Side-by-side comparison

QuickBooks Online Essentials vs Wave Pro

QuickBooks Online Essentials vs Wave Pro comparison on Luminxo. Compare pricing, features, ratings, and who each product is best for.

Most affordableWave Pro$19/mo
Highest ratedWave Pro4.4/5.0
Most featuresQuickBooks Online Essentials7/11

Quick Take

QuickBooks Online Essentials

Intuit · Essentials

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QuickBooks Online Essentials by Intuit starts at $30/mo (billed annually) with invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation. It includes 3 user seats and integrates with 750+ third-party apps.

Best for: Best for small businesses with growing teams.

  • Tax preparation and filing
  • Time tracking
  • Automatic bank reconciliation
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Wave Pro

Wave · Pro

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Wave Pro by Wave starts at $15.83/mo (billed annually) with invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation. It includes 99 user seats and integrates with 15+ third-party apps.

Best for: Best for small businesses with growing teams.

  • Multi-currency support
  • Automatic bank reconciliation
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Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricQuickBooks Online EssentialsWave Pro
Monthly Price$75/mo$19/mo
Annual Price$30/mo$15.83/mo
Included Users399
Free Trial30 daysNone
Integrations750+15+
Rating4.2/5.04.4/5.0

Feature Comparison

FeatureQuickBooks Online EssentialsWave Pro
Invoicing
Expense Tracking
Bank Reconciliation
Payroll
Inventory Management
Time Tracking
Project Tracking
Multi-Currency
Tax Filing
Mobile App
API Access

Who Should Pick Which Product?

QuickBooks Online Essentials

We like QuickBooks Online Essentials because it connects with 750+ apps, offers a 30-day free trial, has a mobile app for on-the-go access.

Best for: Best for small businesses with growing teams.

Pros

  • 30-day free trial
  • Extensive integrations (750+ apps)
  • Mobile app available
  • API access for custom integrations
  • Well rated (4.2/5.0 average)

Tradeoffs

  • No built-in payroll (requires add-on or separate service)
  • No inventory management
  • No multi-currency support

Wave Pro

We like Wave Pro because it has a mobile app for on-the-go access.

Best for: Best for small businesses with growing teams.

Pros

  • Affordable pricing
  • Mobile app available
  • Well rated (4.4/5.0 average)

Tradeoffs

  • No built-in payroll (requires add-on or separate service)
  • No inventory management
  • No API access
  • Limited third-party integrations

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between QuickBooks Online Essentials and Wave Pro?

The biggest tradeoffs are pricing, included features, and the type of business each product targets. This page compares those factors directly so you can choose the right fit.

Which is the most affordable option?

Wave Pro has the lowest price in this comparison at $19/mo.

Which has the most features?

QuickBooks Online Essentials has the most features in this comparison with 7 out of 11 tracked features.