Instead vs Tax Notes
Instead
instead.comTax Notes
taxnotes.comSide by side
| Figure | Instead | Tax Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Tax Research Software | 8.7 (#3) | 6.7 (#22) |
| Audience | The product is presented for CPA firms, tax preparers, corporate tax teams, family offices, businesses, and high net worth individuals. | Tax Analysts says its content serves tax professionals in law and accounting firms, corporations, government agencies, and academic institutions. |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States | Falls Church, Virginia, United States |
| Support | Terms state that standard support may use in-product help, websites, chat, email, video, phone and online communities. | The newsletter page provides [email protected] and 1-703-533-4424 as contact details. |
Plans
In their own words
Instead
Instead is a web-based AI agent for tax research, planning, preparation, filing, and defense. It lists support for individual 1040, C corporation 1120, S corporation 1120-S, partnership 1065, and trust and estate 1041 returns. Users choose which workflows to run, and credits are consumed only when they start a task; the credit estimate is shown beforehand. Users can review the agent’s work before filing. Google Drive, OneDrive, and Box are live integrations with two-way sync, version tracking, and automatic folder mapping. Instead says it is IRS-approved and supports e-filing in 48 or more state jurisdictions, as well as local filing. Federal and state e-file and prior-year import are listed. The free Instead Platform plan is free and includes unlimited users, entities, e-file and print file, multi-entity support, and collaborators and viewers. Instead Agent is billed per credit, with pricing dependent on volume and usage; purchased credits are valid for 12 months. The service lists a free trial, US-based customer support, and 24/7 support, with email responses within 24 business hours.