Every spring the same software companies pretend their "free" tiers are free. Sometimes they are. Often they aren't. We file three real returns through each product every year — including a self-employed schedule C — and rank by total cost, accuracy and how often the interview asked the right next question.
Five products ranked across simple W-2 returns to multi-state, multi-source filings.
Free tierThe products that are actually free for the filings most readers actually have.
Schedule CFor freelancers, side-hustlers and gig workers — the products that handle Schedule C without 90 minutes of friction.
The polished default versus the value champion. Same accuracy, very different prices.
The two big brands, side by side. Which one's interview actually catches more deductions?
Two budget winners. Cash App is more free, but FreeTaxUSA handles complexity better.
A clean, end-to-end walkthrough you can finish in one Saturday morning.
The deductions most filers either miss or claim incorrectly — including the home-office reality check.
Quarterly payments, Schedule C, and the SEP-IRA most freelancers don't realise they qualify for.
Most are correspondence audits — what to send, what not to send, and when to bring in a CPA.
Start with our top picks, or jump into the software-vs-software comparison that fits your filing.