Cortex is the most security-forward option here for one specific reason: it keeps your documents on your machine. It’s also the newest and least proven, so I’d treat it as promising rather than established.

What Cortex actually is

Cortex (“Workspace”) is an AI desktop agent that reads local files — PDFs, spreadsheets and scans — and types the data into web or desktop apps the way a person would, without API integration. For tax, that means extracting W-2, 1099 and K-1 data and categorising Schedule C expenses, then pushing it into QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite or your prep software.

Pricing, in plain terms

Pricing is public and self-serve on a credit model: a free tier, Plus at $22/month, Pro at $110/month and Ultra at $575/month for individuals, plus Teams at $50/seat/month and custom Enterprise. Because it’s credit-based rather than per-return, heavy users should model their volume carefully.

Where it shines

The differentiator is privacy: local, on-device processing means sensitive client files aren’t uploaded to a third-party cloud, and the vendor cites SOC 2 Type II certification and no use of your data for training. Because it drives ordinary browser apps, there’s no IT integration project to start.

What to watch

This is early-stage software. I found no genuine third-party reviews for this specific product (and note there are several unrelated companies named “Cortex” — don’t conflate them). All speed and accuracy claims, including the “under 45 seconds per document” figure, are vendor-stated and unbenchmarked, and a human-mimicking automation approach can be more fragile than native integrations.

My verdict

If keeping client documents off the public cloud is a priority and you want to kill manual data entry, Cortex is worth a pilot — start on the free or Plus tier and validate accuracy on your own forms before relying on it.