Tax · Comparison
ClearTax vs Vakilsearch for tax filing in India
ClearTax and Vakilsearch are two of the names people weigh when they want help with tax filing in India, but they come from different starting points: one is a tax-software brand, the other a legal and compliance marketplace. Neither is simply "better". They suit different needs, and the honest way to choose is to compare what actually matters, namely who files your return, how the price works, and whether anyone checks the work. This page compares the two fairly, and notes where a third, fixed-price option fits.
- ClearTax is a tax-software brand: strong free self-file tool, assisted plans on top.
- Vakilsearch is a compliance marketplace: tax alongside company and legal work.
- Decide on who files, price, review and breadth, not on marketing claims.
- ClearTax suits confident self-filers and investors; Vakilsearch suits bundled compliance.
- The middle case wants a CA at a known price with a review step.
- Always check current plan prices on each provider's own page.
01What each one is
ClearTax
ClearTax is one of India's best-known tax brands. Its core strength is tax software: a polished self-file flow that imports Form 16 and Annual Information Statement data well, a free tier that handles many simple salaried returns, and separate expert-assisted plans for more complex ones. It also has strong GST and investment tooling. On the free and self-serve tiers, you are largely doing the work yourself and the software submits it.
Vakilsearch
Vakilsearch is a legal and compliance marketplace. Its strength is breadth: alongside tax filing it handles company registration, trademarks, GST, licences and other legal and compliance work, through a vendor team. For a business that wants tax filing as part of a wider compliance relationship, that range is useful.
This is a buyer guide, not an attack on either
Both ClearTax and Vakilsearch are legitimate, widely used services. The aim here is to match the provider to your need, not to crown a winner. Confirm current prices and plan scope on each provider's own site.
02The criteria that actually decide it
Both brands advertise speed, ease and expertise. None of that is checkable, so decide on things you can verify before you pay.
- Who actually files: you, through software, or a professional who prepares and signs off. ClearTax leans on self-file software with assisted plans on top; Vakilsearch uses a vendor team.
- Price transparency: a free or self-serve tier versus paid plans and bundles. Check the current price of the specific plan you would use, because the headline free tier may not cover your return.
- A review step: whether a second person checks the return before submission, which depends on the plan for both.
- Breadth versus focus: a tax-and-investment tool, or a wide legal-compliance marketplace.
A confident salaried filer weights the free self-file tool highly. A business bundling tax with company and legal work weights breadth. Someone with a complex return weights who files and who checks.
03ClearTax vs Vakilsearch, side by side
Treat all prices as "check current", because plans change often.
| Criterion | ClearTax | Vakilsearch |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Tax software brand | Legal and compliance marketplace |
| Who files | You (software) or an expert (paid plan) | Vendor team |
| Free self-file | Yes, for simple salaried returns | Not the core model |
| Price model | Free tier, paid plans (check current) | Plans and bundles (check current) |
| Review step | Depends on plan | Depends on plan |
| Breadth | Tax, GST, investments | Company, IP, licences, tax |
| Best for | Confident self-filers, investors | Businesses bundling tax with legal work |
04Who each one suits
The honest summary:
- Choose ClearTax if you are a confident salaried filer who wants a strong free or low-cost self-file tool, or an investor who values its capital-gains and portfolio tooling, and you are comfortable doing most of the work yourself.
- Choose Vakilsearch if you are a business that wants tax filing handled as part of a wider compliance relationship that also covers company, trademark and licence work.
Where neither is an obvious fit is the middle case: an individual or small business that does not want to self-file, does not need a full legal marketplace, and specifically wants a chartered accountant to file at a price they can see, with the return checked before it goes in.
The clearest way to choose is to ask who files my return, do I know the price before I start, and does anyone check it before it is submitted.
05A third option to weigh
For that middle case, it is worth weighing a focused, fixed-price, CA-filed service as a third option alongside the two. The point is not that it beats both, but that it answers the three questions above directly: a named chartered accountant files, the price is fixed and published for the task, and a separate reviewer checks the return before submission.
Whether that matters to you depends on your return. A simple salaried filer may be perfectly happy with ClearTax's free tool; a business with wide compliance needs may prefer Vakilsearch's range. But if your priority is a CA filing at a known price with a review step, a focused service is designed around exactly that.
06How Claw Tax helps
Claw Tax and Accounts is an online tax, GST and accounting service for India that connects you with a verified chartered accountant at a fixed, published price, with a Claw reviewer checking every filing before it is submitted.
As the third option in this comparison, Claw Tax answers the three decision questions directly. A verified partner CA, from a network of 300+, prepares and files the return, so you are not self-filing and not handed to a general team. Prices are fixed and published per task, for example a salaried ITR from Rs 499, GST returns from Rs 799 per month and a capital-gains ITR from Rs 2,499, so you know the cost before you start. A separate Claw reviewer checks the draft before you approve it, and it is filed with your own OTP or e-verification, with reminders before the next due date. It is online, with no local office. See the current service and prices at clawlaw.in/tax.
Two choices underlie this whole comparison: fixed-price filing vs a percentage of your refund, and an online CA vs a local CA for tax filing.
07Frequently asked questions
Is ClearTax or Vakilsearch better for tax filing in India?
Neither is universally better; they suit different needs. ClearTax is a tax-software brand that is strong for confident self-filers and investors, with a free tier for simple salaried returns. Vakilsearch is a compliance marketplace that suits businesses wanting tax handled alongside company and legal work. Choose on who files your return, whether you know the price up front, and whether the work is reviewed, rather than on the brand.
Does ClearTax file my return or do I file it myself?
On the free and self-serve tiers, you do the work and the software submits the return, so you are effectively filing yourself. ClearTax also offers separate expert-assisted plans where a professional helps with more complex returns. Check which tier you are buying, because the free tool and an assisted plan are quite different in who takes responsibility for the return.
Is Vakilsearch only for companies?
No, but its model is built around a compliance marketplace that serves businesses needing company registration, trademarks, GST, licences and tax together. An individual can use it for tax filing, but the breadth is most useful to a business bundling several compliance tasks. If you only need a single personal return, a focused tax service may be simpler.
How do the prices compare?
It is not fair to assert exact prices, because both ClearTax and Vakilsearch price by plan and bundle and those change, so check the current price of the specific plan you would use. ClearTax has a free tier for simple returns, with paid assisted plans above it. Vakilsearch prices by plan and bundle. Compare the real cost of your task on each provider's own page before deciding.
What if I want a CA to file but at a known price?
That is the middle case neither brand is centred on, and it is where a focused, fixed-price, CA-filed service fits. In that model a named chartered accountant prepares and files the return, the price is published for the task, and a reviewer checks the draft before submission. Claw Tax is built around exactly this, for example a salaried ITR from Rs 499, so weigh it as a third option if that is your priority.
Which should I pick for a complex return with capital gains?
For a complex return, the key questions are who prepares it and whether anyone checks it. ClearTax has investor tooling and assisted plans; Vakilsearch can assign a professional; and a focused CA-filed service prepares and reviews the return for you. Compare the current assisted-plan price and exactly what each includes for capital gains, and pick the one where a qualified person clearly owns and checks the computation.