H&R Block Online vs CloudTax

H&R Block Online9.0Visit CloudTax8.5Visit

Higher score H&R Block Online #2 in Personal Tax Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit H&R Block

vs

CloudTax #6 in Personal Tax Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit CloudTax

• H&R Block Online fits best

  US filers wanting guided expert support

• CloudTax fits best

  Canadian filers wanting expert help

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Side by side

Feature	H&R Block Online 9.0/10 Visit ↗	CloudTax 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.5
Ranking	#2 in Personal Tax Software	#6 in Personal Tax Software
Best for	US filers wanting guided expert support	Canadian filers wanting expert help
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$39/yr
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Live chat, Docs	Email, Live chat, Phone, Docs
Built for	Solo	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features H&R Block Online 4/4 · CloudTax 4/4
Self-employment support	✓	✓
Investment income	✓	✓
Rental income	✓	✓
Audit support	✓	✓
Specs
State filing	Paid_add_on	Included
Mobile access	Web_and_mobile	Web_and_mobile
Our review
Pros	Free tier covers simple returns, W-2 income, and key tax credits Supports investment, rental, and self-employment reporting Combines AI assistance with live tax-professional help	Free DIY filing with CRA slip import and AI document scanning Supports provincial forms, NETFILE, rental, investment, and business income Offers expert review, full preparation, and audit protection options
Cons	State filing is a paid add-on The free plan is limited to simple returns Advanced filing requires moving to a paid plan	Audit protection is limited to selected paid plans Specialist support for rentals, foreign income, and crypto starts at paid tiers CloudTax Free has provincial and territorial availability exclusions
Our verdict	H&R Block Online is a web-based tax preparation and filing service for U.S. individual taxpayers. Its Free Online plan is designed for simple returns, including W-2 and unemployment income, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Child Tax… Read the review →	CloudTax is Canadian personal tax software for individuals filing T1 returns online. It combines guided DIY preparation with CRA Auto-Fill and slip import, AI-powered document and slip scanning, provincial tax forms, and NETFILE submission… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• H&R Block Online — where it wins

  • Free tier covers simple returns, W-2 income, and key tax credits
  • Supports investment, rental, and self-employment reporting
  • Combines AI assistance with live tax-professional help

  Where it doesn't

  • State filing is a paid add-on
  • The free plan is limited to simple returns
  • Advanced filing requires moving to a paid plan

• CloudTax — where it wins

  • Free DIY filing with CRA slip import and AI document scanning
  • Supports provincial forms, NETFILE, rental, investment, and business income
  • Offers expert review, full preparation, and audit protection options

  Where it doesn't

  • Audit protection is limited to selected paid plans
  • Specialist support for rentals, foreign income, and crypto starts at paid tiers
  • CloudTax Free has provincial and territorial availability exclusions

• H&R Block Online9.0/10 · Free plan

  A flexible tax-filing service with free simple returns and guided expert help.

  Visit H&R BlockFull verdict →
• CloudTax8.5/10 · Free plan

  A flexible Canadian tax service spanning free DIY filing, expert review, and full preparation.

  Visit CloudTaxFull verdict →