free things aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. There’s more free product online right now than at any other time in history. We’re talking Daily Show clips, Google Books and entire libraries of music and news from every corner of the globe backed by advertising.
Free is bait. It's supposed to get you hooked. If you’ve played many mobile games, this pattern might be familiar. It’s called “freemium,” in which companies offer their apps at no cost and then charge for the good stuff once you’re addicted. (This model is also popular among drug dealers.)
Doris Reeves-Lipscomb on 10 Aug 15article by Mark Athitakis on pricing and making some things free "After all, this very blog post is an example of a "freemium" model at work. (Come for the articles, stay for the information about ASAE events, membership, and products and services.) But giving things away also demands some consideration about who's coming for what you're giving away, what you'll offer once they arrive-and what price tag you'll attach to those things. And how often you'll be changing that that pricing structure, too."