Well StackMob shut down, and Bing Maps are getting more and more expensive... while it's not that difficult to replace a BaaS, it's another matter for map services. And it's going to get more expensive no question.
The time of the freebies for web-development is going to be over soon . I wouldn't trust any service, from Github to google API A or B, to remain free for ever. Especially Github which is moving to "enterprise" at a fast pace.
As for PaaS or Saas, given how many businesses closed last year, the remaining offers will certainly get more expensive and any free tier discarded.
But the initial issue is certainly the business model. If you can't even pay for hosting anymore, you need to raise prices. A one time buy wasn't going to cover all the author's expenses.
> it's another matter for map services. And it's going to get more expensive no question
For companies that offer a "free" tier (e.g. Bing/Google maps), for sure, sooner or later, a switch to paid is very likely.
But there are organisations that have a completely different justification for existing: OpenStreetMap springs to mind, as does the UK's Ordnance Survey (which is essentially a Government body, albeit cloaked as a private company, 100% in public ownership). Although they'll always need some source of funding to keep operating, their goal isn't to maximise possible revenue, so as long as it's viable to offer free mapping, they're likely to carry on doing so.
The time of the freebies for web-development is going to be over soon . I wouldn't trust any service, from Github to google API A or B, to remain free for ever. Especially Github which is moving to "enterprise" at a fast pace. As for PaaS or Saas, given how many businesses closed last year, the remaining offers will certainly get more expensive and any free tier discarded.
But the initial issue is certainly the business model. If you can't even pay for hosting anymore, you need to raise prices. A one time buy wasn't going to cover all the author's expenses.