12 Best Tax Software Reviews in 2026: Pricing, Features and Pros & Cons

TurboTax is the default choice for a reason: its interview is the most guided in this list, asking plain-language questions and filling in the forms as you answer, and it covers the widest range of situations — W-2 income, investments, rentals, crypto and self-employment. Free Edition costs $0 for simple returns, Deluxe is $79 federal for homeowners and itemizers, and the top DIY tier is $139 for investors, landlords and the self-employed, with state returns at $64 each.

The trade-off is the price curve. TurboTax raises prices through the season, so Deluxe cost $49 early in the year and $79 late, and the state fee is charged per state on top of the federal price. Buy TurboTax for the most hand-holding and the widest form coverage; buy FreeTaxUSA or Cash App Taxes when the return is straightforward.

H&R Block is the value rival to TurboTax, and its free tier is the broadest in this list: W-2 income, unemployment, retirement income, the EITC, the Child Tax Credit and student loan interest all file at $0 federal and state. Deluxe costs $35 federal and covers mortgage interest, HSA contributions and donations, Premium runs from $60 for investments and rentals, and Self-Employed is $85, with state returns at $37 each.

The advantage is the exit ramp: if the return turns complicated, more than 9,000 offices can take it over. Desktop software is separate — Deluxe + State lists at $60 — so compare online with online. Pick H&R Block for the widest free tier and a human backup; pick TurboTax for the slickest interview.

FreeTaxUSA is the best value in this list because its free tier is not a teaser: federal filing is $0 for every situation, including self-employment, investments, rental income and crypto — the forms that cost $79 or more elsewhere. You pay only for the state return, at $15.99, and the optional Deluxe Support upgrade is $7.99 for live chat, unlimited amended returns and audit help. Pro Support with a tax pro is $64.99 and Audit Defense is $19.99.

The catch is guidance: no live expert on the free tier, and a plainer interview than TurboTax, so first-time filers get less hand-holding. The state fee rose from $14.99 to $15.99 this year — still the cheapest state filing here. Choose FreeTaxUSA for the lowest honest price; choose TurboTax when you want the software to do the thinking.

Cash App Taxes, formerly Credit Karma Tax and now owned by Block, is the only product here that is completely free: federal and state filing cost $0 for every filer, with no income cap and no tiers. It covers W-2 and 1099 income, Schedule C, investments, rentals and crypto at $0 — situations that push you to a $79 tier on TurboTax. Audit support guidance is included, with a $100 refund guarantee if another service finds more.

The limits are support and scope: no live tax advice, no tax planning and no audit representation, no multi-state filing, and no support for some less common forms. A Cash App account on your phone is required to file from a computer. Pick Cash App Taxes when the price must be $0; pick FreeTaxUSA for multi-state filing or a tax pro.

TaxAct is the budget alternative to the big two, and its pricing undercuts them at every tier: Free is $0 federal, Deluxe is $29.99 for homeowners, itemizers and parents, Premier is $49.99 for investments and rental income, and Self-Employed is $69.99 for freelancers and sole proprietors. State returns cost $39.99 on every tier. Live tax assistance can be added to any plan for $25, which is cheaper than jumping a tier for help.

The weakness is the state fee: no free state filing, so a simple return with one state costs $39.99 even on the free plan — more than FreeTaxUSA's $15.99 or Cash App Taxes' $0. The interface is plainer and slower than TurboTax. Pick TaxAct when you itemize or run a small business and want the cheapest paid tier with help on demand.

TaxSlayer keeps pricing simple: Simply Free costs $0 for federal and one state return, for W-2 filers under $100,000 with no dependents who claim the standard deduction. Classic is $44.99 federal and covers every form and schedule — investments, rentals, crypto and self-employment — with state returns at $47.99 each. Premium is $64.99 and adds audit support and advice from a tax pro, and Self-Employed is $74.99.

The warning is the price curve, the steepest here: Classic was $22.99 in January 2026 and $44.99 by July, and the state fee rose to $47.99 alongside it. Simply Free is also narrow — no dependents, no EITC and no Child Tax Credit — so many filers who expect free filing land on Classic. File early, before the price rises.

Jackson Hewitt Online is the flat-fee pick: $25 covers the federal return and every state return you need, however complex the return. A W-2 filer pays $25, a freelancer with Schedule C pays $25, and a filer in three states still pays $25 — while rivals charge $37 to $64 per state. The price is guaranteed for two more years, and audit support is a $29.95 add-on.

The catch: no free tier, so the simplest return costs $25 when Cash App Taxes or H&R Block would file it for $0. In-person preparation is a different product, priced per franchise from around $49 for new clients and not published. Pick Jackson Hewitt for multiple states or a complex return at a fixed price; pick a free tier for a simple one-state return.

1040.com charges one price for everything: $34.99 covers the federal return and as many state returns as you need, with every supported form included — Schedule C, investments, rentals and itemized deductions all cost the same as a simple W-2 return. Start free and pay only when you file; audit assistance is an optional add-on. It is built on Drake Tax, the professional engine used by thousands of preparers.

The trade-off is support: no free filing option, so a simple return costs $34.99 when Cash App Taxes would file it for $0, and no live expert help — support runs by email and help articles. Pick 1040.com for one predictable price on a complex multi-state return; pick FreeTaxUSA when free federal filing is the priority.

eFile.com competes on price alone: Free Basic is $0 federal for the simplest W-2 returns, Deluxe is $29.99 and adds dependents, mortgage interest and retirement income, and Premium is $49.99 for itemized deductions, business income and audit assistance. State returns cost $32.99 on every tier. The FED15OFF code cuts 15% off the federal price on Deluxe and Premium.

The free tier is the narrowest in this list. Dependents, investments, HSA contributions, unemployment income and student loan interest all force an upgrade, so many filers who start free end up on Deluxe — and even then the state return costs $32.99. Reviewers also rate its guidance below the big two. Pick eFile.com when the return is straightforward and the Deluxe price is what matters; pick TaxAct for a similar price with better support.

Liberty Tax Online is the online arm of a large office chain, running on Drake Tax — the same professional engine behind 1040.com. Basic is $47.95 federal, Deluxe is $67.95 for dependents and investments, and Premium is $87.95 for self-employment and rental income, with state returns at $36.95 each. In-person preparation starts at $69, and refund advances come on a prepaid debit card.

The problem is value: no free filing option at any tier, so the simplest return starts at $47.95 — more than 1040.com's $34.99 flat price for the same Drake engine. In-person prices vary by franchise and are not published. Pick Liberty Tax only if you want its offices as a backup.

Keeper Tax is built for freelancers and gig workers, not April filers: it connects to your bank and card accounts and uses AI to scan transactions all year, flagging purchases that look like business deductions. Standard costs $199 a year — $16.58 a month billed yearly — and includes bookkeeping, federal and state e-filing and audit protection. Premium is $399 a year, Business is $1,199 for S-corps and partnerships.

The value depends on how you earn: if your income comes from several gig platforms, the deduction-finding can pay for the subscription; if you are a W-2 employee, there is little here for you. There is no GPS mileage tracking, and the AI suggestions still need a human check. Pick Keeper Tax when 1099 income is your living; pick a DIY tool when you file once a year.

Drake Tax is professional software for preparers, not a consumer filing tool: it prepares and e-files client returns across all 50 states, with bank products, e-signature and client portals. Drake Tax Online starts at $299.99 for the tax year for the first user, with extra users at $99 each and individual returns at $49.99 each. Pay-Per-Return is $379.99 for 10 returns, unlimited 1040 packages start at $1,895, and Pro starts at $2,375.

The entry price is the lowest in the professional class, but the bill is annual and due up front — no monthly billing — and retail prices rise on December 1, 2026. The interface is dated, and business returns cost $74.99 each on capped plans. Pick Drake Tax for client returns at volume; pick Keeper Tax when the returns are your own.