Overview

Instead brings tax workflows together in a web-based service for CPA firms, tax preparers, corporate tax teams, family offices, businesses, and high net worth individuals. Its breadth of supported returns and e-filing makes it relevant to professional and multi-entity work, not just individual tax preparation. Review before filing is an important safeguard, but users remain responsible for deciding whether the agent’s work is ready to submit.

Key features

Supported returns include individual 1040, C corporation 1120, S corporation 1120-S, partnership 1065, and trust and estate 1041. That mix is useful for firms and businesses working across entity types. Estate tax 706, gift tax 709, and exempt organization 990 support are planned, so teams that need those returns should choose a tool that supports them now.

Users choose which workflows to run, and the agent consumes credits only when a task is initiated. The estimated credit cost appears before the workflow starts, giving users a chance to decide whether to proceed. This is a useful spending checkpoint, though pay-per-credit billing makes repeated or broad use harder to budget than a fixed subscription.

Users can review work before filing. Instead supports federal and state e-filing, local filing, and filing in 48 or more state jurisdictions; the company describes the product as IRS-approved. Prior-year import is supported. Google Drive, OneDrive, and Box have two-way sync, version tracking, and automatic folder mapping, which should help teams keep tax documents connected to existing storage. Dropbox, TaxDome, Karbon, Canopy, Xero, QuickBooks Online, Bloomberg Tax, Plaid, and SmartVault are planned integrations.

Instead states that it is SOC 2 Type II certified. It offers US-based customer support and 24/7 support, with email responses within 24 business hours.

Pricing

Instead Platform costs 0.00 USD per free and includes unlimited users, unlimited entities, unlimited e-file and print file, multi-entity support, and collaborators and viewers. It is a compelling starting point for teams that want broad platform access without a per-seat charge. Agent workflows are not part of this plan’s listed inclusions.

Instead Agent uses pay-per-credit pricing, with custom pricing based on volume and usage. It covers tax research, document extraction, memos, plans and deliverables, workflows and return preparation; filing is free. Credits remain valid for 12 months from purchase. This can fit users who want to pay for initiated work rather than a fixed recurring fee, but teams with frequent workflows should account for usage before adopting it. Instead offers a free plan and a free trial.

Platforms

Instead is available on the web.

Who it's for

Instead is best suited to tax professionals and organizations that need research, preparation, and filing across individual and business returns, particularly where document storage integrations and multi-entity support matter. Individuals with more involved tax needs may also find the supported return range useful. It is a weaker fit for buyers who need a predictable fixed price for extensive Agent use or immediate support for planned return types and integrations.

Pros and cons

Pro: The free Platform plan includes unlimited users and entities, plus unlimited e-file and print file, making it practical for teams that need broad access.
Pro: Multiple individual, business, and trust return types, along with federal, state, and local filing support, serve a wider range of tax work than a simple 1040 workflow.
Pro: User-initiated tasks, a pre-run credit estimate, and review before filing give users control over when work runs and what gets submitted.
Con: Agent pricing depends on credit volume and usage, so recurring workloads do not have a stated fixed cost.
Con: Several integrations and three return types—706, 709, and 990—are planned rather than supported now.

Alternatives

For eligible standard federal returns, TaxAct offers a 0.00 USD per free plan, with state filing costing extra; its Deluxe plan is 59.99 USD. It is a more straightforward choice for a qualifying individual return than a credit-based tax workflow platform.

H&R Block Online has a 0.00 USD per free plan for simple tax situations and Form 1040, billed per state filed. Choose it when a simple consumer return and support across web, iOS, and Android matter more than multi-entity workflows.

TurboTax offers a 0.00 USD per free plan for eligible simple Form 1040 returns, with a 79 Do It Yourself Deluxe plan. It is suited to eligible simple returns rather than professional workflows across entity types.

For preparers wanting a paid product with broad device coverage, MyTAXPrepOffice has an Individual Pro plan at 895.00 USD per year, billed as a Tax Year 2026 license, plus sales tax; it includes unlimited 1040 returns and federal and all states.

OLTPro is a paid alternative with a 499.00 USD per once OLTPRO 25-Return plan; it supports all states, and deleted returns count toward the 25-return cap. It may suit buyers preferring a one-time fee and a defined return allowance.

Tax Series uses a fixed licensing fee determined by scope during proof of concept.

UltimateTax offers Online 1040 at 188.00 USD per year with bank products for 2026 software, including 2025 and 2024; corporate returns cost $40 each. It is a paid option for buyers who want annual software pricing and can pay separately for corporate returns.

Drake Tax charges 299.99 USD per year for Drake Tax Online for Tax Year 2026, with the first user included; additional users cost $99 each, individual returns $49.99 each, and business returns $74.99 each. It is an alternative for preparers comfortable with per-user and per-return charges.

Readers comparing categories can also browse Small Business Tax Software, Tax Research Software, Tax Planning Software, and AI Tax Software.

Verdict

Instead is a strong fit for tax firms and teams that need multi-entity workflows, broad filing support, and a free platform with no user or entity cap. Choose it when task-level control and review before filing are valuable; look elsewhere if your budget requires a fixed price for frequent Agent work, or your returns depend on planned entity support.

	Instead	OpenTax
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	Yes	No
Paid from	Free	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	api, self-hosted, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Taxpayer types	—	personal
AI tax guidance	—	Yes
Document import	—	Yes
Filing support	—	both

Instead vs OpenTax

Instead

OpenTax