Pricing comparison
Avalara vs Sphere pricing
Last updated
How does Avalara pricing compare to Sphere? Avalara's AvaTax is quote-only; Sphere's Starter is $100/month ($1,200/year). Avalara charges per-state filing fees; Sphere does not.
Avalara vs Sphere: typical pricing
Annual cost for two common ecommerce profiles. Both assume Shopify, monthly filing cadence, annual billing, and a typical $120 AOV. Run the calculator to plug in your own numbers.
SMB
50K orders · 120 filings · 10 states · 5 SST · Shopify
Avalara
AvaTax + Returns (custom quote)
$45,827–$92,600
Sphere
Starter
$12,000
Mid-Market
250K orders · 200 filings · 20 states · 10 SST · Shopify
Avalara
AvaTax + Returns (custom quote)
$49,640–$99,040
Sphere
Starter
$24,000
Side by side
| Dimension | Avalara | Sphere |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-tier subscription | AvaTax (core tax calculation engine): quote required | Starter: $100/mo · $1,200/yr |
| Per-state filing fee | $48 / filing | None |
| Per-state registration fee | $403 / registration | None |
| Per-transaction fee | Charged, rate not published | Charged, rate not published |
| Pricing transparency | Opaque | Transparent |
| SST Certified Service Provider | Yes | No |
| International VAT / GST | Yes | Yes |
About
Avalara
Mid-market to enterprise; broad horizontal coverage across ecommerce, manufacturing, retail, SaaS
Full Avalara pricing breakdown →About
Sphere
Fast-growing SaaS and digital businesses with global customers; strong fit for AI-native companies like Lovable, Replit, ElevenLabs, Runway AI
Full Sphere pricing breakdown →Frequently asked questions
- How does Avalara pricing compare to Sphere?
- How does Avalara pricing compare to Sphere? Avalara's AvaTax is quote-only; Sphere's Starter is $100/month ($1,200/year). Avalara charges per-state filing fees; Sphere does not.
- Which is cheaper, Avalara or Sphere?
- Sphere publishes a starting price ($100/mo); Avalara doesn't publish entry-tier pricing, so a real head-to-head means getting a quote from Avalara first.
- Is Avalara or Sphere SST certified?
- Avalara is. Sphere isn't. SST certification can mean free filings in up to 24 member states for customers who qualify (no physical nexus in those states), which materially shifts the math against Sphere for high-volume sellers.
- Do Avalara and Sphere both support international VAT and GST?
- Yes. Both extend beyond US sales tax. Avalara covers multiple countries; Sphere covers 100.
- Does Avalara or Sphere charge per filing?
- Avalara does ($48/filing). Sphere doesn't; its subscription includes filings, so cost scales with volume instead.
- Who is each one built for?
- Avalara targets Mid-market to enterprise; broad horizontal coverage across ecommerce, manufacturing, retail, SaaS. Sphere targets Fast-growing SaaS and digital businesses with global customers; strong fit for AI-native companies like Lovable, Replit, ElevenLabs, Runway AI. The fit question matters more than the price one. Buy the product that actually covers your situation.
- Is Avalara or Sphere more transparent on pricing?
- Sphere is transparent on pricing; Avalara is opaque. Translation: you can find Sphere's real prices without a sales call; Avalara requires more back-and-forth with their sales team to get a number you can budget around.
Want a number specific to your business? The calculator ranks all eight providers, including Avalara and Sphere, by what they'd actually cost given your volume, state footprint, and SST eligibility.