QuickBooks vs Wave: Pricing Comparison 2026
Side-by-side pricing comparison of QuickBooks and Wave. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.
Bottom line: Wave starts at $16/mo, making it $19/mo cheaper than QuickBooks ($35/mo). Wave offers a free plan.
Last updated: July 2, 2026
Wave - Wave offers a free plan, provides up to 11% annual savings, starts at $19/mo lower ($16/mo vs $35/mo).
QuickBooks vs Wave: Quick Pricing Facts
| Feature | QuickBooks | Wave |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $35/mo | $16/mo |
| Number of Plans | 4 | 2 |
| Free Tier | No | Yes |
| Pricing Model | per-seat | freemium |
| Annual Discount | N/A | Up to 11% |
Wave is the more affordable option, starting at $16/mo compared to QuickBooks' $35/mo. Both are Accounting tools with 6 combined pricing plans and 27 features compared. At comparable tiers, the monthly price difference is $49.
Wave stands out with a free plan for getting started. QuickBooks uses per-seat pricing while Wave uses freemium pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.
Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Accounting needs.
| Pricing Plans |  QuickBooks Try free |  Wave Try free |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Simple Start $35/month $420 / year Includes
| Starter $0/monthCheapest Includes
|
| Tier 2 | EssentialsPopular $65/month $780 / year Includes
| ProPopular $16/monthCheapest $170 / year(save $22) Includes
|
| Tier 3 | Plus $99/monthCheapest $1188 / year Includes
| - |
| Tier 4 | Advanced $235/monthCheapest $2820 / year Includes
| - |
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Ready to get started? Try either tool free — no credit card required.
QuickBooks
Cloud accounting software for small businesses covering invoicing, bookkeeping, taxes, and payroll
View all QuickBooks plansWave
Free accounting and invoicing software for small businesses, with paid add-ons for payroll and payments
View all Wave plansFrequently Asked Questions: QuickBooks vs Wave
Which is cheaper, QuickBooks or Wave?
How many pricing plans does QuickBooks have vs Wave?
Does QuickBooks or Wave offer a free plan?
Can I save money by paying annually for QuickBooks or Wave?
What is the most popular QuickBooks plan?
What is the most popular Wave plan?
What pricing models do QuickBooks and Wave use?
Sources
- QuickBooks Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
- Wave Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
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