Short answer: Found scores 8.2/10 on the Free plan ($0/mo). Free running estimate, if you bank with Found.
#
Tool
Score
Quality
Speed
Price
Ease
Verdict
1
Found →profileScored on: Free$0 (Found Plus $35/mo or $315/yr)Free plan. 30-day trial of Plus
8.2
6
9
10
10
Free running estimate, if you bank with Found. Why?
2
Keeper →profileScored on: Premium$199/yr Standard ($399/yr Premium)No free plan. 14-day trial
6.6
8
6
4
7
Pay quarterly plus a filed return, for $399 a year. Why?
3
FlyFin →profileScored on: Premium$29/mo billed $348 annually (Premium)Start free; pay when you file
6.1
8
2
5
9
CPA-heavy; the estimate is a calculator, not a savings account. Why?
Scores come from public evidence (vendor pricing pages, help docs, feature pages), checked 2026-10-22. We have not run hands-on tests yet. They are planned, and these scores will be updated. See every source ↓
Underpay your quarterly estimates and the IRS charges a penalty; overpay and you starve your own cash flow. We score the cheapest plan in each app that keeps a running estimate. This is software research, not tax advice.
How this ranking was scored: desk research, version 1, checked 2026-10-22. We checked each tool against the public checklist below using vendor pricing pages, help-center docs and feature pages. Every point links to its source under “Why each tool scored what it did”. Plan scored: Cheapest plan with quarterly estimated-tax support (a running estimate, a quarterly calculator or quarterly payments). US federal taxes only. Annual price per month when no monthly price is published.
We have not run hands-on tests yet. They are planned with the fixture in tests/taxes/scenario-01.md, and scores will be updated when they are done.
Why each tool scored what it did
Each Quality and Speed check is worth 2 points (2 = verified on the plan scored, 1 = limited, add-on, higher tier or conflicting docs, 0 = not available or not verifiable). Price bands, monthly list price: $0 = 10 · ≤$10 = 9 · ≤$15 = 8 · ≤$20 = 7 · ≤$25 = 6 · ≤$30 = 5 · ≤$40 = 4 · ≤$50 = 3 · ≤$75 = 2 · more = 1.
Quality checklist
Running tax estimate from your actual income and expenses
Automatic write-off detection
Pay or schedule quarterly estimated payments in the app
Access to a human tax pro on the plan
Annual return filing included
Speed checklist
Connects your bank and card accounts
Receipt scanning
Automatically sets money aside for taxes
Official iOS and Android apps
Mileage or home-office deduction tracking
1. FoundQ 6 · S 9 · P 10 · E 10 → 8.2
Plan scored: Free ($0/mo). Free plan includes real-time tax estimates; Found Plus ($35/mo) adds in-app quarterly payments. Requires opening a Found business account. found.com
Quality 6/10
2Running tax estimate from your actual income and expenses. Real-time tax estimates found.com
2Automatic write-off detection. Write-off identification on Free found.com
1Pay or schedule quarterly estimated payments in the app. In-app quarterly federal payments are Found Plus found.com
0Access to a human tax pro on the plan. No tax pro access listed found.com
1Annual return filing included. Generates Schedule C; does not file your return found.com
Speed 9/10
1Connects your bank and card accounts. It is your bank account; importing other banks and cards is Plus found.com
2Receipt scanning. Scan receipts on Free found.com
2Official iOS and Android apps. App Store and Google Play apps linked from found.com found.com
2Mileage or home-office deduction tracking. Mileage and home office tracking on Free found.com
Ease 10/10
4Free plan / trial. Free plan covers the estimate found.com
2Self-serve, no sales call. Self-serve signup and cancel; no sales call needed for this plan found.com
2Nothing to install. Runs in the browser; nothing to install found.com
2Single seat allowed. Can be bought for a single user found.com
2. KeeperQ 8 · S 6 · P 4 · E 7 → 6.6
Plan scored: Premium ($33.25/mo). Quarterly tax payments are Premium only: $399/yr ($33.25/mo). Standard ($199/yr) has no quarterly support. keepertax.com
Quality 8/10
0Running tax estimate from your actual income and expenses. Running estimate not described on the pricing page keepertax.com
2Automatic write-off detection. AI finds and categorizes deductions keepertax.com
2Pay or schedule quarterly estimated payments in the app. Pay quarterly taxes: schedule estimated payments keepertax.com
2Access to a human tax pro on the plan. Meet with a tax pro keepertax.com
2Annual return filing included. Federal + up to 2 state returns, signed by a pro keepertax.com
Speed 6/10
2Connects your bank and card accounts. Connect unlimited accounts keepertax.com
1Free plan / trial. 14-day trial; charged unless you cancel keepertax.com
2Self-serve, no sales call. Self-serve signup and cancel; no sales call needed for this plan keepertax.com
2Nothing to install. Runs in the browser; nothing to install keepertax.com
2Single seat allowed. Can be bought for a single user keepertax.com
3. FlyFinQ 8 · S 2 · P 5 · E 9 → 6.1
Plan scored: Premium ($29/mo). Premium is $29/mo billed $348 annually; the Standard price is not shown on FlyFin’s own plan page, so it is not scored. flyfin.tax
Quality 8/10
2Running tax estimate from your actual income and expenses. Quarterly tax estimator from your deductions & income flyfin.tax
