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The best R&D tax credit software for startups in 2026
Six real options, compared on facts: pricing model, how the evidence gets gathered, who files, and who each one actually serves. Claimship is our product. It is on this list with the same scrutiny as everyone else, and the others are listed with their genuine strengths.
Every claim was checked against each vendor's live site in July 2026. Where a vendor does not publish pricing, we say so instead of guessing.
| Product | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Claimship | $1,500 to $3,000 per year, flat. Published. | US software startups that want the whole credit at a known price |
| Boast | Success fee, quoted in sales. Not published. | Companies claiming in both the US and Canada, or replacing a consulting firm |
| Neo.tax | Not published. Demo required. | Mid-market and enterprise tax teams, especially on Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE |
| Fondo | Up to 20% of the savings found, per its FAQ. $0 if no credit. | Early startups that want one vendor for books, taxes, and credits |
| TaxTaker | Success fee, only if you qualify. Percentage not published. | Non-software R&D, or companies that want several incentives handled |
| MainStreet | Historically capped at 20% of savings. Current pricing unpublished. | Existing customers, or buyers of the broader Employer.com bundle |
01
Claimship
Evidence-based studies from your git history, flat fee
Strengths
- Builds the study from your actual work record: GitHub, Linear, Jira, and Slack, with every dollar linked to a commit, PR, or ticket.
- Flat published fee. A $60,000 credit costs $2,500, not a percentage.
- Your CPA stays. It delivers a finished study and Form 6765 package for your accountant to file.
- Pushes the elected credit into Rippling or Gusto and tracks it quarterly until the cash lands.
Considerations
- Claimship is our product, so read this list with that in mind.
- US federal credit only, with state eligibility flagging on the Growth plan.
- Built for software teams. If your R&D lives in a lab instead of a repo, look at the service firms below.
02
Boast
Dev-tool data plus in-house analysts, US and Canada
Strengths
- Operating since 2011 with deep Canadian SR&ED experience alongside US federal and state credits.
- Connects to dev tools (GitHub, Jira, GitLab and more) and ERPs, then has in-house specialists write narratives and file claims.
- AuditShield audit representation is marketed as included at no extra cost.
Considerations
- No public pricing. Its terms describe a per-customer claim fee, so ask for the fee in dollars on your expected credit.
- Full-service model means Boast files the claim, rather than handing your CPA a package.
03
Neo.tax
AI studies from Jira and GitHub, now aimed at enterprise
Strengths
- Same core idea as Claimship: build the study from engineering data, no interviews.
- Fills Form 6765 directly inside Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE for enterprise customers.
- Also covers ASC 350-40 software capitalization.
Considerations
- As of July 2026 its site targets enterprises, lists customers like Adobe and Capital One, and no longer shows startup pricing pages.
- No public pricing at all, which makes comparison shopping hard for a startup.
04
Fondo
Bookkeeping, tax filing, and the credit in one bundle
Strengths
- CPA-led bundle: bookkeeping, the corporate return, Delaware franchise tax, and the R&D credit in one place.
- Can file the return itself, which helps if you have no CPA yet.
- Discounts through YC and other accelerator programs.
Considerations
- The credit fee is performance based and can reach 20% of the savings, which is $12,000 on a $60,000 credit.
- Evidence comes from payroll data and guided questions, not the engineering work record.
05
TaxTaker
Human-led studies and multiple incentive types
Strengths
- Accountants and engineers interview your team and build conservative, audit-ready studies.
- Covers more than R&D: 179D, 45L, the investment tax credit, EV charging credits, and cost segregation.
- Works alongside your existing CPA, who files the return.
Considerations
- It is a specialty firm with a platform, not self-serve software.
- The fee percentage is not published, so get your quote in dollars.
06
MainStreet
The old category leader, now inside Employer.com
Strengths
- Searched many credits beyond R&D, including retirement plan and accessibility credits.
- Its questionnaire-plus-payroll model needed little founder time.
Considerations
- Acquired by Employer.com in May 2025. As of July 2026 the original marketing site is offline and the product's future shape is unclear.
- Confirm in writing what is being sold, at what fee, and whether its audit guarantee still applies.
How to choose
- Get every fee in dollars. Percentage and success fees sound safe but scale with your credit. Estimate your credit first, then ask each vendor what their fee is on that number. Our calculator takes 60 seconds.
- Ask what evidence backs the study. Studies built from primary records like commits and tickets hold up better than reconstructed interviews and time surveys.
- Decide who should file. If you like your CPA, pick a tool that hands them a package. If you have no CPA, a service that files for you may be worth the bundle price. Our breakdown of what a study costs covers the trade-offs.