IRS Direct File vs IRS Free File
AI visibility head-to-head, Tax Software — run #78 (2026-08-01). IRS Free File leads with statistical confidence (non-overlapping 95% CIs).
IRS Direct File
18.9
95% CI15.4–21.8
Industry rank#9
perplexity24.7
google-search24.0
openai-search16.9
google26.7
openai15.5
anthropic26.8
vs
IRS Free File · leads
41.0
95% CI38.0–43.2
Industry rank#3
perplexity41.3
google-search35.1
openai-search40.9
google34.3
openai42.9
anthropic40.6
By question type
Share of answers mentioning each brand, split by the intent behind the question. The panel asks 10 prompts of each type, so a lead here shows where one brand wins — not just that it wins overall.
| Question type | IRS Direct File | IRS Free File |
|---|---|---|
| Recommendations “What's the best option for me?” | 13% | 36% |
| Comparisons “How do the top options stack up?” | 10% | 15% |
| Ready to buy “Which one should I actually get?” | 11% | 36% |
| Problem-solving “I have this problem — what fixes it?” | 23% | 60% |
| Informational “How does this kind of product work?” | 24% | 39% |
Bold marks the higher point estimate; the headline verdict above uses non-overlapping confidence intervals. Methodology
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