FreeTaxUSA vs Keeper

FreeTaxUSA8.7Visit Keeper8.6Visit

Higher score FreeTaxUSA #4 in Personal Tax Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit FreeTaxUSA

vs

Keeper #5 in Personal Tax Software 8.6/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Keeper

• FreeTaxUSA fits best

  Low-cost comprehensive US filing

• Keeper fits best

  Self-employed filers focused on deductions

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Side by side

Feature	FreeTaxUSA 8.7/10 Visit ↗	Keeper 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.6
Ranking	#4 in Personal Tax Software	#5 in Personal Tax Software
Best for	Low-cost comprehensive US filing	Self-employed filers focused on deductions
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community	Email, Live chat, Docs · 24/7
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features FreeTaxUSA 4/4 · Keeper 0/4
Self-employment support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Investment income	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Rental income	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Audit support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
State filing	Paid_add_on	Not checked yet
Mobile access	Web_and_mobile	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free federal filing includes self-employment, investments, crypto, and rentals Imports W-2s, 1099s, and competitor return PDFs Optional audit defense and tax-professional support are available	Finds and tracks potential business deductions automatically Links accounts and stores receipts for organized records Adds accountant support and business filing at higher tiers
Cons	State tax return preparation and e-file are paid add-ons Optional Deluxe, Pro, and audit services add to the cost Access is browser-based rather than through a native mobile app	The free version excludes full exports and tax filing Federal and state e-filing starts at $199 per year S-Corp and partnership filing requires the $1,199 Business plan
Our verdict	FreeTaxUSA is an online tax preparation service for U.S. individual taxpayers who want to file federal returns through a web browser. Its free federal filing supports common and more complex situations, including self-employment and… Read the review →	Keeper is tax software for W-2 employees, freelancers, independent contractors, sole proprietors, LLC owners, and some S-Corp or partnership filers. It connects financial accounts, imports expenses from bank statements or spreadsheets,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• FreeTaxUSA — where it wins

  • Free federal filing includes self-employment, investments, crypto, and rentals
  • Imports W-2s, 1099s, and competitor return PDFs
  • Optional audit defense and tax-professional support are available

  Where it doesn't

  • State tax return preparation and e-file are paid add-ons
  • Optional Deluxe, Pro, and audit services add to the cost
  • Access is browser-based rather than through a native mobile app

• Keeper — where it wins

  • Finds and tracks potential business deductions automatically
  • Links accounts and stores receipts for organized records
  • Adds accountant support and business filing at higher tiers

  Where it doesn't

  • The free version excludes full exports and tax filing
  • Federal and state e-filing starts at $199 per year
  • S-Corp and partnership filing requires the $1,199 Business plan

• FreeTaxUSA8.7/10 · Free plan

  A broad, low-cost option for complex federal returns, with state filing priced separately.

  Visit FreeTaxUSAFull verdict →
• Keeper8.6/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

  A deduction-focused tax platform for self-employed filers, with paid filing and review options.

  Visit KeeperFull verdict →