4.3/5
G2 Rating4/5
Wave
4.4/5 avg
G2 Score4.4/5
Capterra Score4.4/5
G2 Rating4.4/5
Quick Stats
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
✓
✗
Accounts Payable Management
✓
✗
Budgeting Tools
✓
✗
Customizable Invoices
✓
✗
Deposit Slip Tracking
✓
✗
Electronic Payment Options
✓
✗
Financial Statement Analysis
✓
✗
Forecasting Capabilities
✓
✗
Fund Transfer Options
✓
✗
General Ledger Management
✓
✗
Invoice Reminders
✓
✗
Job Costing Analysis
✓
✗
Liability Tracking
✓
✗
Loan Management System
✓
✗
Multi User Access
✓
✗
Online Bill Payment
✓
✗
Payment Reminders
✓
✗
Purchase Order Management
✓
✗
Reconciliation Tools
✓
✗
Recurring Invoices
✓
✗
Sales Tax Management
✓
✗
Transaction Matching
✓
✗
Vendor Management
✓
✗
Accounts Receivable
✓
✗
Audit Log Tracking
✓
✗
Billing Statements
✓
✗
Credit Memo Management
✓
✗
Customer Statements
✓
✗
Estimate Conversion
✓
✗
Accounting
✗
✓
Receipt Scanning
✗
✓
Payroll
✗
✓
Online Payments
✗
✓
Sales Tax Tracking
✗
✓
Recurring Invoicing
✗
✓
Customer Management
✗
✓
Estimates
✗
✓
Dashboard
✗
✓
Integrations
✗
✓
Total Features
43
15
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
Choose Wave if you need:
- ✓ Accounting
- ✓ Receipt Scanning
- ✓ Payroll
- ✓ Online Payments
- ✓ Sales Tax Tracking
Pricing Comparison
Wave starts at $16/mo, 54% cheaper than QuickBooks Online's $35/mo.
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
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
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