While using the free tier, I honestly can't validate a a $19/user/mo ($228/user/annum) expense based solely on a single feature, let alone why I should move to the paid version at all if more and more features start to be gated beyond multiple levels (a la Windows 7).

I love using Gitlab as a part of development cycle, managing issues and handling pull/merge requests but per seat licensing is a bit steep for a single user, even more so for a team.

The norm for pricing products and services is more and more "just for a pint/coffee/sandwich a month" but when everyone wants their share of the cash, the end result is a mismash of services and products that don't work together well (if at all) and you get stuck without a pint/coffee/sandwich for the whole month now.