Avalara vs Taxjar

Avalara offers businesses tax automation with nearly 1,200 integrations, but comes with complex pricing, long implementation, and limited liability protection. TaxJar provides a simple setup for US sellers, but lacks global coverage and a ton of crucial features. Let's deep dive into Avalara vs. TaxJar to decide which platform best suits your needs.

Avalara and TaxJar product cards side by side

Avalara and TaxJar Compared

Avalara is established in the market, but comes with complexity that modern businesses don't need - hidden fees, lengthy setup, and you still own the liability.

Setup Takes Months
Based on customer reviews, setup can take weeks to months with lack of customer support during implementation.
Complex, Hidden Pricing
Costs range from $21,000 to $160,000 annually, plus $14,500 implementation fees. Extra charges for each state filing and VAT registration.
Customer Service Issues
Existing customers report that support is nearly non-existent. Calls result in tickets that apparently go nowhere, with no follow-up or resolution.
Locked Into Contracts
Customer reviews describe predatory contract practices, with businesses feeling misled and trapped in agreements that are difficult to exit.

Vast-Association8113
Horrible employees, horrible service, horrible value for the dollar. Predatory business practices. They lie, mislead, and use any tactic to trap you in the contract. avoid at all costs! There are many significantly less expensive and better options out there.
2 Reply Award Share
LIAPHX
Don't do it! Avatax is TERRIBLE. Implementation is bitch. Support is horrible. Managed returns are a joke - they've done our returns incorrectly despite asking them to correct (obvious) categories and now we have to amend multiple states and they are trying to charge us (this is an onboarding issue they need to fix.) They cant do NM and HI sourcing correctly. Had to set up custom rules which they agreed with. Without any knowledge of sales tax laws, you wouldn't know, but they are seriously fucking things up. DONT DO IT.
2 Reply Award Share
'Don't use this software'
2.0/5
Not good. Attempted to cancel, but had to jump through hoops and we are still being charged monthly. We had multiple changes in our dedicated support rep, and he would constantly cancel our scheduled meetings.
Pros: Initially I thought Avalara was nice because it would calculate taxes on our behalf, then I realized the taxes calculated were wrong.
Cons: Customer Support was horrendous and slow. Platform was difficult to navigate at times and it is overpriced.

TaxJar works well for US ecommerce but falls short on global expansion. Modern businesses need comprehensive international coverage and advanced automation.

US-Only Coverage
TaxJar automates tax processes in the US but doesn't support Asia, South America, Africa, and Oceania - a dealbreaker for international growth.
Limited Integrations
Direct integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and Amazon, but lacks connectivity with systems like SAP, Oracle, or advanced NetSuite workflows that enterprises need.
Setup Takes a Week
While faster than Avalara, TaxJar states "Simple onboarding accelerates the time it takes to get up and running (typically within 7 days)."
Basic Automation Features
No virtual mailbox for tax notices, no automated certificate renewal alerts, and limited AI-powered features compared to modern platforms.

Atomic Fireball
US · 4 reviews
1.0 out of 5
Software is worthless with woocommerce
Software is worthless with woocommerce. Plug-in doesnt work and will not collect tax.
David
US · 2 reviews
1.0 out of 5
Very Bad Experience
TaxJar significantly misled me during the subscription process followed by unbelievably bad customer service when trying to resolve the issues. Recognizing that I had been misled they agreed to a refund which was reversed over a year...
Run away fast
US · 1 review, Jul 6 2024
1.0 out of 5
There is no way to contact them by...
There is no way to contact them by phone when they overpay on you taxes. Email was send daily to resolve the issue. They offered no response after a few weeks I canceled my subscription. 6 months later still trying to resolve the problems they caused.

Avalara vs. TaxJar vs. Kintsugi

Why growing businesses choose Kintsugi

Kintsugi was built for how modern businesses actually operate. Get real-time visibility, predictable costs, and automation that works without constant developer maintenance.

Transparent Pricing
No hidden fees or surprises. Clear pricing with no onboarding or implementation fees. Plan tiers based on filing volume or custom quotes for enterprise needs.
Complete Global Coverage
Unlike TaxJar's US-only focus, Kintsugi handles multi-state US compliance plus international VAT and GST across all continents.
AI-Powered Automation
Powered by Vertex, Kintsugi uses AI-driven technology for intelligent tax automation, real-time nexus monitoring, and automatic product classification.
Fast, Easy Setup
No-code setup to sync your sales platform. Get started in hours, not months, with dedicated onboarding assistance and responsive support.
Seamless Integrations
No-code setup with Shopify, Stripe, Chargebee, QuickBooks, and NetSuite. No integration nightmares or hidden consulting costs.
Responsive Customer Support
Priority implementation and dedicated success management - not the "tickets that go nowhere" that Avalara customers report.

Switching to Kintsugi is easy

Migrating from Avalara or TaxJar is easier than you think. Our team handles the heavy lifting so you can focus on your business.

Get a demo Try free →