Tax software is one of those decisions where the wrong choice doesn’t reveal itself until you’re already three-quarters through your return and hitting a paywall. TurboTax, H&R Block, and FreeTaxUSA cover most filers — but they’re built for different people, and the price difference is significant enough to matter.
Short version: TurboTax is the most polished experience. H&R Block is TurboTax with better pricing and in-person backup. FreeTaxUSA is legitimately free for federal returns and competent enough for most self-employed filers who know what they’re doing.
Quick Verdict
| TurboTax | H&R Block | FreeTaxUSA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal (Self-Employed) | $129 | $85 | Free |
| State | $64 | $37 | $14.99 |
| Total (1 state) | $193 | $122 | $14.99 |
| Schedule C | Excellent | Very good | Good |
| Deduction guidance | Best in class | Very good | Basic |
| In-person support | Add-on cost | Physical offices | None |
| Best for | Complex / first-timers | Value seekers | Budget / experienced |
TurboTax — Most Guided Experience
TurboTax is the market leader for a reason. The interview format is thorough, the deduction prompts are industry-aware, and the interface is the most refined of the three.
Where TurboTax leads:
Industry-specific deductions. When you tell TurboTax you’re a freelance designer, it asks about software subscriptions, design assets, client entertainment, and portfolio site costs. A rideshare driver gets mileage, phone, and vehicle maintenance prompts. This specificity is genuinely useful and catches deductions that generic checklists miss.
Bank and app imports. Link your bank account and TurboTax pulls transactions, then helps you categorize them. Import from Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Etsy, Square, and PayPal directly. If you also track expenses in your accounting software for freelancers, QBSE data imports natively.
Audit risk assessment. TurboTax shows an audit risk meter as you file. It’s not definitive, but it flags when a deduction percentage looks unusual relative to income.
Where TurboTax falls short:
The price. $193 total for a self-employed return in one state is a real number. The upsell flow — audit protection, MAX protection, live CPA review — is aggressive. Every upgrade is optional; decline all of them unless you have a specific reason.
Best for: First-time Schedule C filers, anyone with complex deductions, and people who want maximum hand-holding through the process.
H&R Block — Best Price-to-Feature Ratio
H&R Block Self-Employed at $85 federal + $37 state ($122 total) delivers roughly 85-90% of what TurboTax offers at 60% of the price. For most freelancers, that’s the right trade.
Where H&R Block stands out:
In-person fallback. H&R Block has physical locations where you can bring your return to a tax professional. This isn’t something most people use, but knowing the option exists has real value when you hit an unusual situation — an IRS notice, an audit, a complicated life event. TurboTax’s live CPA review costs extra; H&R Block’s in-person service is a distinct offering with its own pricing.
Comparable Schedule C coverage. The self-employment interview covers home office, vehicle, equipment, subscriptions, and contractor payments. The prompts are slightly less industry-specific than TurboTax but cover the major categories.
Where H&R Block falls short:
The interface is functional but less polished. The flow occasionally feels like it was designed to mirror TurboTax rather than built from first principles. Bank imports work but the experience is less seamless. QBSE integration doesn’t exist natively.
Best for: Freelancers who’ve filed Schedule C before, anyone who wants TurboTax-level functionality at a lower price, and people who value having in-person backup available.
FreeTaxUSA — Best Value for Self-Sufficient Filers
FreeTaxUSA charges $0 for federal returns and $14.99 for state — across all complexity levels, including self-employment. Schedule C is fully supported. Self-employment tax calculates correctly. The major deductions are all there.
What’s different: FreeTaxUSA is form-based rather than interview-based. It knows what it’s doing; it doesn’t walk you through each decision with explanations and prompts. You need to know what you’re filing and why.
The honest assessment:
FreeTaxUSA is built for people who understand their tax situation. If you know you need to file Schedule C, you know what your home office square footage is, and you’ve tracked your expenses — FreeTaxUSA executes the filing accurately and cheaply.
If you’re not sure whether something is deductible, or you want software to surface deductions you haven’t thought of, FreeTaxUSA is not going to do that work for you.
Audit support is available as a $39.99 add-on (compares to $49-99 at TurboTax/H&R Block).
Best for: Experienced filers who understand their situation, budget-conscious freelancers with straightforward Schedule C income, and anyone who’s filed before and just needs a reliable, cheap tool.
The Real Comparison: What Are You Paying For?
The price gap between TurboTax and FreeTaxUSA is $178 for a self-employed return in one state. The question is whether TurboTax’s guidance and deduction finder are worth $178 more than FreeTaxUSA’s competent but basic interface.
For most experienced freelancers: No. FreeTaxUSA handles the filing correctly and costs $15.
For first-timers or complex situations: Probably yes. If TurboTax’s deduction prompts find one missed expense worth $400+ (a modest home office deduction, a missed equipment depreciation, a retirement contribution you forgot to enter), it’s paid for itself.
The break-even point is roughly: does having better guidance result in finding more than $178 in additional deductions? For simple returns, no. For genuinely complex ones, often yes.
What All Three Do Well
- Schedule C (profit/loss from business)
- Schedule SE (self-employment tax)
- Estimated quarterly payment calculations
- Home office deduction (regular and simplified method)
- Vehicle expense tracking (standard mileage and actual expense)
- Health insurance premium deduction
- Retirement contributions (SEP-IRA, Solo 401k)
These are the baseline. All three get them right.
Our Recommendation
First-time freelance filer or complex situation: TurboTax Self-Employed. The guidance is worth it when you’re navigating Schedule C for the first time.
Experienced filer who wants to cut costs: H&R Block Self-Employed. Same quality outcome at $70 less, with physical backup if you ever need it.
Already know your situation and just need to file: FreeTaxUSA. $14.99 for state, free federal, and it works.
Don’t leave deductions on the table to save $15. Also don’t pay $193 for guided data entry if you’ve done this before.
All pricing reflects 2026 filing season. Software covers 2025 tax year returns.