Using tax services yourself to file is often the cheapest and most straightforward way to get your taxes finished—and get that refund on its way. Rather than going in person to a tax professional, which can be costly and time-consuming, online tax services are made with the consumer in mind. The best tax services have an easy-to-use interface, expert help available, auto-upload for documents, additional information about requirements, and transparency with cost.

With my utter lack of experience and complicated mess of documents, I might be the best guinea pig to see which online tax services are best for most types of filers. This year, I was a freelance writer for three different publications, across three states, with three types of tax documents. I also had two W-2s, the most common type of tax document, from two different employers. Oh, and I was also enrolled in a university, which brought a separate slew of education-related documents. The majority of my income did not have any taxes withheld, meaning I owe a lot of money. To add insult to injury, I had never done my taxes myself, either.

With no previous experience, nine tax documents across three states, and a dream, I bravely spent over 15 hours testing various online tax services to find which are truly the best for your buck. Still feeling lost? I’ve also written a handy guide, “How to Pay Your Taxes Online.”

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