Best Tax Software · head-to-head
TaxAct vs TurboTax
A sourced, side-by-side comparison for tax software. TaxAct has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Price: TaxAct $0/mo vs TurboTax $0/mo — TaxAct is cheaper to start.
- Free tier: TaxAct Yes; TurboTax Yes.
- HIPAA: TaxAct —; TurboTax —.
Side by side
| TaxAct | TurboTax | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $0/mo (Free) | $0/mo (Free Edition) |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA (BAA) | — | — |
| SOC 2 | — | — |
| GDPR | — | — |
| Best for | Cost-conscious DIY filers comfortable without a mobile app | Filers who want the most guided, hand-held experience |
Sources — TaxAct: taxact.com (verified 2026-06-14). TurboTax: turbotax.intuit.com (verified 2026-06-14).
Key features
TaxAct: SmartFile AI in-product filing assistant; Step-by-step guided filing for all complexity levels; $100,000 accuracy guarantee; Maximum refund guarantee; IRS extension filing support; Prior year tax filing support; Xpert Assist: unlimited CPA/EA sessions for $45 flat add-on; Xpert Full Service: complete return preparation by US-based professionals; MFA via mobile phone or Google Authenticator; TRUSTe Certified Privacy and Trustwave Trusted Commerce seals
TurboTax: Intuit Assist AI for real-time Q&A and guidance; CompleteCheck accuracy scan before filing; Photo/document snap for auto-fill of W-2s and 1099s; Pay-when-you-file model (no upfront payment required); 100% accuracy guarantee with IRS penalty coverage; Audit Support Guarantee: one-on-one Q&A guidance for the current tax year and the prior two tax years; Returns and guarantees retained for 7 years from the filing date; Maximum refund guarantee; On-demand live expert access (Live Assisted tiers); Full expert-prepared filing (Full Service tier); Read-only expert access with masked SSN for privacy