The problem is the rug-pull. You can't go and proudly state "free forever", and then silently back down on that commitment. That is a textbook example for the enshittification cycle... lure users in with grand promises, sell out once you got enough of a following.
(Well, technically, you can, but then don't complain about getting called out)
(Well, technically, you can, but then don't complain about getting called out)