Instead vs TaxGPT
Instead
instead.comTaxGPT
taxgpt.comSide by side
| Figure | Instead | TaxGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · AI Tax Software | 8.8 (#3) | 7.6 (#22) |
| Spec score · Tax Research Software | 8.7 (#3) | 7.7 (#12) |
| Audience | The product is presented for CPA firms, tax preparers, corporate tax teams, family offices, businesses, and high net worth individuals. | TaxGPT says it serves solo tax professionals, small and large accounting firms, businesses, and individuals. |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Integrations | Google Drive, OneDrive, and Box are listed as live integrations with two-way sync, version tracking, and automatic folder mapping. | TaxGPT Cowork operates inside Drake, ProConnect, UltraTax, CCH Axcess, and Lacerte, and connects to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, SharePoint, SafeSend, and SmartVault for documents. |
| Product | Instead describes itself as an AI agent for tax research, planning, preparation, filing, and defense. | TaxGPT describes itself as an AI tax operating system that combines tax research, client intelligence, return review, and workflow automation. |
| Support | Terms state that standard support may use in-product help, websites, chat, email, video, phone and online communities. | TaxGPT says it offers virtual, on-demand, and one-to-one training, a dedicated Customer Success Manager for each customer, and 24/7 in-app support. |
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.
TaxGPT
TaxGPT is an AI tax platform combining research, client intelligence, return review, and workflow automation. It provides citation-backed answers on U.S. and Canadian tax law, covering federal, state, provincial, local, territorial, and treaty jurisdictions. Users can upload tax documents for analysis, summaries, and responses tailored to a client’s situation. Tax Writer drafts memos, IRS notice responses, and engagement letters in a firm’s voice. Agent Andrew reviews Forms 1040, 1041, 1065, 1120, and 1120-S for errors, audit risks, and possible missed tax savings. TaxGPT Cowork works inside Drake, ProConnect, UltraTax, CCH Axcess, and Lacerte, while document connections include Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, SharePoint, SafeSend, and SmartVault. The company says it encrypts data in transit and at rest with AES-256, uses multi-factor and role-based access controls, and does not train its AI on firm or client data. A free trial is available, but firms must attend a brief live demo before account activation. Pricing is available on request.