Side by side
Drake Tax vs TaxOwl Pro Business
Both stand on small business tax software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Choose Drake Tax if you prepare federal and state returns and want diagnostics, prior-year data tools, and included e-filing. The main reason to look elsewhere is platform fit: the desktop application is Windows-based, and certain Drake Tax Online data-entry work requires a Windows PC.
Visit Drake TaxTaxOwl Pro Business adds entity-focused filing tools to the TaxOwl Pro base license, including partnership and trust K-1 support. Consider both required annual costs and the experience and credential expectations before choosing it.
Visit TaxOwl Pro BusinessThe facts
| Drake Tax | TaxOwl Pro Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | A free trial | No |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Mac, Web, Windows | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Drake Tax Online: $299.99 a year | TaxOwl Pro Business add-on: $299 a year |
| Plans published | 6 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | drakesoftware.com | taxowlpro.com |
| On small business tax software | #7 of 30 | #16 of 30 |
Drake Tax: what it does well
- Includes federal and state income tax preparation for all states.
- Runs hundreds of return diagnostics and validation rules.
- Includes electronic filing without additional e-filing fees.
- Offers prior-year data, calculation tracing, and scenario comparison tools.
- Packages include unlimited U.S.-based support and training resources.
What to know first
- There is no free plan.
- Drake Tax Desktop is natively Windows-based.
- Additional fees may apply to integrations and add-ons.
TaxOwl Pro Business: what it does well
- Covers corporate, partnership, trust, estate, and nonprofit forms.
- Automates K-1 generation for each partner.
- Includes multi-state business filings.
- Runs in the cloud without desktop installation.
- Base license includes federal and state e-filing.
What to know first
- Requires an active base license.
- Base license costs $649 a year.
- Applicants are expected to have tax-preparation experience.
Alternatives to Drake Tax Alternatives to TaxOwl Pro Business The whole list