● Updated October 2026

Koinly vs CoinTracker, compared honestly.

Two crypto tax platforms, compared honestly: free plan limits, paid pricing, and the difference between per-tax-year and subscription billing. This comparison also covers imports — and when free browser tools are enough on their own.

The two biggest crypto tax platforms, head to head on free tiers, pricing models, and who each one fits. Facts cross-checked from public sources in October 2026 — the vendor's own pricing page is the final authority.

Affiliate disclosure: the outbound links below are plain links right now. If we join a vendor's affiliate program in the future, we'll mark those links and this notice will say so. Our comparisons are never for sale.

Side-by-side comparison

Pricing below reflects what public sources reported in October 2026 and changes often — treat this as a starting point, not a quote.

KoinlyCoinTrackerCryptoTaxAI (us)
Free tierImport up to 10,000 txns, full on-screen gains preview; no report downloadsFree tracking plan + on-screen tax summary; no downloadable tax forms100% free tools, no account, runs in your browser
Entry price~$49 / tax year, up to 100 txns~$59 / year, up to 100 txnsFree
Mid tier~$99 / tax year, up to 1,000 txns~$199 / year, up to 1,000 txns—
Billing modelPer tax year — each filing year needs its own planAnnual subscription — covers the tax years stored in your account—
Integrations800+ exchanges & wallets500+ integrationsManual entry — no imports needed
Country reports20+ countries40+ countriesUS-focused guides
Cost basis methodsFIFO, LIFO, HIFO & moreFIFO, LIFO, HIFO, Specific IDFIFO/HIFO/LIFO walkthroughs in guides
Tax forms outputForm 8949, Schedule D, TurboTax export (paid)Form 8949, Schedule D, TurboTax / H&R Block e-file (paid)Educational estimates only — not filing documents
StandoutMost generous free preview; broad country coverageOfficial Coinbase partner; multi-year coverage per subscriptionZero signup, zero uploads, instant answers
Visit koinly.io → cointracker.io → Our free tools →

Prices compiled from independent 2026 roundups, October 2026 — vendors change pricing without notice, and amounts vary by region. Confirm on the vendor's pricing page before buying.

The free tier, head to head

A watercolor illustration of two laptops with completely blank screens facing each other across a wooden table scattered with plain tokens, pencils and blank sheets of paper.
Two platforms, one table, an honest look. Illustration for CryptoTaxAI.

Both platforms run the same funnel: import everything free, pay only when you download the report. The difference is in the free ceiling:

  • Koinly lets you import up to 10,000 transactions on the free plan and see your complete gains preview on screen — the most generous free tier in the category. You hit the paywall only when you need downloadable tax documents.
  • CoinTracker offers a free tracking plan with an on-screen tax summary. Downloadable tax forms require a paid plan — so the free tier works as a portfolio tracker and a preview of what you'd file.
  • Our take: use the free previews the way they're designed. Import your full history into one (or both), check that the numbers reconcile against your own records, and only pay when the preview looks right.
Free-tier strategy for 2026With brokers now reporting on Form 1099-DA, your return has to match the IRS's copy. The cheapest workflow is: import everywhere free → reconcile cost basis gaps → pay for the report once. If your history is simple (a handful of trades), skip software entirely and use our free capital gains calculator plus the Form 8949 guide.

The pricing model difference that matters

This is the detail most comparisons bury:

  • Koinly bills per tax year. Filing for 2024, 2025, and 2026 means three separate plans. Cheap for one year (~$49 entry), but the multi-year math adds up — roughly three times the entry price for three years at the same volume.
  • CoinTracker bills as an annual subscription that covers the tax years stored in your account. Higher entry price (~$59/year), but catching up on several years at once can work out cheaper than buying per-year plans.

So: one tax year, low volume → Koinly usually wins on price. Multiple years to catch up on → do the subscription math on CoinTracker's side. Either way, verify current numbers — both vendors adjust pricing regularly.

Who should pick which

Pick Koinly if…

Koinly

You want the biggest free preview, file in a non-US country (20+ supported), or have a single tax year to file. Start free with up to 10,000 imported transactions.

Visit Koinly →
Pick CoinTracker if…

CoinTracker

You're a Coinbase user (official partner), want one-click TurboTax / H&R Block e-filing, or are catching up on multiple tax years under one subscription.

Visit CoinTracker →
Pick neither if…

CryptoTaxAI free tools

Your history is simple: a few buys and sells, some staking income, or a quick what-if estimate. No account, no uploads — just answers in your browser.

Open free calculator →

How we compare

  • We research pricing, free tiers, and billing models from public pages and independent roundups — we don't take vendor claims at face value, and we say so when sources disagree.
  • We don't accept payment for placement. If that ever changes, this page will say so explicitly.
  • We don't publish user counts, review scores, or testimonials we can't verify.
  • Pricing changes frequently; the vendor's own pricing page is the final authority.
Not tax advice. This page is educational content only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Crypto tax rules are complex and change over time — consult a qualified tax professional about your situation.

Koinly vs CoinTracker FAQ

Koinly's free tier is more generous on paper: import up to 10,000 transactions and preview your full gains on screen — you only pay to download the tax reports. CoinTracker also offers a free tracking plan, but downloadable tax forms require a paid plan. Both funnel you the same way: import everything free, pay once when you need the filing documents.
The Koinly free plan is genuinely free for portfolio tracking and gain previews — import up to 10,000 transactions and see your tax liability on screen without paying. The catch: you cannot download any tax reports (Form 8949, Schedule D) without a paid plan, which starts around $49 per tax year.
CoinTracker has a free plan for portfolio tracking and an on-screen tax summary, but generating downloadable tax forms requires a paid plan. Paid plans are annual subscriptions starting around $59 per year for up to 100 transactions.
It depends on the billing model. Koinly charges per tax year (each year you file needs its own plan), while CoinTracker's annual subscription covers the tax years stored in your account. If you're catching up on several years at once, compare the multi-year math on each vendor's current pricing page before buying.
If you made a handful of buys and sells, free browser tools like our capital gains calculator plus a plain-English Form 8949 guide are usually enough. If you have dozens or hundreds of trades across exchanges, wallets, DeFi, or staking, tax software pays for itself by computing every lot and generating the forms.

Start with a free estimate

Run one trade through our calculator before you commit to software.

Open free calculator →