Free software accomplishes more with less. However, there's now too much code, too few competent eyes, and all those eyes are forced to make a living optimizing stupid shit like advertising display algorithms. If the companies that built their fortunes on all the free software that made their empires possible dedicated a tiny fraction of their fortunes to making sure the software gets maintained well, there wouldn't be an issue.

Instead, however, they refuse to contribute because it is also giving their competitors an edge. Such is the tragedy of the commons.