Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Recurly vs TaxAct

Recurly logo

Recurly

Accounting

The subscription management platform built for growth

From
$249/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: Recurly starter is $249 a month plus 0.9 percent of billing volume above the first $40K, so the cost rises with revenue rather than with usage; 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 Recurly and TaxAct actually diverge.

Attributes where Recurly and TaxAct differ
AttributeRecurlyTaxAct
Starting price$249/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb
Founded2009Unknown

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 Recurly

  • Subscription billing
  • Revenue recovery
  • Payment gateway optimization
  • Analytics
  • API
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Braintree

Only in TaxAct

Nothing recorded that Recurly does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Recurly

  • Subscription billing and recurring invoicingnot TaxAct
  • Dunning and failed payment recoverynot TaxAct
  • Trials, plan changes and promotionsnot TaxAct
  • Revenue recognition through the RevRec add-onnot TaxAct
  • Shopify-native subscriptions with subscribe and savenot TaxAct

TaxAct

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

Where each one falls short

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

Recurly

  • Starter is $249 a month plus 0.9 percent of billing volume above the first $40K, so the cost rises with revenue rather than with usage
  • All-Access is quoted at under 1 percent of billing volume with a $1M minimum, putting it out of reach of smaller merchants
  • Only one dunning campaign on Starter; multiple campaigns need All-Access
  • SSO, multicurrency and payments orchestration are All-Access only
  • Revenue recognition and the Engage churn tooling are separate add-ons at $850 and $1,600 a month

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

Recurly

$249/month
  • Starter$249/month
    • Automated global subscription billing
    • Flexible plans and static churn-prevention tools
    • 1 dunning campaign
  • All-Access$null/month
    • Everything in Starter plus AI-powered agents and analytics
    • Intelligent churn-prevention with multiple dunning campaigns
    • Advanced pricing and promotions
  • All-Access for Shopify$null/month
    • Intelligent churn-prevention and customized bundles
    • Subscribe and save, prepaid/gift subscriptions
    • Hybrid subscription support and cancel-save flows

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 Recurly if

  • You need subscription billing.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want revenue recovery.
Recurly review

Choose TaxAct if

  • You want to start without paying.
TaxAct review

Questions people ask

Is Recurly or TaxAct better?
Neither clearly leads. Recurly starts at $249/month and TaxAct at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Recurly or TaxAct?
TaxAct has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $249/month for Recurly and Free for TaxAct.
Does Recurly or TaxAct run on more platforms?
Recurly runs on Web, Api. TaxAct runs on Web.
Can I use TaxAct for free?
Yes. TaxAct has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Recurly starts at $249/month.
What is Recurly best used for?
Recurly is most often used for subscription billing and recurring invoicing, dunning and failed payment recovery, trials, plan changes and promotions, revenue recognition through the revrec add-on. Of those, subscription billing and recurring invoicing and dunning and failed payment recovery are not what TaxAct is typically brought in for.
What can Recurly do that TaxAct cannot?
Recurly covers Subscription billing, Revenue recovery, Payment gateway optimization, Analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Recurly: What does Recurly's Starter plan cost?

Recurly Starter plan costs 249 USD monthly plus 0.9 percent of billing volume, with the first 40000 USD monthly volume included in the base fee.

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
Recurly: What is the minimum commitment for Recurly's All-Access plan?

All-Access plans require a minimum 1 million USD annual commitment, billed annually at less than 1 percent of billing volume.

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
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
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