Unfortunately, platforms like these always seem ridiculously overpriced when compared to a bare metal dedicated server. I'd be curious to see how it is priced.
That's because you are learning webpack and setting everything up. It's akin to setting out to learn java by learning maven first and downloading all your dependencies through that and then learning how to bundle your code into a war for deployment on a J2EE server. Of course that's going to take more time than just copying some jars in your classpath and getting to work and learning the language.
If you want to learn React, copy the latest CDN, use the in-browser transpiler, and start learning react. Add the goodies on later.
Ah perhaps the "remix" button serves this function.
It's a little opinionated but aligns well with the decisions I independently made after spending way too much time learning "build tool bullshit". That said, it's a little rough around the edges and development is not very active.