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Personal Finance · head to head

Fidelity vs IRS2Go

Fidelity logo

Fidelity

Personal Finance

Building a better financial future

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: Fidelity options trades carry a 0.65 USD per contract fee on top of zero commission; 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: Fidelity covers Commission-free trading, IRS2Go covers Refund status.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fidelity and IRS2Go actually diverge.

Attributes where Fidelity and IRS2Go differ
AttributeFidelityIRS2Go
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionFree government app, no payment of any kind
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidiOS, Android
Founded1946Unknown

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 Fidelity

  • Commission-free trading
  • Retirement planning
  • Advisory services
  • Research tools
  • Bank accounts
  • Investment accounts
  • 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.

Fidelity

  • Commission free trading of US stocks and ETFsnot IRS2Go
  • Holding IRAs, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accountsnot IRS2Go
  • Trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one accountnot IRS2Go

IRS2Go

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Fidelity

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

IRS2Go

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Fidelity if

  • You need commission-free trading.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want retirement planning.
Fidelity 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 Fidelity or IRS2Go better?
Neither clearly leads. Fidelity 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, Fidelity or IRS2Go?
IRS2Go has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Fidelity and Free for IRS2Go.
Does Fidelity or IRS2Go run on more platforms?
Fidelity 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. Fidelity starts at On request.
What is Fidelity best used for?
Fidelity is most often used for commission free trading of us stocks and etfs, holding iras, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accounts, trading bonds, options and mutual funds from one account. Of those, commission free trading of us stocks and etfs and holding iras, 401(k) plans and taxable brokerage accounts are not what IRS2Go is typically brought in for.
What can Fidelity do that IRS2Go cannot?
Fidelity covers Commission-free trading, Retirement planning, Advisory services, Research tools. 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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