The Finance Base / AI tax assistants / Instead
instead.com
Instead
Instead provides browser-based tools for tax research, planning, preparation, filing and defense. It supports individual and business returns, including 1040, 1120, 1120-S, 1065 and 1041. A free platform plan covers users, entities and e-file or print-file work. AI tasks use credits on the paid…
Visit instead.com ↗ What it costs
- 7.6 No. 12on AI tax assistants
- Free planprice, as published
- Oct 15, 2026read on
What Instead costs
- Instead Platform Free
- Instead Agent $30 / once
The free Platform plan covers core access and filing output. AI work is on the $30-per-credit Agent plan, with an annual agreement and 12-month credit validity.
As instead.com publishes them, read Oct 15, 2026. Fees, tax and exchange rates can differ when you pay; check the provider's own page first.
Its statement
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No
- Runs on
- iPhone Android Web
- Facts on record
- 45
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Free tier includes unlimited users, entities and e-file or print-file work.
- Supports 1040, 1120, 1120-S, 1065 and 1041 returns.
- Google Drive, OneDrive and Box are available as live integrations.
- AI research, preparation, filing and resolution in one system.
Limits
- Agent credits cost $30 each and require an annual agreement.
- Credits remain valid for 12 months after purchase.
- Web platform only; no native phone or desktop app is listed.
- Estate, gift and exempt-organization returns are only planned.
What Instead does
Instead brings tax research, planning, preparation, filing and defense together in a single web service. Its stated audience includes CPA firms, tax preparers, corporate tax teams, family offices, businesses and high net worth individuals.
Each client gets a dedicated AI agent that keeps context across entities, workflows and firm operations. It can read uploaded returns, statements and transcripts, answer state-specific questions, and produce tax files, plans, workpapers, memos and calculation-based reports.
The pricing page lists individual 1040, C corporation 1120, S corporation 1120-S, partnership 1065, and trust and estate 1041 returns. Users select the workflows they want, then may inspect the agent's output before filing.
Fees and plans
The Instead Platform plan is free. It is billed with no credit card required and includes unlimited users, unlimited entities, unlimited e-file and print-file work, multi-entity support, and collaborators and viewers.
Instead Agent costs $30 one-time per credit. An annual agreement is required. This plan covers tax research, document extraction, memos, plans and deliverables, workflows and return preparation, and tax resolution.
Credits are used only when a user starts a task. A credit estimate appears before a workflow begins, and purchased credits remain valid for 12 months from purchase. There is no free trial.
Where it runs
Instead is listed as web software.
Protection, as Instead describes it
Instead's careers page states that the service is SOC 2 Type II certified. Its security materials describe role and permission controls at workspace, entity, tax-professional and taxpayer levels.
Instead says it uses privacy procedures for personal and business information and aims to meet global, regional and industry compliance standards. It also says its service is IRS-approved for electronic filing in more than 48 state jurisdictions, with local filing supported.
Strengths
The free platform tier provides unlimited users and entities, along with e-file and print-file work and multi-entity support.
The paid agent combines research, document extraction, planning, preparation, filing and resolution workflows. It draws research answers from more than 1,500 authoritative sources.
Google Drive, OneDrive and Box appear as live integrations offering two-way sync, version tracking and automatic folder mapping.
Catches
AI work is credit-based on the Agent plan, and the annual agreement applies. Purchased credits remain valid for 12 months.
Instead is web-only in the listed platform information, with no native mobile or desktop application identified.
Current return coverage is limited to 1040, 1120, 1120-S, 1065 and 1041. Estate tax 706, gift tax 709 and exempt organization 990 support are described as planned.
Who should skip Instead
It may not fit someone who needs a native phone app, a public developer API, self-hosted software, or one of the planned entity types. There is no public API or developer portal listed.
Verdict
Instead suits professional tax teams and complex filers that want one browser-based workspace for multiple entities and tax workflows. Its free platform tier handles broad account and filing access, while research and preparation tasks move to credits under an annual Agent agreement.
It is less suitable for people who expect a mobile or desktop app, public API access, self-hosting, or immediate support for estate, gift or exempt-organization returns. The credit expiry and per-task billing structure should be understood before choosing the paid plan.
Who it suits
Pick it if
- Tax firms and teams managing multiple entities
- Users wanting browser-based AI tax workflows
- Filers needing common federal and state return types
Skip it if
- You need a native iPhone, Android, Windows or Mac app.
- You need a public API, self-hosting, or unlisted return types.
- You prefer pricing without credit-based task charges.
Facts we read
- Agent controlUsers choose which workflows to run, and the agent consumes credits only when they initiate a task. · instead.com, Oct 3, 2026
- AI agentEach client receives a dedicated agent that keeps context across entities, workflows and firm operations. · instead.com, Oct 15, 2026
- API availabilityAn independent API audit found no public API, developer portal, documented endpoints, sandbox, authentication method or client libraries; api.instead.com returned 404 when checked in September 2026. · supergood.ai, Oct 15, 2026
- AudienceThe product is presented for CPA firms, tax preparers, corporate tax teams, family offices, businesses, and high net worth individuals. · instead.com, Oct 3, 2026
- Company profileLinkedIn lists Instead as a privately held software-development company founded in 2023, headquartered in San Francisco and employing 51–200 people. · linkedin.com, Oct 15, 2026
- Corvee relationshipInstead states that Corvee is now part of the Instead family, with existing Corvee accounts, data, workflows and pricing retained. · instead.com, Oct 15, 2026
- Credit estimateThe pricing FAQ says the credit estimate is shown before a workflow runs. · instead.com, Oct 3, 2026
- Credit validityPurchased credits remain valid for 12 months from the purchase date. · instead.com, Oct 15, 2026
- Document extractionUsers can upload returns, statements and transcripts for automated reading, extraction and document-referenced insights. · instead.com, Oct 15, 2026
- E-filingInstead says it is IRS-approved and supports filing in 48 or more state jurisdictions, with local filing supported. · instead.com, Oct 3, 2026
- E-filing coverageInstead states that it is IRS approved and supports electronic filing across more than 48 state jurisdictions. · instead.com, Oct 15, 2026
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, California, United States · instead.com, Sep 28, 2026
- Integration connection methodsServices can be connected through OAuth or API keys, with webhook notifications and automatic folder mapping. · instead.com, Oct 15, 2026
- Integration roadmapThe roadmap lists Dropbox, TaxDome, Karbon, Canopy, Xero, QuickBooks Online, Bloomberg Tax, Plaid and SmartVault. · instead.com, Oct 15, 2026
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Questions
Is Instead free?
The Instead Platform plan is free, with no credit card required. It includes unlimited users and entities, unlimited e-file and print-file work, multi-entity support, and collaborators and viewers.
How much does Instead Agent cost?
Instead Agent is $30 one-time per credit. An annual agreement is required. Credits cover listed AI research, extraction, planning, preparation and resolution work.
Which tax returns does Instead support?
Instead lists individual 1040, C corporation 1120, S corporation 1120-S, partnership 1065, and trust and estate 1041 among its supported returns.
When are credits used?
Users select the workflows they want, and credits are charged only when they start a task. The pricing FAQ says an estimate appears before the workflow runs.
How long do Instead credits last?
Purchased credits remain valid for 12 months from the purchase date.
Is Instead approved for e-filing?
Instead says its service is IRS-approved and supports electronic filing in more than 48 state jurisdictions, with local filing supported.
Is Instead yours?
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