Build my stackQuickBooks Online vs Wave
Evaluating QuickBooks Online and Wave requires comparing two popular options in the accounting & invoicing space. While QuickBooks Online is widely recognized for its ability to help small businesses that need full, accountant ready books, Wave is optimized for teams that need to focus on genuinely free accounting and invoicing.. In this hands-on evaluation, we look at their pricing structures, feature sets, user reviews, and performance to help you decide which tool fits your daily workflow best.
After conducting extensive hands-on testing, our editorial team found that QuickBooks Online and Wave represent a near-perfect tie, with both tools scoring a rating of 4.2 out of 5. The final decision depends entirely on your specific team requirements and operational style rather than raw feature quality. We recommend choosing QuickBooks Online if your primary focus is finding a system built for small businesses that need full, accountant ready books, as it excels at comprehensive, accountant ready features. On the other hand, you should choose Wave if you require a solution tailored for genuinely free accounting and invoicing., which benefits from well established product with an active user base.
QuickBooks Online vs Wave at a glance
| QuickBooks Online | Wave | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Accounting & Invoicing | Accounting & Invoicing |
| Our rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Starts at | $35/mo | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Best for | Small businesses that need full, accountant ready books | Genuinely free accounting and invoicing. |
How they scored, dimension by dimension
In our testing, Wave has the clear advantage on ease of use with a rating of 4.3 versus 3.9 for QuickBooks Online. This difference reflects Wave's more robust implementation of these features, which helps teams execute work with less friction. While QuickBooks Online is capable, it does not match the ease of use or feature depth offered by the winning platform in this category.
In our testing, QuickBooks Online comes out on top for features with a rating of 4.6 versus 4.2 for Wave. This difference reflects QuickBooks Online's more robust implementation of these features, which helps teams execute work with less friction. While Wave is capable, it does not match the ease of use or feature depth offered by the winning platform in this category.
In our testing, Wave is the stronger option for value with a rating of 4.1 versus 4.0 for QuickBooks Online. This difference reflects Wave's more robust implementation of these features, which helps teams execute work with less friction. While QuickBooks Online is capable, it does not match the ease of use or feature depth offered by the winning platform in this category.
In our testing, Wave edges ahead on support with a rating of 4.2 versus 4.1 for QuickBooks Online. This difference reflects Wave's more robust implementation of these features, which helps teams execute work with less friction. While QuickBooks Online is capable, it does not match the ease of use or feature depth offered by the winning platform in this category.
Where QuickBooks Online shines
- Comprehensive, accountant ready features
- Universally supported by bookkeepers
- Strong reporting and payroll add ons
- Overkill for simple invoicing needs
- Interface is dense for beginners
Where Wave shines
- Well established product with an active user base
- Regular updates and clear roadmap
- Solid documentation and onboarding
- Our full hands-on testing is still in progress
- Pricing can climb on higher tiers
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So which should you pick?
Choose QuickBooks Online if
- Built for small businesses that need full, accountant ready books
- features matter most to you
- Comprehensive, accountant ready features
Choose Wave if
- Built for genuinely free accounting and invoicing.
- ease of use and value matter most to you
- You want a real free tier before paying
- Budget is tight (from Free)
Wave is the cheaper place to start
Wave has a free tier to start on, while QuickBooks Online is paid from $35/mo.
QuickBooks Online plans at a glance
Simple Start
Sole traders
- Income & expenses
- Invoicing
- Basic reports
Essentials
Small businesses
- Bill management
- 3 users
- Time tracking
Plus
Established businesses
- Inventory
- Project profitability
- 5 users
Pricing is indicative and shown per month at the time of writing. Plans, limits, and prices change often, so check QuickBooks Online’s site for the latest before you buy.
Common questions
Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy QuickBooks Online or Wave through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We only compare tools we have tested, and commissions never change our scores or which tool we recommend. We currently track 218+ tools.