The problem is that these SaaS companies want their cake and eat it - get a big splash of PR and engagements up front via a great, free offering that sounds too

The problem is that these SaaS companies want their cake and eat it - get a big splash of PR and engagements up front via a great, free offering that sounds too good to be true, and then lock-in and squeeze once the value is realized by the user. if you do start off with a set of limitations, it's not as big of a splash in initial user engagement, and you also end up with less network effect. So it does make business sense to offer a bigger free plan and make that splash, despite having to pay for it later in bad press.