QuickBooks Online vs Wave
Updated 2026 — Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and scores.
QuickBooks Online
8.4/10
Great
Ease of Use8
Value for Money7
Support7.5
Features9.5
Scalability9
Integrations9.5
Wave
6.3/10
Good
Ease of Use8.5
Value for Money10
Support6
Features5.5
Scalability4
Integrations2
Feature Comparison
| Feature | QuickBooks Online | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ Professional invoices with payment links | ✓ Unlimited free invoicing |
| Expense Tracking | ✓ Auto-categorization with bank feeds | ✓ Free expense tracking |
| Bank Reconciliation | ✓ Automatic bank feeds and matching | ✓ Bank connections and reconciliation |
| Tax Management | ✓ Tax deduction tracking and 1099 prep | ~ Sales tax tracking, basic tax reports |
| Financial Reports | ✓ P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, custom reports | ✓ P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, sales tax |
| Payroll | ~ Available as paid add-on | ~ Available as paid add-on in US & Canada |
| Multi-Currency | ✓ Essentials plan and above | ✗ Not supported |
| Project Tracking | ✓ Plus plan and above | ✗ Not available |
| Inventory Management | ✓ Plus plan and above | ✗ Not available |
| Receipt Scanning | ✓ Mobile receipt capture on all plans | ✓ Unlimited receipt scanning |
| Mobile App | ✓ iOS & Android with receipt capture | ✓ iOS & Android for invoicing and receipts |
| API Access | ✓ QuickBooks API for developers | ✗ No public API |
| Free Plan Available | ✗ 30-day free trial only | ✓ Core accounting and invoicing free forever |
| Time Tracking | ✓ Essentials plan and above | ✗ Not available |
| Third-Party Integrations | ✓ 750+ integrations via app store | ✗ Very limited integrations |
✓ Full support~ Limited✗ Not available
Pricing Comparison
QuickBooks Online Pricing
Simple Start$30/mo
$30/mo billed annually
EssentialsPopular$60/mo
$60/mo billed annually
Plus$90/mo
$90/mo billed annually
Advanced$200/mo
$200/mo billed annually
Wave Pricing
FreePopularFree
Pro$16/mo
$14/mo billed annually
FAQ
Is QuickBooks Online or Wave better?
It depends on your needs. QuickBooks Online scores 8.4/10 overall while Wave scores 6.3/10. Compare the detailed feature matrix above to find the best fit.