Wealthsimple Tax vs TurboTax is mostly a choice between price and help: Wealthsimple Tax Basic is pay what you want with every supported form included, while TurboTax charges more per return as your return gets more complex and sells access to tax experts. UFile and GenuTax get their own sections below, because each one beats both in a few specific situations. This comparison lines up what all four cost for 2025 returns, which situations each one handles, and when TurboTax’s expert help is worth paying for. It is general education, not tax or financial advice.
Wealthsimple Tax vs TurboTax, UFile and GenuTax at a glance
| Feature | Wealthsimple Tax | TurboTax | UFile | GenuTax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price for a typical return | Basic: pay what you want, even nothing (better on this row) | Free for simple returns; $30 with donations, $50 with investment income, $70 with self-employment income | $20.95 plus tax for the first return (UFile ONLINE) | Free (donations optional) (better on this row) |
| All plans | Basic: pay what you want; Plus: $40 + tax (free for Premium); Pro: $80 + tax (free for Generation) | Do It Yourself: Free $0 (simple returns only), Deluxe $30, Premier $50 and Self-Employed $70 per return | ONLINE $20.95; Windows $26.99 for a 4-return package or $42.99 for 12 returns; PREMIUM $32.95 for a single return or $48.95 for a family | One free version |
| Returns included | 2 on Basic, 8 on Plus | Priced per return, up to 20 per account | Per person: $16.00 for a spouse, $10.00 per dependant (plus tax) | Up to 20, free (better on this row) |
| Free if you are… | Anyone on Basic who chooses to pay nothing | Filing a simple return with no donations, medical, investment, rental or self-employment items | post-secondary students (at any income), people with a simple return, first-time filers, and families with a total income under $20,000 | Anyone |
| Where it runs | Web browser | Web browser, mobile app or Windows download | Web browser (ONLINE) or Windows download | Windows download only |
| Quebec provincial return | Yes, on Basic and Plus | Yes, except Expert Full Service | Yes | No, federal return only |
| Help from a tax expert | Pro plan: one-on-one session | Expert Assist or Expert Full Service (better on this row) | No expert tier listed; free phone and email support (priority on PREMIUM) | None (email support and help pages) |
| Tax years certified (CRA) | 2023 to 2025 | 2023 to 2025 online; 2019 to 2025 on Windows | 2018 to 2025 | 2018 to 2025 (prepares back to 2003) (better on this row) |
| E-files Form T1135 (foreign property) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No, print and mail it |
| E-files emigrant returns | No | No | Yes (better on this row) | No |
Sources: wealthsimple.com/en-ca/tax, turbotax.intuit.ca product and pricing pages, ufile.ca help and product pages, genutax.ca, and the CRA's certified-software details pages, checked September 23 and 24, 2026. Prices are for 2025 returns and can change for the next filing season.
The short version: Wealthsimple Tax Basic doesn’t charge for any form, TurboTax’s price climbs with the complexity of each return, UFile charges a flat price per person whatever the return contains, and GenuTax is free on Windows. YieldMaple checked the Wealthsimple Tax, TurboTax, UFile and GenuTax pricing pages and the CRA’s certified-software list on September 23 and 24, 2026; every figure below comes from those pages.
Is Wealthsimple Tax better than TurboTax?
For do-it-yourself filers, yes: Wealthsimple Tax Basic is pay what you want, while TurboTax is better if you want a tax expert to review or file your return.
Wealthsimple Tax pricing is Basic: pay what you want; Plus: $40 + tax (free for Premium); Pro: $80 + tax (free for Generation), per Wealthsimple’s tax page (September 2026), and Wealthsimple says Basic has no restrictions on what you can file: employment, investment, rental and self-employment income, medical expenses, donations and childcare expenses are all included. TurboTax Do It Yourself is Free $0 (simple returns only), Deluxe $30, Premier $50 and Self-Employed $70 per return, per TurboTax’s product page (September 2026). TurboTax Free covers employment and pension income, RRSP contributions, child care expenses, EI and social assistance, tuition and student loan interest, and a short list of basic credits such as the age and disability amounts. It doesn’t cover donations, medical expenses, employment expenses, investment income, rental income and self-employment income, and technical support on Free is none — Intuit doesn't provide technical support for the free version. So a T4 plus a donation receipt costs $30 on TurboTax Deluxe, selling an ETF moves you to Premier at $50, and freelance or rental income moves you to Self-Employed at $70. The same returns cost whatever you choose to pay on Wealthsimple Tax Basic. TurboTax lets you prepare the return first: you can prepare the return without paying upfront and pay when you e-file or print.
Where Wealthsimple Tax beats TurboTax:
- Price once your return has more than a T4. Adding a donation receipt, an ETF sale or rental income doesn’t move you up a tier on Wealthsimple Tax Basic; on TurboTax each of those raises the price of the return.
- Couples. Basic covers two returns per Wealthsimple account at a price you choose. TurboTax is priced per return, with up to 20 returns from the same TurboTax account, so two returns with donation receipts cost $60.
- Support on the no-cost tier. Wealthsimple Tax Basic includes email support, while Intuit gives no technical support on TurboTax Free.
Where TurboTax beats Wealthsimple Tax:
- Expert Assist costs Basic $70, Deluxe $100, Premier $120 and Self-Employed $150 per return. It adds unlimited chat or video help from a tax expert while you prepare the return, a final expert review before you file, and year-round help and audit support after filing.
- Expert Full Service costs Basic $120, Deluxe $165, Premier $215 and Self-Employed $315 per return, and an expert prepares and files the return. It is not available to Quebec residents, and on pricing, the regular price applies until April 15, after which TurboTax raises it.
- Audit Defence is included with Expert Full Service for up to 3 years after filing; an add-on for Do It Yourself and Expert Assist.
- A phone app and a desktop version. The CRA lists TurboTax as paid, with free offerings based on tax situation (online, computer download and mobile app), and the Windows download is certified for 2019 to 2025, where Wealthsimple Tax covers only 2023 to 2025.
Wealthsimple’s answer to the expert tiers is its Pro plan, which includes a one-on-one 30-minute consultation with a tax expert, an email follow-up and a review of your return. At the Pro price in the plan list above, it costs less than a single TurboTax Expert Assist Premier return ($120), but it gives you one booked consultation rather than unlimited on-demand help, and Wealthsimple only guaranteed consultation slots for 2025 returns if you booked before April 6. Pro isn’t offered to Quebec residents or in French, and Wealthsimple makes it free for Generation clients ($500,000 or more in assets). Plus, which adds audit protection and priority support, is free for Premium clients ($100,000 or more).
What does each one cost for a typical return?
For a single T4 filer with donations and an ETF sale, Wealthsimple Tax and GenuTax can cost nothing, TurboTax costs $50 and UFile costs $20.95 plus tax.
This table prices the same return on each program, using do-it-yourself filing and 2025-return prices:
| Feature | Wealthsimple Tax | TurboTax | UFile ONLINE | GenuTax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One T4 and an RRSP contribution | Pay what you want | Free: $0 for a simple return only | $20.95 plus tax (free for students, first-time filers and low incomes) | Free |
| T4 plus donation or medical receipts | Pay what you want | Deluxe: $30 | $20.95 plus tax | Free |
| T4 plus an ETF or stock sale | Pay what you want | Premier: $50 | $20.95 plus tax | Free |
| Freelance, gig or rental income | Pay what you want | Self-Employed: $70 | $20.95 plus tax | Free (Windows only) |
| Same freelancer, with an expert review | Pro plan (see plan prices above) | Expert Assist Self-Employed: $150 | No expert tier listed | Not offered |
Prices from each provider's pricing page for 2025 returns, checked September 24, 2026. UFile prices are before sales tax. Wealthsimple Tax Basic and GenuTax charge nothing unless you choose to pay or donate.
Households change the math. Take a couple who both sold investments during the year:
- Wealthsimple Tax Basic covers both returns at a price they choose.
- TurboTax Premier charges $100.
- UFile ONLINE charges $36.95 plus tax.
- GenuTax charges nothing, if they file on a Windows PC.
Over five filing seasons at today’s prices, that is $500 on TurboTax against $184.75 plus tax on UFile, and whatever the couple chooses to pay on Wealthsimple Tax Basic.
Add two teenagers with part-time T4 jobs and Wealthsimple’s Basic plan runs out of returns. Plus covers up to eight returns for $40 plus tax in total. TurboTax would charge $100 if the teens’ returns qualify for TurboTax Free. UFile would charge $56.95 plus tax for the four returns unless one of its free categories applies (UFile says to pay only for dependants who have to file), and GenuTax would still charge nothing.
What do you get when you pay for expert help?
Paying buys help from a person, not different tax rules: the CRA assesses your return the same way whichever certified program sends it.
What each paid tier actually adds:
- Wealthsimple Tax Plus adds audit protection, priority email support and up to eight returns. Pro adds the one-on-one expert consultation and year-round access to tax experts. Wealthsimple’s email support doesn’t extend to tax advice on Basic or Plus.
- TurboTax Expert Assist adds unlimited expert chat or video while you prepare the return and a final review before you file. After filing, its Audit Coach explains a CRA review letter, but TurboTax says Audit Coach is informational and doesn’t represent you before the CRA. For that, you need Audit Defence.
- TurboTax Expert Full Service hands the whole return to an expert, from $120 for a simple return to $315 for a self-employed one.
- UFile PREMIUM adds priority phone, chat and email support through the tax season; every UFile user already gets free phone and email support.
- GenuTax lists an email address and online help pages; there is no paid tier.
Wealthsimple Tax, TurboTax and UFile each advertise a guarantee; GenuTax’s pages don’t mention one. Wealthsimple offers a maximum refund guarantee on every plan, including Basic, TurboTax offers accuracy and maximum-refund guarantees, and UFile has its Triple Guarantee of accuracy, satisfaction and best tax result. Read the terms before you rely on any of them: Wealthsimple’s refunds money you paid for tax software rather than topping up your refund, and TurboTax’s accuracy guarantee covers penalties and interest from a calculation error but leaves any extra tax with you.
Wealthsimple Tax vs UFile: which is cheaper?
Wealthsimple Tax is usually cheaper: Basic is pay what you want, while UFile ONLINE charges $20.95 plus tax for a first return unless you qualify to file free.
UFile’s full price list, per its help centre (September 2026), is $20.95 plus tax for the first person (the family head), $16.00 plus tax for a spouse and $10.00 plus tax for each dependant on UFile ONLINE. The Windows version costs $26.99 for a 4-return package or $42.99 for 12 returns, and UFile PREMIUM, which adds priority phone, chat and email support, costs $32.95 for a single return or $48.95 for a family. UFile’s price doesn’t rise with complexity: a freelancer with rental income pays the same as someone with one T4 and a donation receipt.
UFile is free for post-secondary students (at any income), people with a simple return, first-time filers, and families with a total income under $20,000. Read the simple-return rule closely, though: it means only employment income from a single T4 (or a government OAS or CPP/QPP pension), standard credits only, and no RRSP, donation or medical expense claims. One RRSP contribution is enough to make a return non-simple. UFile’s low-income rule is no charge for individuals or families with total income (line 15000) of $20,000 or less. The CRA’s 2025 certified-software list reflects the difference: it shows UFile as paid, with free offerings based on tax situation (online and computer download), and Wealthsimple Tax as free with optional paid services.
Where UFile beats Wealthsimple Tax:
- Unusual returns. The CRA’s software details show that UFile e-files emigrant returns (2024 and 2025 tax years) and Form T2203 for income taxed in more than one province or territory. Wealthsimple Tax, TurboTax and GenuTax can’t e-file either one, so if you left Canada during the year or earned business income in more than one province, UFile is the only program on this page that can send that return electronically.
- Older years online. UFile is certified for 2018 to 2025, so you can catch up on a 2018 to 2022 return in a browser, which Wealthsimple Tax can’t do.
- Phone support. UFile advertises free email and telephone support. Wealthsimple Tax support is by email, with a three-day target on Basic and one day on Plus and Pro.
- Storage. UFile ONLINE keeps a copy of your return for the last 9 years.
Wealthsimple wins on price for most households: a couple with investments files both returns on Basic at a price they choose, where UFile charges $36.95 plus tax. The paid upgrades also differ: UFile PREMIUM buys priority support, while Wealthsimple’s top plan, Pro, includes a one-on-one session with a tax expert.
If you’re weighing Wealthsimple or UFile because of Reddit or other forum threads, check the date on each post: a thread from an earlier tax season can describe prices or free tiers that have since changed. The figures here come from each provider’s own pages for 2025 returns.
Wealthsimple vs GenuTax: which free tax software is better?
Wealthsimple Tax is better for most single filers and couples who want to file from any browser; GenuTax is better for Windows households filing three or more returns.
On price the two are close. GenuTax Standard is free for everyone (donations are optional), including future annual updates, per GenuTax’s site, and Wealthsimple Tax Basic is pay what you want with every supported form included. Both can cost nothing for a typical return. The difference is how each pays its bills: Wealthsimple invites a voluntary payment on Basic and sells optional paid plans, while GenuTax asks for donations.
The practical differences decide it:
- Number of returns. GenuTax prepares up to 20 returns per tax year, with no income limit. Wealthsimple Tax Basic covers two returns per Wealthsimple account, so a couple fits, but a third return means upgrading to Plus.
- Devices. GenuTax is a Windows download (Windows 7, 8.1, 10 or 11) — no Mac, web or phone version. Wealthsimple Tax runs in a web browser, so it works on a Mac too.
- Quebec. GenuTax prepares the federal return only — it doesn't prepare the Quebec provincial return (TP-1). Wealthsimple Tax prepares both the federal and Quebec returns on Basic and Plus, and it is CRA and Revenu Québec NETFILE-certified (tax years 2023–2025).
- Foreign property. GenuTax doesn't complete or e-file Form T1135, which you need if your foreign property cost more than $100,000 — you'd print and mail it separately. The CRA lists Wealthsimple Tax as able to e-file Form T1135.
- Older years. GenuTax can prepare returns for 2003 through 2025 (NETFILE for 2018 to 2025; older years are printed and mailed). Wealthsimple Tax is certified only for 2023 to 2025.
- Where your return lives. GenuTax is a program on your own computer. Wealthsimple Tax is an online service; Wealthsimple says it never sells client data.
Both walk you through the return: GenuTax describes a step-by-step interview, and Wealthsimple says it searches over 400 credits and deductions and, for couples, works out who should claim what. GenuTax also lists situations it can’t handle, including a year in which you emigrated from Canada, a pre- or post-bankruptcy return and a business with a permanent establishment in another province.
Which one handles Quebec, older years and unusual returns?
UFile can e-file the widest range of returns, including emigrant returns; GenuTax reaches furthest back for old years; Wealthsimple Tax and TurboTax cover typical Quebec returns.
- Quebec. Wealthsimple Tax prepares both returns on Basic and Plus (Pro isn’t available in Quebec or in French). TurboTax handles both on Do It Yourself, Expert Assist and its desktop software, but Expert Full Service is not available in Quebec. UFile completes the federal and Quebec returns from one set of entries. GenuTax prepares the federal return only.
- Older years. Wealthsimple Tax covers 2023 to 2025. TurboTax Online covers 2023 to 2025 and its Windows download 2019 to 2025. UFile is certified for 2018 to 2025. GenuTax prepares returns for 2003 through 2025 (NETFILE for 2018 to 2025; older years are printed and mailed).
- Leaving Canada, or income taxed in more than one province. UFile e-files emigrant returns (2024 and 2025 tax years) and Form T2203 for income taxed in more than one province or territory. TurboTax doesn't e-file emigrant returns or Form T2203 (income taxed in more than one province or territory), and the CRA lists the same two gaps for Wealthsimple Tax and GenuTax.
- Foreign property. If your foreign property cost more than $100,000, you need Form T1135. Wealthsimple Tax, TurboTax and UFile e-file it, per the CRA; GenuTax doesn’t.
- Only a Mac or a phone. GenuTax is out. Wealthsimple Tax and UFile ONLINE run in a web browser, and TurboTax adds a phone app.
Is Wealthsimple Tax the same as NETFILE?
No: NETFILE is the CRA’s electronic filing service, and Wealthsimple Tax is one of the certified programs that sends returns through it.
TurboTax, UFile and GenuTax use the same service, so “Wealthsimple vs NETFILE” isn’t really a choice: NETFILE only works from inside certified tax software. For 2025 and earlier returns, NETFILE is open February 23, 2026 to January 29, 2027, and it accepts tax years 2018 to 2025 (amendments through ReFILE for 2022 to 2025). It is open to anyone with a SIN starting with 1 to 9, newcomers whose SIN starts with 0, or a temporary tax number starting with 01 or 03, and if it’s your first return, you won't have an access code — the code is optional, and the software can still send the return. Quebec residents also file a provincial return with Revenu Québec, which Wealthsimple Tax, TurboTax and UFile send electronically.
Filing online is faster: the CRA’s timing for a notice of assessment and any refund is usually within 2 weeks for an online return, compared with usually within 12 weeks for paper. If you were hoping to file with the CRA directly for free, its options are a free CRA filing service for eligible people with a lower income and a simple tax situation — online (SimpleFile Digital), or by phone or paper with an invitation, plus free tax clinics; the guide to free tax software in Canada covers who qualifies.
Still haven’t filed a 2025 return? Any certified program above can send it until NETFILE closes. If you owe tax, the CRA charges 5% of your balance owing plus 1% for each full month late, up to 12 months, so filing late costs more the longer you wait.
Can you switch from TurboTax or UFile to Wealthsimple Tax?
Yes: nothing ties you to last year’s program, and Auto-fill My Return imports most of this year’s slips from the CRA whichever software you used before.
Last year’s return is already with the CRA, so the new program only needs this year’s information. Before you switch:
- Save a PDF of last year’s return from the old program, so last year’s figures are on hand while you work.
- Check your carry-forward amounts against last year’s return and notice of assessment: unused tuition credits, capital losses and your RRSP deduction limit. The RRSP deadline guide explains how the deduction limit works.
- Update direct deposit and your address in your CRA account before you file, so your refund lands in the right place.
- Sign in to your CRA account from the new program and import your slips, check that every slip came through, then enter your own receipts: Wealthsimple lists medical expense, charitable donation and childcare receipts as documents you’ll still need.
Wealthsimple clients get details such as their name and address filled in automatically. You don’t need any other Wealthsimple account to use the tax software; see our complete Wealthsimple guide for everything else it offers.
Should you use Wealthsimple Tax or TurboTax?
Use Wealthsimple Tax if you file your own return and want every form at a price you choose; use TurboTax if you want a tax expert involved.
In the Wealthsimple vs TurboTax choice, the most complicated item on your return usually decides it: Wealthsimple Tax Basic doesn’t charge more for it, while every TurboTax tier does, so the extra cost makes most sense when it also buys an expert’s time. UFile and GenuTax each win a few specific cases.
Pick Wealthsimple Tax if:
- You file one or two returns, with anything from a single T4 to capital gains, rental or self-employment income.
- You want to file in a web browser, including on a Mac.
- You live in Quebec, or own foreign property that needs Form T1135.
- You’re a Wealthsimple Premium or Generation client, since Plus or Pro is then free.
Pick TurboTax if: you want unlimited expert help and a final review before you file, you want an expert to prepare the whole return (outside Quebec), you want to file from a phone app, or you need a 2019 to 2022 return from a desktop program.
Pick UFile if: you emigrated during the year or earned business income in more than one province, you want free phone support, or you’re a student or first-time filer who qualifies to file free.
Pick GenuTax if: you use Windows and file three or more returns, you’re catching up on a year before 2023, or you’d rather keep your return on your own computer. It is free for all of it.
Wealthsimple Tax is the wrong choice if: you need a 2022 or earlier return, you need to e-file an emigrant return or a multi-province (Form T2203) return, or you want someone to prepare the return for you from start to finish.
The verdict
For most Canadians filing one or two returns, Wealthsimple Tax is better value than TurboTax: Basic is pay what you want and doesn’t lock any form behind a paywall, while TurboTax charges more per return as the return gets more complex. TurboTax is worth its price when you want a person to review or prepare your return. UFile covers the unusual returns the others can’t send, and GenuTax is the better free choice on a Windows PC for a larger household or old years. The full Wealthsimple Tax review covers each plan in more detail.
This comparison is general education, not tax or financial advice. If your return is complicated, a qualified tax professional can look at your whole situation.