# QuickBooks Online vs Wave

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** QuickBooks Online

| Attribute | QuickBooks Online | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 63.9 (64% (medium)) | 57.4 (72% (medium)) |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A subscription-based accounting platform that syncs financial data across devices and automates bookkeeping tasks. It connects to banks and apps for real-time expense tracking, invoicing, payroll management, and business reporting. It is indexed under Accounting Software.","source":"https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/","question":"What is QuickBooks Online?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"QuickBooks Online offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $38 per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/","question":"Is QuickBooks Online free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"QuickBooks Online supports the web, iOS and Android. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/","question":"What platforms does QuickBooks Online support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for QuickBooks Online, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/","question":"Can QuickBooks Online be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 7 integrations for QuickBooks Online, including Knowify, Amazon Business, PayPal, Shopify, Square, Mailchimp and TurboTax. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/","question":"What does QuickBooks Online integrate with?","confidence":0.6}]` | `[{"answer":"A unified platform combining bookkeeping, invoicing, payment processing, and reporting in one dashboard. Helps small business owners track income and expenses, manage cash flow, and maintain organized financial records year-round. It is indexed under Accounting Software.","source":"https://www.waveapps.com","question":"What is Wave?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Wave offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $16 per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.waveapps.com/pricing","question":"Is Wave free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Wave. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.waveapps.com","question":"What platforms does Wave support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Wave, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.waveapps.com","question":"Can Wave be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 8 integrations for Wave, including Plaid, Zapier, Shopify, Square, ADP, RBC, Block Advisors and Apple Pay. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.waveapps.com","question":"What does Wave integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Wave is available worldwide. Its primary markets are the United States and Canada.","source":"https://www.waveapps.com","question":"Where is Wave available?","confidence":0.75}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | QuickBooks Online is a web-based accounting system that helps businesses manage invoicing, expenses, and financial reporting. It features AI-powered automation for transaction categorization, invoice creation, and tax planning, along with collaboration tools for accountants and team members. | Wave enables small business owners to manage their financial operations in one place, including expense and revenue tracking, customer billing, digital payments, and reporting to support financial decision-making. |
| features.capabilities | `{"inventory":true,"api_access":"full","bank_feeds":"direct","deployment":"cloud","ar_invoicing":true,"ap_automation":true,"multi_currency":true,"tax_compliance":"AI-driven tax deduction identification and tax savings optimization","double_entry_gl":true,"payments_capture":true,"accountant_collab":true,"project_accounting":true}` | `{"api_access":"full","bank_feeds":"aggregator","deployment":"cloud","ar_invoicing":true,"tax_compliance":"Tax-ready bookkeeping with organized records and reporting","double_entry_gl":true,"payments_capture":true,"accountant_collab":true,"project_accounting":true}` |
| integrations.count | 800 | 5 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Knowify"},{"name":"Amazon Business","native":true,"category":"commerce","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"PayPal","native":true,"category":"payments"},{"name":"Shopify","native":true,"category":"commerce"},{"name":"Square","native":true,"category":"payments"},{"name":"Mailchimp","native":true,"category":"marketing"},{"name":"TurboTax","native":true,"category":"tax","direction":"outbound"}]` | `[{"name":"Plaid"},{"name":"Zapier"},{"name":"Shopify"},{"name":"Square"},{"name":"ADP"},{"name":"RBC"},{"name":"Block Advisors"},{"name":"Apple Pay"}]` |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US","CA"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"ios":true,"web":true,"android":true}` | `{"ios":true,"web":true,"android":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"$0/month","features":["Send up to 2 invoices per month","Access to profit and loss, balance sheet, and account quick report","Connect 1 bank account for automatic transaction sync","Chat support","No accountant access"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"invoices":"2/month","core_reports":"3","bank_connections":"1"}},{"free":false,"name":"Advanced","summary":"$340/month regular; $170/month for first 3 months","features":["Everything in lower tiers","Access for up to 3 accountants","Automatic project creation and cost allocation with AI","Customizable dashboards with KPIs","Advanced project financial reporting","Custom user roles and permissions","Automated workflow setup and reminders","Free 1099 e-filing and approval workflows","Priority Circle support and training"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":340,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false}],"summary":"Free tier available. Paid plans from $38–$340/month; 50% off for first 3 months.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-23T13:26:30.286Z","freeTrialDays":30,"startingPrice":{"amount":340,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Starter","summary":"Free","features":["Unlimited invoices, estimates, bills","Unlimited bookkeeping records","Mobile app access","Dashboard and reports","Payment processing available"],"description":"Basic accounting and invoicing for new businesses","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$16/month billed monthly, or $190/year billed annually","features":["Everything in Starter","Auto-import bank transactions via Plaid","Auto-merge and auto-categorize transactions","Unlimited receipt capture and tracking","Add multiple users/collaborators","Payment processing at discounted rates"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":16,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Enhanced accounting with bank automation and transaction categorization","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Wave Advisors","summary":"$149/month or $199/month depending on tier","features":["Everything in Pro","Dedicated bookkeeper management","Monthly financial statements","Expert bookkeeping support","Transition assistance from other software","Optional one-on-one accounting coaching"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":149,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Hands-off bookkeeping with dedicated bookkeeper and financial expert support","contactSales":false}],"addOns":[{"name":"Payment Processing","components":[{"of":"transaction","kind":"percentage","plus":{"amount":0.6,"currency":"USD"},"rate":2.9}]},{"name":"Payroll"},{"name":"Receipts"}],"summary":"Free Starter plan with unlimited invoicing and bookkeeping. Pro from $16/month includes bank automation. Wave Advisors from $149/month for managed bookkeeping. Payment processing fees: 2.9% + $0.60 per Visa/Mastercard transaction.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.waveapps.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T15:29:13.788Z","startingPrice":{"amount":16,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | high | mid |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":340,"currency":"USD"}` | - |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"PCI DSS Level 1","level":"Level 1","status":"active"}]` |
| security.pci | - | yes |

## Capabilities (Accounting Software)

| Capability | QuickBooks Online | Wave |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Double-entry GL | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-entity | - | - |
| Multi-currency | ✓ | - |
| Bank feeds | Direct feeds | Aggregator |
| **Modules** |  |  |
| AP automation | ✓ | - |
| AR / invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Inventory | ✓ | - |
| Fixed assets | - | - |
| Project accounting | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Compliance** |  |  |
| Tax compliance | AI-driven tax deduction identification and tax savings optimization | Tax-ready bookkeeping with organized records and reporting |
| **Workflow** |  |  |
| Accountant collaboration | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Payments** |  |  |
| Payments capture | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| API access | Full | Full |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:27:52.589Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*