You can get virtual server for $4/month. Installing proprietary software and registering to some service, that may "upgrade" to premium tier anytime, is pretty off-putting.
Because in some countries, like .cz, it is pretty common that your home network is behind NAT, the ISP does not want to forward a port for you, and there is either no option to get a public IP or it costs $5 to $10/month and is a lengthy process to obtain (typical internet connection costs $20 to $30/month here).