I just entered data for preparing the 1040ES forms for 2021 taxes, using the "Free" version, and they took OK with no prompt to upgrade. (Its in menu on the "Other Tax Situations" page ).
Even if it prompts you you can decline. The software can neither actually file Federal estimated taxes nor pay those amounts......it just prepares the forms for you to mail in. So if you know about how much you want to pay, you can get the actual forms as PDF files form the IRS website...or pay them to the IRS without the forms on their Direct Pay website ( https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay )
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One can also pay then thru the EFTPS website...but that requires pre-authorization to create the initial web-account, and that can take a month.
____________*Answers are correct to the best of my knowledge when posted, but should not be considered to be legal or official tax advice.*
