[culturestate]

> ...WhatsApp isn't free. I have to spend hundreds of dollars upfront to buy a phone...

WhatsApp works reliably on a staggeringly broad list of devices. You can get a supported phone for, like, $20 and stick a $5-per-month prepaid SIM in it (many of these plans in low-income countries specifically come with WhatsApp allowances) and be connected.

[ulfw]

Yea that’s not free

[culturestate]

WhatsApp is as effectively free as it can be within the segment of the population that needs or wants it.

This is like arguing that free Wi-Fi isn't "free" because some people only use ethernet. If you don't already own a compatible device, you aren't their customer anyway.

[Fnoord]

Then, following your logic, no software is free as in beer because you always need a computer to run it, and computer hardware isn't free...