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Compare QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Wave 
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At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (81.3% of reviews)
Small-Business (95.3% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
$499.95
$20-$35 per month
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Star Rating
(1,741)4.3 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (81.3% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$499.95
Browse all 5 pricing plansWave
Star Rating
(307)4.3 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (95.3% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$20-$35 per month
Browse all 3 pricing plansSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- Users report that QuickBooks Desktop Pro excels in "Payroll Entry" with a score of 9.0, making it a preferred choice for businesses that prioritize payroll management. In contrast, Wave's payroll features received a lower score of 8.8, indicating that while it is competent, it may not offer the same level of functionality.
- Reviewers mention that QuickBooks Desktop Pro's "Recurring Billing" feature stands out with a score of 9.2, allowing for efficient management of repeat invoices. Wave, however, scored 8.3 in this area, suggesting that users may find it less robust for handling recurring transactions.
- G2 users highlight QuickBooks Desktop Pro's superior "Tax Calculation" capabilities, scoring 9.1, which is crucial for businesses needing accurate tax management. Wave's tax features, while decent, scored slightly lower at 9.0, indicating a minor difference in effectiveness.
- Users on G2 report that QuickBooks Desktop Pro offers better "Invoice Customization" options with a score of 8.6, allowing businesses to tailor invoices to their branding. Wave, on the other hand, received a score of 8.7, which is competitive but may not provide the same level of customization flexibility.
- Reviewers mention that QuickBooks Desktop Pro's "Digital Billing" feature is highly rated at 9.4, making it a strong choice for businesses that rely on electronic invoicing. Wave's digital billing capabilities scored 8.5, indicating that while functional, it may not be as comprehensive.
- Users say that QuickBooks Desktop Pro's "Audit Trail" feature, with a score of 8.5, provides excellent tracking of changes and transactions, which is vital for compliance and accountability. Wave's audit trail scored lower at 7.6, suggesting that users may find it less effective for monitoring financial activities.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
QuickBooks Premier 2017
$499.95
Skip the high cost networking with QuickBooks Plus Hosting Service powered by Right Networks.
- One-time payment
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Wave
Pay your staff
$20-$35
per month
$20/month base fee in Canada + 44 states
$35/month base fee in California, Florida, New York, Texas, Illinois & Washington
$4 additional per employee added
- Includes direct deposit.
- Employee portal to check pay stubs and history.
- Perfect for salaried and hourly workers, full-time or part-time.
Free Trial
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Free Trial is available
Wave
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.9
1,485
8.6
249
Ease of Use
8.6
1,490
8.9
251
Ease of Setup
8.3
627
8.8
121
Ease of Admin
8.6
622
8.7
112
Quality of Support
7.7
1,314
7.6
165
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.2
605
8.5
104
Product Direction (% positive)
7.5
1,476
8.0
240
Features by Category
General Ledger
8.7
945
|
Verified
7.9
54
|
Verified
8.3
608
|
Verified
7.8
45
|
Verified
8.5
762
|
Verified
7.5
44
|
Verified
Accounts Receivable
8.6
938
|
Verified
8.5
72
8.4
728
|
Verified
8.1
53
|
Verified
8.1
597
|
Verified
8.0
47
|
Verified
Accounts Payable
8.6
753
|
Verified
7.8
36
8.7
849
|
Verified
8.1
51
|
Verified
8.6
657
|
Verified
7.2
32
|
Verified
Other Functionality
8.2
452
|
Verified
6.8
27
|
Verified
8.2
473
|
Verified
7.0
29
|
Verified
8.3
460
|
Verified
6.8
28
8.3
578
|
Verified
6.9
31
|
Verified
8.2
578
|
Verified
7.1
32
|
Verified
8.9
908
|
Verified
7.6
44
|
Verified
8.8
647
|
Verified
6.7
27
|
Verified
8.7
646
6.7
26
|
Verified
Reporting & Analytics
9.0
997
|
Verified
8.3
72
|
Verified
8.7
968
|
Verified
7.9
59
|
Verified
8.4
738
|
Verified
7.5
40
|
Verified
8.5
872
|
Verified
8.5
70
|
Verified
Platform
8.0
822
|
Verified
7.3
58
|
Verified
Feature Not Available
7.3
40
|
Verified
8.5
883
|
Verified
7.8
54
|
Verified
8.5
529
7.3
28
|
Verified
8.6
951
|
Verified
8.2
64
|
Verified
8.6
861
|
Verified
7.9
53
|
Verified
Integration
8.2
834
|
Verified
7.8
49
|
Verified
Feature Not Available
7.2
31
Feature Not Available
6.6
31
|
Verified
Cash Flow
8.9
123
|
Verified
7.9
32
|
Verified
9.1
139
|
Verified
8.3
35
|
Verified
8.9
130
|
Verified
7.6
28
|
Verified
Budgeting & Forecasting
8.4
738
|
Verified
7.5
40
|
Verified
8.4
114
|
Verified
7.0
23
|
Verified
8.3
89
|
Verified
6.6
17
|
Verified
8.7
114
|
Verified
7.2
27
|
Verified
Revenue
8.9
121
|
Verified
7.9
28
|
Verified
8.8
104
|
Verified
7.5
23
|
Verified
8.6
90
7.2
21
Payroll
8.7
95
6.7
20
|
Verified
8.8
107
6.8
17
8.7
106
|
Verified
6.6
20
|
Verified
8.9
120
|
Verified
7.7
25
|
Verified
AI
6.1
15
5.5
7
7.0
15
6.5
8
6.4
15
6.7
9
6.6
15
4.5
7
6.7
15
6.7
8
5.3
15
5.6
8
8.2
15
7.6
9
7.9
15
6.7
8
7.1
15
6.0
7
7.3
15
5.7
7
Mobile Applications - Accounting
8.2
10
6.5
8
7.5
10
7.5
8
7.8
10
6.7
7
4.5
10
3.0
5
6.3
10
6.2
7
7.3
10
7.7
8
Agentic AI - Accounting
4.6
8
Not enough data
Employee Self Service
8.3
229
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.4
192
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.2
169
|
Verified
Not enough data
Administration
9.0
461
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.5
332
|
Verified
Not enough data
9.0
330
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.7
352
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.7
385
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.7
309
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.8
275
|
Verified
Not enough data
9.1
414
|
Verified
Not enough data
9.0
343
|
Verified
Not enough data
Taxes
9.1
429
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.9
113
Not enough data
8.8
334
|
Verified
Not enough data
Integration
8.4
254
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.2
88
Not enough data
8.6
292
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.3
71
Not enough data
Platform
8.7
444
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.9
436
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.7
463
|
Verified
Not enough data
8.7
409
|
Verified
Not enough data
Bill Generation
8.9
83
7.9
36
9.2
74
8.3
40
9.1
70
8.0
35
Bill Processing
8.7
70
7.6
28
8.8
74
7.6
26
9.1
80
8.2
38
Integration
9.0
89
7.9
37
9.0
85
8.0
33
8.6
61
6.8
19
Agentic AI - Billing
4.0
5
Not enough data
Agentic AI - Accounting & Finance
Not enough data
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Wave are categorized as Billing and Accounting
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Wave
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Accounting
17.0%
Construction
6.9%
Non-Profit Organization Management
5.5%
Marketing and Advertising
3.3%
Information Technology and Services
3.2%
Other
64.1%
Marketing and Advertising
16.1%
Information Technology and Services
6.0%
Accounting
5.4%
Design
4.7%
Computer Software
3.4%
Other
64.4%
Discussions
Does Quickbooks allow you to charge customers on a recurring basis?
I know that quickbooks is kind of the gold standard when it comes to accounting software, but does it have an online payment gateway?
2 Comments
EM
It can be set up in a few easy steps. Check out this guide: http://www.qbexpress.com/how-to-setup-recurring-charges-for-customers-in-quickbooks/Read more
What plans are there to migrate the features from quick books online?
2 Comments
BL
My understanding is that QuickBooks Desktop is more in "Maintenance Mode" right now. I would not expect big new features added to desktop.
As an example,...Read more
Best unique feature ?
2 Comments
MA
User interface is simply fantastic. It has got a beautiful interface with excel. Like anything and everything in software can be exported and imported...Read more
What is Wave Software?
2 Comments
MM
Wave software is an easy to use Payroll and Accounting software. You can create invoices, send billings, track expenses, and all normal transactions...Read more
Is wave a good accounting software?
2 Comments
MM
Yeah. It has most of the features required by a small business. You can request the team if you need anything in particular Read more
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