CrossLink vs Drake Tax

CrossLink8.7Visit Drake Tax8.6Visit

Higher score CrossLink #5 in Income Tax software 8.7/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 2 features Visit CrossLink

vs

Drake Tax #6 in Income Tax software 8.6/10 From $379.99/yr ✓ 0 of 2 features Visit Drake Tax

• CrossLink fits best

  Professional preparers needing hosted and desktop filing

• Drake Tax fits best

  Tax practices needing broad desktop return coverage

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Side by side

Feature	CrossLink 8.7/10 Visit ↗	Drake Tax 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.6
Ranking	#5 in Income Tax software	#6 in Income Tax software
Best for	Professional preparers needing hosted and desktop filing	Tax practices needing broad desktop return coverage
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Not published	$379.99/yr
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows	Windows
Support	Email, Phone, Docs	Phone, Email, Live chat, Docs
Compliance	2FA	2FA
Integrations	7,000+ integrations	8 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features CrossLink 0/2 · Drake Tax 0/2
E-filing	Not published	Not published
Professional preparer use	Not published	Not published
Specs
Return types	Not published	Not published
Tax jurisdictions	Not published	Not published
Returns included	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Supports unlimited 1040-series returns and state returns on CrossLink 1040 Combines OCR import, return verification, and document archiving Offers remote signatures, TaxPass collection, and TextLink messaging	Prepares federal and state individual and business returns, including multi-state filings Built-in diagnostics, planning tools, and prior-year LookBack and LinkBack references Integrates with Drake practice tools, GruntWorx Tax Automation, and Bank Products
Cons	Business returns require a CrossLink 1040 license The Franchise or Service Bureau plan adds fewer listed tax-workflow features Pricing is paid, with no free plan	Windows desktop deployment limits platform flexibility Some plans cap return volumes, while 1040 plans charge extra for business returns State amended-return e-filing availability varies by state
Our verdict	CrossLink is professional tax-preparation software for tax preparers, tax offices, service bureaus, and franchise operations. Its individual-return offering covers 1040-series filing, while a separate business product supports business… Read the review →	Tax practices preparing individual and business returns can use Drake Tax for federal and state preparation, e-filing, and multi-state returns. It supports forms including 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120-S, 1041, 990, 706, and 709, making it… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• CrossLink — where it wins

  • Supports unlimited 1040-series returns and state returns on CrossLink 1040
  • Combines OCR import, return verification, and document archiving
  • Offers remote signatures, TaxPass collection, and TextLink messaging

  Where it doesn't

  • Business returns require a CrossLink 1040 license
  • The Franchise or Service Bureau plan adds fewer listed tax-workflow features
  • Pricing is paid, with no free plan

• Drake Tax — where it wins

  • Prepares federal and state individual and business returns, including multi-state filings
  • Built-in diagnostics, planning tools, and prior-year LookBack and LinkBack references
  • Integrates with Drake practice tools, GruntWorx Tax Automation, and Bank Products

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows desktop deployment limits platform flexibility
  • Some plans cap return volumes, while 1040 plans charge extra for business returns
  • State amended-return e-filing availability varies by state

• CrossLink8.7/10 · Paid

  A broad tax-preparation suite for offices that need desktop and hosted filing.

  Visit CrossLinkFull verdict →
• Drake Tax8.6/10 · From $379.99/yr

  Broad federal and state return coverage for tax practices that work on Windows.

  Visit Drake TaxFull verdict →