Quick verdict
- Choose ClearTax if you are salaried with capital gains from stocks or mutual funds, a freelancer, or you want the most polished, guided self-file experience.
- Choose Quicko if you actively trade, especially F&O or intraday. Quicko is built around broker imports and classifies trading income correctly, which is exactly where traders get stuck.
If you do not trade F&O, ClearTax is the easier all-rounder. If you do, Quicko understands your data better. That is the whole decision in one line.
Comparison table
| ClearTax | Quicko | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Salaried + capital gains, freelancers | Traders, F&O, intraday |
| Form 16 auto-read | Yes | Yes |
| Broker import | Strong (stocks, mutual funds) | Best-in-class (full trade history) |
| F&O / trading classification | Good | Excellent |
| Ease of use | Very polished | Clean, trader-focused |
| Expert help | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing (indicative) | Free tier + paid from ~₹1,000 | Free / low-cost self-file |
| Support | Chat + expert plans | Good, trader-focused |
Prices are indicative for AY 2026-27 and change near the deadline. Confirm current pricing on each platform.
Features
ClearTax reads your Form 16, pulls prefilled data, imports capital gains from stocks and mutual funds, and compares old versus new regime for you. It handles most individual situations cleanly and holds your hand through the flow.
Quicko connects directly to brokers and imports your full trading history: intraday, F&O, short-term, long-term. It then classifies each correctly, including the tricky part of treating F&O as business income and flagging the turnover that decides whether an audit applies.
Where they differ: ClearTax is broader and more guided. Quicko is deeper on trading. For a salaried investor with a few mutual fund redemptions, both work; ClearTax feels smoother. For a part-time F&O trader, Quicko does work ClearTax cannot do as cleanly.
Pricing
Quicko tends to be cheaper for self-filing, and its trading-focused import is strong value for active traders. ClearTax has a free tier but the plan most people need is paid, and prices climb near the deadline. See our ClearTax pricing guide for the detail.
For pure cost on a trading return, Quicko usually wins. For a guided salaried-plus-investments return, the ClearTax fee buys polish and time saved.
Ease of use
ClearTax is the more polished, beginner-friendly interface. A first-time filer is less likely to get stuck.
Quicko is clean and logical but assumes you understand your trading data a little. For a trader that is fine; for a nervous first-timer with only a salary, ClearTax feels gentler.
Support
Both offer chat support and expert-assisted plans. Quicko’s support is tuned to trading questions. ClearTax’s expert plans cover a broader range of situations. Near the deadline, both get busy, so file early either way.
Best for
- Salaried, one Form 16: Either works; ClearTax is smoother. Or file free on the government portal.
- Salaried + mutual funds or stocks: ClearTax.
- Freelancer / consultant: ClearTax or Quicko, both fine.
- F&O or intraday trader: Quicko, clearly.
- First-time filer who wants hand-holding: ClearTax.
Pros and cons
ClearTax
- Pros: polished, guided, excellent capital gains handling, regime comparison.
- Cons: paid plan needed for most, prices rise near deadline.
Quicko
- Pros: best trading import and classification, fair pricing, strong for traders and freelancers.
- Cons: less hand-holding, overkill for a plain salary return.
Final verdict
There is no single winner. It depends on your income.
If you trade F&O or intraday, use Quicko. It classifies trading income correctly and saves you from the most common and costly filing mistakes traders make. On that job it beats ClearTax, and we would pick it.
If you are salaried with investments, a freelancer, or you want the smoothest guided experience, use ClearTax. It reads your documents, handles capital gains cleanly, and compares regimes for you.
If ClearTax is your fit, file your ITR on ClearTax. We may earn a referral reward at no extra cost to you. If you are a trader, Quicko is the better call and we would rather you file correctly.
FAQ
Is ClearTax or Quicko better?
Neither is better overall. ClearTax is better for salaried filers with investments and for a guided experience. Quicko is better for active traders, especially F&O and intraday, because of its broker import and trade classification.
Which is better for F&O and intraday trading?
Quicko. It imports your full trading history and classifies F&O as business income correctly, including the turnover check for audit applicability.
Which is cheaper, ClearTax or Quicko?
Quicko is generally cheaper for self-filing. ClearTax has a free tier but the plan most people need is paid.
Which is easier for a first-time filer?
ClearTax, because of its polished, guided flow.
Can both handle capital gains from mutual funds?
Yes. Both import statements and compute gains. ClearTax feels smoother for a salaried investor; Quicko is stronger when trading is involved.
