> The reason Mantine is free is because the maintainer is not doing it for quick bucks.
Over time I've found that lack of monetization eventually leads to maintainers leaving the project. Paying money feels like a way to guarantee (to a degree) that the maintainer won't drop the project when their attention turns elsewhere.
We have both kinds of projects, the ones that are free so maintainers leave, and the ones that make money and the money warps incentives over time. Rather than free vs paid, I try these days to get a sense for the motivations of the creator, and whether those motivations feel sustainable for something durable. Sometimes they involve money, sometimes not.
Over time I've found that lack of monetization eventually leads to maintainers leaving the project. Paying money feels like a way to guarantee (to a degree) that the maintainer won't drop the project when their attention turns elsewhere.