[BjoernKW]

You still have to invest time and money, even if you don't want your service to scale or to get rich from the information you're providing.

At the very least someone has to pay for the server and network infrastructure, maintenance and of course content creation. Some of that might be provided for by public funding while other aspects are covered by enthusiasts putting in their time.

Just because somebody else pays for it or somebody else does the work required it doesn't magically become free.