Wave vs QuickBooks (2026): Pricing and Features Compared
Wave vs QuickBooks for 2026: free Starter vs QuickBooks plans from $20 to $340 a month, bank feeds, inventory, payroll and users, plus a cost example.
Quick answer: In Wave vs QuickBooks, Wave is the budget choice: free Starter plan, Pro at $19 per month, built for solo owners in the US and Canada. QuickBooks Online is the scalable choice, with plans from $38 to $340 per month (plus Solopreneur tiers from $20) that add users, inventory, projects and deeper reports, as of October 2026.
Wave and QuickBooks sit at opposite ends of the small business accounting market. Wave keeps things simple and cheap. QuickBooks covers almost everything, at a price. This guide compares current pricing from both vendors' pages, the features that actually matter for small businesses, a worked first-year cost example, and clear guidance on which to pick.
Wave vs QuickBooks at a glance
| Feature | Wave | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Starter: unlimited invoices | Very limited free tier (2 invoices per month) |
| Paid plans | Pro $19/mo or $190/yr | Lite $20, Simple Start $38, Essentials $85, Plus $140, Advanced $340 per month |
| Users | Owner plus invited collaborators | 1 (Simple Start), 3 (Essentials), 5 (Plus), 25 (Advanced) |
| Bank feeds | Pro only | All paid plans |
| Inventory | No | Plus and Advanced |
| Project profitability | No | Plus and Advanced |
| Classes and locations | No | Plus (up to 40) and Advanced (unlimited) |
| Bill pay | Bills tracking | Bill management, ACH bill pay |
| Payroll | Add-on (US and Canada) | Add-on (QuickBooks Payroll) |
| Integrations | Limited | Large app marketplace |
| Availability | US and Canada focus | Many countries (local editions) |
| Best for | Solo owners and micro businesses on a budget | Growing businesses, teams, inventory sellers |
Wave vs QuickBooks pricing (as of October 2026)
Wave
According to the Wave pricing page, Starter is $0 with unlimited invoices, estimates, bills and bookkeeping records, but manual bank entry only. Pro is $19 per month or $190 per year and adds automatic bank import and categorization, unlimited receipt capture and automated late payment reminders. Card processing was listed at 2.9% + $0.60 (Amex 3.4% + $0.60), with Pro waiving the fixed fee on the first 10 transactions each month. Bookkeeping support through Wave Advisors starts at $149 per month.
QuickBooks Online
| Plan | Regular monthly price | Users | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solopreneur Lite | $20 | 1 | Unlimited invoices, receipts and mileage, for one-person businesses |
| Simple Start | $38 | 1 (+2 accountants) | Invoicing with online payments, reports, bookkeeping automation |
| Essentials | $85 | 3 (+2 accountants) | Enhanced reports, employee time on invoices |
| Plus | $140 | 5 (+2 accountants) | Inventory, project profitability, budgets, classes and locations |
| Advanced | $340 | 25 (+3 accountants) | Custom permissions, workflow automation, batch invoices, priority support |
The QuickBooks pricing page showed 50% off the first three months on paid plans, or a 30-day free trial, when we checked. Payroll and QuickBooks Payments fees are separate; see our breakdown of QuickBooks Payments fees.
Worked example: first-year cost for two businesses
Business A: solo consultant. Needs unlimited invoices and bank feeds, no inventory, one user.
- Wave Pro, annual: $190
- QuickBooks Simple Start with the intro offer: (3 × $19) + (9 × $38) = $57 + $342 = $399
- QuickBooks Simple Start at regular price: $38 × 12 = $456
Wave saves $209 to $266 in year one, and $266 every year after.
Business B: online shop with stock and three staff. Needs inventory, four users and project or channel tracking.
- Wave: no inventory module, so it would need a separate inventory app, and multi-user access is more limited.
- QuickBooks Plus with the intro offer: (3 × $70) + (9 × $140) = $210 + $1,260 = $1,470
- QuickBooks Plus at regular price: $140 × 12 = $1,680
For Business B, QuickBooks costs more but replaces a second tool and a lot of manual work. These figures exclude payment processing and payroll, which apply to both.
Invoicing compared
Both tools send branded invoices with online payment links, recurring invoices and estimates. QuickBooks adds progress invoicing on higher plans, time and project tracking feeding invoices, batch invoicing on Advanced, and more customization. Wave keeps invoicing straightforward and does not cap the number of invoices on its free plan. Step-by-step guides: how to create an invoice in Wave and how to create an invoice in QuickBooks. If you bill in stages on larger jobs, our explainer on progress billing shows the method.
Accounting depth compared
- Bookkeeping: Both use double-entry accounting with a chart of accounts and standard reports.
- Bank reconciliation: Both support it; automation is better in QuickBooks and in Wave Pro.
- Reports: Wave covers the essentials (profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, sales tax). QuickBooks offers many more, plus budgets, KPIs and custom reports on higher tiers.
- Accountant familiarity: QuickBooks is widely used by US accountants and bookkeepers, which can make year-end work smoother.
- Sales tax: Both let you set up sales taxes on invoices; QuickBooks offers more automation for multi-state sellers.
Payroll, payments and add-on costs
The subscription is only part of the cost. For both tools, add-ons often matter more:
| Cost | Wave | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|
| Card payments | 2.9% + $0.60 (fixed fee waived on first 10 per month on Pro) | QuickBooks Payments rates by payment type |
| Bank (ACH) payments | Available, check current fee | Available, check current fee |
| Payroll | Paid add-on, US and Canada | Paid add-on, several tiers |
| Receipt capture | Included in Pro; $11/mo add-on on Starter | Included in paid plans |
| Bookkeeping help | Wave Advisors from $149/mo | Live bookkeeping offered separately |
If you plan to hire, compare payroll pricing for your number of employees and states before choosing, since payroll can cost more than the accounting plan itself. Our guide on how to do payroll yourself explains what any payroll tool needs to handle.
Ease of use and learning curve
Wave is simpler: fewer menus, fewer settings and fewer features to learn, which suits owners who want to invoice and categorize transactions without training. QuickBooks has more screens and options, which takes longer to learn but pays off once you use features such as classes, projects, inventory and custom reports. Both have mobile apps for invoicing and receipt capture.
A practical test: during a trial or on Wave's free plan, create a customer, send a test invoice to yourself, record a payment, connect your bank (on Wave Pro or a QuickBooks trial) and run a profit and loss report. Whichever feels natural after that half hour is probably the right fit. If neither does and your needs are simple, you can keep sending invoices from our free invoice generator and track payments in a spreadsheet until the volume justifies software.
Which should you choose?
Choose Wave if:
- You are a sole proprietor, freelancer or side hustler in the US or Canada
- You want free invoicing with no invoice limit
- You do not carry inventory or need multiple user roles
- Cost matters more than advanced features
Choose QuickBooks if:
- You have staff who need their own logins
- You sell products and track stock
- You need classes, locations, project profitability or budgets
- Your accountant works in QuickBooks, or you need specific integrations
See how other tools compare in FreshBooks vs Wave, Zoho Books vs QuickBooks, and our list of cheaper QuickBooks alternatives. If you are weighing QuickBooks against a spreadsheet, read QuickBooks vs Excel, and for Intuit's older product line, QuickBooks Online vs Desktop.
Common mistakes when choosing Wave or QuickBooks
- Buying more plan than you need. Many solo owners pay for Essentials when Simple Start or Wave would do.
- Budgeting on promo prices. QuickBooks discounts typically last three months; plan for the regular price.
- Ignoring the move cost. Switching later takes time, so pick something that fits your next two or three years.
- Forgetting payroll and payments fees. These often exceed the subscription.
- Skipping your accountant's input. A five-minute question can save hours of year-end cleanup.
Wave vs QuickBooks: the verdict
For a one-person business that mainly invoices, Wave offers most of what you need for free or $190 a year. The Wave vs QuickBooks choice swings to QuickBooks once you add staff, inventory or complex reporting, where its higher price buys real capability. And if you just need to send a few invoices without any subscription, our free invoice generator is free, needs no sign-up, and downloads a PDF built in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wave as good as QuickBooks?
For a solo business that mainly sends invoices and needs simple bookkeeping, Wave covers the essentials at a fraction of the cost. QuickBooks is more capable once you need multiple users, inventory, project tracking, class or location tracking, advanced reports or a wide range of integrations. The better choice depends on how complex your business is and how much you expect it to grow.
Does QuickBooks have a free plan like Wave?
As of October 2026, Intuit's pricing pages list a free QuickBooks option with tight limits, such as 2 invoices per month and one connected bank, aimed at testing or very low volume. Wave's Starter plan has no invoice limit. If you send more than a couple of invoices a month, compare Wave Starter or Pro with QuickBooks' paid tiers instead.
Can my accountant work in Wave?
Yes, Wave lets you invite collaborators such as an accountant or bookkeeper to the business, and you can export reports. That said, many US accountants work primarily in QuickBooks and may prefer it. Ask your accountant which software they support before choosing, since a familiar file can save billable hours at tax time.
Is it easy to move from Wave to QuickBooks?
Customer, vendor and product lists can usually be exported from Wave and imported into QuickBooks as CSV files. Historical transactions are harder; many businesses bring over opening balances at a clean cutoff date, such as the start of a quarter or year, rather than every past transaction. An accountant or a migration tool can help if you need full history.
Which is better for inventory, Wave or QuickBooks?
QuickBooks. Inventory tracking with quantities on hand and cost of goods sold is included in QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced. Wave lets you list products and services on invoices but is not built for inventory management. Product businesses with meaningful stock usually outgrow Wave, or pair it with a separate inventory tool.
Does Wave or QuickBooks have cheaper payment processing?
Both publish standard card rates around 2.9% plus a fixed fee, and both offer lower-cost bank payments. Wave listed 2.9% + $0.60 per card transaction as of October 2026, with Pro waiving the fixed fee on the first 10 transactions each month. QuickBooks Payments rates vary by payment type, so compare the current rates for your mix of card and ACH payments.
Is QuickBooks Desktop still an option?
Intuit has been moving customers to QuickBooks Online and has limited new sales of most Desktop editions in the US, while continuing some Desktop Enterprise offerings. If you are choosing new software today, compare Wave with QuickBooks Online. Our separate guide on QuickBooks Online vs Desktop covers the Desktop situation in detail.
Which is better for a side hustle?
Wave Starter is usually the better fit for a side hustle: it costs nothing, has no invoice limit, and produces the reports you need for Schedule C. QuickBooks Solopreneur tiers add mileage tracking and tax estimates, which some side hustlers like. If your volume is very low, a free invoice generator plus a simple spreadsheet may be all you need.
Invoice Creator Editorial Team
Guides on invoicing, cash flow and small-business finance from Invoice Creator, operated by Next Software Development Company. Content is reviewed for accuracy against the fields our own invoice generator produces.
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