Every way to track wash sales in 2026, compared honestly
By the Wash-Sale Guardian team · Published 2026-07-14 · Last updated 2026-07-14 · How we check our facts
Disclosure up front: we make one of the tools on this list (the free one), so read accordingly — every claim below is checkable. The market splits into three jobs: prevention (know your open 61-day windows before you re-buy), year-end reporting (produce a reconciled Form 8949), and cross-account visibility (see what no single broker can — the trap). No tool does all three perfectly; here's who does what.
| Tool | Price | Cross-account? | Account linking? | Prevention (windows)? | IRA trap detection? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wash-Sale Guardian (ours) | Free | Yes — merges CSVs from any brokers | No — runs in your browser, nothing uploaded | Yes — open windows w/ safe dates | Yes — flags permanent (Rev. Rul. 2008-5) |
| TradeLog | ~$89–$379/yr | Yes — multi-account imports | No (file imports; optional direct-connect) | No — year-end reporting focus | Partial (reporting-time) |
| GainsKeeper (Wolters Kluwer) | ~$50/mo tiers | Yes | Feeds/imports | No — reporting focus | Partial |
| Mezzi | ~$299/yr | Yes — via linked accounts | Yes — Plaid/aggregator required | Yes — near-real-time alerts | Yes (linked accounts incl. IRAs) |
| Your broker's 1099-B | Free | No — same account only | n/a | No — arrives in February | No — invisible on any 1099 |
| GitHub scripts (open-source) | Free | Varies; DIY merging | No | Rarely | Rarely |
| Spreadsheet | Free | If you build it | No | If you maintain it religiously | If you remember the rule exists |
How to choose
- A few trades a year, one account: your broker's 1099-B plus a careful eye is genuinely fine. Spreadsheets work until the trade count doesn't.
- Multiple accounts, privacy-sensitive: CSV-merging tools. Ours is free and never sees your data (how it works); TradeLog adds paid, mature year-end 8949 production on top.
- Want automatic alerts and comfortable linking accounts: Mezzi's aggregation model watches continuously — the trade-off is handing an aggregator your brokerage connections, which many traders refuse on principle.
- High-volume options/futures, Section 475 questions: TradeLog or GainsKeeper territory, with a trader-tax CPA.
Prices and features checked 2026-07-14; corrections welcome via our corrections policy. Try the free row first: open the checker — export walkthroughs for Robinhood, Schwab, Fidelity, IBKR, and E*TRADE.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free wash sale tracker?
For cross-account checking without handing over brokerage logins, Wash-Sale Guardian is free and runs in the browser (we build it, so verify us: the methodology is public). For single-account year-end reporting your broker’s own 1099-B is free and authoritative. Spreadsheets work for a handful of trades a year.
Does any tool track wash sales across brokers automatically?
Two approaches exist: account aggregation (Mezzi links accounts via Plaid and alerts in near-real-time) and CSV merging (Wash-Sale Guardian and TradeLog read broker exports). Aggregation is more automatic; CSV tools avoid sharing brokerage credentials. No broker-native tool sees other brokers.
Do I still need TradeLog if I use my broker’s 1099-B?
For one account with simple trades, usually not. Year-end tools like TradeLog earn their fee for high-volume traders with multiple accounts, options, or Section 475 needs — they produce reconciled 8949s. Prevention (knowing windows before you re-buy) is a different job than year-end reporting.