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QuickBooks vs TaxAct

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QuickBooks

Software

Smart, simple online accounting software for small business

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
T

TaxAct

Software

Get your maximum refund, guaranteed

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TaxAct has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: QuickBooks chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count; TaxAct free Edition is limited to eligible filers such as W-2 employees and students; anyone with investment income needs Premier starting at $99.99

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QuickBooks and TaxAct actually diverge.

Attributes where QuickBooks and TaxAct differ
AttributeQuickBooksTaxAct
Starting price$30/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
Founded1983Unknown

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

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 QuickBooks

  • Income & expense tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Payment processing
  • Financial reporting
  • Tax preparation
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Bill management
  • Mobile apps

Only in TaxAct

Nothing recorded that QuickBooks does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

QuickBooks

  • Bookkeepingnot TaxAct
  • Invoicingnot TaxAct
  • Expense trackingnot TaxAct
  • Financial reportingnot TaxAct
  • Tax preparationnot TaxAct

TaxAct

No use cases recorded yet. See the TaxAct review.

Where each one falls short

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

QuickBooks

  • Chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • Even the top Advanced tier caps bulk invoice uploads at 1,000 transaction lines per batch
  • Payroll is a separate paid add-on billed per employee per month (USD 6 to 10 depending on plan) on top of the base subscription

TaxAct

  • Free Edition is limited to eligible filers such as W-2 employees and students; anyone with investment income needs Premier starting at $99.99
  • Self-Employed tier for gig workers and business owners starts at $109.99, with state filing typically billed as an additional charge

Pricing, plan by plan

QuickBooks

$30/month
  • Simple Start$30/month
    • Income & expense tracking
    • Invoice & payments
    • Tax deductions
  • Essentials$60/month
    • Everything in Simple Start
    • Bill management
    • Time tracking
  • Plus$90/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Inventory tracking
    • Project profitability
  • Advanced$200/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Dedicated account team
    • 25 users

TaxAct

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the TaxAct review.

Which should you pick?

Choose QuickBooks if

  • You need income & expense tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
QuickBooks review

Choose TaxAct if

  • You want to start without paying.
TaxAct review

Questions people ask

Is QuickBooks or TaxAct better?
Neither clearly leads. QuickBooks starts at $30/month and TaxAct at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QuickBooks or TaxAct?
TaxAct has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $30/month for QuickBooks and Free for TaxAct.
Does QuickBooks or TaxAct run on more platforms?
QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. TaxAct runs on Web.
Can I use TaxAct for free?
Yes. TaxAct has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. QuickBooks starts at $30/month.
What is QuickBooks best used for?
QuickBooks is most often used for bookkeeping, invoicing, expense tracking, financial reporting. Of those, bookkeeping and invoicing are not what TaxAct is typically brought in for.
What can QuickBooks do that TaxAct cannot?
QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Invoicing, Payment processing, Financial reporting.
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