- Best overall alternative: H&R Block
- Best for sole proprietors: TaxAct
- Most affordable option: FreeTaxUSA
- Best for multi-state tax filing: TaxSlayer
- Best for 1099 contractors: Cash App Taxes
- Best standalone full-service tax management: Xendoo
While TurboTax is the most popular tax software in the United States, it’s not the right choice for everyone. It’s relatively expensive for what you get, and there are many other more affordable alternatives out there.
We’ve identified six of the best TurboTax competitors if you want to use a different platform to file your taxes this year.
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Top TurboTax alternatives comparison
Besides cost, there are multiple factors that you need to consider when choosing a TurboTax alternative. Here are some of the features to keep in mind during your search:
| Starting price (for federal return) | Free federal returns | Free state returns | Business returns | Professional support | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H&R Block | $55 | For simple returns only | Limited | Yes | Yes | Visit H&R Block |
| TaxAct | $49.99 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Visit TaxAct |
| FreeTaxUSA | $0 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Visit FreeTaxUSA |
| TaxSlayer | $37.95 | Yes | One return only | Yes | Yes | Visit TaxSlayer |
| Cash App Taxes | $0 | Yes | Yes | No | No | Visit Cash App Taxes |
| Xendoo | $1,200 for year-round tax support | n/a | n/a | Yes | Yes | Visit Xendoo |
H&R Block: Best overall alternative
H&R Block is quite similar to TurboTax, making them close competitors. H&R Block also offers both free and paid options, though its free version has slightly expanded capabilities, which means more people may be able to file for free using that software as compared to TurboTax. H&R Block also offers the unique option of both in-person and virtual help if you choose the most advanced plan.
Why we chose H&R Block
H&R Block offers a very similar feature set when compared to TurboTax, but its pricing plans start at a less expensive threshold. H&R Block’s free plan also offers more capabilities, and the premium plan gives you the option of both virtual and in-person support.
Pricing
- Basic: Starts at $0 for federal returns and no state returns, with simple returns only.
- Deluxe: Starts at $55 for federal returns, and $49 for state returns.
- Premium: Starts at $85 for federal returns, and $49 for state returns.
- Self-Employed: Starts at $115 for federal returns, and $49 for state returns.
Features
- Easy document upload from phone, computer or tablet.
- Get on-demand help from the AI Live Assist on paid plans.
- Offers more tax forms for free than TurboTax.
- All paid plans get access to live chat and phone support.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
TaxAct: Best for sole proprietors
While not as well known as TurboTax and H&R Block, TaxAct offers many of the same features at even more affordable prices. If you’re a small-business owner or sole proprietor who needs more robust tax software than the basic free plans, TaxAct is a great TurboTax alternative to look into. TaxAct also offers bundled pricing for other business structures, such as partnerships and S corporations, if those are more applicable to your business.
Why we chose TaxAct
We chose TaxAct because of its many different pricing plans and bundles that are geared toward businesses. It also offers an excellent balance of features and price, especially when compared to other popular tax software like TurboTax and H&R Block.
Pricing
- Free: $0 for federal return, and $39.99 per state return.
- Deluxe: $49.99 for federal return, and $59.99 per state return.
- Premiere: $79.99 for federal return, and $59.99 per state return.
- Self-Employed: $99.99 for federal return, and $59.99 per state return.
- Live tax advice: $39.99 add-on to any pricing plan.
Features
- Many online and offline software options to choose from.
- Uses an interview-style questionnaire to guide you through taxes.
- Free tax calculators available on the website.
- Tax checklists ensure you have everything you need to file.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
FreeTaxUSA: Most affordable option
While FreeTaxUSA isn’t 100% free — it charges a small fee for state returns — it’s one of the most affordable TurboTax competitors out there. FreeTaxUSA also offers a handful of optional add-on features, all of which are competitively priced as well. However, be aware that there are tradeoffs for the low cost: the interface isn’t the most intuitive and it requires more manual input than some other tax software.
Why we chose FreeTaxUSA
We chose FreeTaxUSA because it’s one of the most well-reviewed and widely used low-cost tax software options on the market today. If you are on a budget and need to spend as little money as possible when filing your taxes, then you should seriously consider FreeTaxUSA.
Pricing
- Free: $0 for federal return, and $14.99 for state return.
- Deluxe: $7.99 for priority support and live chat.
- Pro Support: $49.99 for live phone and video call chat.
- Audit Defense: $19.99 for tax expert representation.
- Prior Year Tax Filing: $0 for federal returns, and $17.99 for state returns.
Features
- W-2 PDF import is finally available.
- Stores your tax files for up to 7 years.
- File for a tax extension for free.
- Everyone gets a free federal tax return regardless of their income level.
Pros and cons
TaxSlayer: Best for multi-state tax filing
TaxSlayer is another TurboTax alternative that is especially well-suited to multi-state tax filing. Its free plan also includes one free state tax return, which is somewhat of a rarity among tax software. However, there is an income cutoff for the TaxSlayer free version, in contrast to some alternatives like FreeTaxUSA. TaxSlayer also offers numerous affordable pricing plans to choose from if you don’t qualify for the free version.
Why we chose TaxSlayer
Not only is TaxSlayer completely transparent about how much it charges for state returns, it also provides numerous resources to help you figure out your multi-state tax filing situation. Whether you work in multiple states or live in one state and work in another, TaxSlayer will help you figure out how to file your taxes accurately.
Pricing
- Simply Free: $0 for federal return, and one state tax return.
- Classic: $37.95 for federal return, and $44.95 per state return.
- Premium: $57.95 for federal return, and $44.95 per state return.
- Self-Employed: $67.95 for federal return, and $44.95 per state return.
Features
- Phone and email support, even for the free plan.
- Simple, friendly interface.
- Free tax pro support included on Premium and Self-Employed plans.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Cash App Taxes: Best for 1099 contractors
Cash App Taxes, the successor to Credit Karma Tax, offers completely free state and local tax filing. It doesn’t offer any professional support, not even as an add-on, making it a good choice for 1099 contractors and other people who have a relatively simple tax situation.
It doesn’t support business returns, only personal returns, so check out our recommendations for the best business tax software if you need that instead. You must download the Cash mobile app and create an account to file (though you can switch to your desktop after you create the account, if you don’t want to enter all that information on your phone).
Why we chose Cash App Taxes
We chose Cash App Taxes because it provides completely free federal and state tax return filing, even if you sell stock or bitcoin. However, the lack of professional advice and business return support means that it’s best for 1099 contractors and other people with straightforward personal taxes.
Pricing
- Both states and federal returns are completely free with Cash App Taxes.
Features
- Mobile app lets you file taxes on the go.
- Free audit defense included.
- Supports all major IRS forms and schedules.
Pros and cons
Xendoo: Best standalone full-service tax management
The rest of these TurboTax alternatives are designed for people looking to file their own returns, but Xendoo is meant for businesses that need an outside expert to file their returns for them. Subscribers to any of Xendoo’s three professional services plans can choose to add on tax support for the entire year, which includes federal and state filing. With Xendoo, your business will get weekly bookkeeping so that you’re completely ready to go come tax time.
Why we chose Xendoo
Xendoo is primarily a bookkeeping service, but it also offers an add-on for tax support as well. This means you can keep your accounting and tax filing all within the same organization and have peace of mind that their experts are doing accurate calculations for you.
Pricing
- Essential: $395 per month billed annually, or $355 per month billed monthly — for bookkeeping for up to $50K in monthly expenses.
- Growth: $695 per month billed annually, or $625 per month billed monthly — for bookkeeping for up to $75K in monthly expenses.
- Scale: $995 per month billed annually, or $895 per month billed monthly — for bookkeeping for up to $125K in monthly expenses.
- Tax guidance plus annual federal and state return: $1,200 for the entire year, and can be added to any pricing plan.
Features
- Weekly bookkeeping keeps your transactions reconciled.
- Reports give you financial visibility into your business.
- Tax consulting and advising services included in the add-on.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Is TurboTax worth it?
In many ways, TurboTax is the standard in tax software, offering an intuitive question-based interface that walks each user through filing out their return. It also included multiple options for support, from the free AI-powered assistant bot to white-glove full service, depending on which pricing plan you choose.
However, TurboTax is more expensive compared to most tax software competitors, so it may not be worth it for everyone, especially if you don’t require advanced features or assistance on your taxes. If TurboTax’s price tag is making you hesitate, then it’s definitely worth checking out some of the alternatives and competitors that we listed here — you might be able to save yourself some cash.
TurboTax pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
TurboTax pricing
TurboTax
This plan costs between $0 and $129 to file, depending on whether or not you qualify for a free federal return. State returns cost $64 each if you don’t qualify for the free version. This plan lets you upload tax documents by snapping photos and also includes AI-Powered Intuit Assist.
Live Assisted
This plan costs between $89 and $219 to file federal returns, and $59 or $69 for each state return. It includes on-demand help from tax experts with an average of 12 years’ experience.
Live Full Service
This plan starts at $129 to file federal returns, and $69 for each state return. With this plan, a local tax expert will be matched to your situation and will prepare, sign and file your return on your behalf.
Do you need an alternative to TurboTax?
TurboTax may be the most popular tax filing software in the United States, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for everyone. If you’re looking for a more affordable way to file your taxes, there are many TurboTax alternatives out there. FreeTaxUSA and Cash App Taxes are the least expensive, but their features are also limited.
H&R Block, TaxAct and TaxSlayer offer more advanced features that are similar to TurboTax, but often at a lower cost. If saving money matters to you, we recommend crunching the numbers for the exact features you need and comparing the costs across platforms.
Finally, there are professional service providers such as Xendoo that will completely handle your business’ bookkeeping and tax filing on your behalf. While it’s much more expensive than simple tax software, many business owners find the investment in such a TurboTax alternative worthwhile.
Methodology
To choose the best TurboTax alternatives and competitors, we assessed multiple tax software platforms and consulted user reviews and product documentation before making our selection. We weighed many different features, including limitations on free federal tax returns and costs for state returns. We also consider other factors, such as live support options and the difficulty of the software’s learning curve.