CashoutCompare / Cashout vs Keeper
Cashout vs Keeper
Keeper is a paid bookkeeping and tax filing service: it connects to your bank and cards to find deductions, and a tax pro reviews and signs your return. Cashout is a free shift and tip tracker that estimates your taxes but doesn't file them.
Who should pick which
Pick Keeper if you have self-employment income with a lot of card and bank transactions, you want software to sort out the deductions, and you want your return prepared, reviewed by a tax pro and filed in the same place. That's what you pay for, and Cashout doesn't do any of it.
Pick Cashout if what you need is a daily record of shifts, hours, wages and tips, a running estimate of what you'll owe, and a summary to hand to whoever files your return. It's free and works without an account.
They can also sit side by side. Cashout keeps the shift and tip record during the year; a filing service like Keeper, other tax software or a preparer does the return.
What each app is
Keeper's App Store and Google Play listings both start with "For those who've outgrown traditional DIY tax filing software, there's Keeper." They say you can "Connect your banks or credit cards securely to track tax deductible expenses year-round," "File with the IRS and all 50 states," and that "Our in-house tax pros are here to advise, review, and sign off on every tax return." Keeper's home page describes its Standard plan as "For W2 employees, individual contractors, sole proprietors, and limited individual tax complexities."
Cashout is built around the shift: job, hours, hourly rate, cash tips, card tips and tip-out. From that it shows your net tips, effective hourly rate (wages plus net tips divided by hours), tax estimate and what to set aside. It's a record and an estimate, not a tax service.
Side by side
| Cashout | Keeper | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Shift and tip tracker with tax estimates | Bookkeeping plus tax preparation and filing |
| Price | Free, every feature | From $20 a month (no filing) or $199 a year (with filing); 14-day free trial |
| Bank and card connections | No | Yes ("Link unlimited financial accounts") |
| Finds deductions for you | No; you log expenses and scan receipts | Yes ("AI finds and categorizes deductions") |
| Files your return | No | Yes, federal and state, reviewed and signed by a tax pro (filing plans) |
| Cash tips, card tips, tip-outs per shift | Yes | Listings and pricing page don't mention tips |
| Shifts and hours | Yes | Not mentioned |
| Mileage | Manual entry; IRS rate by date on Android, flat 70 cents on iPhone | "Coming soon" on the pricing page |
| Tax estimate during the year | Yes; self-employment tax on Android only | App Store listing mentions "a real-time estimate of your tax liability"; "Pay quarterly taxes" is listed on Premium |
What Keeper does better
- It files your taxes. The Standard plan includes federal filing with up to two state returns, and every return is "reviewed and signed by a tax pro." Cashout stops at an estimate and a tax summary PDF.
- It finds deductions in your transactions. Keeper reads the accounts you link and categorizes expenses. If you buy supplies, pay booth rent or run a side business on a card, that catches things you'd forget to type into Cashout.
- Human help. Keeper's listings say its in-house tax pros "advise, review, and sign off." Premium adds tax pro meetings, audit protection, amendments and late filings for up to five past years. Cashout has an AI Coach for questions about your own numbers, and it's not tax advice.
- Complex returns. Keeper's Premium and Business plans cover rentals, K-1s, investors and three or more state returns, and Business adds S-Corp and partnership filing. Cashout's estimate covers wages, tips and, on Android, simple 1099 profit, with no itemized deductions or credits.
What Cashout does better
- The daily tip record. Every shift keeps cash tips, card tips and tip-out separately, with Tip Split for points-based pools and Tip Reporting to compare tips you earned with tips you reported.
- Employee pay checks. Paycheck Check compares a pay stub against your logged shifts, and the overtime tracker watches your weekly hours.
- Price. Cashout is free. Keeper's cheapest plan with filing is $199 a year.
- Privacy. Cashout doesn't ask for your bank login and works offline with no account. Keeper's bookkeeping works by connecting your bank and card accounts.
Where Cashout falls short
- No tax filing. You'll still need software, a preparer or a service like Keeper to file.
- No bank or card connection. Expenses are typed in or scanned from a receipt.
- No automatic mileage or trip import. Every trip is entered by hand.
- The iPhone app is behind Android. The App Store version is 5.0.0, English only, and the self-employment (1099) tax estimate is Android only.
- No Tax on Tips isn't in the app yet. Cashout's estimate doesn't include the new tips or overtime deductions; use the No Tax on Tips calculator for now.
- The AI Coach needs an account and is limited to 50 questions a month.
Price as listed
On October 16, 2026, Keeper's pricing page listed four plans:
- Bookkeeping Only: $20 a month, billed monthly. "Tax filing not included."
- Standard: $199 a year. Bookkeeping plus federal filing and up to two state returns.
- Premium: $399 a year. Adds audit protection, three or more state returns, rentals, K-1s and investors, quarterly tax payments, tax pro meetings, amendments and late returns going back up to five years.
- Business: $1,199 a year. Adds S-Corp and partnership filing and a year-end book review.
The page says you can "Try any plan free for 14 days." The App Store listing shows Keeper as a free download. Prices change, so check before you sign up.
Cashout is free on Android and iPhone.
Before you pay for filing
If all your income is on a W-2 and you take the standard deduction, a paid plan may be more than you need. The first-time filing guide lists free ways to file, and for 2026 returns the No Tax on Tips guide explains how to claim the tips deduction whichever way you file.
