Um, I think the benefits of paying over free are a ton.
I bought a lifetime subscription when it came out because I cannot justify paying monthly for a game, and I want the opportunity to turn it on whenever I like, be it once a month or once a day. I thought of it as a long term investment. I wouldn't want to be stuck in the pre-made templates of the free version though, just because I am not a hardcore gamer.
That being said, I also had quite a bit of disposable income at the time.