The price of TurboTax Online is based on what you enter on your return. So, if you are eligible to use the Free version of TurboTax Online, then it's cheaper because there is no Free version of TurboTax Desktop. If you buy a multi-return code for TurboTax Online at a 3rd party retailer, and don't need to upgrade, then the cost per return would be the same for TurboTax Online and TurboTax Desktop (unless you use Desktop Basic).
