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Well if they give it out for free (aka they pay for it), asking you to register is a reasonable ask. It's not a public service funded by taxpayers.

Yes they can ask, but do it at the beginning not the end of the process, this is a dark pattern and fucking annoying.

Anyone remember those online psychological tests where you spend an hour on one and in the end you need to pay up to get the result?)))

> do it at the beginning not the end

Exactly this.

If you present me with a form and a submit button then I expect the input to go through and a result to be presented.

If you don't want to present me with results before login, then put the form behind the wall too.

Simple.

> Well if they give it out for free (aka they pay for it), asking you to register is a reasonable ask

They have other options... rate limiting, serving (more) quantized to non-registered etc. etc.

Those options are still not free. And giving a degraded version of your product to free users is a bad way to acquire clients.