OpenSalesTax vs Vertex for e-Commerce

OpenSalesTax is a free, self-hosted API that calculates sales tax for US transactions using public data and per-state modules. The project says its modules cover 52 jurisdictions, while each published data dump includes all 48 jurisdictions that impose sales tax. The API calculates tax on line items and can break results down by state, county, city, or district. Documented item categories include general goods, clothing, groceries, prescription drugs, prepared food, and digital goods. Its data comes from Streamlined Sales Tax files and state Department of Revenue publications, rather than paid tax feeds. The engine can be installed from source or run with Docker; PostgreSQL is the default, with optional MariaDB support. Access defaults to open with per-IP rate limiting, or can use API keys with per-key limits and usage tracking. Release dumps reflect the SST quarterly file current at release, and the project documents loading newer data. It identifies incomplete sub-state tax stacking for Colorado home-rule cities and Louisiana parish-level collectors. The project says its calculations are not legal or tax advice and advises checking results with the relevant state Department of Revenue before remitting.

Vertex for e-Commerce automates indirect tax determination and compliance during e-commerce checkout through APIs and a web dashboard. It identifies customer location, applies taxability logic, and calculates tax from rules and rates configured in Vertex O Series Cloud; that configuration determines which countries and regions are available. The service handles direct and marketplace transactions, can identify the party responsible for remitting tax, and supports sales and use tax, GST, HST, PST, QST, VAT, IOSS, and OSS. Businesses can use tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive prices, currency conversion, refunds, and discounts. The product includes the Seller Transaction API, digital invoices through Vertex Invoice IQ, tax ID checks through Vertex Validator, and a dashboard for settings, reports, and users. A pre-built checkout form supports Stripe and PayPal, one-time and recurring sales, and launch by link or JavaScript. Vertex describes it as suited to digital-goods sellers, particularly businesses with small tax teams. It supports only digital goods and does not support Brazil. Pricing is on request.