Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Avalara vs Fidelity

Avalara logo

Avalara

Accounting

Tax compliance done right

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fidelity logo

Fidelity

Personal Finance

Building a better financial future

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Avalara pricing varies significantly based on products, integrations, transaction volume, and jurisdictions; Fidelity options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • They diverge on capability: Avalara covers Tax calculation, Fidelity covers Commission-free trading.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Avalara and Fidelity actually diverge.

Attributes where Avalara and Fidelity differ
AttributeAvalaraFidelity
Starting price$29/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptiontransaction
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, IOS, Android
CategoryAccountingPersonal Finance
Founded20041946

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Avalara

  • Tax calculation
  • Returns filing
  • Exemption management
  • Document management
  • Real-time rates
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Shopify

Only in Fidelity

  • Commission-free trading
  • Retirement planning
  • Advisory services
  • Research tools
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Avalara

  • Real-time sales tax calculation at checkoutnot Fidelity
  • Multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determinationnot Fidelity
  • VAT, lodging, communications and excise tax calculationnot Fidelity
  • Feeding tax results into an ERP or ecommerce platform through the APInot Fidelity

Fidelity

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFsnot Avalara
  • Holding IRAs, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accountsnot Avalara
  • Trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one accountnot Avalara

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Avalara

  • Pricing varies significantly based on products, integrations, transaction volume, and jurisdictions
  • No free tier or trial period published
  • Enterprise sales model requires contacting sales specialists for customized quotes

Fidelity

  • Options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission
  • Non Fidelity mutual funds carry a 49.95 USD transaction fee per purchase
  • Secondary market bonds cost 1.00 USD per bond, while new issues are free
  • A foreign settlement fee of 50 USD applies per trade
  • Margin rates are tiered by debit balance, from 11.825 percent below 25,000 USD down to 7.50 percent at 1 million USD or more, against a base rate of 10.575 percent effective 12 December 2025
  • Margin liquidation by the broker costs 32.95 USD per liquidation

Pricing, plan by plan

Avalara

$29/month
  • AvaTax$50/month
    • Tax calculation
    • Exemption certificates
    • Returns filing

Fidelity

On request
  • Brokerage$undefined/month
    • Commission-free trading
    • Research tools
  • Advisory$undefined/month
    • Personal advisor
    • Wealth management

Which should you pick?

Choose Avalara if

  • You need tax calculation.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want returns filing.
Avalara review

Choose Fidelity if

  • You need commission-free trading.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Fidelity review

Questions people ask

Is Avalara or Fidelity better?
Neither clearly leads. Avalara starts at $29/month and Fidelity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Avalara or Fidelity?
Avalara starts at $29/month and Fidelity at On request.
Does Avalara or Fidelity run on more platforms?
Avalara runs on Web, Api. Fidelity runs on Web, IOS, Android.
What is Avalara best used for?
Avalara is most often used for real-time sales tax calculation at checkout, multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determination, vat, lodging, communications and excise tax calculation, feeding tax results into an erp or ecommerce platform through the api. Of those, real-time sales tax calculation at checkout and multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determination are not what Fidelity is typically brought in for.
What can Avalara do that Fidelity cannot?
Avalara covers Tax calculation, Returns filing, Exemption management, Document management. Fidelity covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Advisory services, Research tools. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Avalara: What are the starting prices for Avalara services?

Avalara Tax Calculation and Returns Compliance Package starts at $699. License Guidance is available for as low as $119. Sales Tax Registration costs $403 per location.

Source
Avalara: How does Avalara's pricing scale?

Avalara uses volume-based pricing that varies based on the number of integrated business applications, volume of monthly sales transactions, number of states or jurisdictions for tax collection, and Streamlined Sales Tax enrollment. Pricing scales with business growth and transaction volume.

Source
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