Drake Tax vs Karbon (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Drake Tax grades higher than Karbon: 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 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
Pick Karbon if
- Fits if you run an accounting firm and want shared client email and workflow in one place
- Makes sense if your firm already works in Gmail and Google Calendar
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want software for your own books, as it's built for firms
- Skip it if you want to try it yourself first, because there's no self-serve trial
- Pricey if you want automation: reminders and task automation need Business at $89 a user
- Watch out: monthly billing is open only to teams of 4 or more users
How we grade them
| 2.2GPADrake TaxFair | 1.6GPAKarbonWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | D$59 a user a month billed yearly for Team and $89 for Business, where the automation is. That's past the $52 where the dearer quarter starts, and Business is above $75. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | FNo free plan, and the pricing page says self-serve free trials aren't offered, so access starts with a demo request. |
| Features | 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. | CShared email, workflow templates, a client portal, time, budgets and billing. It runs a firm and doesn't keep a business's books, and automation isn't on Team. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Setting up a tax office, EFIN and client files takes real learning. | CNo store rating on record. You set up templates and client requests, and access starts with a demo. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Ignition and QuickBooks Online Accountant, plus an API. |
| Best for | a tax firm preparing client returns | practice management for accounting firms |
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: Drake Tax and Karbon. How we grade
Price against what you get
Drake Tax starts at $25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Karbon starts at $59 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
Drake Tax scores higher and starts $34 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 3 score higher than Drake Tax for less, and 15 score higher than Karbon 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
- Drake Tax also covers file sharing.
- Karbon also covers tasks, shared inbox, workflow automation, time tracking and invoicing.
At a glance
| Drake Tax | Karbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $299.99 per tax year, first user included (Drake Tax Online) | $59 per user / month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial download of Drake Tax with sample clients and test returns; a free trial of Drake Tax Online is also offered. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Drake Software | Karbon |
| Price read from | drakesoftware.com | karbonhq.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Karbon
- It is a tool for running a firm, not general ledger software for a business's own books.
- The pricing page says self-serve free trials are not offered; access starts with a demo request.
- Monthly billing is open only to teams of 4 or more users.
- Automatic client reminders, task automation and industry integrations are not on the Team plan.
Key features
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.
Karbon
- Shared email triage
- Team members can share, assign and comment on client emails, with comments and @mentions on emails, tasks and notes.
- Workflow templates
- Work is created from templates with statuses and types. Limits rise by plan: 35, 50 or unlimited statuses and 40, 75 or unlimited templates.
- Client requests and portal
- Clients get requests, file uploads and comments through a portal. Automatic client reminders need the Business plan.
- Time, budgets and billing
- Track time against budgets, then bill and collect payment from inside the same workflow.
- Integrations and API
- Connects with Gmail, Google Drive, Ignition and QuickBooks Online Accountant, and has a public API for contacts, work items and timesheets.
Plans
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.
Karbon
Team$59
per user / month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly)
Integrated email, workflow and to-do lists, time tracking and budgets, billing, payments and engagements. Monthly billing needs 4+ users.
Business$89
per user / month, billed yearly ($99 billed monthly)
Team features plus automatic client reminders, task automation and industry integrations. Monthly billing needs 4+ users.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds an enterprise platform, a dedicated Karbon contact, customization and unlimited usage limits.
Ways to pay less
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.
Karbon
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Drake Tax or Karbon?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Drake Tax starts at $299.99 per tax year, first user included (Drake Tax Online), and Karbon starts at $59 per user / month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly). 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, Drake Tax or Karbon?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Drake Tax nor Karbon has a free plan. Drake Tax has a free trial.
Which platforms do Drake Tax and Karbon run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Drake Tax lists a Windows app and only Karbon lists iOS and Android apps. 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.