Best Tax Software
Rates last checked September 7, 2026. 4 offers compared.
FreeTaxUSA wins on value by a wide margin: free federal filing with no income cap, including self-employment and rental income. Pay for TurboTax only if you want the guided interview and are willing to fund it.
Best Tax Software
Nothing we can price
None of these carry the figures needed to rank them for your situation yet.
Compared side by side
4 compared on the 3 things that decide it. A blank cell means we could not confirm the answer, not that the answer is no.
| Provider | Federal cost | State cost | Self-employed tier |
|---|---|---|---|
 FreeTaxUSA Best value | Free, including Schedule C | $15.99 per state | No upcharge — Schedule C is in the free federal tier |
| TurboTax Best guided experience | $69 to $129 depending on tier | — | Top tier, the most expensive of the four here |
 H&R Block Best with in-person backup | $35 to $85 depending on tier | $37 per state | Top tier |
 TaxSlayer Best for confident self-employed filers | Free to $48 depending on tier | $40 per state | Self-Employed tier |
Every offer, priced the same way
Ranked by what it costs you over a year. The arithmetic behind each figure is shown so you can check it. Offers we could not price are listed at the bottom with the reason.
1. FreeTaxUSA — TaxHawk
Best value
Free federal filing at every complexity level; you only pay for state.
Priced from national figures.
2. TurboTax — Intuit
Best guided experience
The clearest interview flow, and the easiest import of prior-year data.
Priced from national figures.
3. H&R Block — H&R Block
Best with in-person backup
File yourself, then hand it to an office if you get stuck.
Priced from national figures.
4. TaxSlayer — TaxSlayer
Best for confident self-employed filers
Cheap Schedule C support if you do not need the hand-holding.
Priced from national figures.
How we ranked these
We compare the total cost of a federal and one state return, which forms each tier supports, whether self-employment and rental income cost extra, and what support is included. Prices are rechecked at the start of filing season.