...........The only thing about the price is that it gets you HS3. If they update to HS4 at some point, you won't have a license for that. Maybe that's not a concern.
HS regularly updates. So it really isn't like customers don't get updated versions. And they do offer discounts via their email sales. Of course.... HS isn't free. There really are no free lunches.
It.... understandably... can be very gratifying to code your own actions and such. That has always been a draw to the Linux part of computers.
But HS can put a mini little computer to work controlling Home Automation.... at a reasonability affordable price.