TurboTax sells a polished, hand-holding experience; FreeTaxUSA files any federal return — even self-employed — for $0 (state is $14.99). The quality gap is real but narrowing. Pick FreeTaxUSA if you're comfortable self-navigating and want to keep nearly all the fee; TurboTax if guided UX and live expert help are worth the extra $100–$200.
Intuit Inc.
Most polished tax software in market — expensive but the deepest UX.
Pros
TaxHawk, Inc.
Federal filing free for everyone — even self-employed and complex returns.
Pros
Pick TurboTax if: Filers who value UX polish, expert chat-help, and seamless guidance through complex situations.
Pick FreeTaxUSA if: Anyone with a federal return who wants professional-grade software at near-zero cost.
Apply at Intuit Inc. →Apply at TaxHawk, Inc. →
FreeTaxUSA files any federal return — including Schedule C self-employment and rental income — for $0 (state is $14.99). TurboTax charges $89–$169+ for equivalent returns. TurboTax is worth the premium primarily if you want live on-demand expert help (TurboTax Live), or strongly prefer a more hand-holding guided experience. If you're comfortable self-navigating a well-organized form flow, FreeTaxUSA files the identical return with the IRS — the tax outcome is the same.
Yes — FreeTaxUSA supports Schedule C (self-employment), Schedule E (rental income, partnerships, S-corps), Schedule D (investment gains), and most other schedules included in TurboTax's Deluxe and Premium tiers, all at $0 for federal. This is the core reason it competes directly with paid TurboTax tiers. The main gap is depth of guided prompting: FreeTaxUSA asks the questions but with less contextual explanation than TurboTax's step-by-step flow.
Yes. FreeTaxUSA is an IRS Free File Alliance member and has been authorized for e-filing since 2001. Your return is transmitted directly to the IRS using the same encrypted e-file infrastructure used by TurboTax and H&R Block. Being lower-cost does not mean less secure or less accurate — the forms and calculations are regulated by the IRS's acceptance testing for all authorized e-file providers.
FreeTaxUSA charges $14.99 per state return. TurboTax charges $59–$64 per state return depending on the federal tier. For a single-state filer, FreeTaxUSA saves $44–$49 on the state filing alone. Multi-state filers save proportionally more. Both support all 50 states. TurboTax's state interview is more guided; FreeTaxUSA's state module is functional but less explanatory. Verify current pricing at freetaxusa.com and turbotax.intuit.com — fees can change each tax season.
TurboTax leads on live human assistance. TurboTax Live offers on-demand video chat with CPAs and enrolled agents who can review or prepare your return — this tier costs $89–$169+ depending on complexity. FreeTaxUSA's Deluxe package ($7.99 federal) includes priority live chat support but not live video CPA review. For filers who want a human expert to review a complex return (divorce, multi-state, business activity), TurboTax Live has no direct FreeTaxUSA equivalent. Source: each platform's published service tiers at turbotax.intuit.com and freetaxusa.com.
Both offer some form of audit support. TurboTax's base tiers include Audit Support — help interpreting IRS notices — and TurboTax Audit Defense (sold separately via TaxAudit.com) provides full professional representation. FreeTaxUSA's Deluxe tier includes audit assist (access to a tax professional to help interpret IRS notices) but not full audit representation. Full audit defense by a CPA or enrolled agent is available from both for an additional fee. For routine IRS correspondence audits (documentation requests), both platforms' standard support is adequate. Source: freetaxusa.com and turbotax.intuit.com service terms; IRS Publication 947 at irs.gov.
Independent editorial comparison. ClearValue Lending is not the issuer of any product compared here; affiliate links may pay a referral commission at no cost to you — selection is independent of compensation.