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Compare QuickBooks Online and Wave

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At a Glance
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online
Star Rating
(3,617)4.0 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (82.2% of reviews)
Information
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$38.00 Per Month
Browse all 4 pricing plans
Wave
Wave
Star Rating
(307)4.3 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (95.3% of reviews)
Information
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$20-$35 per month
Browse all 3 pricing plans
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
  • Users report that QuickBooks Online excels in its "Inventory Management" features, particularly with "Centralized Inventory Database" and "Inventory Level Dashboards," which provide a comprehensive view of stock levels and history. In contrast, Wave's inventory management capabilities are more basic, lacking advanced features like low stock notifications.
  • Reviewers mention that QuickBooks Online's "Payroll" functionality, including "Direct Deposit" and "Tax Calculation," is robust and user-friendly, making it a preferred choice for small businesses. Wave, however, has received feedback indicating that its payroll features are limited and less intuitive, which can be a drawback for users needing comprehensive payroll solutions.
  • G2 users highlight QuickBooks Online's superior "Reporting and Dashboards" capabilities, particularly in generating "Financial Statements" and "Custom Reporting." Users appreciate the depth of analytics available, while Wave's reporting features are seen as less flexible and comprehensive, with some users expressing a desire for more customization options.
  • Users on G2 report that QuickBooks Online's "Ease of Setup" is rated lower than Wave's, with QuickBooks receiving a score of 7.9 compared to Wave's 8.9. This suggests that Wave may offer a more straightforward onboarding process, which can be crucial for small businesses looking to get started quickly.
  • Reviewers say that QuickBooks Online's "Quality of Support" is a mixed bag, with a score of 7.5, while Wave's support is slightly better at 7.7. Users have noted that while QuickBooks has extensive resources, the responsiveness of support can vary, whereas Wave's support is often praised for being more accessible and helpful.
  • Users report that QuickBooks Online's "Accounts Receivable" features, particularly "Invoice Customization" and "AR Automation," are more advanced than those offered by Wave. Reviewers mention that Wave's "Invoice Customization" is limited, which can hinder branding efforts for businesses that rely heavily on invoicing.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
QuickBooks Online
Simple Start
$38.00
Per Month
Browse all 4 pricing plans
Wave
Pay your staff
$20-$35
per month
Browse all 3 pricing plans
Free Trial
QuickBooks Online
Free Trial is available
Wave
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.3
2,998
8.6
249
Ease of Use
8.2
3,046
8.9
251
Ease of Setup
8.0
1,574
8.8
121
Ease of Admin
8.1
1,400
8.7
112
Quality of Support
7.5
2,709
7.6
165
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
7.8
1,365
8.5
104
Product Direction (% positive)
7.5
2,944
8.0
240
Features by Category
7.7
2,061
7.1
82
General Ledger
8.0
940
7.9
54
|
Verified
7.9
1366
|
Verified
7.8
45
|
Verified
8.1
1475
|
Verified
7.5
44
|
Verified
Accounts Receivable
8.1
1621
|
Verified
8.5
72
7.9
1332
|
Verified
8.1
53
|
Verified
7.7
1161
|
Verified
8.0
47
|
Verified
Accounts Payable
7.6
758
7.8
36
8.3
1483
|
Verified
8.1
51
|
Verified
8.0
1151
|
Verified
7.2
32
|
Verified
Other Functionality
7.6
929
|
Verified
6.8
27
|
Verified
7.6
952
|
Verified
7.0
29
|
Verified
7.6
929
|
Verified
6.8
28
7.6
1138
|
Verified
6.9
31
|
Verified
7.8
1305
|
Verified
7.1
32
|
Verified
8.3
1657
|
Verified
7.6
44
|
Verified
8.2
1169
|
Verified
6.7
27
|
Verified
8.1
1210
|
Verified
6.7
26
|
Verified
Reporting & Analytics
8.6
1820
|
Verified
8.3
72
|
Verified
8.1
1772
|
Verified
7.9
59
|
Verified
7.9
1404
|
Verified
7.5
40
|
Verified
8.2
1757
|
Verified
8.5
70
|
Verified
Platform
7.5
1544
|
Verified
7.3
58
|
Verified
7.7
1389
|
Verified
7.3
40
|
Verified
8.3
1645
|
Verified
7.8
54
|
Verified
7.9
1050
|
Verified
7.3
28
|
Verified
8.3
1750
|
Verified
8.2
64
|
Verified
8.1
1547
|
Verified
7.9
53
|
Verified
Integration
7.9
1580
|
Verified
7.8
49
|
Verified
7.6
699
7.2
31
7.9
1201
6.6
31
|
Verified
Cash Flow
8.2
639
|
Verified
7.9
32
|
Verified
8.7
715
|
Verified
8.3
35
|
Verified
8.4
664
|
Verified
7.6
28
|
Verified
Budgeting & Forecasting
7.9
1404
|
Verified
7.5
40
|
Verified
8.0
598
|
Verified
7.0
23
|
Verified
7.7
511
|
Verified
6.6
17
|
Verified
8.1
624
|
Verified
7.2
27
|
Verified
Revenue
8.3
624
|
Verified
7.9
28
|
Verified
8.3
589
|
Verified
7.5
23
|
Verified
7.9
522
7.2
21
Payroll
8.2
542
|
Verified
6.7
20
|
Verified
8.0
534
|
Verified
6.8
17
8.1
563
|
Verified
6.6
20
|
Verified
8.2
610
|
Verified
7.7
25
|
Verified
AI
6.8
183
5.5
7
7.1
180
6.5
8
6.9
179
6.7
9
6.6
178
4.5
7
7.0
178
6.7
8
6.3
179
5.6
8
7.5
183
7.6
9
7.2
180
6.7
8
6.8
176
6.0
7
6.8
176
5.7
7
Mobile Applications - Accounting
7.2
128
6.5
8
7.1
122
7.5
8
7.0
123
6.7
7
6.1
122
3.0
5
7.3
126
6.2
7
7.5
125
7.7
8
Agentic AI - Accounting
5.7
84
Not enough data
Nonprofit AccountingHide 9 FeaturesShow 9 Features
8.4
1,996
Not enough data
General Ledger
8.0
940
7.9
54
|
Verified
7.9
1366
|
Verified
7.8
45
|
Verified
8.1
1475
|
Verified
7.5
44
|
Verified
Accounts Receivable
8.1
1621
|
Verified
8.5
72
7.9
1332
|
Verified
8.1
53
|
Verified
7.7
1161
|
Verified
8.0
47
|
Verified
Accounts Payable
7.6
758
7.8
36
8.3
1483
|
Verified
8.1
51
|
Verified
8.0
1151
|
Verified
7.2
32
|
Verified
8.5
141
Not enough data
Multichannel inventory management
8.4
85
Not enough data
8.4
86
Not enough data
8.4
82
Not enough data
3PL inventory management
8.7
98
Not enough data
8.6
88
Not enough data
8.4
90
Not enough data
Inventory Management
8.8
97
Not enough data
8.8
95
Not enough data
8.6
91
Not enough data
8.6
91
Not enough data
8.6
98
Not enough data
Inventory Management Platform Features
8.7
118
Not enough data
8.7
114
Not enough data
8.5
117
Not enough data
8.3
108
Not enough data
8.1
111
Not enough data
8.7
105
Not enough data
8.2
111
Not enough data
8.5
113
Not enough data
8.8
115
Not enough data
8.6
119
Not enough data
7.9
125
Not enough data
Order Entry
8.6
113
Not enough data
8.8
107
Not enough data
8.5
111
Not enough data
Order Tracking
8.0
96
Not enough data
7.9
98
Not enough data
7.9
93
Not enough data
Inventory Management
8.1
95
Not enough data
8.0
93
Not enough data
7.9
89
Not enough data
Customer Management
8.2
98
Not enough data
8.4
106
Not enough data
8.4
108
Not enough data
Subscription Management
8.6
110
Not enough data
8.3
106
Not enough data
8.5
113
Not enough data
8.3
101
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Order Management
4.5
11
Not enough data
5.0
11
Not enough data
Not enough data
7.8
47
Bill Generation
Not enough data
7.9
36
Not enough data
8.3
40
Not enough data
8.0
35
Bill Processing
Not enough data
7.6
28
Not enough data
7.6
26
Not enough data
8.2
38
Integration
Not enough data
7.9
37
Not enough data
8.0
33
Not enough data
6.8
19
Agentic AI - Billing
Not enough data
Not enough data
Accounting & FinanceHide 1 FeatureShow 1 Feature
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Accounting & Finance
Not enough data
Not enough data
7.6
193
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Vendor Management
5.6
13
Not enough data
Revenue Recognition
8.4
147
Not enough data
8.2
154
Not enough data
8.3
163
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online
Wave
Wave
QuickBooks Online and Wave are categorized as Accounting
Unique Categories
Wave
Wave is categorized as Billing
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
82.2%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
14.6%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
3.1%
Wave
Wave
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
95.3%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
3.7%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
1.0%
Reviewers' Industry
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online
Accounting
17.7%
Marketing and Advertising
5.3%
Construction
5.2%
Non-Profit Organization Management
4.4%
Information Technology and Services
4.3%
Other
63.1%
Wave
Wave
Marketing and Advertising
16.1%
Information Technology and Services
6.0%
Accounting
5.4%
Design
4.7%
Computer Software
3.4%
Other
64.4%
Alternatives
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online Alternatives
Xero
Xero
Add Xero
NetSuite
NetSuite
Add NetSuite
Sage Intacct
Sage Intacct
Add Sage Intacct
CustomBooks™
CustomBooks™
Add CustomBooks™
Wave
Wave Alternatives
Xero
Xero
Add Xero
FreshBooks
FreshBooks
Add FreshBooks
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Add Zoho Books
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Desktop Pro
Add QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Discussions
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online Discussions
What phone app works if you are using Quick books V15.0.5R6
7 Comments
JH
You are correct, you can only use the Invoicing app if you have the online version of Quickbooks. Hope this helps!Read more
Can you put quickbooks on a mac?
4 Comments
william r.
WR
Yes you can use quickbooks on a MacRead more
What can you do with QuickBooks online?
3 Comments
CV
It would be great to see QBO have the ability to send monthly statements via email, not the generic intuit email, but a selectable email that is by the...Read more
Wave
Wave Discussions
Is wave a good accounting software?
2 Comments
MM
Yeah. It has most of the features required by a small business. You can request the team if you need anything in particular Read more
What is Wave Software?
2 Comments
Michael M.
MM
Wave software is an easy to use Payroll and Accounting software. You can create invoices, send billings, track expenses, and all normal transactions...Read more
Is Wave Accounting really free?
2 Comments