The best sales tax software for online sellers
- TaxJar ranks first, with every plan priced and a free trial.
- Numeral and Quaderno tie on score for second.
- Avalara and Kintsugi tie on score for fourth.
- Zamp ranks last and quotes its U.S. plan by sales call only.
- Software files sales tax, and your state agency decides who owes it.
| Tool | Picked for | Type | Free plan | Starting price | Rating | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 TaxJar | Online sellers who want sales tax reports and filing, priced by monthly order tiers. | Sales tax | No | $39 a monthtaxjar.com/pricing | 4.7 | 88 |
| 2 Numeral | Sellers who want filing and registration at a set price per filing, with month to month terms. | Sales tax | Yes | Freenumeral.com/pricing | 4.5 | 76 |
| 3 Quaderno | Sellers with US and international sales who want tax calculation and invoicing priced by transaction volume. | Sales tax | No | $29 a monthapps.shopify.com/quaderno | 4.6 | 76 |
| 4 Avalara | Sellers who want sales tax calculation and filing, priced per state. | Sales tax | No | $79 a monthavalara.com/us/en/products/sales-and-use-tax/pricing.html | 4.1 | 72 |
| 5 Kintsugi | Sellers who want free nexus monitoring and paid filing priced per return. | Sales tax | Yes | Freetrykintsugi.com/pricing | 4.6 | 72 |
| 6 Zamp | Sellers who want a managed sales tax service and will take a sales call to get a price. | Sales tax | Yes | Freezamp.com/pricing | 4.7 | 56 |
TaxJar ranks first among the six sales tax tools scored here, because every plan is priced and it connects natively to Shopify and Amazon. A seller who ships to customers in many states has more than one route to choose from, and TaxJar rivals are ranked separately for anyone who wants to start elsewhere. Online stores also need the payouts into the ledger, which is what the Shopify connectors do, and accounting picks for web sellers cover the ledger itself.
Sales tax software handles calculation, reports and filing. It does not decide whether a business must register anywhere, which is a question for the state tax agency.
How I ranked these
Five criteria count equally: Shopify and Amazon connections, price for one business, price transparency, sales tax handling and customer sentiment. A tool earns more for native connections, a published entry price and more reviews. The same sale also lands in the books, and getting storefront sales into the books explains that side. Where a ledger decision comes first, accounting software compared helps.
Vendors can pay to be listed, and placement for vendors never changes a score or a rank.
What the entries show
Prices differ in kind, not only in size. TaxJar charges by order tier, Avalara by state, and Numeral and Kintsugi by filing. A fair comparison needs the same sales picture on each, and every best-of ranking uses one rubric per category for that reason. How rankings are decided lists each rubric. Sellers who would rather hand the work off can read about marketplace-savvy bookkeeping help.
Costs outside the headline price
Filing costs rise with the number of states, so a seller shipping widely should price the real number of filings. The ledger adds its own bill. If that choice is still open, the Xero comparison shows the two big ledgers side by side, and the whole answer bank holds the rest of the pricing questions.
The other side
A tool that ranks first on published prices is not necessarily cheapest for every seller. Quaderno suits international sales, Avalara has the most reviews, and Zamp’s quote-only service may cost less than its rank implies once a call is made.
TaxJar sells sales tax reports and filing for online sellers on two plans: Starter at $39 a month and Professional at $99, set by monthly order tiers. A 30-day trial comes first. Shopify and Amazon connections are native, and QuickBooks is listed. It rates 4.7 from 264 G2 reviews. It takes the top spot because every plan and tier has a published price, and the price-transparency level is the highest on the list.
- Key details
- TaxJar
- Type
- Sales tax
- Starting price
- $39 a month taxjar.com/pricing
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.7 on G2
Pros
- Every plan priced with no sales conversation
- Native Shopify and Amazon connections
- Trial before paying
Cons
- No credit for a Xero integration
- Order tiers raise the price as volume grows
Verdict
The clearest pricing on the list, which is why it leads.
Sales tax handling scores a level below Avalara, Kintsugi, Numeral and Quaderno, and a Xero integration earns no credit.
Scorecard
Full scorecard
Plans and prices
Numeral has a free Monitoring plan and a Professional plan at $75 per filing, on month-to-month terms. Shopify, Amazon and QuickBooks connections are native, and Xero is listed. A free nexus study is offered. It rates 4.5 from 140 Shopify App Store reviews. The Enterprise plan is quoted.
- Key details
- Numeral
- Type
- Sales tax
- Starting price
- Free numeral.com/pricing
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.5 on Shopify App Store
Pros
- Native Shopify, Amazon and QuickBooks connections
- Month-to-month terms
- Free Monitoring plan
Cons
- Enterprise is quote-only
- Price per filing adds up across many states
Verdict
A straightforward per-filing price from a vendor that publishes its entry plan.
The Enterprise plan is quoted, and the free Monitoring plan only monitors.
Scorecard
Full scorecard
Plans and prices
Quaderno covers US sales tax, EU and UK VAT and global GST, with calculation, invoicing, threshold monitoring, reports and an optional filing service. Plans run $29, $49, $99 and $149 a month by transaction volume, with a 7-day trial. Shopify, Amazon and Square connections are native. It rates 4.6 from 72 Trustpilot reviews.
- Key details
- Quaderno
- Type
- Sales tax
- Starting price
- $29 a month apps.shopify.com/quaderno
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.6 on Trustpilot
Pros
- Native Shopify, Amazon and Square connections
- Covers US sales tax and international VAT
- Four priced plans by transaction volume
Cons
- Filing is a separate optional service
- Enterprise is quote-only
Verdict
Best for sellers with international customers, and more tool than a US-only shop needs.
Filing is an optional service instead of built in, and the VAT and GST features matter only to international sellers.
Scorecard
Full scorecard
Plans and prices
Avalara Select bundles AvaTax calculation with Managed Returns filing, priced per state. Core Compliance is $79 a month, and the version with SST Services is $69. Shopify and QuickBooks connections are native, and Amazon is listed. A custom tier is quoted. It rates 4.1 from 926 G2 reviews, the highest review volume on the list.
- Key details
- Avalara
- Type
- Sales tax
- Starting price
- $79 a month avalara.com/us/en/products/sales-and-use-tax/pricing.html
- Free plan
- No
- Rating
- 4.1 on G2
Pros
- Most reviews on the list: 926 G2
- Calculation and managed filing in one bundle
- Native Shopify and QuickBooks connections
Cons
- Pricing is per state
- Custom tier is quote-only
Verdict
A large vendor with the most reviews on the list and a price that rises state by state.
Prices are per state, so the monthly cost grows with each state added.
Scorecard
Full scorecard
Plans and prices
Kintsugi has a free plan with nexus monitoring and a Starter plan at $75 per filing. Premium is quoted. Shopify, Amazon, QuickBooks and Xero connections are listed. It rates 4.6 from 57 G2 reviews.
- Key details
- Kintsugi
- Type
- Sales tax
- Starting price
- Free trykintsugi.com/pricing
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.6 on G2
Pros
- Free plan with monitoring
- Listed Shopify, Amazon, QuickBooks and Xero connections
- Starter priced per filing
Cons
- Premium is quote-only
- Few reviews to rely on
Verdict
A low-risk start with free monitoring, and a thin review record.
Connections are listed instead of native, and the Premium plan is quoted.
Scorecard
Full scorecard
Plans and prices
Zamp offers a free plan and a managed U.S. sales tax service whose price comes only through a sales call. Shopify, QuickBooks and Xero connections are native, and Amazon is listed. It rates 4.7 from 52 G2 reviews. It ranks last because the paid plan is priced on request.
- Key details
- Zamp
- Type
- Sales tax
- Starting price
- Free zamp.com/pricing
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rating
- 4.7 on G2
Pros
- Free plan to start
- Managed U.S. service
- Shopify, QuickBooks and Xero connections are native
Cons
- Paid plan is quote-only
- No price to compare
Verdict
A managed service worth a call, with no price to judge before it.
The paid plan is priced on request, so a total cost needs a call.
Scorecard
Full scorecard
Plans and prices
Common questions
What is the best sales tax software?
TaxJar ranks first, because every plan is priced and it connects natively to Shopify and Amazon. Numeral and Quaderno follow on score.
How much does sales tax software cost?
Published entry plans start at $39 a month at TaxJar, $29 at Quaderno and $75 per filing at Numeral and $75 per filing at Kintsugi.
Do these tools tell me whether I owe sales tax in a state?
They calculate and file. Whether a business owes tax in a state is a question for that state’s tax agency or a tax professional.
Is there free sales tax software?
Kintsugi, Numeral and Zamp each list a free plan. Kintsugi’s and Numeral’s free plans monitor nexus, which is different from filing returns.