Head to head
Wave vs QuickBooks Online
Both platforms are scored with the same methodology and the same category rubric. Nothing on this page is influenced by advertising.
56/100 | 70/100Higher score | |
|---|---|---|
| Category rank | #5 | #1 |
| Confidence | High confidence | High confidence |
| External Reputation | 69 | 80 |
| AI Authority | 51 | 73 |
| Web Authority | 51 | 57 |
| Expert Assessment | 44 | 62 |
| TOP10 User Score | — | — |
| Pricing | $19 USD/month (or $190 USD/year); $25 CAD/month, $250 CAD/year — promo observed at $9.50 USD/month for first 3 months · free tier: Starter $0: unlimited estimates, invoices, bills and bookkeeping records, mobile invoicing, cash flow and customer dashboard; documents sent via link or PDF only; Wave branding retained | USD $38/month (Simple Start, 1 user; promo $3.80/mo for 3 months) · free tier: 30-day free trial, offered as an alternative to a 90%-off-for-three-months promotion |
| Pricing model | Freemium subscription plus per-transaction payment fees | Subscription |
| Best for | US and Canadian freelancers and micro-businesses invoicing in USD/CAD at low volume — roughly under 10 card transactions a month, or mostly via 1% ACH — who want free invoicing plus double-entry bookkeeping in one ledger and can tolerate 1–7 day settlement. | US small businesses of roughly 3-25 people that already need double-entry accounting — inventory, job costing, sales tax, an external accountant — and want invoicing to live in the same ledger. |
| Avoid if | Your cash flow cannot absorb a payment hold or risk review, you process more than about 10 card transactions a month, you operate outside the US/Canada or need Quebec payroll, or you require weekend, phone or fast-escalation support. | You are a freelancer or solo operator who only sends invoices, you need batch invoice sending without paying $340/mo, or you require a firm all-in monthly cost including card-processing fees. |
| Markets | Freelancers, Sole traders, Micro-business, SMB | SMB, Accountants |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
A higher TOP SCORE means more of the evidence favours that platform on this methodology — it is not a recommendation, and it does not account for your specific requirements. Advertisers are never declared the winner of a comparison.