Is Bench or TaxAct better?

Neither clearly leads. Bench starts at $299/month and TaxAct at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Bench or TaxAct?

TaxAct has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $299/month for Bench and Free for TaxAct.

Does Bench or TaxAct run on more platforms?

Bench runs on Web, Ios, Android. TaxAct runs on Web.

Can I use TaxAct for free?

Yes. TaxAct has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bench starts at $299/month.

What is Bench best used for?

Bench is most often used for bookkeeping outsourcing, tax preparation, financial reporting. Of those, bookkeeping outsourcing and tax preparation are not what TaxAct is typically brought in for.

What can Bench do that TaxAct cannot?

Bench covers Dedicated bookkeeper, Monthly financial statements, Bank reconciliation, Tax preparation.

Accounting · head to head

Bench vs TaxAct

Bench

Accounting

America's largest bookkeeping service for small businesses

From: $299/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

TaxAct

Accounting

Get your maximum refund, guaranteed

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only TaxAct has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Bench recent bankruptcy and acquisition by Employer.com creates uncertainty about product roadmap and support continuity; TaxAct free edition available only to approximately 40% of filers
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bench and TaxAct actually diverge.

Attributes where Bench and TaxAct differ
Attribute	Bench	TaxAct
Starting price	$299/month	Free
Pricing model	Unknown	one-time
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Web, Ios, Android	Web
Founded	2012	Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Accounting).

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 Bench

Dedicated bookkeeper
Monthly financial statements
Bank reconciliation
Tax preparation
Expense categorization
Stripe
PayPal
Square

Only in TaxAct

Nothing recorded that Bench does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Bench

Bookkeeping outsourcingnot TaxAct
Tax preparationnot TaxAct
Financial reportingnot TaxAct

TaxAct

Individual tax filingnot Bench
Self-employed tax preparationnot Bench

Where each one falls short

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

Bench

Recent bankruptcy and acquisition by Employer.com creates uncertainty about product roadmap and support continuity
Higher starting cost at $299/month compared to self-service accounting software like Wave or QuickBooks Online
Requires manual connection of financial accounts and ongoing coordination with bookkeeping team, less automated than software-first solutions
Tax services limited to US income tax returns; no support for complex entity structures or multi-state taxation
History of burning through capital rapidly, raising concerns about long-term business sustainability

TaxAct

Free edition available only to approximately 40% of filers
Pricing excludes separate state filing fees
Xpert Full Service pricing available on request only

Pricing, plan by plan

Bench

$299/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Bench review.

TaxAct

Free

Free EditionFree
- W-2 income
- Unemployment
- Basic credits and deductions
Deluxe$59.99/tax-year
- All Free Edition features
- Home ownership deductions
- Childcare and dependent care
Premier$99.99/tax-year
- All Deluxe features
- Investment income and capital gains
- Cryptocurrency reporting
Self-Employed$109.99/tax-year
- Complete business support
- For contractors, freelancers, and sole proprietors

Which should you pick?

Choose Bench if

You need dedicated bookkeeper.
You work on Web, Ios, Android.
You also want monthly financial statements.

Bench review

Choose TaxAct if

You want to start without paying.

TaxAct review

Questions people ask

Is Bench or TaxAct better?: Neither clearly leads. Bench starts at $299/month and TaxAct at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bench or TaxAct?: TaxAct has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $299/month for Bench and Free for TaxAct.
Does Bench or TaxAct run on more platforms?: Bench runs on Web, Ios, Android. TaxAct runs on Web.
Can I use TaxAct for free?: Yes. TaxAct has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bench starts at $299/month.
What is Bench best used for?: Bench is most often used for bookkeeping outsourcing, tax preparation, financial reporting. Of those, bookkeeping outsourcing and tax preparation are not what TaxAct is typically brought in for.
What can Bench do that TaxAct cannot?: Bench covers Dedicated bookkeeper, Monthly financial statements, Bank reconciliation, Tax preparation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bench: What happened to Bench Accounting?

Bench shut down abruptly on December 27, 2024, filing for bankruptcy in Canada with $65 million in debt. The company was acquired by Employer.com on December 30, 2024, and resumed operations in January 2025 under new ownership.

Source

TaxAct: How much does TaxAct cost?

TaxAct offers a free edition for approximately 40% of filers, Deluxe at $59.99, Premier at $99.99, and Self-Employed at $109.99 per tax year.

Source

Bench: What are Bench's current pricing plans?

Bench offers Bookkeeping at $299/month (billed annually) and Bookkeeping + Tax at $599/month (billed annually). Both include automated bookkeeping, real-time financial statements, and a dedicated team of bookkeepers.

Source

TaxAct: Is TaxAct truly free for eligible filers?

Yes, TaxAct's Free Edition is available at no cost for W-2 employees, students, and filers meeting basic income and deduction requirements.

Source

Bench: Does Bench include tax preparation services?

The Bookkeeping plan includes monthly bookkeeping and year-end tax-ready financial statements. The Bookkeeping + Tax plan adds one-on-one income tax consulting and annual income tax return filing.

Source

TaxAct: What is the difference between Premier and Deluxe plans?

Premier adds support for investment income, capital gains, cryptocurrency, rental properties, and home sale reporting compared to Deluxe.

Source

Bench: How does Bench's bookkeeping work?

Bench combines proprietary software with human bookkeepers. You connect your financial accounts to automate data entry, and Bench's team handles bookkeeping and provides year-end tax-ready statements. Customers can reach their dedicated team within 24 hours.

Source

Bench: Can I access real-time financial data with Bench?

Yes, Bench provides real-time reporting, allowing you to access or download updated income statements and balance sheets at any time.

Source

Bench vs TaxAct

Bench

TaxAct

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Bench

Only in TaxAct

What people use each for

Bench

TaxAct

Where each one falls short

Bench

TaxAct

Pricing, plan by plan

Bench

TaxAct

Which should you pick?

Choose Bench if

Choose TaxAct if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Bench

More on TaxAct

Keep looking

Other head to heads