Avalara AvaTax vs Vertex O Series for Communications
Avalara AvaTax
avalara.comVertex O Series for Communications
vertexinc.comSide by side
| Figure | Avalara AvaTax | Vertex O Series for Communications |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $58.25/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 1 |
| Spec score · Tax Compliance Software | 8.6 (#7) | 8.1 (#23) |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Custom tax rules | Users can configure custom business rules and specialized tax and fee content. | For North America, users can configure taxability rates and rules, franchise fees, delivery and recycling fees, and bundled services. |
| Filing support level | automated | assisted |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington | King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Integrations | Avalara states it has more than 1,400 signed partner integrations and names Shopify, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP, Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Salesforce, and Oracle among them. | The product is designed to integrate with communications billing systems; its data sheet names Amdocs, Ericsson, NetCracker, CSG, Mind, and Oracle among billing application providers. |
| Purpose | AvaTax calculates tax in real time for sales and purchasing workflows across jurisdictions and tax types. | Vertex O Series for Communications automates complex telecom and communications tax calculation to reduce risk and improve audit performance. |
| Return filing | Yes | Yes |
| Sales tax calculation | Yes | Yes |
| Security | Avalara says its global AvaTax platform has achieved SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. | Vertex’s Trust Center lists SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and CCPA badges and says it conducts annual third-party audits and penetration testing. |
| Support | Avalara describes support plans with Standard, Priority, and Enterprise options; stated initial response SLAs are 24 hours, 8 hours, and 1 hour respectively, and Enterprise Support is available 24/7. | Vertex promotes implementation, support, and training services for its communications tax solutions. |
| Supported tax types | sales tax,consumer use tax,VAT,communications tax,occupancy and lodging tax,excise tax | communications tax,sales & use tax,value-added tax |
| Tax content | AvaTax uses AI-powered tax content with integrated Tax Research insights. | North American content covers services including cable, internet, satellite, telephony, data transmission, VoIP, wireless, streaming, mobile gaming, online dating, and prepaid services. |
Plans
Avalara AvaTax
- Core Compliance$79 a month
- Core Compliance + SST Services$69 a month
- CustomPriced on request
- Tax Calculation and Returns Compliance Package$699 a year
- Tax Calculation (AvaTax)Priced on request
- Core Compliance + SST Services Monthly$69 a month
- Core Compliance Monthly$79 a month
- Core Compliance + SST Services Annual$699 a year
- Core Compliance Annual$799 a year
Vertex O Series for Communications
- Vertex O Series for CommunicationsPriced on request
In their own words
Avalara AvaTax
Avalara AvaTax calculates tax in real time for sales and purchasing workflows. It covers sales tax, consumer use tax, VAT, communications tax, occupancy and lodging tax, and excise tax, and supports automated return filing and tax registration. Address validation uses geospatial technology to match transactions to tax regions rather than relying on ZIP codes. AvaTax connects with ecommerce, ERP, accounting, sales, and purchasing systems, and its REST API supports calculation, document modification, and address validation. Product taxability codes, AI-assisted item classification, custom rules, exemption certificate management, and jurisdiction-specific tax research support tax decisions. Reporting includes dashboards, natural-language search, and audit-ready trails. The service is available through web and API, with integrations including Shopify, NetSuite, QuickBooks, SAP, and Salesforce. Core Compliance costs $79 per month; Core Compliance + SST Services costs $69 per month for qualifying sellers. Qualified sellers may receive state-funded services in up to 25 states. Pricing also varies by plan and transaction volume.
Vertex O Series for Communications
Vertex O Series for Communications has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.