CostBasePro offers basic ACB tracking per security. Sched3 is a full compliance engine — cross-brokerage pooling, superficial-loss detection, T5008 reconciliation, equity compensation, crypto, and filing-ready tax packages.
CostBasePro solves the most basic version of the ACB problem: tracking your cost base on a per-security basis. You enter buys and sells, it calculates your ACB and capital gain per transaction. For a single account with a handful of positions, that can be enough.
Sched3 addresses the full scope of the problem: pooling ACB across all brokerages (as the CRA requires), detecting superficial losses you might not know you triggered, reconciling your T5008 slips line by line, handling equity compensation and crypto, and producing a complete Schedule 3 package with the audit trail your accountant needs.
If you have a single brokerage account, trade fewer than 10 securities per year, never repurchase within 30 days of a loss, and your accountant just needs the gain/loss number — CostBasePro provides that at a lower price point.
You need more when: you use multiple brokerages (ACB must be pooled across all accounts for the same security), you tax-loss harvest, you hold US-listed securities in CAD accounts, you have RSUs or ESPPs, or you want to reconcile what your broker reports against what you actually owe.
| Capacité | Sched3 (Active, $129/yr) | CostBasePro ($39/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusted cost base calculation | ✓ Pooled across all accounts | ✓ Per security |
| Cross-brokerage ACB pooling | ✓ Automatic (CRA requirement) | — Single account |
| Broker CSV import | ✓ 6+ brokers, auto-mapped | Basic CSV |
| Bank of Canada FX rates | ✓ Per trade date, automatic | Manual entry |
| Superficial-loss detection | ✓ 30-day windows, affiliated accounts | ✗ |
| T5008 reconciliation | ✓ Line-by-line matching | ✗ |
| ETF return of capital & T3 adjustments | ✓ Auto-applied from fund data | Manual entry |
| RSU / ESPP / stock options | ✓ Vest-date FMV | ✗ |
| Crypto dispositions | ✓ Pooled ACB, CAD-valued | ✗ |
| Corporate actions (splits, spin-offs) | ✓ Guided workflows | Manual |
| Schedule 3 filing package | ✓ PDF + audit trail + cover letter | Transaction report |
| What-if tax simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Accountant tools (multi-client) | ✓ Pro plan | ✗ |
| Free tier | ✓ Manual entry + 18 calculators | Limited free trial |
If you own 100 shares of TD at Questrade and 50 shares at Wealthsimple, the CRA requires you to calculate ACB on all 150 shares as one pool. CostBasePro tracks accounts separately — you would need to manually combine positions. Sched3 pools automatically across every account, which is not optional under CRA rules.
This matters most at filing time: if your ACB per share differs between what you reported and what pooling produces, the CRA’s matching system flags the discrepancy. Automatic pooling eliminates that risk entirely.
If you sell a position at a loss and repurchase within 30 days — even via a DRIP or in a spouse’s TFSA — the CRA denies that loss. Miss one instance and you overpay. The typical missed superficial loss costs $800-$3,000 in incorrectly denied deductions or unexpected reassessments.
CostBasePro does not track the superficial loss rule. You would need to monitor every sale manually across all accounts. Sched3 scans every transaction automatically and flags violations before you file.
Yes. Export your transaction history and import it into Sched3 via CSV. ACB recalculates automatically using the CRA pooling method across all your accounts.
No. CostBasePro tracks ACB per security within a single account context. The CRA requires pooling across all non-registered accounts holding the same security.
Possibly. If you buy-and-hold at one broker, rarely sell, and never repurchase near a loss, CostBasePro may be sufficient. Sched3 becomes essential when you add a second broker, start tax-loss selling, or hold employer equity.
Yes. Free manual entry, one broker import (up to 100 transactions), and all 18 calculators. No credit card required.