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Personal Finance · head to head

E*TRADE vs IRS2Go

E*TRADE logo

E*TRADE

Personal Finance

Express your investing style

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IRS2Go logo

IRS2Go

Personal Finance

The official free mobile app of the US Internal Revenue Service for refund status and basic tax tools

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only IRS2Go has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: E*TRADE stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023); IRS2Go it only covers federal IRS matters, so it is no help for state tax filing or refund status, which is a separate system in every state.
  • They diverge on capability: E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, IRS2Go covers Refund status.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which E*TRADE and IRS2Go actually diverge.

Attributes where E*TRADE and IRS2Go differ
AttributeE*TRADEIRS2Go
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionFree government app, no payment of any kind
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidiOS, Android
Founded1956Unknown

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

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 E*TRADE

  • Advanced trading tools
  • Options and futures
  • Research tools
  • Mobile trading
  • Bank accounts
  • Wire transfers
  • Web support
  • IOS support

Only in IRS2Go

  • Refund status
  • IRS Direct Pay
  • Free File links
  • VITA and TCE locator
  • Security alerts
  • Multilingual support

What people use each for

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

E*TRADE

  • Budget Managementnot IRS2Go
  • Expense Trackingnot IRS2Go
  • Investment Trackingnot IRS2Go

IRS2Go

  • Checking the status of a federal tax refund after filingnot E*TRADE
  • Making an IRS tax payment or setting up a payment plan from a phonenot E*TRADE
  • Finding a free in-person tax preparation site for eligible taxpayersnot E*TRADE
  • Verifying whether an IRS-related message or call is a known scam patternnot E*TRADE

Where each one falls short

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

E*TRADE

  • Stock and ETF trades were $0 commission but options carried a $0.65 per-contract fee, broker-assisted trades added a $25 surcharge, and margin interest rates ranged from 12.70% to 13.20% depending on balance tier (Internet Archive capture, 3 January 2023)

IRS2Go

  • It only covers federal IRS matters, so it is no help for state tax filing or refund status, which is a separate system in every state.
  • Refund status information is not real time and can lag actual processing, which frequently confuses users expecting instant updates.
  • It is not a full tax filing tool, so users still need separate tax preparation software or a preparer to actually file a return.
  • Its usefulness is entirely seasonal, concentrated around the US tax filing period each year, with little reason to open it the rest of the time.
  • As with any official government app, it has been targeted by lookalike phishing apps and messages impersonating it, so users need to confirm they have the genuine IRS-published app.

Pricing, plan by plan

E*TRADE

On request
  • Stock & ETF TradingFree
    • Commission-free trades
    • Real-time quotes
  • Advanced Trading$undefined/month
    • All Stock & ETF features
    • Options, futures
    • Advanced tools

IRS2Go

Free
  • FreeFree
    • No ads, no in-app purchases, no subscription

Which should you pick?

Choose E*TRADE if

  • You need advanced trading tools.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want options and futures.
E*TRADE review

Choose IRS2Go if

  • You need refund status.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want irs direct pay.
IRS2Go review

Questions people ask

Is E*TRADE or IRS2Go better?
Neither clearly leads. E*TRADE starts at On request and IRS2Go at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, E*TRADE or IRS2Go?
IRS2Go has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for E*TRADE and Free for IRS2Go.
Does E*TRADE or IRS2Go run on more platforms?
E*TRADE runs on Web, IOS, Android. IRS2Go runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use IRS2Go for free?
Yes. IRS2Go has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. E*TRADE starts at On request.
What is E*TRADE best used for?
E*TRADE is most often used for budget management, expense tracking, investment tracking. Of those, budget management and expense tracking are not what IRS2Go is typically brought in for.
What can E*TRADE do that IRS2Go cannot?
E*TRADE covers Advanced trading tools, Options and futures, Research tools, Mobile trading. IRS2Go covers Refund status, IRS Direct Pay, Free File links, VITA and TCE locator.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

IRS2Go: Does IRS2Go cost anything?

No, it is a free US government app with no payment, ads or subscription of any kind.

IRS2Go: Can I file my full tax return in IRS2Go?

No, it links to Free File partner software and other resources but is not itself a full tax filing product.

IRS2Go: Does it work for state tax refunds?

No, it only covers federal IRS refund status and payments, not state tax systems.

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