Softwr

Accounting · head to head

QuickBooks vs TaxAct

QuickBooks logo

QuickBooks

Accounting

Cloud accounting from Intuit with country specific editions, seat caps by plan and payroll charged separately

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TaxAct logo

TaxAct

Accounting

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 plans cap the number of billed users, so an approver who signs off bills and a manager who only reads reports each consume a seat and can force an upgrade to a higher tier for reasons that have nothing to do with accounting complexity.; 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 QuickBooks and TaxAct actually diverge.

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

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 QuickBooks

  • General ledger
  • Bank feeds
  • Reconciliation
  • Sales invoicing
  • Bills and expenses
  • Sales tax and value added tax
  • Multi currency
  • Inventory

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

  • A small business whose accountant works in QuickBooks and can take a free access seat rather than being sent exportsnot TaxAct
  • An owner who wants to be able to replace their bookkeeper without also replacing the accounting systemnot TaxAct
  • A service business needing project level profitability without buying a separate job costing toolnot TaxAct
  • A company that wants a large third party app ecosystem to fill gaps rather than a system that must do everything itselfnot TaxAct

TaxAct

  • Individual tax filingnot QuickBooks
  • Self-employed tax preparationnot QuickBooks

Where each one falls short

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

QuickBooks

  • Plans cap the number of billed users, so an approver who signs off bills and a manager who only reads reports each consume a seat and can force an upgrade to a higher tier for reasons that have nothing to do with accounting complexity.
  • Multi currency is confined to the higher tiers and, once enabled, cannot be turned off and the home currency cannot be changed, so a single foreign currency invoice permanently changes the shape of the file and the plan you must remain on.
  • Inventory is average cost only, with no first in first out or standard costing, so a business whose accounts or tax position depend on a different costing method has to track stock outside the ledger and post adjustments.
  • There is no multi entity consolidation, so a group runs a separate subscription and file per company and consolidates in a spreadsheet, and the cost and the manual consolidation both grow with each new entity.
  • The country edition is selected at setup and cannot be changed afterwards, and the editions differ in tax handling and features, so a business that redomiciles or discovers it chose the global edition rather than a localised one starts a new file rather than switching a setting.

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

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
  • 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 QuickBooks if

  • You need general ledger.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want bank feeds.
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 a small business whose accountant works in quickbooks and can take a free access seat rather than being sent exports, an owner who wants to be able to replace their bookkeeper without also replacing the accounting system, a service business needing project level profitability without buying a separate job costing tool, a company that wants a large third party app ecosystem to fill gaps rather than a system that must do everything itself. Of those, a small business whose accountant works in quickbooks and can take a free access seat rather than being sent exports and an owner who wants to be able to replace their bookkeeper without also replacing the accounting system are not what TaxAct is typically brought in for.
What can QuickBooks do that TaxAct cannot?
QuickBooks covers General ledger, Bank feeds, Reconciliation, Sales invoicing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

QuickBooks: Which country editions actually exist?

Intuit sells localised editions principally for the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, with a global edition for other markets that has lighter tax localisation. Check that your country has a genuine localised edition before assuming filing support, and note the edition cannot be changed after setup.

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
QuickBooks: Does the subscription include payroll?

No. Payroll is a separate subscription with a per employee charge in every market that offers it. Price it alongside the plan rather than after you have committed.

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
QuickBooks: How many users do I get?

It depends on the tier, and the limits are lower than most buyers expect. Accountant access seats are free and separate, but internal approvers and read only reviewers count against the billed limit, so count everyone who needs to sign in before choosing a plan.

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
QuickBooks: Can my accountant work directly in my file?

Yes, that is one of its main advantages. Accountants use a separate practice console and take a free access seat in your company, which is also why so many practices standardise on it.

QuickBooks: Is QuickBooks Desktop still available?

The desktop line persists in the United States for larger installations, but Intuit stopped selling new subscriptions of the smaller desktop products to new customers and the investment is in the online product. Treat desktop as a legacy path rather than a choice for a new business.

QuickBooks: How hard is it to migrate to or from QuickBooks?

Getting in from another system is well trodden and there are tools and specialists for it, though transaction history usually arrives partially rather than completely. Getting out is the harder direction, because your accountant's working knowledge, your app integrations and years of coded history all have to be reproduced. Most businesses move at a year end for that reason.

QuickBooks: Can it consolidate multiple companies?

No. Each legal entity needs its own subscription and file, and the consolidation happens outside the system. Groups with several entities should price that reality in from the start.

Share

Related pages

More on QuickBooks

More on TaxAct

Keep looking

Other head to heads