Chrono R&D vs Boast.ai
Both help companies prepare Canadian SR&ED claims. Chrono R&D is software that lets you prepare and manage your claim yourself, starting at a flat $2,000 per claim. Boast.ai offers a managed service with pricing based on a percentage of your refund. Here's how they compare.
Which is right for you?
Choose Chrono R&D if you want to keep more of your refund and stay in control of your claim. Connect your engineering tools, let Lucius rebuild the evidence, then review, approve, and file. All starting at a flat $2,000 per claim.
Boast.ai may be a better fit if you prefer a fully managed service, don't mind paying a higher percentage of your refund, or need support for both Canadian SR&ED and US R&D tax credits.
Chrono R&D vs Boast.ai, side by side
Boast.ai details reflect its publicly described SR&ED offering. Boast does not publish its fee rate; the 15% to 25% range cited is the typical SR&ED consultant contingency band.
The differences that matter
How much does each one cost?
Chrono R&D is a flat $2,000 per claim, whatever your refund works out to. Boast.ai charges a percentage of the refund it recovers, a rate it doesn't publish. Industry contingency fees run 15% to 25%, so a $60,000 SR&ED refund can cost $9,000 to $15,000 through a percentage model. On small claims the two can be close. On large ones the flat fee wins by a wide margin.
Who does the work, you or them?
With Boast.ai, their team prepares the claim for you. It's a managed, done-for-you service. With Chrono R&D, Lucius does the heavy lifting: it reconstructs timesheets and drafts technical narratives from the work your team already logged. You review and approve. If you want a human in the loop, expert review is a flat-rate add-on, not a bundled percentage.
Do you keep ownership of the claim?
With Chrono R&D, yes. You own the claim, review every section, and file it yourself or hand an iFirm-ready CSV export to your accountant. Boast.ai manages preparation and filing for you, which is less hands-on but also less in your control.
What about US R&D tax credits?
Boast.ai covers both Canadian SR&ED and US R&D tax credits, which is a real advantage for companies claiming in both countries. Chrono R&D focuses on Canadian SR&ED, federal and provincial. If your claim is Canada-only, that focus means deeper, source-linked SR&ED evidence.
Common questions
Is Chrono R&D a Boast.ai alternative?
Yes. Both prepare Canadian SR&ED claims, but the models differ. Chrono R&D is flat-fee software you drive yourself from $2,000 per claim. Boast.ai is a managed service that prepares and files claims for you and charges a percentage of the refund.
Why is Chrono R&D cheaper than Boast for most claims?
Chrono charges a flat $2,000 no matter how large your refund is. Contingency pricing like Boast's scales with the claim, so a $60,000 refund at an industry-standard 15% to 25% costs $9,000 to $15,000. The bigger your claim, the wider the gap.
Does Boast.ai file the claim for you?
Yes. Boast runs a managed service: their team prepares the claim and handles filing. With Chrono R&D you stay in control, review and approve every section, and file it yourself or through your accountant.
Can Chrono R&D handle US R&D tax credits?
No. Chrono R&D focuses on Canadian SR&ED, federal and provincial. If you claim US R&D credits as well as Canadian SR&ED, Boast's cross-border coverage may suit that need.
Can I add expert review to Chrono R&D?
Yes. Expert services are flat-rate add-ons: a narrative review before filing, a deep-dive to find missed expenditures, or full audit defense. You choose if and when, and the price is shown upfront.
Keep more of your refund.
Chrono R&D rebuilds your SR&ED evidence and hands you a filing-ready claim from $2,000 flat. No percentage, no lock-in.