At a Glance
- Free plan: $0 federal for W-2 filers under $100,000 with no dependents
- Deluxe Plus: roughly $24 to $30 federal, for dependents, mortgage interest, retirement income
- Premium Plus: roughly $40 to $50 federal, for self-employment, itemizing, all credit schedules
- State returns: $32.99, one flat fee no matter how many states
- Support: online only on the free plan, phone on paid plans, audit assistance on Premium
- Not covered: crypto and investment income schedules are thin
Tax software is sold at the federal price. You pay on the total. E-file.com is a good example: the headline is $0, and for a certain kind of filer that’s true. For most people the real number is the federal tier plus $32.99 for the state, and whether that beats the alternatives depends entirely on which tier you land in.
So this review is built around three real filers, not the marketing tiers.
Identify: What E-file.com Is
E-file.com launched in 2013 as a low-cost alternative to TurboTax and H&R Block. It’s an IRS-authorized e-file provider, which means your return goes straight to the IRS from the software, and it uses 256-bit encryption and multi-factor login. It has never reported a major breach. It also says it doesn’t sell customer data, which not every competitor can say.
What it isn’t: a tax advice service. There’s no video call with a CPA, no live chat with a preparer. Support on the paid plans is phone and email help with the software. If you need a human to explain a rule, this isn’t the product.
The pitch is simple. Guided questions, a clean interface, a price that’s usually half of the big names. That’s it.
Evaluate: What Three Real Filers Pay at E-file.com
Prices moved a few dollars between January and April 2026 depending on which review checked and whether a coupon was live, so the ranges below reflect that. A 15% federal discount code has been available most of the year.
| Filer | Tier Needed | Federal | State | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single, one W-2, $62,000, no kids, one state | Free Basic | $0 | $32.99 | About $33 |
| Married, two W-2s, two kids, mortgage, one state | Deluxe Plus | $24 to $30 | $32.99 | About $57 to $63 |
| Freelancer with 1099 income, itemizing, moved states mid-year | Premium Plus | $40 to $50 | $32.99 | About $73 to $83 |
Three things jump out of that table.
First, the free plan is only free if you file federal only. Nine states have no income tax. Everyone else pays $32.99, and that’s the whole cost for a simple return. Still cheap.
Second, the family lands in Deluxe Plus the moment they claim a dependent. That’s normal across the industry, but it means “free” was never on the table for them.
Third, the freelancer’s multi-state move costs nothing extra. One $32.99 fee covers every state return you file. That is the single best value in the pricing, and the reason military families and people who relocate keep recommending it.
One caution from reviewers: the software has a habit of nudging filers toward Premium Plus. Check whether you actually need itemizing or a business schedule before you accept the upgrade. It does downgrade you if your answers don’t require the higher tier, which is fair.
Where the Price Climbs, and Where It Doesn’t
- Adds cost: dependents, mortgage interest, retirement income (Deluxe), self-employment, itemizing, all credit schedules, audit assistance (Premium)
- No extra cost: printing your return, filing an extension, multiple state returns, direct deposit of the refund
- Not offered: dedicated crypto or investment income handling, professional review, refund advance loans
Compare: E-file.com vs. the Cheap and Expensive Alternatives
| Parameter | E-file.com | FreeTaxUSA | Cash App Taxes | TurboTax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal, simple return | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 to $39 |
| Federal, self-employed | $40 to $50 | $0 | $0 | $89 and up |
| State return | $32.99 flat, all states | About $15 each | $0 | $39 to $64 each |
| Multi-state | One fee | Per state | One state only | Per state |
| Phone support | Paid plans | Paid add-on | No | Included on higher tiers |
| Audit assistance | Premium tier | Paid add-on | Free | Paid or higher tier |
| Investment and crypto | Limited | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The honest read: FreeTaxUSA and Cash App Taxes are cheaper for a single-state filer, and Cash App is free outright if it supports your situation. E-file.com wins in exactly one scenario, which is anyone filing two or more state returns, where the flat fee beats per-state pricing quickly.
Against TurboTax and H&R Block, E-file.com is cheaper in every tier by a wide margin. What you give up is the hand-holding, the investment coverage, and the live expert options.
Recommend: How to Use It Without Overpaying
- Check whether your state has income tax. If not, the free plan is genuinely free.
- Count your states. Two or more, and E-file.com’s flat fee is the reason to be here.
- List your forms before you start. W-2 only means Free. A 1098 or a dependent means Deluxe. A 1099-NEC or Schedule C means Premium.
- Look for the federal discount code on the pricing page. It’s been 15% most of 2026.
- Decline the upgrade prompt unless a form on your list requires it.
- Use the extension tool if you need more time. It’s free and includes the 1040 software.
- Keep a copy. Printing and downloading are free on every tier.
Who E-file.com Is Actually For
Good fit: filers with straightforward returns who want to pay less than TurboTax, anyone filing in two or more states, military families, and people who don’t need advice, just software that works. The freelancer in the table above is a good example: $73 to $83 total for a Schedule C plus two states is hard to beat.
Poor fit: investors with brokerage statements or crypto trades, anyone who wants a live tax professional, and single-state filers with a very simple return, who can pay less at Cash App Taxes or FreeTaxUSA.
Borderline: small business owners with an LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship. Premium Plus handles the Schedule C, and audit assistance is included. But if the books are messy, the money saved on software gets spent on a bookkeeper anyway. Decide based on how clean your records are, not on the filing fee.
Final Verdict
http://e-file.com is priced honestly once you read past the headline. The federal tiers are among the cheapest that include phone support, and the $32.99 all-states fee is a real advantage for anyone who moves or works across a line. For a single-state simple return, there are cheaper options. For a two-state return or a freelancer who wants audit help without paying TurboTax prices, it’s a sensible pick.
Total the federal tier plus the state fee before you commit. If that number is lower than the alternatives for your situation, file here. If it isn’t, you’ll know in two minutes, which is the whole point of doing the arithmetic first.
