Drake Tax vs Wolters Kluwer TaxWise

Drake Tax (AF Score 73) and Wolters Kluwer TaxWise (AF Score 67) are two of the most cross-shopped tax preparation platforms in our directory. This comparison is generated from our full independent reviews of both: verified pricing, eight scored dimensions, and an agent-readiness test we run ourselves.

What each costs

Drake Tax
Price
$379.99 to $3,295/yr (published)
How it's priced
Annual license per site, unlimited or pay-per-return
Wolters Kluwer TaxWise
Price
$429 to $4,249/yr (published)
How it's priced
Annual per-office package by return volume or per return

The verdict at a glance

Drake Tax scores higher overall (73 to 67), but the right pick depends on what you weight.

Drake Tax is professional tax preparation software for independent preparers and small accounting firms, sold as a Windows desktop program or as browser-based Drake Tax Online, with published annual prices that include all states and e-file.

Wolters Kluwer TaxWise. TaxWise is Wolters Kluwer's tax preparation software for high-volume 1040 offices and service bureaus: browser-based TaxWise Online plus a Windows desktop program, sold in published packages from $429 to $4,249 a year with bank products, Spanish forms and AI document intake.

Quick facts

  • Drake Tax AF score. 73/100
  • Drake Tax implementation. Low
  • Drake Tax best fit. Solo and small tax practices
  • Wolters Kluwer TaxWise AF score. 67/100
  • Wolters Kluwer TaxWise implementation. Low
  • Wolters Kluwer TaxWise best fit. High-volume 1040 preparer offices

Dimension by dimension

  • Compliance depth. Drake Tax 66, Wolters Kluwer TaxWise 60. Edge: Drake Tax.
  • Scalability. Drake Tax 62, Wolters Kluwer TaxWise 66. Edge: Wolters Kluwer TaxWise.
  • AI / agent readiness. Drake Tax 34, Wolters Kluwer TaxWise 42. Edge: Wolters Kluwer TaxWise.
  • Support. Drake Tax 86, Wolters Kluwer TaxWise 70. Edge: Drake Tax.
  • Implementation. Drake Tax 84, Wolters Kluwer TaxWise 80. Edge: Drake Tax.
  • Pricing transparency. Drake Tax 91, Wolters Kluwer TaxWise 84. Edge: Drake Tax.
  • Tax content & coverage. Drake Tax 72, Wolters Kluwer TaxWise 67. Edge: Drake Tax.
  • Integrations & data flow. Drake Tax 52, Wolters Kluwer TaxWise 55. Edge: Wolters Kluwer TaxWise.

Pick Drake Tax if

  • A sole practitioner or a 2 to 5 preparer firm filing mostly 1040s and pass-through returns that wants one flat annual price with every state included.
  • A firm leaving Lacerte, UltraTax CS or ProSeries over price that can accept file-based imports and Drake's own portal, workflow and e-signature add-ons.
  • A new, part-time or seasonal practice that needs pay-per-return pricing from $379.99 and phone support included in the license.

Pick Wolters Kluwer TaxWise if

  • A storefront or multi-preparer 1040 office that wants unlimited users at one location and refund transfers built in
  • A bilingual practice that needs Spanish forms, Spanish diagnostics and Spanish-language support
  • A service bureau that wants to white-label tax software and manage sub-offices from one console

Further reading

Keep exploring

Both reviews are updated on a rolling cycle by our research agents.