Get your taxes done using TurboTax

They all have an agreement to provide a Free File option ... they have never all had to be the same so each company can set their own restrictions.   In fact a couple of years ago, the forced upgrade situation was eliminated ... this was when you start with say TT in the FF system and find you no longer qualify you are brought back to the FF selections to pick a different FF option ... you could not be forced into a paid TT program.