Expert Guide

The Best Sales Tax Software in 2026

Seven sales tax platforms compared on published prices, with one 10-state cost scenario and the free tiers that exist.

Louis CorneloupFounder, Dupple · 930,000+ readers · Updated Oct 2026

Product links may be affiliate links. How we rate 7 tools compared

TL;DR

Short answer: Avalara is the safest pick for a US company that files in many states. Core Compliance lists at $79 per state a month, or $799 per state a year, so 10 states cost $7,990 a year on annual billing. For a seller in 10 states filing quarterly, Numeral's published fees come to $4,500 in year one, but its tax calculation has no published rate. Stripe Tax suits Stripe billing, and Anrok suits SaaS and ecommerce teams that expand market by market.

Key facts7 tools compared: Avalara, Numeral, Stripe Tax, Anrok, TaxJar, Sphere, Vertex

Updated: October 12, 2026
Top pick: Avalara (best for: US companies filing in many states that want calculation, returns and audit support from one vendor)
Top pick price as of October 12, 2026: Avalara: Core Compliance $79 a state a month or $799 a state a year, billed monthly or annually; no free trial

7 tools compared: Avalara, Numeral, Stripe Tax, Anrok, TaxJar, Sphere, Vertex
Numeral (best for: Companies that want to see their nexus for free and pay only for registrations and returns): Monitoring is free; Professional $75 per return filed and $150 per state registration, no contract
Stripe Tax (best for: Teams already billing through Stripe that want tax calculated inside checkout, invoices and billing): Tax Basic 0.5% per transaction or 50 cents per API transaction; Tax Complete from $90 a month on a one-year contract
Anrok (best for: SaaS and ecommerce companies that expand across markets and want tax handled end to end): Starter $100 per market a month, where each US state you are registered in counts as one market; Custom is quoted

Sales tax software works out the rate on every taxable sale, files the returns in each state where you are registered, and remits the money. The cost question is really a question about units. Avalara charges per state, Anrok per market, Sphere per region, Numeral per return and registration, Stripe Tax per transaction, and TaxJar per plan.

Put them on one scenario or the numbers do not compare. Avalara's per-state rules are covered in our Avalara pricing guide.

Toolradar data: Toolradar, the software directory we run, evaluated 40 tax software tools for its October 2026 ranking, and 28% of them have a free plan.

That set covers tax software in general, so read it as context for the free-tier question rather than a sales tax count. Toolradar's profiles of Avalara and Anrok are in its catalog.

Top Picks

Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.

Best Sales Tax Software in 2026: 7 tools compared, updated Oct 2026
Tool	Pricing	Best for
Avalara	Core Compliance $79 a state a month or $799 a state a year, billed monthly or annually; no free trial	US companies filing in many states that want calculation, returns and audit support from one vendor
Numeral	Monitoring is free; Professional $75 per return filed and $150 per state registration, no contract	Companies that want to see their nexus for free and pay only for registrations and returns
Stripe Tax	Tax Basic 0.5% per transaction or 50 cents per API transaction; Tax Complete from $90 a month on a one-year contract	Teams already billing through Stripe that want tax calculated inside checkout, invoices and billing
Anrok	Starter $100 per market a month, where each US state you are registered in counts as one market; Custom is quoted	SaaS and ecommerce companies that expand across markets and want tax handled end to end
TaxJar	Starter $39 a month; Professional $99 a month; 10% or more off on annual billing; 30-day free trial	Ecommerce and marketplace sellers who want low monthly fees and a free trial before committing
Sphere	Starter $100 per region a month for fewer than 10 regions, with no implementation fee; Growth is custom	Finance teams that sell across several countries and want one flat rate per region
Vertex	No list price or plan tiers published; enterprise purchase through the sales team	Large companies on SAP or Oracle that need sales tax calculated inside the ERP

Pricing read from each vendor's own published pricing page, checked Oct 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.

Avalara

Top Pick

Best for: US companies filing in many states that want calculation, returns and audit support from one vendor

PricingCore Compliance $79 a state a month or $799 a state a year, billed monthly or annually; no free trial

+AvaTax calculates across more than 12,000 US tax jurisdictions, and Managed Returns files and remits the tax.

+Core Compliance is priced per state, so a 10-state seller knows the bill up front on annual billing.

+Compliance support and audit readiness come with the plan, plus nexus monitoring across all 50 states.

−The bill grows with each state. Monthly billing costs $9,480 a year for 10 states, against the annual rate.

−Core Compliance is for annual revenue under $50M. Larger companies move to a quoted Custom plan.

Visit Avalara →

Numeral

Best for: Companies that want to see their nexus for free and pay only for registrations and returns

PricingMonitoring is free; Professional $75 per return filed and $150 per state registration, no contract

+A 10-state seller filing quarterly pays $4,500 in year one and $3,000 a year after: $1,500 in registrations plus 40 returns at $75.

+Free monitoring with a nexus study and no contract shows which states to register in before any fee is due.

+Billing is month to month, and you pay as filings occur.

−Tax calculation is billed on usage, but the FAQ gives no rate, so the all-in cost is not published.

−Monthly filers pay $9,000 a year in return fees across 10 states, three times the quarterly bill.

Visit Numeral →

Stripe Tax

Best for: Teams already billing through Stripe that want tax calculated inside checkout, invoices and billing

PricingTax Basic 0.5% per transaction or 50 cents per API transaction; Tax Complete from $90 a month on a one-year contract

+Tax Basic has no recurring fee. You pay per transaction, and only where you are registered to collect.

+At 200 orders a month, the API route costs about $1,200 a year on Tax Basic: 2,400 transactions at 50 cents.

+Tax Complete adds monitoring, registrations, collection and filings in one subscription, from $90 a month.

−Tax Basic calculates and collects only. It files no returns, so the filing work stays with your team.

−Ten registrations means the $1,500 a month tier, or $18,000 a year on a one-year contract. Usage beyond plan limits may bill extra.

Visit Stripe Tax →

Anrok

Best for: SaaS and ecommerce companies that expand across markets and want tax handled end to end

PricingStarter $100 per market a month, where each US state you are registered in counts as one market; Custom is quoted

+Starter covers real-time calculation, filing, remittance, exemption certificates and physical nexus tracking for one fee per market.

+Anrok Atlas, its AI tax intelligence, is included on Starter.

+The Starter plan is built for founders and early teams who want compliance handled from the first sale.

−Ten markets on Starter list at $12,000 a year, and Anrok's own page points teams scaling from 10+ markets to the quoted Custom plan.

−On Shopify, tax calculation runs through Shopify Tax, and Anrok recalculates and verifies it.

Visit Anrok →

TaxJar

Best for: Ecommerce and marketplace sellers who want low monthly fees and a free trial before committing

PricingStarter $39 a month; Professional $99 a month; 10% or more off on annual billing; 30-day free trial

+Starter is designed for new businesses and marketplace sellers, and Professional for multi-state reporting and filing.

+Annual billing takes 10% or more off, so Professional falls to $1,069 a year or less.

+Plans include AutoFile credits: 2 a year on Starter and 4 on Professional.

−Extra AutoFile credits cost $50 each on Starter and $55 each on Professional. The page does not say how many returns one credit covers.

−Professional's button reads Contact sales, so confirm the $99 monthly price before budgeting on it.

Visit TaxJar →

Sphere

Best for: Finance teams that sell across several countries and want one flat rate per region

PricingStarter $100 per region a month for fewer than 10 regions, with no implementation fee; Growth is custom

+Starter covers monitoring, registration, calculation up to 50,000 transactions, and filing and remittance.

+The page lists no implementation fees and no one-off costs.

+Local rails and integrations are included on Starter.

−Starter stops at nine regions. A 10-region footprint moves to Growth, which is custom priced.

−Confirm what Sphere counts as a region before comparing it with a US state count.

Visit Sphere →

Vertex

Best for: Large companies on SAP or Oracle that need sales tax calculated inside the ERP

PricingNo list price or plan tiers published; enterprise purchase through the sales team

+Covers sales and use tax alongside VAT and GST, payroll tax and other tax types on one platform.

+Its navigation lists Vertex for SAP and Vertex for Oracle, which suits ERP-heavy stacks.

−No price, plan tier or free trial is published, so a 10-state cost cannot be checked online.

−The contact page routes buyers through a sales inquiry, so the first step is a conversation.

Visit Vertex →

What it is

Sales tax software calculates the rate for each sale, collects it at checkout or on the invoice, and handles the returns. Some products stop at calculation. Others also monitor where you owe tax, register you in each state, file the returns and remit the money.

That split drives the price. A calculation-only tool can be cheap per order, while a filing product charges for states, returns or both. Tax obligations depend on your own nexus facts, so this page is general information, not tax advice.

Filing 1099s is a different job, covered in our 1099 software ranking.

Why it matters

Pick the unit that matches your footprint. A business in 10 states pays Avalara per state, and Numeral bills per return, so a monthly filer pays three times what a quarterly filer pays in return fees. Stripe Tax Basic bills per transaction, which means cost follows order volume, not the number of states.

Teams on NetSuite (see its pricing breakdown) or choosing between NetSuite and Sage Intacct should price tax tooling beside the ERP.

The ledger side sits in our accounting software ranking.

Key features to look for

Calculation at the point of sale

Rates by jurisdiction at checkout or on the invoice. Avalara's AvaTax covers more than 12,000 US tax jurisdictions on Core Compliance.

Nexus monitoring

Shows where you cross a threshold before an audit letter does. Numeral's monitoring is free with no contract. Avalara's Core plan includes nexus monitoring across all 50 states.

Registration, filing and remittance

Stripe Tax Basic is the exception: it calculates and collects but files no returns. Numeral Professional, Avalara Core, Anrok Starter, Sphere Starter and Stripe Tax Complete file returns on their paid plans. TaxJar files through AutoFile credits.

Exemption certificates

Tax-exempt customers need their certificates on file. Numeral gives the first 50 certificates free. Anrok includes exemption certificate management on Starter.

Integrations

Go-live time depends on your billing and ecommerce stack. Numeral lists native connections to Shopify, Stripe, Amazon and QuickBooks. Stripe Tax runs inside Stripe's own checkout, billing and invoicing.

Pricing

Scenario for every row: a US seller registered in 10 states, filing quarterly in each state, about 200 orders a month (2,400 a year), billed annually where the vendor offers that choice.

Prices verified on each vendor's own pricing page on 10 October 2026: Avalara, Numeral, Stripe Tax, Anrok, TaxJar and Sphere.

Vertex publishes no price.

Annual cost at that scenario: Avalara $7,990; Numeral $4,500 in year one ($1,500 in registrations plus 40 returns); Anrok $12,000; Stripe Tax Complete $18,000 at its 10-registration tier; TaxJar Professional $1,188 on monthly billing before extra AutoFile credits.

Stripe Tax Basic, calculation only, comes to about $1,200 on the API route. Sphere moves to its custom Growth tier at 10 regions.

Methodology: we read each vendor's own pricing page and applied one scenario to every vendor that publishes a price, so the rows compare.

The ranking weighs fit for US finance teams (state coverage, filing, audit support, billing unit), not price alone.

Plan	Price	Best for
Avalara Core Compliance	$799 a state a year ($79 monthly)	Calculation, returns filing, remittance and audit support, for companies under the revenue cap
Avalara Core Compliance + SST Services	$699 a state a year ($69 monthly)	Adds state-funded services in up to 25 states for qualifying sellers; eligibility applies
Numeral Monitoring	Free	Nexus study and monitoring across states, with no contract
Numeral Professional	$75 per return, $150 per registration	Registrations, filings and remittance, with Autofile and Autoregister; month to month
Stripe Tax Basic	0.5% per transaction, or 50 cents per API transaction	Calculation and collection only, with no filings
Stripe Tax Complete	From $90 a month, one-year contract	Monitoring, registrations, calculation, collection and filings in one subscription
Anrok Starter	$100 per market a month	Calculation, filing, remittance, exemption certificates and Anrok Atlas
Anrok Custom	Custom	Priced on markets and transaction volume, for teams scaling from 10+ markets
TaxJar Starter	$39 a month	Two AutoFile credits a year and email support, for new businesses and marketplace sellers
TaxJar Professional	$99 a month	Four AutoFile credits a year, phone support and a Customer Success Manager
Sphere Starter	$100 per region a month	Fewer than 10 regions: monitoring, registration, calculation, filing and remittance
Sphere Growth	Custom	10+ regions, with a dedicated account manager and back tax calculations included
Vertex	Contact sales	Sales and use tax alongside VAT and GST; quote only

Mistakes to avoid

×Comparing per-state, per-return and per-transaction prices as if they were one unit. Put every vendor on the same scenario first, as the table does.

×Buying calculation alone and finding the filing work lands on your team. Stripe Tax Basic calculates and collects but files no returns.

×Using a list price when the company is too large for it. Avalara Core is for revenue under $50M, and Anrok and Sphere quote from 10+ markets or regions.

Expert tips

→Count registrations before you count prices. Per state, per market, per return and per transaction are four different units, so totals only compare on one scenario.

→Ask Numeral for its tax-engine rate in writing before you compare totals with Avalara, because Numeral publishes none.

→Ask Avalara whether your states qualify for the SST plan, which lists at $699 a state a year. Avalara does not say whether the per-state fee falls away in SST states, so get that answer in writing.

The bottom line

Pick Avalara if you file in many US states and want one vendor for calculation, returns and audit support. Pick Numeral if filing fees matter most and you can price its calculation separately. Use Stripe Tax when your checkout already runs on Stripe and you can start with Basic.

For global SaaS, price Anrok and Sphere per market or region before you commit. If your billing stack comes first, see our subscription billing ranking, and for the 1099 side, our Tax1099 review.

This page is general information, not personalized financial or tax advice: confirm your registration duties with a tax adviser and get a written quote before you buy.

Cite this: CFOpresso, "Best Sales Tax Software in 2026", updated October 2026, https://cfopresso.com/reviews/best-sales-tax-software

Frequently asked questions

What is the best sales tax software in 2026?

Avalara is the safest pick for a US company filing in many states. Core Compliance covers calculation, returns and audit support at $79 per state a month. Numeral publishes a per-return fee but no rate for its tax calculation.

How much does sales tax software cost for 10 states?

At 10 states on annual billing, Avalara Core Compliance is $7,990 a year, Numeral is $4,500 in year one, then $3,000 a year, and Anrok Starter lists at $12,000 a year, though Anrok points 10+ market teams to Custom. Stripe Tax Complete is $18,000 a year at its 10-registration tier. TaxJar's plans are set by orders, not states, and Sphere's Starter stops at nine regions.

Is there a free sales tax software?

Only partly. Numeral's Monitoring tier is free and includes a nexus study with no contract, but its filing fees start at $75 per return. TaxJar offers a 30-day free trial. Avalara's only zero-cost element is state-funded SST service for qualifying sellers, not a free plan. Stripe Tax, Anrok, Sphere and Vertex show no free plan on their pricing pages.

Is Stripe Tax cheaper than Avalara?

It depends on the job. Stripe Tax Basic costs 50 cents per API transaction and calculates tax only, so 2,400 transactions a year come to about $1,200 with no filings. Stripe Tax Complete, which files returns, is $18,000 a year at 10 registrations, more than Avalara Core for the same 10 states.

Does Avalara have a free trial?

No free trial or free plan appears on Avalara's pricing pages. The SST plan lists at $699 a state a year against $799 on Core, but only qualifying sellers can take it.

Which sales tax tool is best for a company selling globally?

Anrok and Sphere suit multi-market footprints. Anrok charges per market on Starter and quotes Custom from 10+ markets. Sphere charges per region below 10 regions and quotes Growth at 10 regions and up. Vertex fits large global enterprises on SAP or Oracle.

Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.

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