Oh, AutoDesk…you have such a way with words. Honestly, I would rather learn to design in OpenSCAD than send AutoDesk a single penny.
They know that they are still cheaper than any of the other commercial packages. SolidWorks’ yearly maintenance (plus you have a higher upfront cost when you acquire it) is multiple times the F360 subscription per seat.
They aren’t interested in dealing with low value business, the only reason they even have a free version is to get potential future customers used to the software so they demand their employers buy it over their competitors. Same reason why Dassault Systemes gives SolidWorks to students for free.