Canopy vs Drake Tax (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Drake Tax grades higher than Canopy: 2.2 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Drake Tax grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Drake Tax
Professional tax preparation software for tax firms, desktop and web
Which one is for you
Pick Canopy if
- Fits if you run a tax or accounting firm and want clients, documents and billing in one place
- Makes sense if your firm already uses QuickBooks Online or Microsoft 365
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want software for your own books, because this manages a firm and not a ledger
- Pricey if you have many staff: it's per user, from $74 to $149 a month
- Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, since neither is listed
- Watch out: Tax Resolution is $50 per user a month and Close Automation is $10 per connected client a month on top
Pick Drake Tax if
- Fits if you run a tax practice and prepare returns for clients
- Works for firms that want a Windows desktop program with an online option
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are filing your own return, because it is sold to tax professionals
- Skip it if you use a Mac and want a native program, since the desktop edition is Windows only
- Pricey if you want the desktop suite, which runs about $1,895 to $3,295 a year
- Watch out: licences are per tax year, per site and per EFIN, and renewal prices show only inside your account
- Watch out: Portals, Workflow, E-Sign, Drake Pay, bank products and Audit Defense are all extra
How we grade them
| 1.6GPACanopyWeak | 2.2GPADrake TaxFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$74 a user a month billed annually ($93 monthly), just under where the category's dearest tenth begins. Capacity planning and custom reporting need Plus at $109. | DDrake Tax Online is $299.99 a tax year, about $25 a month, in line with accounting's middle. That price comes with $49.99 per individual return and $74.99 per business return after the first batch, and the desktop editions sit at $1,895 to $3,295. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on the pricing page. | CA free trial download with sample clients and test returns, and a trial of the online version. The listing does not say a card is needed, but you cannot file real returns on it. |
| Features | CClient portal, e-sign, workflows, time and billing, and an AI assistant. It runs a firm and doesn't keep a business's books, and Tax Resolution is a paid add-on. | BIndividual and business returns, with other products around them. Portals, Workflow, E-Sign and Drake Pay cost extra, which is a price matter, not a gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A firm has to set up clients, workflows and billing before it pays off. | CNo store rating on record. Setting up a tax office, EFIN and client files takes real learning. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus QuickBooks Online, Microsoft 365, Gmail, Zapier and others. No desktop app. | BWindows desktop program plus a web version, with 4 integrations on record. No Mac program; the vendor points Mac users to the online version or cloud hosting. |
| Best for | practice management for accounting and tax firms | a tax firm preparing client returns |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Canopy and Drake Tax. How we grade
Price against what you get
Canopy starts at $74 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Drake Tax starts at $25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
Drake Tax scores higher and starts $49 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 16 score higher than Canopy for less, and 3 score higher than Drake Tax for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Canopy also covers workflow automation, time tracking, invoicing and reports.
- Drake Tax also covers file sharing.
At a glance
| Canopy | Drake Tax | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $74 per user / month, billed annually ($93 billed monthly) | $299.99 per tax year, first user included (Drake Tax Online) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial download of Drake Tax with sample clients and test returns; a free trial of Drake Tax Online is also offered. |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Canopy | Drake Software |
| Price read from | getcanopy.com | drakesoftware.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Canopy
- Pricing is per user, so cost scales with firm headcount; the page says annual billing saves 20% against monthly.
- Capacity planning and custom reporting need Plus, and advanced workflows and billing need Premium.
- Add-ons are priced separately: Tax Resolution is $50 per user a month, and Close Automation is $10 per connected client a month.
- Tax Workflow Automation starts at $34 per client credit, billed annually.
Drake Tax
- Sold to tax professionals; it is not a product for filing your own return.
- The desktop program is a Windows application; for a Mac the vendor points to Drake Tax Online or cloud hosting.
- Licensing is per tax year, per physical site and per EFIN, and renewal pricing is shown only inside a customer's Drake account.
- Portals, Workflow, E-Sign, Drake Pay, bank products and Audit Defense cost extra; Rightworks cloud hosting is listed at $114 per user / month.
Key features
Canopy
- Client portal and messaging
- Clients get a portal, a mobile app and secure messaging for sending documents, questionnaires and organizers.
- Workflow and engagements
- Recurring task workflows, engagement letters and proposals, and tax workflow automation keep firm work on a schedule.
- Time, billing and payments
- Tracks time, invoices clients, collects payments and shows realization rates; group billing combines entities on one invoice.
- Tax resolution tools
- Pulls IRS transcripts, tracks notices and auto-fills more than 200 federal and state forms, as a paid add-on.
- Coworker AI
- An AI assistant included on every plan with monthly credits per user; the pricing page lists it as in open beta.
Drake Tax
- Individual and business returns
- Covers 1040, 1040-NR, 1040-SS and 709 returns plus 1120, 1120-S, 1065, 1041, 990 and 706 returns, with more than 4,300 federal and state forms and schedules.
- Federal and state e-file
- The pricing page says all states are included and e-filing carries no extra fee.
- Return review tools
- Hundreds of return diagnostics, plus DoubleCheck review, LookBack comparison with the prior year and LinkBacks from a diagnostic to its source entry.
- Data conversion
- Drake converts prior-year client data from most competing programs, and the vendor says the conversion is free for most packages.
- Practice management add-ons
- Drake Portals, Drake Workflow, Drake E-Sign and Drake Pay are separate products, bundled at a discount as the Practice Essentials Bundle.
- Support included
- Every package includes US-based support by phone, email or chat, plus a knowledge base, video tutorials and practice returns.
Plans
Canopy
Standard$74
per user / month, billed annually ($93 billed monthly)
CRM, document management and e-sign, client portal, task workflows, invoicing and payments, and the Coworker AI.
Plus$109
per user / month, billed annually ($136 billed monthly)
Adds user roles and access controls, more client intake capacity, capacity planning and custom reporting.
Premium$149
per user / month, billed annually ($186 billed monthly)
Adds advanced workflows and automation, advanced billing scenarios and deeper reporting.
EnterpriseCustom
Tailored plan for large firms; the page says it is likely not a fit below roughly a 200-person firm.
Drake Tax
Drake Tax Online$299.99
per tax year for the first user, then $99 per additional user
Browser-based. Returns are paid as you go at $49.99 per individual and $74.99 per business return, with discounts when bought in bulk (25 or more).
Pay-Per-Return$379.99
per tax year, multi-user
Desktop software with 10 individual returns included; further individual returns cost $49.99 and business returns $74.99.
Drake Tax 1040 (150 returns)$1,995
per tax year, multi-user, 150 individual returns included
For 1040-focused preparers. Business returns are $74.99 each and extra individual returns $49.99. Listed retail price effective Dec. 1; the page shows $1,895 until Nov. 30.
Drake Tax 1040 (unlimited)$2,445
per tax year, multi-user, unlimited individual returns
Unlimited individual returns, with business returns at $74.99 each. A single-user version is listed at $2,195. Retail price effective Dec. 1; the page shows $2,325 until Nov. 30.
Drake Tax Pro (250 returns)$2,495
per tax year, multi-user, 250 individual and business returns included
All return types. Extra individual returns are $49.99 and business returns $74.99. Retail price effective Dec. 1; the page shows $2,375 until Nov. 30.
Drake Tax Pro (unlimited)$3,295
per tax year, multi-user, unlimited individual and business returns
For high-volume firms. A single-user version is listed at $2,845. Retail price effective Dec. 1; the page shows $3,145 until Nov. 30.
Ways to pay less
Canopy
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
The pricing page says annual billing saves 20%, for example Standard at $74 instead of $93 per user a month.
Drake Tax
- Other savings
Discounted prices through November 30
The pricing page shows reduced prices on Drake Tax Pro and 1040 packages (up to $150 off) through November 30, with the listed retail price taking effect December 1.
- Other savings
Bundle and save 40%
The Practice Essentials Bundle (Drake Portals, Workflow and E-Sign) is priced from $599, listed as 40% off, for customers who buy Pro, 1040 or Drake Tax Online with 25 or more returns.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Canopy or Drake Tax?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Canopy starts at $74 per user / month, billed annually ($93 billed monthly), and Drake Tax starts at $299.99 per tax year, first user included (Drake Tax Online). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Canopy or Drake Tax?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Canopy nor Drake Tax has a free plan. Drake Tax has a free trial.
Which platforms do Canopy and Drake Tax run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Canopy lists iOS and Android apps and only Drake Tax lists a Windows app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.